Hello and welcome to English with Lucy. Today we have another topic:" Four common British expressions." Now, before we get started, make sure you connect with me on all my social media which is right here. You can subscribe to my YouTube. You can also like me on Facebook. And for my Chinese followers, I have my Weibo account as well.
Four Common British Expressions:
"A piece of cake."
And this is very similar to "Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy," which we've discussed in a former video. And basically, it means very easy. So I might come out of an easy exam saving, "That exam was a piece of cake."
"Break a leg!"
It actually looks really rather cruel, but I promise you it's positive. And "Break a leg!" means "Good luck!" So before a race, before a job interview, before a test, instead of saying "Good luck!" I might say "Break a leg!"
"It cost an arm and a leg."
And this basically means something was really expensive. If I say, "My bag cost an arm and a leg," I mean it cost a lot of money.
"To call it a day."
And this means "to end a task". So, for example, "I'm feeling a bit tired. I think I'll call it a day. "That means "I think I'll stop here. Let's finish."
Thank you so much for watching this program of "Four Common British Expressions." I hope you like it, and I hope you've learned something.
Fire Capt. Kevin Lloyd arrived at the scene of a car accident in West Point, Utah, north of Salt Lake City. A pregnant woman and her screaming 2-year-old daughter were trapped in the car.
While his partner, Allen Hadley, was tending to the driver, Lloyd couldn't get the frightened girl to calm down. He saw she was holding several bottles of nail polish(指甲油), and then he had a better idea. He asked her if she wanted to paint his nails. Soon she entirely lit up. At the same time, Hadley showed up to check on the scene.
Lloyd had calmed her down and was in the process of getting his fingers painted. Then Hadley just put his hand in there. The girl began to color his nails pink. By this time, she was not only calm, but she was also happy.
The girl's mother was not injured. She thanked them for helping her daughter feel better, and they all chuckled, looking at the firefighters' nails, and took some photos.
The firefighters brought the photos back to headquarters and showed them around. The department put them up on Facebook, and thousands of people responded, with many thanking the firefighters for going out of their way to calm down a frightened girl.
Fire Chief Mark Becraft said he had been surprised at all the attention. He said he was proud of his firefighters, and added that he had known members of the department who had done many things that weren't part of the job.
After the fact, Lloyd and Hadley had a small matter to tend to： the layers of polish on their nails. They bought a bottle of nail polish remover, and used almost all of it.
The Maoris are the local Polynesian people of New Zealand. The Maoris originated with settlers from eastern Polynesia, who arrived in New Zealand by boat around 1150 AD. Over several centuries in separation, the Polynesian settlers developed a unique culture, with their own language and special crafts and performing arts. The early Maoris formed tribal(部落的）groups based on eastern Polynesian social customs and organizations.
The arrival of Europeans, starting in the 17th century, brought great changes to the Maori way of life. The Maoris gradually learned from the Western society and culture. The primary relations between the Maoris and Europeans were largely kind, and the two cultures coexisted peacefully. Rising stress over land sales led to conflict in the 1860s. Great social changes, decades of conflict and introduced diseases made the number of the Maoris fall greatly. By the start of the 20th century, the Maori population had begun to recover, and efforts had been made to increase their standing in wider New Zealand society and achieve social justice. Traditional Maori culture therefore enjoyed a great revival.
In 2013, there were about 600,000 Maoris in New Zealand, making up 15% of the national population. They are the second-largest ethnic group in New Zealand, after European New Zealanders. In addition, more than 120,000 Maoris live in Australia. The Maori language is still spoken to some degree by about a fifth of all Maoris, representing 3% of the total population. Many New Zealanders regularly use Maori words and expressions, such as "kia ora", while speaking English.
Many Maoris face big economic and social problems, with lower life expectancies and incomes compared with other New Zealand ethnic groups. They suffer higher levels of crime, health problems, and educational underachievement. Some measures have been taken to aim at closing the gap between the Maoris and other New Zealanders.
What is the ideal physique（体形）?The answer is ever-changing. But it is to a large extent work of a single company that dominated the past 60 years of body image standards.
Since its creation in 1959, Barbie has been in the leading position of promoting hardly attainable body image standards, for which it was often heavily criticized. Scientific research shows that the probability of achieving a Barbie-like body shape is less than 1 in 100,000!
Mattel, the company behind the Barbie doll, has recognized that the 60s' idea of good body image is long gone. In an effort to keep up with social change, Mattel is adjusting the dolls' body type and skin color, introducing special editions.
There is now a Barbie in a wheelchair. There is a Barbie Astronaut, Rescuer, or Engineer. In their latest Barbie special edition, Mattel honors the women fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, including Dame Sarah Gilbert. In the hope that Mattel is adapting to modern corporate standards just as well as it is to social change, we're attracted by what the company's sustainability data may tell us.
What does the data tell us? To answer' this question, we've launched a sustainability-focused beauty contest-with Mattel as one of the contestants. The company scores relatively well on environmental and social metrics（衡量标准）.However, in terms of diversity， Mattel is well below its competitor，Hasbro. This being said，the judges advise that beauty should be equally defined by the inside and the outside.
What does this mean? Be body-positive! As we're approaching the second quarter of the 21st century, the importance of a healthy relationship between mind and body is being recognized. And with this, body image standards are changing, allowing for more freedom of expression and identity.
Mattel's efforts in product diversity are a welcome step in the right direction, as the doll has its very own influence. We believe that Barbie's future lies in the empowerment（赋予力量）of today's youth，contributing toward a generation of confident individuals.
Breaking bad reading habits
Are you eager to become a faster reader? Reading faster isn't about finishing books without comprehension or enjoyment. To do so, you need to change some bad reading habits.
Avoid sounding out the words in your head. Many people sound out the words as they read — either by moving their lips or hearing the words in their head. This is because it only allows you to read the words as fast as you can say them, which isn't very fast at all.
Another common practice which slows down reading speed hugely is the practice of reading each individual word separately. Instead, you should try to read in chunks (语块).
Overcome inefficient eye movement. When children learn how to read, they are taught to look at each word individually before moving onto the next. Therefore, this practice makes reading a lot less efficient.
Avoid distractions. Many people are slow readers simply because they often read in an inappropriate environment. If you want to read quickly and absorb the material in front of you, you need to avoid all kinds of distractions. Don't try to read in a loud environment. Read in a quiet, peaceful environment where reading is your only focus.
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A. Avoid reading word by word. B. Don't read the same sentence two or three times. C. It won't improve your understanding of the material. D. Otherwise, you'll find yourself getting distracted and rereading paragraphs. E. However, your eyes are able to take in much more than a single word at a time. F. It's about learning to pick up the speed and still take in the information in an enjoyable way. G. Although it is an effective way of teaching kids how to read, it is not beneficial to reading faster. |
I spent a few hours diving into the book The Maid by Stephanie Land. The book has been translated into a popular TV series, but I like1the book before diving into its TV adaptation.
Even if it seems insignificant, a simple act of kindness can go a long way for someone. Stephanie's words engulfed（吞没）me as she took me into her story of2cleaning jobs and the kindness of strangers. As Stephanie's storytelling3how she was able to raise her beautiful daughter, Mia, on her job as a maid, I4how impactful our actions are. A kind word and an act of kindness can go a long way in making people feel seen and5.
Stephanie's memoir（自传）details how the6of her boss and strangers who trusted her in the cleaning of their houses went a long way in helping her not just survive but keep some7in the work. It was these random acts of kindness that8her to move forward. Her book reminded me of the importance of taking a moment to step out of our own world to lend a9 hand.
More often than not, we are engulfed in the story of our own lives, forgetting we live in a(n)10where others exist. We11that one encountered（遇到）in the grocery store or a kind word can go a long way for someone trying to survive.
As Stephanie12told the tales, I felt two things: awe and13. Awe because of the strength she displayed and gratitude because her story14me of the strangers I have encountered who were kind to another. The gestures were not grand but15.
单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Everyone seems ( have) his or her own holiday. Dad has Father's Day. Mom has Mother's Day. Children have Children's Day. Lovers have Valentine's Day. But is there a special day older people? Of course, the Chong yang Festival is the holiday Chinese people show love for their elders.
(celebrate) on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, the festival is also known as the Double Ninth Festival. Nine is the(high) digit so it (regard) that the two together mean a long life.
The festival comes during golden time of autumn. The clear weather and the joy of harvest make for a happy atmosphere. On the day people (traditional) climb a mountain and carry dogwood (茱萸). People in ancient times (believe) that the plant could drive away evil (spirit) and prevent people against cold in winter.
Algebra (代数) was my last class of the day. After the class, Mrs. Sharpnack asked me to stay to discuss my midterm math exam, which I had failed. Although I did well in language and many other subjects, I wouldn't be on the honor roll (光荣榜) that term if I couldn't soon make big progress in math. In just a few weeks, the names of the honor roll students would be read during the class. I was so sad.
Seeing my sadness, Mrs. Sharpnack said, "Do you want me to spare some time to help with your math? I think you can make big and quick progress." But I just wanted to go home and never think about algebra again. "No, thanks," I said. And I explained, "Unlike other students in my class, I am just not good at this kind of math. And no amount of studying will change that."
I almost cried when I talked about it. Mrs. Sharpnack comforted me, saying, "If we work together, I believe you can change it." For a moment, I wondered if she would be right. "What time does your bus come?" she asked. I had 30 minutes left before my bus came, and I told her so. She asked if I would like to use that time to go over the math problems I had met. Encouraged by her, I answered. "I guess so."
We started right then and made a plan to meet each day for two weeks, after which Mrs. Sharpnack would give me a test to check my progress. After Mrs. Sharpnack helped me go over a few problems that day, it was time for my bus to come. I waved her goodbye. In the following days, I continued staying with Mrs. Sharpnack after class. She went over each problem, carefully explaining the solutions.
Sometimes I still couldn't understand what she had said. She stayed calm, though, and would think of a different way to explain the answer. The day to take the test came quickly.
注意：
1）续写词数应为150左右；
2）请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1: Mrs. Sharpnack handed out test papers.
Paragraph 2: The next morning, Mrs. Sharpnack came in with graded papers.
