=:~{} Just trying to finish off my Christmas shopping.
How about you, Jill?
我正赶紧买完圣诞节送人的礼物。你呢，吉尔？
=:-O I am still trying to figure out what to buy my nephew
for Christmas.
我还在想给我的侄子买什么圣诞节礼物。
=:~[] Who is that?
谁？
=:-o My nephew, that's my brother's son.
我侄子，是我兄弟的儿子。
=:~[] I know, you should ask your nephew to write a wish
list to Santa. Then you give you nephew something of the
list.
我知道了。你应该让你的侄子写一张他想要礼物的清单给圣诞老人。
然后，你就可以买一些这张清单里的礼物。
=:~{} That is a great way to find out what he wants,
you are a genius. Can you help me review the other lessons
too?
这是一个发现他想要什么的好方法。你真是个天才。你能帮我复习
一下其他课文吗？
=:-o Anything for you. Consider it an early Xmas gift.
遵命，就把这个当作早到的圣诞礼物吧。
ASK
DANNY!
Ask An English Question
to a Real American Guy!
Danny
is an American and he's the editor
of Xianzai's Learn English
email newsletters! Each week you can ask him an English-language
grammar, sentence, or cultural question. Each week he
will pick one question from a reader and answer it here!
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION COMES FROM
Austin Xu
Question: Hi, Danny.
I read this sentence on yahoo this morning 'he vowed
during campaign last year to tackle the state's tax
system'. But what does it meaning of the 'tacke' here.
THKS in advance and hope u in good mood today!
DANNY SAYS: Austin,
I feel great today! And I feel so good, I am going
to tackle your question.
In America, we have football. It is different from
Chinese football. In America, we call Chinese football
"soccer". So, in American football, one
of the purposes of the game is to "tackle"
members of the opposing team. When you "tackle"
a person, you grab them and throw them to the ground.
So, if I say, "I am going to tackle Austin and
take his money," it means I am going to grab
you, throw you on the ground, and take your money.
I'm just kidding though, so don't sue me!
So, in the sentence you asked about, the word "tackle"
is a verb that means "to deal with". So
it means that in the campaign last year, the person
dealt with the tax system. Do you understand now?
If you are working at a company and your boss asks
you to write a report, you can say, "I will tackle
that job immediately!"
I'll bet when I leave my office tonight Austin is
going to find me and tackle me and take my money too!
Woooohoooo!
Your
Name:
Email
Address:
ASK YOUR QUESTION HERE:
(make sure to only write in English!)
NEW WORDS
新单词
1) beaten to a pulp（被打成烂茄子）: to be beaten until you look
like fruit pulp
That boxer got beaten to a pulp, he should really give
up
fighting.
哪个拳击手被打成了烂茄子，他真应该放弃比赛。
2) Buff（强壮的）: to look very athletic, strong
Sylvester Stallone is one buff actor.
西尔维斯特·史泰龙是一个强壮的演员。
3) Drop out（放弃）: quit, give up
I want to drop out of math class, it is way too hard
for me.
我不想上数学课，它对我来说太难了。
4) Expel（开除）: kick out
He got expelled from school for fighting.
因为打架，他被学校开除了。
5) Make it big（成功，出名）: become successful, become famous
I never thought that he would make it big, but I guess
I was
wrong about Michael Jordan.
我从来没想过麦克尔·乔丹会成功，但我想我对他的看法是错的。
6) Underdog（失败者）: not very likely to win
China is never the underdog when it comes to ping pong.
中国参加乒乓球赛从来就没输过。
LESSON 课文
Actor: Sylvester
Stallone Date of Birth: July
6, 1946 in New York City ACCENT: A thick New York accent with a slight slur
-- this gives his words a heavy tone. FAMOUS LINES: "They drew first blood." (They attacked
me first) BIOGRAPHY: Sylvester Stallone was born in New York
City, (NYC) but moved several times with his family. He
had a restless childhood and often got into trouble. He
was expelled from 14 schools before he turned 16. Stallone
when to the University of Miami, but dropped out 3 credits
short of graduating. He first went to New York where he
wrote and tried to find acting jobs. He supported himself
by doing odd jobs, even including cleaning lions cages.
Later, he decided to move to LA where he finally made
it big when Rocky was made. Stallone wrote and starred
in Rocky, a movie about an underdog boxer. After that
he also starred in the Rambo series. (These 2 series of
movies have almost made 2 billion dollars.) Stallone has
starred in over 30 movies. His flicks include: Rocky 1-5,
Rambo (First Blood) 1-3, Cliffhanger, Demolition Man,
Judge Dredd, and many more. FAMILY: His father was a hair stylist and his mother
was a chorus singer. They divorced when he was 11. Stallone
has been married 3 times and has 4 children. SPECIAL TRAITS: He has drooping eyes and slurred
speech, a result of a doctor's mistake when he was born.
He also paints, collects art and writes novels.
1) To "make it big" means:
a) to be successful
b) to want a larger size
c) to make a big deal
d) to be a big failure
2) Stockings are:
a) Socks
b) A place to keep prisoners
c) A type of ticket
d) Things under the tree
3) Santa Claus keeps a list of:
a) Good and bad deeds that people do
b) Things he needs to pick up at the store
c) Of needy people in the world
d) Of all the Chinese restaurants in the world
4) An "underdog":
a) Is likely to win
b) Is likely to lose
c) Has been a good dog
d) Likely not to get any Xmas gifts
5) Santa is like Stallone in that they both:
a) Are jolly old fat men
b) Wait until their enemies draw first blood
c) Have made it big
d) Work a lot
Verse:
Giant steps are what you take
Walking on the moon
I hope my legs don't break
Walking on the moon
We could walk forever
Walking on the moon
We could live together
Walking on, walking on the moon
Walking back from your house
Walking on the moon
Walking back from your house
Walking on the moon
Feet they hardly touch the ground
Walking on the moon
My feet don't hardly make no sound
Walking on, walking on the moon
Chorus:
Some may say
I'm wishing my days away
No way
And if it's the price
I pay
Some say
Tomorrow's another day
You stay
I may as well play
Verse:
Giant steps are what you take
Walking on the moon
I hope my legs don't break
Walking on the moon
We could walk forever
Walking on the moon
We could be together
Walking on, walking on the moon
Some may say
I'm wishing my days away
No way
And if it's the price
I pay
Some say
Tomorrow's another day
You stay
I may as well play
Danny
is an American and he's the editor
of Xianzai's Learn English
email newsletters! Each week you can ask him an English-language
grammar, sentence, or cultural question. Each week he
will pick one question from a reader and answer it here!