【英语早间课堂】你在说什么?

Hello, everyone! this is KeKe Net English. Welcome to Juliet’s Morning English Class. A saying goes, “An hour in the morning is worth two hours in the evening.” So, I hope we can spend a wonderful and meaningful time here.

 

We’ve a way of expressing a speaker asks a person to clearly express something he’s speaking about.Guess what it is. Let’s listen to the following minisituational dialogueto get the answer.

 

(Scene:It happens between a brother and his sister.)

 

A:We need to be careful about making noise tonight.

 

B:What are you getting at? Do you think I am too noisy.

 

Have you got the answer? It is “What are you getting at?”It’s kinda like saying “Tell me directly instead of beating around the bush.” It’s similar to saying in Chinese——你要说什么？

 

Here is a phrase——get at. It means “to come to sb’s attention”. For example: The rumors¹ eventually reached her mother Besides, the following two phrases should be born in your mind: be careful about something，make noise。Let’s see two more examples.

 

Example 1:What on earth is this? What are you getting at?

 

Example 2:I see what you are getting at. You want to keep me away from her.

 

In addition, “to get at” is a very useful phrase.First, it means”to keep criticizing² sb”. It is usually used in the progressive³ tense.

 

Example 1:He is always getting at me.

 

Example 2:She felt she is being got at.

 

Secondly,“to get at sb or sth” means “to reach sb or sth” or “to gain access to sb or sth”.

 

Example 1:The files was locked up and I cannot get at them.

 

Example 2:Paul always wanted to get at him and be friend with him.

 

Example 3:I tried to pick the apple but I couldn't get at it.

 

Thirdly,“to get at something”means “to learn or find out sth”.

 

Example 1:The truth is sometimes difficult to get at.

 

Example 2:I cannot get at the meaning of this sentence.

 

Example 3:That's the thing I want to get at. Now what do you reckon⁴ it is?

 

So, if a person ask you what you are getting at, you cauld say in this way——Try to reckon it and get at it.

 

Please be active and answer my questions, finishing listen to the dialogue again. For sure, I’m about to tell you my questions. My questions are as follows:

 

1. What does A asks B to do?

 

2. What does B react?

 

Listen to the dialogue carefully. Are you ready? Here we go.

 

A:We need to be careful about making noise tonight.

 

B:What are you getting at? Do you think I am too noisy.

 

Have you written down your answers. Theanswersare as follows:

 

1. A asks B to be more careful about making noise tonight.

 

2. B gets a little bit mad and says if A think he is too noisy.

 

We have learned⁵ a short sentence used in spoken English. It is “What are you getting at?”By the way, we’ve learned the phrase ,“to get at sb/sth”, in detail.

 

It’s time to say goodbye to you. Let’s call it a day. Thank you for your participation⁶ in today’s study activity. See you next time.

 

转自可可英语

1 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 criticizing   

v.评论，批评( criticize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He committed the cardinal sin of criticizing his teammates. 他犯了指责队友的大错。
• She's always criticizing her husband for being sloppy. 她总是指责她的丈夫做事马虎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 progressive   

adj.先进的；前进的，渐进的；进行式的

参考例句：

• There is often a progressive loss of sight in old age.上了年纪的人视力逐步减退。
• It's a progressive idea.这是一种进步的思想。

4 reckon   

vt.计算，估计，认为；vi.计（算），判断，依靠

参考例句：

• Don't reckon upon your relatives to help you out of trouble.不要指望你的亲戚会帮助你摆脱困境。
• I reckon that he is rather too old to marry again.我认为他的年龄太大，不太适于再婚。

5 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

6 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。