生活英语情景口语100主题

01. Stages of Life人生阶段

Words Storm

adolescence 青春期

puberty 发育期

bring up 教育、抚养

strict upbringing 严厉的教育

career/ occupation 职业

self-employed 自己经营

reach middle age 人到中年

uptight 紧张的, 心情焦躁的

challenge 挑战

literature 文学

freelance (writer) 自由作家

fiction book 小说

magazine article 期刊文章

strange experience 奇特的经历

independent 自主的

definitely 明确的

turning-point 转折点

divorce 离婚

quite elderly 上了年纪

old and grey 头发花白

Emma：You know, Aiden, I don’t know much about you. Where were you born?

Aiden：I was born in London, but I spent most of my childhood in Hong Kong.

E: What was your childhood like?

A: I had a pretty strict upbringing, and my parents and I were always fighting about it.

E: Do you get along with your parents now?

A: Oh sure. Once they reached middle age, they became a lot less uptight.

E: Where did you go to university?

A: My parents want me to stay in Hong Kong, but I decided to go back to England. I graduated from Oxford University with a degree in English Literature.

E: What is your current occupation?

A: I ‘m a freelance writer. I write magazine articles and fiction books.

E: Did you always know that you wanted to be a writer?

A: No, I didn’t. I was an English teacher for about five years, but by the time I was 30, I decided I wanted a fresh challenge.

E: How did you start writing?

A: I started writing magazine articles for fun and eventually was asked to write a book, so I was pretty lucky.

E: Are you writing a book now?

A: Yes, it’s about a group of friends living in a foreign country and all the strange experiences they have.

E: Sounds interesting.

A: What was the biggest turning point in your life?

E: I guess I would say that would be moving out of my parents’ house for the first time.

A: Really? Why is that?

E: After I moved out of my parents’ home, I became a lot more independent.

A: What would you say was the lowest point in your life?

E: That would definitely be getting a divorce.

A: What went wrong?

E: We just weren’t right for each other.

A: How long were you married?

E: That marriage only lasted about a year.

A: Have you remarried since then?

E: Yes, I got married to a man that I met shortly after I divorced my first husband.

A: Do you think you’ll ever get a divorce again?

E: I hope not. My first marriage was a mistake, but this one isn’t.

A: How long have you been married?

E: About 15 years now.

A: Do you think you’ll still love him when he’s old and grey?

E: I think so. Hopefully we’ll have a long and happy life together.

A: I’m sure you will.

02. First Impressions第一印象

Words Storm

height and build 身材体型

tall and slim 身材高挑

medium height and build 身材中等

stout 结实的、矮胖的

skinny 骨瘦嶙峋的

plump\\ chubby 丰满的、圆胖的

elegant 文雅端庄的

gorgeous 美艳的

ugly 丑陋的

plain 普通的

straight 直发

wavy 大波浪

curly 小卷发

dyed hair 染发

fair hair 金发

blond(e) 金发碧眼

bald\\balding 秃头

parted in the middle 中分头

pony tail 马尾

long\\short plaits 长\\短辫

noticeable feature 明显特征

freckles 雀斑

pierced ear 耳洞

tattoo 刺青纹身

angular 棱角分明的

scar 疤痕

beard 络腮胡子

moustache 上唇小胡子

contact lenses 眼镜

birthmark 胎记

bad skin 粗糙的皮肤

deep voice 低沉的声音

lovely complexion 较好的面容

blind date 相亲

athletic 运动型的、健美的

frightening 令人恐惧的

lip 嘴唇

gum 齿根、牙床

chin 下巴

transplant 移植

Halloween 万圣节、鬼节

mask 面具

Madison: Jacob, are you interested in helping me out and going on a blind date with a friend of mine?

J: That depends. What does she look like?

M: Well, she’s got a beautiful face and long curly red hair.

J: How tall is she?

M: She’s fairly tall, maybe 2 inches taller than me.

J: Is she chubby?

M: Not at all. She’s actually very athletic.

J: Sounds like she’s pretty good looking. Does she wear glasses?

M: No, but she does wear contact lenses.

J: How’s her skin?

M: She’s got a gorgeous complexion with a few freckles on her nose.

J: Does she have any piercings or tattoos?

M: I think she has an ear’s pierced and she definitely has a few tattoos: one on her lower back, one on her neck, and one on her left foot.

J: What’s the tattoo on her foot like?

M: It’s a butterfly- everyone in her family has one.

J: Even her mom?

M: Yes, even her mom.

J: What’s her personality like.

M: She’s a lot like me.

J: So there is something wrong with her! It was beginning to sound like she was too good to be true!

J: Did you see the guy on the front page of the newspaper this morning?

M: No, I haven’t had the chance to read the paper yet.

J: You’ve got to see it. It’s an unbelievable picture!

M: What’s so interesting about it?

J: Well, this guy fell asleep on the sofa and when he woke up, half his face had been bitten off!

M: What? How did that happen?

J: They think his dog was trying to wake him up and couldn’t, so ended up biting him in his face!

M: Wow. What did his face look like now?

J: It looks pretty frightening. He doesn’t have any lips, so all you can see are his gums and teeth. Most of his nose and chin are missing too.

M: What did he look like before his dog bit his face off?

J: He was actually quite handsome. What a shame!

M: What’s he going to do now?

J: It said that he’s hoping to get a face transplant, but until then, he’s looking forward to Halloween so he isn’t the only one wearing a mask.

03. Getting Personal 个性特征

Words Storm

amusing 令人愉快的、有趣的

cheerful 开朗的

conservative 保守的

narrow-minded 小心眼的

sensitive 敏感的

sensible 明智的

stubborn 倔强的

fussy 小题大做的

generous 慷慨大方的

relaxed and easy-going 随和的

aggressive 好斗的

arrogant 傲慢的

coward 胆小鬼

liar 说谎的人

moody 情绪化的

nosey 八卦的、爱打听的

selfish 自私的

vain 虚荣心强的

optimistic 乐观开朗的

pessimistic 悲观厌世的

cold and unfriendly 冷淡的、不友善的

horrible 可怕、讨厌的

mean 自私小气的

nasty 可恶的

a bit dull 迟钝呆滞的

gossip 长舌妇

a bit workaholic 工作狂

sleet through one’s alarm 睡过头

alarm 警告

search 搜寻

live in the flat above 住在楼上的

incredibly 不能相信地

wee hours 凌晨

earplugs 耳塞

hell 地狱, 苦境, 阴间

be scared of 害怕

bribe 贿赂

Ava: Are you alright, Ethan? You don’t seem to be as cheerful as you normally are.

Ethan: To be honest, Ava, I’ve just had a really bad day.

A: What happened?

E: First, I slept through my alarm and ended up two hours late to work.

A: What did your boss say?

E: He told me if I showed up late one more time, he’d fire me. He’s so mean!

A: That’s horrible. Was that the first time you’d shown up late to work?

E: That was my second time. The first time, I was in a car accident.

A: Is your boss Chinese?

E: No, he’s from Australia. Before I met him, I thought Australians were supposed to be relaxed and easy-going. I had no idea he’d be so fussy about things.

A: What are you going to do?

E: I think I’m going to look for another job. I need to find a boss that is a bit more sensitive and optimistic than my current boss.

A: That sounds like a sensible plan. Do you want me to help you with your job search?

E: That’s very generous of you. Thanks for the offer.

A: Don’t mention it. That’s what friends for!

E: I don’t know what to do about the people who live in the flat above me!

A: Why? What are they like?

E: They’re incredibly selfish. They’re always up until the wee hours of the night playing their music so loudly that I have to wear earplugs in order to fall asleep!

A: Have you ever talked to them about it?

E: I tried to introduce myself to them when they moved in, but they were so arrogant that I didn’t want to talk to them again!

A: What did they say?

E: They both just talk about how great they are all the time.

A: They sound like the neighbours from hell!

E: They are! Besides being loud and arrogant, they’re also terrible gossips. They’re always talking about everybody else in the apartment.

A: I thought you didn’t talk to them much.

E: I don’t, but they talk so loudly that I can hear what they’re talking about from my bedroom- and it’s not very nice.

A: What do the other people in your apartment think about them?

E: Most of my other neighbours are scared of them.

A: Maybe you should think about moving.

E: I can’t afford to move right now.

A: Well, perhaps you should have a party and try to get to know them better. Maybe once you get to know them, they’ll turn out to be more sensitive.

E: I think you’re being a bit optimistic. If you met them, you’d understand.

A: Well, I don’t know what else you could do then. Do you think bribing them with chocolate would work?

04. Every Part of Your Body Can Speak

Words Storm

ankle 脚踝

armpit 腋窝

bottom 臀部

chest 胸脯、胸部

elbow 臂肘

knee 膝盖

palm 手掌

stomach 胃

waist 腰

wrist 手腕

frown 皱眉

grin 露齿而笑

gum 牙龈

scalp 头皮

suck 吸、吮吸

wink 眨眼

wrinkle 皱纹

yawn 哈欠

kneel 跪下

lean 倾斜, 倚靠, 瘦的, 贫乏的

trip over 绊倒

famished 极饥饿的

starve 饿得要死

getting a bite to eat 随便吃点东西

hot pot 火锅

after one’s own heart 完全符合自己的心意

spicy 辣的

drag one’s feet 拖着脚走, 迟缓误事, 拖拉, 不合作

tongue 舌头

authentic 可信的

a pain in the neck [美俚]讨厌的家伙

blame 责备

bad blood 仇恨

take the cake 得奖, 成为最佳者, (讽)坏到极点

promotion 晋升

grin and bear it 逆来顺受

have a taste for 爱好, 提出，想要

get in the way 妨碍

Emily: I don’t know about you, but I’m famished. Are you interested in getting a bite to eat?

Ryan: That’s sounds great. I’m absolutely starving! What kind of food are you in the mood for?

E: I’d love something spicy. Maybe we could get some Sichuan hot pot.

R: You are a woman after my own heart. I don’t know many people who can handle spicy food. Are you sure you are up for hot pot?

E: Sure. If I could, I would eat hot pot every day!

R: Ok, you’re really all eyes when it comes to talking about food, aren’t you?

E: Well, let’s stop dragging our feet and find a Sichuan hot pot restaurant for dinner!

R: Let me think about it for a minute. Let’s see… Oh the name of the restaurant is on the tip of my tongue! Give me a second and it’ll come to me.

E: Well, have you thought about it yet?

R: No…

E: Never mind. There’s an authentic tasting hot pot restaurant not far from the China World Trade Towers on ChangAn Street. Have you been there?

R: That’s it! That’s the one I was thinking of. I told you I remember it!

E: You really have a big head, don’t you?

R: So, Emily, how was your day?

E: I don’t think you really want to hear about it.

R: It can’t have been that bad. Go on and tell me about it.

E: To be honest, it was horrible! My manager is such a pain in the neck!

R: Why? What happened?

E: Well, he made quite a few mistakes on the monthly report and when his supervisor found him, my manager blamed them on me!

R: That’s not very fair. What did you do?

E: There wasn’t really anything that I could do. There’s always been a lot of bad blood between my manager and myself. If I had said anything, he would have fired me for sure.

R: Did he treat everyone in your department like this?

E: He treats everyone pretty poorly, but the way he treats me really takes the cake!

R: Do you have any ideas why he treats you worse than the others?

E: I really have no idea. All I know is that the thought of him really curls my hair!

R: Is there anyone else you can talk to about it at your company?

E: Not really. I’m hoping to live with it for a while until I get a promotion.

R: That’s very sensible. It sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders.

E: I try to be sensible about it, but it’s not very easy. Sometimes you just have to grin and bear it.

R: That’s so true. When you have a taste for success, you can’t let dishonest people like your manager get in the way.

05. Mind Your Posture

Words Storm

bow 弯腰、鞠躬

handshake 握手

hug 拥抱

nod head 点头

greet 问候

crawl 向前爬

dive 跳水

drag 拖、拉

posture 姿势

fold arms 交叉双臂置于胸前

bite nails 咬指甲

limp 柔软的, 易曲的, 无力的

offend 冒犯, 违反, 得罪, 使...不愉快

typically 代表性地, 作为特色地

signify confidence and respect 表示/意味信心和尊敬/敬重

make contact with 和...接触, 和...通信

intercultural communication 不同文化间的传达

candidate 候选人, 投考者

impressive resume 深刻印象

confident 自信的

keep distance 留间隔

rude 粗鲁的、无礼的

see eye to eye on sth. 对某事看法一致

unprofessional 外行的，不专业的

hire 雇用、聘请

avoid 避免

client 顾客, 客户, 委托人

slouch v.懒散

posture (身体的)姿势, 体态

sense 感觉, 判断力

eventually 最后, 终于

Isabella: Matthew, do you know much about body language in countries around the world?

M: Sure. I’ve picked up a few things from travelling around for work. Why?

I: Well, I had a meeting today with a woman from Japan and she wouldn’t stop bowing! I didn’t know what to do!

M: Did you bow back?

I: No, I tried to shake her hand, but her hand was so limp I was a bit offended.

M: Well, Japanese businessmen and women typically bow to greet each other in Japan.

She might have been offended by your strong handshake.

I: But she was in America! Shouldn’t she have known that strong handshakes in America signify confidence and respect?

M: Things are different in Japan. You know, in some countries, making eye contact with others is considered rude.

I: Is that why she wouldn’t look at me in the meeting?

M: I think it’s highly possible, yes.

I: The meeting really didn’t go down well at all. I think I need to read up about intercultural communication before I have another meeting with someone from another country.

M: That’s a good idea. When you don’t know much about other cultures, the simple thing can offend someone.

I: That’s so true. It’s great that we see eye to eye on this.

M: Well, what did you think about the last candidate? Do you think we should hire her?

I: She had a very impressive resume, but she seemed to lack the confidence that I think a good manager needs.

M: What made you think that she wasn’t very confident?

I: Did you notice the way that she avoided making eye contact with us while she talked?

M: She was a bit nervous, I guess. What else?

I: When she first walked into the room to greet us, she didn’t shake our hands or introduce herself at all. I thought that was a bit unprofessional.

M: You’re right. If she walked into meetings with our clients like that, it would make our company look bad, wouldn’t it?

I: It sure would. Did you also notice the way she slouched in her chair during most of the interview? She had horrible posture!

M: I agree. I guess I was paying more attention to her answers than her body language.

I: On top of all of that, she didn’t seem to have any sense about people’s personal space.

She didn’t keep enough distance between us when during the meeting.

M: That’s true. I guess we’ll have to keep looking for a manager then.

I: Don’t worry, we’ll find someone eventually!

06. Blood Is Thicker than Water 血浓于水

Word Storm

surname\\family name 姓

nuclear family 核心家庭

immediate family 直系亲人

kinship 血缘关系

blood relationship 血缘

kinsmen by blood 血亲

stock 门第、血统

of noble birth 贵族出身

of humble birth 平民出身

ancestor 祖先

descendant 后代、晚辈

progeny 后裔

inherit 继承

family tree 家谱

identical twins 同卵双生

fraternal twins 异卵双生

legitimate child 婚生子（女）

illegitimate child 非婚生子（女）

bastard 私生子（女）

brotherhood 手足情

half brother/sister 同父异母（同母异父）兄弟/姐妹

single-child policy 独生子女

complete opposites 完全相反的

biological father 生父

yearn for attention 渴望被关注

envy 羡慕

step-dad 继父

be meant to 有意要, 打算

Kaitlyn: How many people are there in your family?

Jack: My immediate family is quite small. It’s just my older step-brother, my mom, my step-dad and me. How about you?

K: I have a large family. I have 3 elder sisters, my twin sister, a younger brother and my parents.

J: I didn’t know you were a twin! Are you identical or fraternal?

K: We’re identical. I mean, we look exactly the same, but we are complete opposites when it comes to everything else!

J: Interesting! It must be great having a twin sister. Are you best friends, too?

K: We used to be really close, but all that changed once she moved to Shanghai. How about your family? You didn’t mention to your biological father.

J: I don’t know much about him. He died when I was just a baby. Even though I don’t have a blood relationship with my step-father and step-brother, I consider them to be my real family.

K: What about your step-brother’s mother? Does he keep in touch with her?

J: No, she also died when my step-brother was a little. My mother and my step-father

met each other shortly after my father died and became good friends. They ended up getting

married a few years later.

K: Sounds like it was meant to be.

J: Have you ever thought about having children, K?

K: My husband and I have thought about it, but we’ve decided not to have any. They’re just too expensive. Besides, with all the news about global warming on the news lately, who knows what kind of world we’ll have in the future. What about you?

J: Well, I’ve always wanted to have lots of children. Growing up with only one brother, I always felt a bit lonely. What do you think about families with only one child?

K: For me, growing up in a big family always made me yearn for attention. I always wanted to be an only child so that I could always do what I wanted and so that I wouldn’t ever have to share.

J: Don’t you think you would miss having other people around?

K: No way! I spent 20 years of my life with relatives around me 24-7. You know, I don’t think I’ve ever actually spent any time by myself in my parents’ home. What do you think of the one-child policy in china?

J: If China didn’t have such a policy, can you imagine how many people there would

be in China now?

K: That’s true. But as a woman, I’m glad that even though I don’t want any children, I at least have a choice in how many children I have. On the other hand, I can’t imagine what China would be like if there weren’t a one-child policy!

J: Do you think most families with many children envy or feel sorry for other families with only one child?

K: I don’t know what other people think, but I, for one, envy only children!

07. Huge Family

Word Storm

relation= relatives 亲戚

kinsmen by affinity 姻亲

extended-family 数代同堂的大家庭

step- 继

adopt 收养

take after 长得像、性格像

reunion 团聚

niece 侄女、外甥女

nephew 侄子、外甥

sibling 亲兄弟姐妹

cousin 表（堂）兄弟姐妹

patriarch 族长

head of the household 一家之主

foster parents 养父母

black sheep of the family 败家子、不孝子

financially independent 经济

support a family 维持一家生计

retirement home 养老院

a record of ancestors 祖先的档案、族谱

generation 一代

be critical of 不满

decade 十年

under sb's roof 住在某人家

rare 罕见的

respectable 可敬的, 高尚的, 值得尊敬的

respect 关系

Sophia: Does your family have a record of your ancestors?

Nee: Sure. My mom has been working on our family tree for years. She’s always updating it.

S: Do you have a copy of your family tree in your house? I’d love to see it.

N: I can show it to you, if you like. I think it goes back about 8 generations so far.

S: That’s amazing! Do you have a large extended family?

N: I’ve got 30 cousins on my mom’s side and 10 cousins on my dad’s side.

S: Are you very close to your first-cousins?

N: The ones that are my age are close relatives. Now that I’m older, I don’t spend as much time with them as I used to, so I don’t know my younger cousins as well as the older ones.

S: I see. Who’s the head of your household?

N: It’s definitely my mother. And, her mother is definitely the matriarch of the bigger family.

S: That’s interesting. What’s your grandmother think of your step-mother?

N: At first, she was quite critical of her, but now that they’ve been married for a few years, she’s starting to accept the fact that my father divorced my mother.

S: That’s pretty much how you feel about your step-mom. Like grandmother, like grandson!

N: Do you think Chinese families have changed much in the last 50 years?

S: I think families everywhere have changed a lot in the last 5 decades.

N: What do you think is the biggest change?

S: Well, in the past, three or four generations would all live together under the same roof. Nowadays, living in the same city as one’s relatives is becoming rare.

N: That’s true. You know, some husbands and wives don’t even live in the same city

any more.

S: Would you ever consider having your parents live with you when they get older?

N: I guess I’m a bit old-fashioned. I’d rather have my parents live with me than live in a retirement home.

S: That’s very respectable, but I could never live with my parents. I usually only see them at our Christmas celebration—and that’s enough!

N: How about your other siblings? Do they spend a lot of time with your parents?

S: Two of my sisters still live at home, even though they have already graduated from university and have good jobs. They enjoy spending their free time with my parents. I guess in that respect, I’m the black sheep of the family.

N: I see. Do your parents ever ask you to come home to visit them more often?

S: They’re always asking me to come home, but I think our relationship is better if we keep a distance from each other. Whenever we see each other, all we do is fight.

N: Well, you know what they say. You can choose your friends, but not your family.

08. Looking for Love

Word Storm

adore 崇拜

admire 倾慕

flirt 调情

fancy 迷恋

casual 随意的

prince charming 白马王子

head over heels 神魂颠倒

have an affair 发生关系

puppy love 过家家

platonic 柏拉图式

row 争吵

split up 分手

stand sb. up 放鸽子、失约

love triangle 三角恋

fickle lover 靠不住的情人

anniversary 周年纪念

confront 使面临、面对

rude 粗鲁的

regret 遗憾

closure 关闭、终止

Cyprus (地中海东部一岛)塞浦路斯

position 职位

relocate 重新部署

madly 发狂的

Olivia: How is everything going with your girlfriend?

Noah: Didn’t I tell you? It’s over.

O: Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I didn’t know that you had split up. What happened?

N: It was a few things. The first thing that happened was that we were supposed to go

out for a romantic dinner for our one year anniversary, but she stood me up!

O: Really? Did she tell you why she didn’t show up?

N: No, but I ended up finding out later that night when I saw her with another man at a club near my home!

O: What was she thinking? Did you confront her about it when you saw her?

N: I wanted to, but I knew that if I spoke to her, I’d just blow up at her, so I decided to just go home. I called her later that night, but she didn’t answer her phone.

O: I can’t believe she would do that to you. It’s so dishonest—and rude!

N: I know. I still haven’t heard from her. The good thing is that I’m so angry with her that I don’t feel sad about not having her around.

O: I bet you she regrets what she’s done. You were such a good catch! She really lost out, didn’t she?

N: I guess so. It would be nice to know why she did this though.

O: I know. It’s always nice to have some closure, but I don’t think you’ll have a problem finding another girlfriend. There are plenty of fish in the sea.

N: How was your holiday to Cyprus?

O: It was so fantastic I didn’t really want to come home.

N: Did you happen to meet someone?

O: How did you know?

N: You always act like this when you’ve fallen in love. Who is he? How did you meet?

O: His name is Tony and we met my first night in Pathos. He works with my sister who lives there.

N: Was it love at first sight?

O: Not really. I wasn’t looking for holiday romance, but my sister told me that she had promised him that she’d set him up on blind date with me. I didn’t think I’d have anything to lose, so I went.

N: And?

O: Let’s just say that by the third date, we both realized that we had fallen in love.

N: That happened quickly! Are you going to see him again?

O: Luckily, his company has a position available here, so he’s going to see if he can get relocated.

N: It sounds like he is madly in love with you. Are you ready for such a serious

relationship?

O: Well, I’m not really a chicken anymore. We don’t know what will happen, so we’ll just have to wait and see!

09. Marry a Soul Mate

Word Storm

registry office 婚姻登记处

church wedding 教堂婚礼

bride 新娘

groom 新郎

bridesmaid 伴娘

best man 伴郎

clergyman 牧师

get engaged 订婚

propose to 求婚

silver/golden wedding 结婚礼品清单

wedding ceremony 婚礼

wedding march 婚礼进行曲

wedding banquet 喜宴

extravagant 奢侈的、浪费的

eternal 永恒的、永远的

vows 婚誓

hen-pecked 惧内、妻管严

one’s better half 另一半

bouquet 花束

tuxedo 无尾晚礼服

separate 分居

fancy 奇特的

cheat on 对...不忠

bridesmaids and groomsmen 女傧相和男傧相

surfing 冲浪

ridiculous 可笑的

Abigail: Have you heard the big news?

Joshua: What big news?

A: Olivia and Nicholas are engaged! He proposed to her last night at a fancy restaurant.

J: I didn’t even know they were dating!

A: After N’s ex-girlfriend cheated on him, they realized that they had a great friendship and that maybe they were meant to be with each other.

J: They really are perfect for each other. I can’t think of a better-matched couple than them.

A: I heard that they are planning to have an extravagant wedding ceremony in church with a reception in an expensive restaurant on the lake.

J: Have they asked anyone to be in the wedding party yet?

A: I think N asked Jack to be his best man and O asked Kaitlyn to be her maid of

honour. They both have big families, so their siblings will be the bridesmaids and groomsmen.

J: It sounds like they’re done a lot of planning in a very short time. Have they decided where they are going to go for their honeymoon?

A: I haven’t heard where they will go yet, but I bet you they will go to a beach somewhere; you know how they both love surfing.

J: You know, most people find it difficult to find their soul mate, but they’re made it seem extremely easy.

J: What was your wedding ceremony like, A?

A: My husband and I got married in a registry office with just two friends there as witnesses. But then we had three parties to celebrate.

J: Three parties? That’s quite a lot. That must have been expensive.

A: Well, since my husband and I are from two different countries, and we live in a third country, we decided to have one in each country. It wasn’t actually that expensive.

J: Were your parents upset that they weren’t there to see you get married?

A: I would have like them to be there, but they couldn’t afford to fly out to see us, and we couldn’t afford to fly out to see them, so they understood.

J: Did your husband’s family get to meet your family?

A: My husband’s parents flew out to meet my family when we got married in my hometown, so that was great. Some people spend ridiculous amounts of money on extravagant wedding receptions, but we agreed that the wedding party should be less about money and more about family.

J: That makes sense. Did you go on a honeymoon?

A: We waited until our one-year anniversary to go on our honeymoon to Africa.

J: You really didn’t have a very traditional wedding, did you?

A: Not at all, but we don’t have a traditional marriage either, so it suited us perfectly!

10. Getting along

Word Storm

buddy 男性朋友

drift apart 疏远

maturity 成熟

sincerity 真诚

loyalty 忠诚

colleague 同事

hang out 闲逛

hold a grudge 记仇、忌恨

fall out 吵架

positive 积极的

Ultimate Frisbee 极限飞碟（游戏）

drift apart 疏远

hold a grudge 发牢骚

separate 分开的, 分离的；分开, 分别

Hailey: How are you doing, Andrew?

A: Not well. I’ve been feeling pretty lonely lately.

H: But you have so many friends! How could you be lonely?

A: You know what they say: a friend to all is a friend to none. I don’t feel like I really

know any of my friends. In fact, I should probably call them acquaintances, not friends.

H: What about me? I’m your friends!

A: I know you are, but you’re my girlfriend. I wish I had a guy friend to hang out with sometimes.

H: I know what you mean. I find it difficult to make new friends, too. It’s not as easy as it was when we were young, is it?

A: Not at all.

H: I’ve made a lot of new friends since I started learning English. Maybe you could join a club or take a class to make some new friends.

A: That’s a good idea.

H: What kind of qualities do you look for in a friend?

A: I’m not sure. I guess I’d like to meet some people who have a positive attitude and want to have a good time.

H: People who play Ultimate Frisbee have a positive attitude; maybe you should join the Ultimate Frisbee club.

A: That’s a possibility. Thanks!

A: You haven’t spent much time with Sophia lately. Are you speaking to each other at the moment?

H: No, we’re not. We’ve been drifting apart for a while.

A: But you two used to do everything together. I thought you really enjoy each other’s company.

H: We did, but since she started her new job, all she does is hang out with her new friends from work.

A: Can you hang out with them too?

H: I could, but all they ever talk about is work, so I always end up feeling left out.

A: Maybe you should invite her over for dinner, so it’s just two of you.

H: I tried that a few weeks ago and she ended up brining a pal from work with her! She’s so busy these days that it’s just impossible to hang out with her.

A: It’s can’t be that bad. She was always a really good friend to you.

H: You’re right. She would never talk about me behind my back or hold a grudge. But she just doesn’t seem very interested in our friendship anymore.

A: She’s probably just excited about her new job. You should give her some time. You would be a shame to lose such a good friend.

H: I’ve given her enough time. I’m over it now.

A: I still think you two should try to patch things up.

H: I think I just have to accept the fact that it’s time for us to go our separate ways.