【英语趣味课堂】加拿大-Canada

 Todd: OK. Hello!

 

Jamie: Hi!

 

Todd: Hi! Can you introduce yourself please?

 

Jamie: My name is Jamie. I'm living here in Japan, and I'm from Canada.

 

Todd: OK. Where are you from in Canada?

 

Jamie: Vancouver, Canada, British Columbia.

 

Todd: Oh, nice. Were you born there?

 

Jamie: I was born in British Columbia, in Victoria.

 

Todd: OK.

 

Jamie: But I spent my adult working life in Vancouver and Japan.

 

Todd: OK. How long have you been in Japan?

 

Jamie: Let's see, four years right now, and a grand total of six years.

 

Todd: Wow. How much longer do you plan to stay in Japan?

 

Jamie: That's a good question. I ask myself that on a daily basis.

 

Todd: Yeah. Yeah. Me, too. OK. So we'll go ahead and pass on that one.... What do you think about Cananda?

 

Jamie: Canada is a great place. It's a..you know being Canadian of course. I'm pretty, fairly nationalistic about it, but it's not a perfect place, obviously¹. A lot of high taxes. Not always the job that you want is available but ultimately² it's , you know, it's a pretty good place.

 

Todd: OK. So when you get gray and old, is Canada the place you'll settle down in?

 

Jamie: Settle down, that's kind of a hard call as well, but I certainly think of Canada as being a place I'd like to, I'd like to take it easy on a regular basis.

 

Todd: OK. Great. Thanks a lot Jamie.

 

Jamie: OK. My Pleasure.

 

学习内容：

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

adult working life

 

I've spent my adult working life in Vancouver and Japan.

 

Your 'adult working life' is the time after you finish school when you have a job and are independent.  Notice the following:

 

He began his adult working life at a bank.

When are you going to start your adult working life?

grand total

 

I've lived in Japan for four years, and a grand total of six years.

 

The 'grand total' of something is the final amount that you have or do.  It is a combination³ of everything.  Notice the following:

 

She has a grand total of 60 pairs of shoes.

A grand total of 300 people came to the party.

on a daily basis

 

I ask myself that question on a daily basis.

 

If you do something 'on a daily basis' you do it every day.  Notice the following:

 

He exercises on a daily basis.

She calls me almost on a daily basis.

get gray and old

 

When you get gray and old, is Canada the place you'll settle down in?

 

'Get gray and old' is an informal friendly phrase that refers to the time in life when we have gray hair and are very old.  Notice the following:

 

I never want to get old and gray.

I plan to travel when I get gray and old.

hard call

 

Deciding where to settle down is a hard call as well.

 

A 'hard call' is a difficult decision to make.  Both of the options have positive and negative effects.  Notice the following:

 

That must be a hard call to make.

It's a hard call which is the better apartment.

1 obviously   

adv.显然；明白地

参考例句：

• Obviously they were putting him to a severe test.显然他们是在给他以严峻的考验。
• Obviously he was lying.显然他是在撒谎。

2 ultimately   

adv.最后地，最终地，首要地，基本地

参考例句：

• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience.那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。
• Vitamin C deficiency can ultimately lead to scurvy.缺乏维生素C最终能道致坏血病。

3 combination   

n.组合，合并，联合；

参考例句：

• He carried on the business in combination with his friends.他与朋友们合伙做生意。
• The materials can be used singly or in combination.这些材料可以单独使用也可以混合用。