Unit 2 The People in Your Life

 Useful Words and Expressions

1.talk to sb，talk with sb and talk at sb

talk to sb指一个人说另外的人听

talk with sb通常指双方一起交谈

talk at sb向（某人）大发议论

Examples:

⑴              .She talks to her mother on the phone every week.

她每周都跟她的妈妈打电话。

⑵              .What discussion? You weren’t talking to me, you were talking at me.

那是什么讨论呀？你那不是在跟我交谈，一直都是你在说，根本不容我说。

talk to sb 是非正式的说法

l The speaker is your friend

l The speaker is someone you don’t know very well, but what they have to say is informal.

相近短语speak to sb责备（某人），告诫（某人）

The manager promised that she would speak to the person responsible.

经理答应说她会告诫责任人的。

⑶              I talked with my friends this afternoon about our homework.

今天下午,我和我的朋友一起谈论作业。

2. company

n. the state of being with someone；small military unit; usually two or three platoons； a band of people associated temporarily in some activity

伴侣；同伴，朋友；陪伴

近义词caller，companionship，party，troupe

Examples:

It was a long journey and I was grateful his company.

这是一个很长的旅行，我非常感谢有他能陪伴我。

I didn’t realize you had company.

我不知道你有伴。

A person is known by the company he keeps. 

近朱者赤，近墨者黑。

常见搭配

A)good company 好伙伴

You’ll like Sherman—he is good company.

你会喜欢舍曼的，他是个好伙伴。

B)keep sb company=to stay with someone so that they are not alone 与（某人）作伴

I’ll keep you company till the train comes.

火车到来之前我会一直陪伴你。

3.bias 

n. a partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation ； a line or cut across a fabric that is not at right angles to a side of the fabric偏见

近义词diagonal，preconception，prejudice

Examples:

The government has accused the media of bias.

政府指责新闻媒体有偏见。

There was clear evidence of a strong bias against her.

有明显的证据表明，她受到了严重的不公正待遇。

There has always been a slight bias in favor of employing arts graduates in the company.

该公司内部一直有点儿偏向雇用文科毕业生。

4. relate to sb   理解（某人）

Example:

Many parents find it hard to relate to their children when they are teenagers.

很多父母感到，当孩子到了十几岁的时候，就很难理解他们了。

5.circle of friends 朋友圈

close circle of friends较小的、比较私密的朋友圈

Example:

Everyone has his own close circle of friends.

每个人都有自己的朋友圈。

a wide circle of friends 交友很广

Example:

He has a wide circle of friends.

他有很多朋友。

enlarge one’s circle of friends扩大朋友圈

Example:

Jenny is trying to enlarge her circle of friends in China.

珍妮努力扩大自己在中国的朋友圈。

6. boundary

noun  the line or plane indicating the limit or extent of something;a line determining the limits of an area;the greatest possible degree of something;一般是指界限，它侧重于地图上可以标得出来的双方都尊重的边界

近义词region , extent , spectrum , territory , area

Example:

The river is the boundary between the two countries.

这条河是两国的分界线。

动词的搭配

set or mark boundaries设定或标记边界

Examples:

They marked the boundaries of the football fields.

他们画出了足球场地的边界。

Set boundaries that keep them safe.　

给他们划定安全活动区域。

7. compliment

n. a remark that expresses praise or admiration of sb; 恭维话,赞扬话

Example:

I take it as a compliment when people say I look like my mother.

当人们说我长得很像我母亲的时候,我觉得很高兴。

8.distance

n. the property created by the space between two objects or points; a distant region; size of the gap between two places; emotional distance

可以指距离、路程，但是在本篇文章里面distance是指人与人之间的距离。

I’ve tried being friendly, but she keeps her distance.

我一直向她示好,但她却一直与我保持着距离。