Learn more Chinese （多学点中文）

当我跟学生相处的时候，不论在课堂上、休息时、放学后或进行课外活动时，都是用英语交谈。因此，很多学生都很好奇，想知道我在家里是用什么语言跟家人沟通。

　　TEACHER'S

　　Dear students，

　　Some of you are very curious about what language I use at home. Well， let me tell you. My wife is 100% Chinese but very often we talk with each other in English. However， we both agree that we should use more Cantonese at home， especially when talking with the kids. We worry that they will not know any Chinese later in their lives if we move back to the U.S.A. a few years later. It has already happened to the kids of our friends in America. Their kids are really unable to speak， write or read Chinese. Our friends are very much unhappy about this. Actually， we have not yet made up our minds. We do not know whether we should go back to America or not. You know——my great， great grandfather was the first one in my family to journey all the way from China to the United States of America in the hope of getting rich. He did that and what he did changed the history of my family. Now it is my turn. I can choose to stay in Hong Kong or move back to the States. Should I do the same thing？ I really don't know yet.

　　But， of course， I quite often cannot control myself and use English to talk with my kids. Therefore， though they are just kids， they already know quite a lot of English. Actually， English is not that difficult to learn. If you stayed in America for one year， you would speak and write English fluently. Do you believe that？

　　One of you asked if I mind giving her my phone number because sometimes she has got questions to ask me. I think she is right. Maybe it is good for us all. However， giving you my home telephone number is not very useful because very often I do not stay at home. Even if I do， I will be busy taking care of my kids or doing other household chores. I think it is better for me to give you my pager number—1168892 A/C 7777.You can page me and leave your phone number. I'll call back when I am available to talk on the phone. That is quite good. Right？ But remember-every Monday evening， from 5：00 to 9：00， as well as every Saturday morning， from 9：00 to 1：00， I will be having classes at the Chinese University of Hong Kong because I am now doing my Master Degree on Education there. If everything is all right， I will have completed the course by May next year. I will have more time to play with you then. Hope so！

　　Dennis

　　这里用speak不太恰当，因speakthe language意思是：“能说那种语言”。因此说“脏话”是用use（而不是speak）foul language.

　　留意正确用法：

　　·…talk with English×

　　·…talk in English √

　　when talking with the kids的意思跟…when we talk with the kids相同。

　　are really unable to可以用really cannot来代替。

　　留意very和very much的用法：

　　·I'm very unhappy…√

　　·I'm very much unhappy…√

　　·I like it very much.√

　　·I very like it. ×

　　made up our minds = decided （解作“作出决定”）

　　You know属口语化英语，不适用于正规写作（formal writing）。

　　此处的journey是动词，意思跟travel相同。all the way是表示路途遥远。

　　这里的did解作“成功地做到”

　　it is my turn的意思是“轮到我了”。

　　另一种说法是：I can choose between staying in H.K. and moving back…

　　not that difficult的意思是“并非如想像的那么难”。

　　If you stayed…。 you would speak…并非指过去的事而是表示不大可能发生的事。

　　留意正确用法：

　　· If I mind to give… ×

　　· If I mind giving…√

　　在正规写作时用has便可以。

　　表达“不呆在家里”的不同句式：

　　·I do not stay at home.√

　　·I do not stay home.√

　　表达“不在家”的句式：

　　·I am not at home. √

　　留意正确用法：

　　·…busy with homework√

　　·…busy doing homework√

　　·…busy to do homework ×

　　household chores = housework但后者是不可数名词。

　　page是pager（寻呼机）的动词，由于寻呼机是近年发明的，故旧版字典没有这解释。

　　when I am available = when I have free time

　　doing在这里的意思是“正在攻读（某学位）”

　　这里的on解作“关于/论及”，跟about意思相近。

　　留意in和by的不同解释：

　　· I'll do a project in May next year.

　　（明年五月我将实施一项计划。）

　　·I'll complete the project by May next year.

　　（到明年五月我便完成那项计划。）

　　Hope so的意思是“但愿如此”。

　　LANGUAGE

　　Complicated verb form

　　很多时候，我们可以运用时态来传递信息。我对不同的学生会给予不同的忠告：我建议语言能力较弱的学生尽量用简单的时态，以免暴露自己的弱点；相反，我鼓励语言能力较强的学生多用较复杂的时态，以显示自己的能力。

　　请看本单元的一些例子，比较同一句子的两种正确时态。

　　Ⅰ。较简单的时态：

　　EXAMPLE

　　1. It happened to the kids of our friends…

　　2. …… every Monday evening， from 5：00 to 9：00 …， I will have classes at Chinese University…

　　3. If everything is all right， I will complete the course by May next year.

　　Ⅱ。较复杂的时态：

　　EXAMPLE

　　1. It has already happened to the kids of our friends……

　　2. …… every Monday evening， from 5：00 to 9：00 ……， I will be having classes at Chinese University……

　　3. If everything is all right， I will have completed the course by May next year.

　　除了功课和测验之外，学生们还需要设计布告板，有时候真是忙得喘不过气来我将学生们的STSs中所用（画上横线）的简单时态，改写为较复杂的时态但有部分单词未写，请在横线上填写适当的单词。

　　Test Your Understanding