节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2014-02-01
难易度:Low
关键字:shock, surround, luggage, nervous, concern
Welcome back.
We are learning about an exchange student named Alex Hu and his experiences
studying abroad in America.
His destination?
Mountain Lake, Minnesota.
Have you heard much about Minnesota?
It's called the land of a thousand lakes because it has so many lakes.
It actually has 11,842 lakes.
But Mountain Lake has a population of only 2,000 people.
That is quite a shock for Alex from Taipei.
Well, how will this country environment affect his exchange year?
Let's find out what he has to say now.
(Music).
Destination: Mountain Lake.
With these thoughts in mind, I took my luggage and left for the airport.
After changing planes twice, I finally landed in Minnesota.
I was very nervous because I was about to meet my host family.
Just when I was leaving the gate, there they were.
They were holding a large sign that said "Welcome Alex!" I was so surprised at
this warm welcome.
Suddenly, all my worries and concerns were gone.
I told myself that it was going to be a great year.
OK.
(Chinese).
And now let's go to the teachers.
Thank you, Michelle.
Well, I like how Alex's family welcomed him when he arrived at the airport in
Mountain Lake.
They were holding a big sign that said "Welcome Alex!" So I created a sign that
says "Welcome Students!" Isn't this nice?
Welcome!
Yeah. That is nice. I like the sign, Gabe, except, uh, for one little thing.
What?
Well, many people who watch Studio Classroom are not students anymore.
They're workers and doctors and bosses...
Well, that's OK.
I mean, I'm a student, too.
I'm a student of life.
I'm a lifelong learner.
As long as you're learning something, you're a student, too.
True, but...
OK, OK, I know.
Some people don't like being called students.
Well, that's OK.
It's a good thing I made another side to this sign and it says...
Welcome Friends!
Nice.
Well, of course we do hope you feel welcome here at Studio Classroom.
And we're glad that Alex was warmly welcomed to America.
Now let's go back to the beginning of this section. We read:
With these thoughts in mind, I took my luggage and left for the airport.
Wait, what thoughts?
Well, if you remember before the break, Alex was thinking about lots of things.
He was shocked that Mountain Lake was such a small town in the country.
He was also surprised by all of the fields he saw surrounding the town on Google
maps.
And he had a question: How would this country environment affect my exchange
year?
These are the thoughts that were in his mind.
Well, I like that phrase: with something in mind.
That means you are thinking about something while you do something else.
You can use this phrase in other ways.
I went shopping with my mom in mind because it's her birthday soon.
Or I bought this shirt with you in mind.
That probably means I bought the shirt to give to you.
Think of another way to use that phrase today.
Well, Alex says: With these thoughts in mind, I took my luggage and left for the
airport.
Now Gabe, when do you use luggage?
Well, like Alex, when I travel.
Whenever I travel, I usually pack a suitcase and a backpack.
That is my luggage.
So luggage is anything you bring with you.
You lug it behind you.
To lug means to drag something behind you in a way that takes some work.
And old suitcases didn't have wheels, so it took a lot of work to lug that kind
of luggage.
Right.
Now there is something special about this word.
You never add an S on the end of this word even if it's plural.
It's a non-countable word.
So if you want to talk about having lots of luggage with you, use the word:
piece.
I have three pieces of luggage with me.
Actually, someone might ask you that at the airport when you're checking in.
How many pieces of luggage will you check in?
So remember, you can say three suitcases - with an S.
But if you use the word luggage, you must say three pieces of luggage.
That's right.
Well, back to the story.
We know that Alex is nervous here.
He is nervous about meeting his host family.
But what happened?
He writes: Just when I was leaving the gate, there they were.
"Just when I was doing something," that means at exactly that time.
And we can use this kind of phrase in other ways.
Yes.
For example, just as I was starting to call my dad, my dad showed up.
Or you could turn that sentence around to say: My dad showed up just as I was
starting to call him.
OK. Well, now it's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a review skit.
And then we'll join Linda for the Editor's Summary.
Here I am.
I made it to this Midwestern state...
Minnesota.
But where exactly is my destination?
Mountain Lake, Minnesota.
Have you heard of Mountain Lake?
No?
I'm not surprised.
It only has a population of 2,000.
Only 2,000! What a shock!
I grew up in Taipei.
I can't imagine what a small town would be like.
Hey, let me search Google maps.
Whoa! Surprised again.
The town is surrounded by huge fields.
How will this affect my exchange year?
I don't know.
But it's too late now.
Here I am in Minnesota with my luggage.
I'm nervous.
I'm just about to meet my host family.
Excuse me. Are you Alex?
Yes. I'm from Taipei.
Oh! Well, welcome to the U.S.A.
Welcome to Minnesota.
Welcome to Mountain Lake.
Thank you.
I'm so surprised.
What a warm welcome.
Well, of course!
We're so happy to have you here, Alex.
Suddenly, all my worries and concerns are gone.
This is going to be a great year.
It sure is. I'm so happy to meet you.
Well, now, tell me all about your trip.
Tell me all about everything.
Are you hungry? Are you tired?
Come on! Let's go home.
Here, here.
OK.
Alex finds out his exchange family lives in a small town in southwestern
Minnesota.
Population? Two thousand!
What a shock as he has lived his whole life in Taipei City, a huge Asian city.
Curious, Alex decided to search for this town on Google maps.
And he found out that it was surrounded by fields.
He got nervous, very nervous.
But all that left him when he met his host family and saw the large welcome sign
they were holding up for him.
Thank you, Linda.
Well, it looks like Alex Hu is off to a good start.
He was worried about many things and concerned with living in a town with only
2,000 people surrounded by fields.
And he wasn't sure what his host family would be like.
Carolyn, did you ever worry about any of this stuff when you went to study
abroad?
Well, I had some concerns because I was actually doing the opposite.
I was going from the countryside to the big city.
Well, we have a lot to learn from this lesson.
And of course, we hope you'll join us again right here on Studio Classroom.
We'll see you then.