【英语口语练习册】玛丽擅长做什么呢

阮问玛丽擅长什么，有什么爱好，看看他们在讨论的吧

Ron: Hi, I'm Ron from Hawaii. I'm here with Mari from Japan. Today we will be talking about abilities. So, Mari, are you a good cook?

Mari: I like to cook, more specifically¹, I like to cook for people. I like to have people over and eat with people. I don't really like to eat alone, so I don't like to cook for myself. I like to cook for other people, but more than cooking I like to bake.

 

Ron: Baking. What do you like to bake?

 

Mari: Cookies and brownies and cake.

 

Ron: That sounds very good. I would like to eat one of your brownies. OK, next, are you a good singer?

 

Mari: I am terrible at singing. I don't like going to karaoke and I don't like to sing. I like music, but I can't sing for my life. I, yesterday, or I guess in class it was a students birthday and I made my students sing Happy Birthday but they wouldn't start so I had to start them off singing and my voice was so bad, they started laughing at me, so I'm just a terrible singer.

 

Ron: That's funny. OK, next. Are you a good dancer?

 

Mari: No, I'm not a good dancer. I can't dance at all. I used to when I was younger, my parents would enroll² me in ballet classes, so I did ballet for six years but I am not very good at dancing.

 

Ron: So, you're a teacher now right? So, were you a good student when you were a student?

 

Mari: I was a good student because I'm a dork. No, yeah, I think I was a good student. I tried hard in all of my classes. I always did my homework. I was always focused and took notes during class. If I didn't understand something, I would either ask questions in class or speak to the teacher or professor after class. I always really liked learning³ and so I think that's why I was a really good student.

 

Ron: And athletics⁴? Were you a good athlete, and are you a good athlete now?

 

Mari: That's a tricky⁵ question. I like sports, and I like playing sports. I don't think I'm a very good athlete, probably compared to you, I'm probably not, but I really enjoy playing sports. In high school, I played soccer. I ran cross-country. I played ice-hockey and a little bit of lacrosse.

 

Ron: And which one was your favorite sport?

 

Mari: My favorite sport was ice-hockey.

 

Ron: Interesting.

 

Vocabulary

 

more specifically

 

I like to cook, more specifically, I like to cook for people.

 

We use the phrase 'more specifically' when we want to give more detailed⁶ information. Notice the following:

 

That college is famous for sports. More specifically, it is famous for football.

Our company makes tires. More specifically, we make tires for large buses.

can't .... for my life

 

I can't sing for my life.

This phrase means we have absolutely no skill at something.  Notice the following:

I can't dance for my life.

My wife can't cook for her life.

a dork

 

I was a good student because I'm a dork.

 

A dork is someone who likes to study, is not usually attractive or popular, and is definitely⁷ not cool.  Notice the following:

 

I am such a dork. I did not mean to step on you.

He is such a dork, but all the girls like him.

enroll

 

My parents would enroll me in ballet classes.

 

When we enroll in something that means we join or sign up.  Notice the following:

 

She plans to enroll at the local junior college.

We just enrolled⁸ in a free Arabic class at the community center.

tricky question

 

That's a tricky question.

 

Something that is tricky is difficult to do or answer and requires that we think carefully: Notice the following:

 

Hmm. Do I like cooking? That's a tricky question.

Asking someone how much money they make is a tricky question. You need to be careful asking it.

1 specifically   

adv.明确地，具体地；特别地，特意

参考例句：

• The book was written specifically for children.这本书是特地为儿童编写的。
• I told you specifically not to do that.我明确地告诉你不要那样做。

2 enroll   

v.招收；登记；入学；参军；成为会员（英)enrol

参考例句：

• I should like to enroll all my children in the swimming class.我愿意让我的孩子们都参加游泳班。
• They enroll him as a member of the club.他们吸收他为俱乐部会员。

3 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

4 athletics   

n.运动，体育，田径运动

参考例句：

• When I was at school I was always hopeless at athletics.我上学的时候体育十分糟糕。
• Our team tied with theirs in athletics.在田径比赛中，我们队与他们队旗鼓相当。

5 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

6 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

7 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

8 enrolled   

adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起

参考例句：

• They have been studying hard from the moment they enrolled. 从入学时起，他们就一直努力学习。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He enrolled with an employment agency for a teaching position. 他在职业介绍所登了记以谋求一个教师的职位。 来自《简明英汉词典》