【英语趣味课堂】邮局-Post Office

Todd: OK, Laura, I'm going to ask you questions about the post office in Hong Kong. OK, or just sending letters. How often do you write letters?

 

Laura: Well, when I was young, I wrote quite often to my pen pals², but right now, instead of sending a letter I usually send my friends e-mails.

 

Todd: Yeah! Me, too. How much does it cost to send a postcard in Hong Kong overseas?

 

Laura: Well, to Asian countries, it costs about two dollars, two Hong Kong dollars. To European countries it costs about three dollars.

 

Todd: OK, and when you send mail in Hong Kong, do you send it from your house, or do you..

 

Laura: Well, we have to go the post office in order to send letters or parcels.

 

Todd: Really, OK! Cause it's so crowded in Hong Kong that...

 

Laura: Well, Yes, Yes!

 

Todd: OK, and in Japan do you receive a lot of mail?

 

Laura: Right now, no. Well, because it's so convenient to use the e-mails or instant communication or telephone.

 

Todd: Yeah, OK last question. What time do post offices open and close?

 

Laura: Well, it depends on the size of the post office. For large one, so, they work longer. Like from nine in the morning until six, so for a smaller one, from nine to five.

 

学习内容：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

pen pal¹

 

I wrote quite often to my pen pals.

 

A "pen pal" is someone you communicate with through letters.  It can be someone that you know or don't know, but your relationship or friendship is long-distance.  Notice the following:

 

Have you ever had a pen pal?

My grandmother has all the letters from when she was pen pals with her sister.

overseas

 

How much does it cost to send a postcard overseas.

 

To send something "overseas" is literally³ to send it over an ocean, but we frequently use this word to talk about sending something to another country or abroad.  Notice the following:

 

She wants to travel overseas to continue her studies.

He took a job overseas last year.

parcel

 

You have to go to the post office to send parcels.

 

"Parcel" is another word for a package or something larger than a letter.  Notice the following:

 

Your mother sent you a parcel for your birthday.

I have been waiting two months for the parcel to arrive.

convenient

 

It's so convenient to use e-mail.

 

If something is "convenient" it is easy and practical.  Notice the following:

 

My new apartment is in a very convenient location.  It is close to everything that I need.

We can go to the restaurant, but it is more convenient to have the food delivered to our house.

instant

 

E-mails or instant communication or telephone.

 

If communication is "instant" it happens right now or immediately rather than waiting for it.  Notice the following:

 

Do you like instant coffee?

I got an instant reply from his email that said he was away from the office.

 

 

1 pal   

n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友

参考例句：

• He is a pal of mine.他是我的一个朋友。
• Listen,pal,I don't want you talking to my sister any more.听着，小子，我不让你再和我妹妹说话了。

2 pals   

n.朋友( pal的名词复数 )；老兄；小子；（对男子的不友好的称呼）家伙

参考例句：

• We've been pals for years. 我们是多年的哥们儿了。
• CD 8 positive cells remarkably increased in PALS and RP(P CD8+细胞在再生脾PALS和RP内均明显增加(P 来自互联网

3 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。