英語趣味課堂：四季-Seasons

Todd: So, Marion, what you do you think of the winter we are having?

Marion: The winter at the moment, it's very cold, isn't it, but most of the time it's quite sunny as well. It's dry at least, so I quite like winter days that are sunny like today. I was outside and even though at first it seems quite cold, afterwards, with the sun we kind of warmed up very quickly.

Todd: Yeah, it was nice today, but winter is not my favorite season. No, I want winter to be over very quickly. But soon spring will be here and spring is good. I like spring, and then summer. I love summer. Summer is my favorite season.

Marion: Really? Even when it's really, really hot?

Todd: Oh, I love it! Last year, it was really, really hot and everybody, every day would complain, and say it was so hot, but I loved it. The hotter the better. I think it's very relaxing and it calms me down actually. I feel calm and very relaxed in very hot weather.

Marion: I quite like hot weather as well, but last summer, the summer you are talking about, I had to go on a very crowded train every morning, so when you have a crowded train, and it's very, very hot, it ends up being quite disgusting, piled in against all these sweaty people, so I didn't like last summer for that reason.

Todd: Well, what's your favorite season?

Marion: Ah, autumn is my favorite season, cause I think, because every autumn I start at school. It always feels like a new beginning, time of year, for me, more so than January. I feel like September is a good time to change things and a good time to start new things, and also the trees are beautiful and the weather is quite mild and nice. How about you? What's your favorite season?

Todd: Well, it's probably a tie between summer and fall, for what you just said, I agree. The fall has great weather, the trees are beautiful, it's a good time to be outside. It rarely rains, and I hate the rain and plus, my birthday is in October, and Halloween which is a fun holiday.

Marion: Right, that's good.

學(xué)習(xí)內(nèi)容：

quite or most of the time

The winter at the moment is very cold, but most of the time, it's quite sunny as well.

If something happens 'most of the time' it means that it happens frequently. We use the adverb 'quite' to show a degree of something. 'Quite sunny' is more than 'a little sunny,' but less than 'really sunny.' Notice the following:

He gets quite frustrated when people are late.

Most of the time the traffic is really bad at this time of day.

even though

Even though at first it seems quite cold, afterwards, with the sun we kind of warmed up very quickly.

'Even though' has a similar meaning to 'although.' It is often used to contrast two opposing or opposite ideas. Notice the following:

Even though he seems a little boring when you first meet him, you will discover that he is actually very funny.

Even thought they were still really expensive, these shoes were a good deal.

favorite

Winter is not my favorite season; summer is my favorite season.

Your 'favorite' of something is what you like the best. Notice the following:

Blue is her favorite color.

This is my favorite Chinese restaurant.

calms me down

The heat is very relaxing and it calms me down.

If something 'calms you down' it makes you feel more relaxed. Notice the following:

When she is like this it is very difficult to calm her down.

Having a beer at the end of a stressful day calms me down.

disgusting

When you have a crowded train and it's very hot, it ends up being quite disgusting.

Something that is disgusting is not good or comfortable. Disgusting things can make your stomach feel sick. Notice the following:

After it rains really hard here there is usually garbage in the streets. It's disgusting.

This is the most disgusting pizza I have ever had in my life.