【英语口语练习册】玛丽擅长做什么呢（在线收听）

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 specifically, 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 enroll 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 learning and so I think that's why I was a really good student.

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

Mari: That's a tricky 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 detailed 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 definitely 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 enrolled 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.