【英语趣味课堂】在家教孩子-Teach Child at Home

Akane: Ruth, what do you think about stay-at-home parents?

 

Ruth: Do you mean like one parent staying at home with a child?

 

Akane: Yeah, one parent staying at home and the other one working?

 

Ruth: Ah, I think it's really bad if a child stays at home with one parent actually.

 

Akane: Really, why would you say that?

 

Ruth: I think children who are brought up like that generally don't know how to socialize with other people except for their parents.

 

Akane: Oh, well, why would you think that?

 

Ruth: Well, they're really not given the opportunity to interact¹ with different people, I mean, they spend pretty much all day, every day, with that one parent, and I think it's a real shame. They don't learn how to share or, you know, how to get along with and talk to different people.

 

Akane: Well, I think that the child will actually get more interaction² if there's a stay at home parent because the parent will be able to take them to different activities and to other houses to have playmates and at the same time, they'll be able to spend more time with that parent and have socializing time with family members.

 

Ruth: But I think children could get those same experiences from different people who look after them. It wouldn't necessarily³ have to be there family who looked after them surely⁴.

 

Akane: Well, sure but, I think that it's different when a person who is not related⁵ takes care of a child. I'm sure that they do their best but the love is not there. The caretaker would not love the child as much as the parent would and at the same time if there's one person taking care of ten different children at the same time I would wonder about the amount of attention that the child would get,and safety issues⁶ as well.

 

Ruth: But I think you've got to look at the practical⁷ aspect of this. It's not always practical for people who don't have much money to have one parent staying at home all of the time.

 

Akane: That's true. I really agree about that.

 

Ruth: Oh, good we agree on one thing.

 

学习内容：

 

stay-at-home parents

 

What do you think about stay-at-home parents? 

 

A 'stay-at-home parent' doesn't work outside the house and cares for the children. Notice the following:

 

She was a stay-at-home mom for years before her kids moved out.

Stay-at-home dads are becoming more common nowadays.

socialize

 

Generally, they don't know how to socialize with other people except for their parents. 

 

People 'socialize' when they interact and communicate with each other in an informal⁸ manner. Notice the following:

 

He spends too much time socializing in class and not enough time working.

You should really try to go out and socialize this weekend. You spend too much time at home.

interact

 

They're really not given the opportunity to interact with different people. 

 

When two things or people 'interact,' they come into contact with one another. When you talk about an 'interaction' between two people, you are usually referring to a conversation. Notice the following:

 

My dog is not used to interacting⁹ with other dogs.

Interacting with new people always makes her nervous.

look after

 

I think children could get those same experiences from different people who look after them. 

 

If you 'look after' something or somebody, you care for it. Notice the following:

 

I think she is old enough to look after herself now.

We are looking after the neighbor's dog for the week.

practical

 

It's not always practical for people who don't have much money to do that. 

 

'Practical' can usually be replaced with 'useful' or 'possible.' Notice the following:

 

Having two cars is more practical, but we can't afford it right now.

Her solutions are creative but not always practical.

1 interact   

vi.相互作用，相互影响，互通信息

参考例句：

• All things are interrelated and interact on each other.一切事物互相联系并相互作用。
• The policeman advised the criminal to interact with the police.警察劝罪犯与警方合作。

2 interaction   

n.交流；相互作用，相互影响，合作

参考例句：

• The interaction of the two groups produced many good ideas.两个组的相互交流产生了许多好主意。
• Price is determined through the interaction of demand and supply.价格在供需的相互作用中形成。

3 necessarily   

adv.必要地，必需地；必定地，必然地

参考例句：

• More work does not necessarily call for more men.增加工作量不一定就要增添人员。
• A voter must necessarily be no younger than eighteen.选民必须在18岁以上。

4 surely   

adv.确实地，无疑地；必定地，一定地

参考例句：

• It'should surely be possible for them to reach an agreement.想必他们可以达成协议。
• Surely we'll profit from your work.我们肯定会从你的工作中得到益处。

5 related   

adj.有关系的，有关联的，叙述的，讲述的

参考例句：

• I am not related to him in any way.我和他无任何关系。
• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。

6 issues   

（水等的）流出( issue的名词复数 )； 出口； 放出； （特别重要或大众关注的）问题

参考例句：

• Let's start with the more easily addressable issues. 我们先从较容易处理的问题着手。
• Employment and taxation are the bread-and-butter issues of politics. 就业和征税是很重要的政治问题。

7 practical   

adj.实际的，实践的；实用的，应用的；有实际经验的

参考例句：

• He is a practical person.他是位很讲实际的人。
• Your invention is clever,but not practical.你的发明很巧，但不实用。

8 informal   

adj.非正式的，不拘礼的，通俗的

参考例句：

• I got an informal reception.我受到了非正式接待。
• The leaders met over informal lunches.领袖们在非正式午餐时进行会晤。

9 interacting   

adj.相互影响的；相互作用的

参考例句：

• The interacting surfaces were lubricated with a mineral oil. 相互作用表面是用矿物油润滑的。
• Proteins which have two separate but interacting sites are called allosteric proteins. 这种具有两个不同而又相互作用位置的蛋白质叫做变构蛋白质。