英语考试Cat | 雅思口语写作加油站 - 节目列表

你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 [图片] Do you like taking photos? Yes, definitely. However, unlike lots of young females who perhaps take numerous selfies and share them on social media, I tend to take photos of my cats, my books, nice food my husband cooks, and places I’ve traveled to. Do you like taking selfies? It depends, really. When I was much younger, I was a little bit narcissistic and the albums of my smartphone were full of selfies. But as I got older, I started to lose interest in taking photos of myself, instead, as I mentioned just now, I take photos of my cats, books, notes, and the like, but once in a while, I take a selfie. What is your favorite family photo? Umm…when I think about it, I don’t really have a proper family photo. Somebody’s always missing in the family photos. I think the only complete family photo is the one my family took two years ago in the yard of my home back in Sichuan. It was Spring Festival time and after lunch, I suggested we have a photo together. And that one is my favorite. Do you want to improve your photography skills? Yes, I do. I’m so unconfident with my photography skills that whenever I’m grabbed by somebody to take a photo for them, I would always politely reject their request. For example, last summer in Chengdu, I was strolling in a park with my friend and there was this older man who seemed to be traveling by himself, and he asked if I can help take a photo of him so that he can send to his children, I said I can’t and had to ask my friend to do it for him. So yes, I want to improve my photography skills and come to think of it, I might even take photography lessons. Standard Phrases: * Yes, definitely. * It depends, really. * Umm…when I think about it, * Yes, I do. * So yes, * But once in a while Vocabulary: * Numerous 无数的 * Narcissistic 自恋的 * Unconfident 不自信 * Grabbed by somebody 被某人捉住 * Politely reject their request 礼貌拒绝 * Strolling 散步 * And come to think of it 仔细想想 Coherence: * when * but as * instead * and the like * and that one * that whenever * would * for example * and come to think of it * but once in a while [图片] Mac's Comment: At times 'chunking' was faulty, there was occasionally inaccurate intonation and occasional inaccurate grammar including inaccurate modal verb usage.

你好呀，欢迎收听英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 Describe a special day out that cost you little money. You should say: * When was the day * Where you went * How much you spent * And explain how you feel about the day [图片] I’ve had quite a few occasions where a day out didn’t cost much. The most recent one is a Sunday. It was in the afternoon and my friend and I decided on the spur of the moment to go for a bike ride and go to a forest park. So we quickly packed two bottles of water, 2 cans of beer, some cookies, sunflower seeds, a book, and off we went! We were on our bikes for about an hour, cycling towards a forest park nearby. At first, we rode slowly and so the ride was relatively easy. But then we started to climb a slope leading to the forest park. As the slope got deeper, cycling became more difficult, and at last, I had to get off my bike and push. Once we got up the hill, we got on our bikes again. After about 10 minutes of cycling on the ridge of the hill, we saw a beautiful lake. So, we went for a short walk on the shore of the lake, and after that, we rode on. Finally, we reached the gate of the park, and we found a spot on the grass, so we sat down to enjoy the snacks, beer, and both of us read for a while. After that, we walked around a little, and then we headed back. I would say the total cost of this short trip was about 20 yuan, so, really cheap. My friend and I were quite excited about the trip because the natural scenery along the way, particularly the hill part, was fantastic. And we decided that we’ll go on other long bike rides like this one. [图片]

你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 [图片] Is it important to take photos while traveling? Yeah, sure. When visiting somewhere, taking photos can help us not just record the journey but also keep a record of meaningful moments, so that years later, while recalling some particular places we travelled to, we can simply pull out a photo album or a digital photo and rekindle the memories associated with that trip as we go through each one. And so I think regardless of the demographic, people take seriously their desire to capture things, events, people, and the like on film. Can you trust other people's travel journals on the Internet? I think so, for the most part. A lot of travel journals are written by people from their first-hand experiences, from which they record the local weather conditions, ticket prices, transportation information, food they tried, hiking routes, almost all aspects. And in most cases, these journals include a variety of photos and videos. And so when a person is considering traveling somewhere, he can refer to these journey logs to gain more of an idea of what the place is really like instead of reading promotional materials, say, from travel agents, which definitely cannot be trusted! [图片] What factors affect how people feel about traveling to a place? A lot of elements I think, for instance, location,cost, weather conditions, safety factors, landscape, food and accommodation,even language…all these are important factors people will consider whenconsidering traveling to a place. Will you go to a foreign country totravel because of the distinct landscape? Sure, yeah. For instance, going to Thailand because of its beaches, which is something I’ve done, I mean, for many people, including myself, I probably wouldn’t go to Thailand if it didn’t have such lovely and sandy beaches. I’d like to go to England too, to see its famed ‘English countryside’, maybe one day I will. [图片]

你好呀，欢迎收听英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 How do people make sure they're getting the right information? Which do you think is a better way to provide information, by phone or by email? What jobs provide information to others? Why don't people trust information on the internet? 我们整理了一份：雅思写作考前复习手册，目前是8.0版（大作文88页，A类小作文64页）。 需要这份手册的朋友，记得订阅我们，再加我微信 ID：EnglishCat996（请备注：来自小宇宙）。

你好呀，欢迎收听英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 Should everyone know history? Yes, I think so. I think the expression is, ‘no man is an island’, which I gather means history tells us something about our past, such as in community or nation, and our culture, and even ourselves. By reading and knowing history, I think we can discover more about our past and draw upon experiences and lessons from important events of history, both domestically and internationally. I think especially now, history is vital because, as we know, history tends to repeat itself. * no man is an island 没有人是一座孤岛 * draw upon 借鉴；运用 * domestically 国内 * vital 极其重要的 * history tends to repeat itself 历史总是重演 [图片] How do you learn history? As for me personally, these days, many of the books I read are in some way historical. I’m not a science fiction fan, so, almost all books I read are about the past and set in the past, so I guess that’s how I’ve learnt about some history, and also, for me, when encountering something interesting historically while reading, I always end up going online to look them up and sometimes watch explanatory videos. For instance, while reading a book called ‘Between the World and Me’, I had to check up on some historical events related to the black rights movement in America and some black leaders, like Malcolm X. * historical 历史的 * science fiction 科幻小说 * set in the past 在过去 * encounter 遇到 * end up 最终 * going online 上网 * look up 查询 * explanatory videos 解释性的视频 * check up on 查询 [图片] Why do some people have no interest in history? Well, I think it’s because many feel it’s boring, you know, like for example in my school, the teacher just read from the book and asked us to memorize lots of historical facts for the exam. I found it painful and really dry, and I think my classmates did too. As a result, I think many came away from the subject rather jaded. However, I do think today is better, I mean, at least there are lots of interesting kids’ books on the market, and that kids can learn about many different subjects, so much better than the past, and especially about history, because of books and videos, youngsters find history more interesting I think, but perhaps still kinda boring. But I’m not sure, to be honest. * memorize 记忆 * came away from ... + (形容词）：让……（怎么样） * jaded 厌倦的 * youngsters 年轻人；小孩 [图片] In what ways can children learn history? As I mentioned, I think books and videos are good, but that also includes storybooks and films, or you know, animations, they can also be good at least to convey the general historical idea. I think though that history-themed books with vivid illustrations are one of the best resources to educate children about history, and it also helps improve their reading comprehension ability! Videos are more vivid and easier for most kids to learn about key figures and events in history. And of course, through learning history at school. * animation 动画 * convey 传达 * -themed ……主题的 * vivid illustrations 生动的插图 * reading comprehension ability 阅读理解能力 [图片]

你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 Where do people normally watch movies? Hmm, I think these days the majority of young people usually watch films on their smartphones. All they need to do is search for the movie they wannna watch and click ‘play’ or download it for later. In fact, it’s so easy that it’s how people kill time on train journeys or on airplanes, and even during their lunchtime. Young people do still go to the cinema to watch blockbusters, but for the most part, I think using the phone reigns supreme. And I guess for the older generation, they mostly watch movies on TV, probably because, compared to palm-sized smartphones, bigger screens are easier for their eyes. But even for them, I think many also use their computer to watch films. * click 点击 * download 下载 * blockbuster 大片 * reigns supreme 占主流；站主导地位 * palm-sized 手掌大小的 [Image] What are the differences between watching movies at home and at the cinema? Hmm, let me think about it, um, well, I think probably one of the biggest differences is simply the size of the screen. At the movie theatre the screen is huge, while watching a film at home, unless you’re one of those people that has a huge movie-style screen at home or a projector, but the TV, or the computer, they have much smaller screens… And I guess the same goes for the sound. In a cinema, the sound effects, the music, the voices, everything in fact, is in stereo sound, coming from all directions, and is loud, while at home, of course, you can’t have it so loud that it makes your body vibrate, whereas in the cinema, you can feel your body actually vibrating because of the sound. So I think those are the biggest differences. * projector 投影仪 * sound effects 音效 * stereo sound 立体声 * vibrate 振动 [Image] Are actors and actresses important to movies? Absolutely. Though the core of a good movie is its storyline, its plot…the actors and actresses can make or break a movie. Good actors are able to make the movie more vivid, more believable. They have the capability to help the audience to focus on the story itself…especially in those movies adapted from novels. I guess everyone has seen a film, perhaps anticipating a good movie, only to realize the acting is poor, so much so that it makes the movie unwatchable. So yes, actors and actresses are vital to the success of a movie I think. * the core of ……的核心 * make or break 决定成败 * believable 可信的 * adapted from 由……改编 * anticipate 期待；期望 [Image] Why are there fewer people going to the cinema to watch movies? Well, as I mentioned, I think it’s because everyone has a smartphone nowadays. Why pay for an expensive ticket for a movie when you can just sit at home and watch it for free or near enough for free? Plus, by watching a movie at home, or on your phone or whatever, you can fast forward, rewind, pause, or do whatever you want with the movie, so if, for example, you’re in a rush or want to finish it early, it’s easy to do. As a result, people are not motivated to go through the trouble of investing the time and money to watch movies in the cinema, which usually entails an afternoon or evening on a weekend. The main consideration then, I think, is time, convenience, and cost. I believe most people simply don’t have the patience to sit in a cinema. * forward 快进 * rewind 回放 * pause 暂停 * go through the trouble of 麻烦 * entail 牵涉到

你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 When you were a child, did you usually sit on the floor? No, and actually, I don’t quite remember if I sat on the floor at all, but I guess I didn’t because sitting on the floor was the number one ‘no-no’ thing to do in my home. My mom was always too occupied with all types of housework and farm work to spare time for laundry, and I think that’s why sitting on the floor was frowned upon … it simply meant more work for my mom. I recollect sitting on the bed most of the time or at the small dining table in what you might call the main room. * number one 'no-no' thing to do 最不能做的事 * to spare time for 抽时间…… * frowned upon 不满；皱眉 [图片] Do you feel sleepy when you are sitting down for a long time? It depends on what I’m doing while sitting down. If I just sit in a quiet place and read a book I enjoy, I won’t feel drowsy until I put the book down, but if I sit down without doing anything, I could probably fall asleep after just a short while. * drowsy 昏昏欲睡 [图片] Do you always sit down for a long time? Unfortunately, I do. Back when I was working in an office, I basically had to spend most of the day sitting in front of my laptop and I stood up only to attend meetings and take a short break once a while. Now that I’m working from home, I’m sitting relatively less because I have a stand-up desk and I constantly walk about the apartment to do some housework or make myself a drink, or that type of thing. * basically 基本上 * relatively less 相对更少 * a stand-up desk 站立式桌子 * constantly 不时；不断 [图片] Where is your favorite place to sit? My favorite place to sit is the cozy corner in the living room of my apartment where I have a desk facing a big window, a chair in front of the desk, and a lamp and a bookcase on the right side of the desk. During the day time I have a nice view of the greenery outside and in the evening, as I said, it’s quite cozy. In fact, I love this little corner so much that I spend most of my time sitting there. * cozy corner 温馨的角落 * lamp 台灯 * greenery 绿植；绿荫

你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 What practical skills can young people teach old people? Hmm, let me see well, I guess there are a few skills they can teach, but probably the most obvious would be how to use new technology, such as smartphones or even how to send an email, um and perhaps in some cases, young people can educate the elderly how to be, how should I put it, more thoughtful about some things, such as queuing etiquette, which I would consider as a type of soft and yet practical skill. Practical in the sense that it can help prevent conflict, I think that’s practical. It is though, I think, a little difficult to teach them, as the saying goes, ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’. * thoughtful 考虑周到的；关心的 * queuing etiquette 排队礼仪 * soft skill 软技能 * practical skill 实用的技能 * prevent conflict 阻止冲突；预防冲突 * as the saying goes 老话说 * you can't teach an old dog new tricks [谚]老狗学不了新把戏；老年人很难适应新事物 [图片] What skills can young people teach old people besides technology skills? As I mentioned, I think young people can teach those elderly who have, for whatever reason, not developed contemporary habits, those that most young people I think have, of being perhaps more socially minded, things such as manners, or ways of doing things, or not littering, things like that. Not all old people are like that, but there is a fairly large number that are. * contemporary 当代的 * socially minded 关注社会的 * a fairly large number 相当多的；大量的 [图片] How can young people teach old people skills? Hmm, I’m not quite sure what you mean, but for example, like how to use a smartphone, it will take patience, repetition, assistance, methodical step-by-step and side-by-side instruction, but I think most importantly, whatever it is that a young person wants to teach to an elderly person, is that one needs to be patient. * patience 耐心 * repetition 重复 * assistance 协助 * methodical 有条理的；有系统的 * step-by-step 一步一步的 * side-by-side 并排；肩并肩 * instruction 指导 * patient 耐心的 [图片] What do we do when we want to learn something new? What do we do? Hmmm, I guess the first thing we should do is define the goal, and then I think the person should make a plan. After that, the person should make sure they have the resources, including time, and I guess finally, the learner should be honest with themselves in gauging their process, a constant honest assessment of the progress, or perhaps lack of progress, that is taking place. * define the goal 定义目标 * make a plan 制定计划 * resources 资源 * lack of progress 缺乏进步 * assessment 评估 * take place 发生 [图片]

你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 Is a paper map still necessary? No, I don’t think so because digital maps have become so ubiquitous that paper maps seem redundant. Compared with traditional paper maps, digital maps are easily accessible - only a click away on people’s smartphones. They are also easy to use for both the young and senior demographics due to their rich visual effects and even audio guidance. Thus, paper maps have been made unnecessary. In fact, they are probably only seen in gift shops in tourist towns these days. * redundant 多余的 * traditional paper maps 传统的纸质地图 * easily accessible 很容易触达 * only a click away 一键可及 * demographic （特定的）人群 [图片] Why do some people have a good sense of direction? Oh, I often wonder about that myself actually, but one thing I’ve noticed from people with innate navigation ability is that they are quick at registering visual landmarks and remembering them. They are very observant and can notice trivialities that their counterparts are likely to ignore, for instance, a certain tree, a flower pot, a narrow ditch, or the direction a building faces. I think another reason is that these people have an inherent sense of direction, like knowing which way is north, that type of thing. * navigation ability 导航能力 * register 识别 * visual 视觉的 * landmarks 地表 * observant 爱观察的 * trivialities 细枝末节 [图片] Why do some people get lost more easily than others? Well, unfortunately, I am such a person. I guess this stems from a lack of a sense of direction, which, I figure, seems to be innate within many people. I think many people have this problem, and maybe it’s even increasing, since people seem to pay little attention to things like the sun, the moon, stars, and even where they are going because of the reliability people have for their map apps, so, it is inevitable more and more people will lose the sense of which way is north, south, etcetera, so I guess this is the main reason. * innate 天生的 * pay little attention to 不太注意 * reliability 依赖 * inevitable 不可避免 * lose the sense of which way is north 找不着北 [图片] Do you think it is important to be able to read a map? Yes, absolutely. Being incapable of reading a map poses challenges when one ventures to new places one isn’t familiar with. Although digital maps have made it much easier for people to navigate, one still has to have basic knowledge of directions and be able to identify landmarks on the map in order to reach their destination. * incapable 没有能力（做某事） * pose challenges 带来挑战 * identify landmarks 找到地标 [图片]

你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 Do you think older people who wear T-shirts are fashionable? Sure, why not, not all of them, but definitely they can look fashionable. In fact, I’d say not only can they look pretty trendy, but it can also make them seem younger as well. Many of the older generation tend to wear the same thing: guys wear dark short-sleeve shirts in summer, so you know, they all kind of look the same and so you can spot them a mile away or older women might wear gaudy type clothing, so if somebody older puts on a T-shirt, a pair of jeans, nice shoes, then yeah, it suggests that they have a sense of fashion and care about their looks, and most probably, they look good. * trendy 时髦的 * spot them a mile away 老远就能看到 * gaudy 花哨的 * puts on 穿上 * a sense of fashion 时尚感 [图片] Do you like T-shirts with pictures or prints? Hmm, I don’t really have any preference when it comes to T-shirts with pictures or prints, but if it does have a print on it or something written on it, then as long as the picture looks good, or as long as the words are somewhat meaningful, then no worries, I’ll probably wear it, but actually I kinda prefer plain shirts. In fact, I have both types of T-shirts, a white one designed by my best friend with a picture she drew and a black one with the photo of a Pink Floyd album cover, oh, and another one that says ‘You’re right’ because my husband always thinks he’s right. * meaningful 有意义的 * plain 简单的；朴素的 * album cover 专辑封面 [图片] Do you usually wear T-shirts? Yeah, I do, in fact, I only wear a T-shirt when I’m at home and on weekends on warm days. Compared to other clothing, they are much more comfortable to wear, easier to clean, and can go almost with anything, jeans, shorts, skirts, and pants. I like casual clothing. * can go almost with anything 百搭 * casual clothing 休闲服；便装 [图片] Do you think T-shirts are becoming fashionable? Hmmm, I’m not sure how to answer that, because I think the T-shirt is sort of a utilitarian or basic form of attire, I mean, they’re found all over the world, everyone wears them, but I have to say, there are types of T-shirts that look good on some people, you know, particularly fit people, who wear tight shirts, but I’m not sure if that’s because of the T-shirt or the figure underneath that looks good, but put it this way, I don’t think the T-shirt will ever go out of fashion. * utilitarian 实用的 * attire 服饰 * found all over the world 全世界都有 * go out of fashion 过时；不流行 [图片]

你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 Why is noise pollution worse in tourist cities than in other cities? I think it stems from the fact that such cities tend to attract more tourists, and hence, more traffic. Also, throngs of tourists are often seen strolling noisily at the spots of interest in cities and this again brings more traffic onto the street, and of course, due to this, vendors dot sidewalks and spaces near the site selling their wares. All of these can generate at least twice the amount of noise of a non-tourist town. In fact, some cities attract such an enormous number of sightseers that certain streets are just the tourists and avoided by locals. Thus, I think it is tourists themselves that are the prime source of noise pollution in tourist towns. * throngs of 大量的 * strolling 闲逛 * spots of interest 景点 * wares 商品 * an enormous number of sightseers 海量游客 * the prime source of 主要源头 [图片] Do most people like planned traveling? I’m not sure…but I would guess half and half. Some people prefer to plan everything right down to the last detail whereas others get on a plane with nothing but a hotel room booked. It really depends on the individual’s habits and personality, I think. I remember a friend of mine showing me her crammed color-coded Excel sheet of her one-week trip to Thailand, on which she broke her daily agenda down to hourly destinations and activities. I thought it rather suffocating. Others, I think, as I said, prefer to just take each day as it comes and to have a general idea of what they want to do, perhaps with some must-see sites, but no specific plans except perhaps for having the hotel booked. * plan everything right down to the last detail 计划周详 * crammed 拥挤的 * color-coded 用颜色标记 * suffocating 窒息的 * take each day as it comes 随遇而安 [图片] Do you think tourists may come across bad things in other cities? Sure, absolutely. When tourists are out and about, there’s always something out of one’s expectation that may happen or that one may see. I think a majority of the so-called ‘bad things’ are people-related, resulting in various degrees of disappointment. A typical example is that travelers might get overcharged in taxis, restaurants, or gift shops, paying a much higher price for everything they purchase. For instance, paying an astronomical bill at a seafood restaurant…such cases make the news every year. * out and about 出门在外 * various degrees of 不同程度的 * get overcharged 被宰 * astronomical 天文数字的 [图片] Why do many people like to travel abroad? Well, off the top of my head, I think it’s probably because they look for new scenery and experiences that the domestic market cannot offer. I think most people like to go to foreign places simply to see a way of life, a new environment, that one would not normally see in their own country. Quite literally, a change of scenery to break up the humdrum of living, and even traveling, in one’s own country. In a foreign place, there’s a new language, new faces, and so many other novel things that it can make people feel refreshed and make them feel that they truly had a holiday. * the domestic market 国内市场 * a way of life 一种生活方式 * quite literally 实实在在的 * a change of scenery 风景不一样 * novel 新奇的 我们整理了一份：雅思写作考前复习手册，目前是8.0版（大作文88页，A类小作文64页）。 需要这份手册的朋友，记得订阅我们，再加我微信 ID：EnglishCat996（请备注：来自小宇宙）。

你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 Why do some people do volunteer work all over the world? I can only think of two reasons for this phenomenon: either they have lots of time on their hands and they feel like helping those in need, or they simply are driven by the need to help those in distress. And from what I’ve noticed, those who volunteer across the globe are usually from developed countries and perhaps feel a need to be charitable to those less fortunate than themselves. Mind you, I think we can find people everywhere that are willing to give a helping hand, especially in the younger demographic. * have lots of time on their hands 手头上时间多 * in distress 在困境中 * charitable 慈善的 * less fortunate 没那么幸运 * demographic 人口 [图片] Do students in your country do volunteer work? Yes, they do, but in most cases, student volunteer work in China is organized by schools, for instance, visiting elderly care centers or orphanages once a semester, being posted at intersections to ensure that nobody runs a red light, or cleaning streets. Oh, university students are often seen at train stations during the Spring Festival travel rush to offer passengers travel information. These are the types of volunteer work students in China usually do. Despite that though, I also know that there are students who volunteer because they have a sense of wanting to help those who require some assistance, such as students donating time to places that cater to the needs of disabled children. * volunteer work 志愿工作 * elderly care centers 老人院 * orphanage 孤儿院 * run a red light 闯红灯 * the Spring Festival rush 春运 * assistance 帮助 * donating time 奉献时间 * cater to the needs of 帮助 * disabled 残疾的 [图片] Should children be taught to help others? Yes, certainly. Extending a helping hand is one of the primary values that should be taught to kids because it’s one of the core traits of a civilized society. I mean, ‘no man is an island’ and so to survive and thrive, one is bound to need some form of help. Offering help to others is, in a way, helping ourselves. Thus, I think kids should be guided and encouraged to give a helping hand where and when they can. * extending a helping hand 伸出援助之手 * primary values 主要的价值观 * core traits 核心特征 * civilized society 文明社会 * no man is an island 没有人是一座孤岛 * thrive 兴旺 * bound to 必定 [图片] How can children help their parents at home? There are quite a few responsibilities that parents can entrust to their kids, for instance, doing the dishes, watering plants, setting the table before meals, making the bed, or looking after their younger siblings, if any. Keeping their own toys in order is also of great help for parents. By helping out in the household, youngsters are able to learn to be more independent as well as learning about responsibility. * entrust 托付 * doing the dishes 洗碗 * setting the table 摆餐具 * making the bed 整理床铺 * siblings 兄弟姐妹 * independent 独立的 * responsibility 责任 [图片]