英语博客(A cup of English):A quick stop for fruit

Beginners.

Do you like to eat fruit? What are your favorite kinds? I like all kinds of fruit, local and tropical. I am fussy¹ about one thing, though, when it comes to fruit: it has to be fresh. There is nothing worse than biting into an old apple that is soft, or an old orange that is starting to lose its flavor. Because we live close to all kinds of orchards², we have the benefit of shopping at local fruit stands. Every year there seem to be more and more of them. Just around the corner, a block away from where I live, is a fruit stand. It sells most seasonal³ fruits from this area: apples, cherries, apricots, nectarines, peaches, and pears. The first fruit to be sold are the cherries. They are ready for harvest before the other fruits. Then come the apricots, followed by the peaches, nectarines, pears, and finally the apples. It's all colorful and delicious. The fruit stand, or stall⁴ as they say here, is a simple construction made out of wood, a shade, and a table. You can park your car next to it, get out, and choose from a number of different bags of different sizes. The owners also grow tomatoes, so, just like in an open market, you can choose your own. And did you know that there is a drop box for the money that you pay, in case nobody is there to serve you. Yes! The fruit is sometimes left by itself, and if you take a bag, you are expected to put the money in the box. It's a test to see if you are honest! And, you know, most people are!

Grammar notes.

Common expressions: Did you know?, there is nothing worse, a block away.

Exs:

Did you know that chocolate and coffee are actually good for you?

There is nothing worse than a badly made cup of tea.

The park is a block away from my house, and the supermarket is three blocks away.

Advanced.

The fruit stand nearby is almost a permanent mini store. It gets set up in Spring, and doesn't come down until Autumn. It's a good reminder⁵ for us locals to think about whether or not we are eating enough fruit. There has been nationwide advertising⁶ for several years now, emphasizing the need to eat lots of fruits and vegetables in order to improve health, and to prevent cancer. In the schools, the children even have a health class where they are presented with information about the goodness, or lack of goodness, in all foods. The kids are encouraged to think about their bodies, and what they need on a daily basis, and to come up with healthy alternatives to the American diet. They color in pictures, answer questions, and memorize fact. They really become quite informed. I take pride in having lots of vegetables and fruit at home. We introduced a variety of veggies to our children from a very early age. How did we do it? Well, we made it into a game. We called Brussel sprouts⁷ 'green eyeballs', and Spinach⁸ became 'rabbit food'. The kids were so amused and intrigued⁹, that they tried everything over time, and liked it all. We haven't had to make up any games to get them to eat fruit, of course. The natural sugar content is all the attraction they need.

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary: to set up/ to pack up or disassemble, on a ....basis.  Practice of the pluperfect.

Exs:

We set up the tent yesterday, but we had to take it down immediately because there was a big hole in it.

The machine was disassembled so the mechanics¹⁰ could find where the problem was.

I eat vegetables on a daily basis, and I have a check up with the doctor on a yearly basis.

Pluperfect.

We hadn't even driven a mile, when we had to turn around because we had forgotten our passports.

We hadn't seen our friends for months, when suddenly, they dropped by to see us.

Hadn't he read the instructions? OR Had he not read the instructions?

 

1 fussy   

adj.为琐事担忧的，过分装饰的，爱挑剔的

参考例句：

• He is fussy about the way his food's cooked.他过分计较食物的烹调。
• The little girl dislikes her fussy parents.小女孩讨厌她那过分操心的父母。

2 orchards   

（通常指围起来的）果园( orchard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They turned the hills into orchards and plains into granaries. 他们把山坡变成了果园，把平地变成了粮仓。
• Some of the new planted apple orchards have also begun to bear. 有些新开的苹果园也开始结苹果了。

3 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

4 stall   

n.摊位，铺子，售货亭

参考例句：

• She sells fruits at a market stall.她在市场的货摊上卖水果。
• He has a stall that sells designer ripoffs.他开了个铺子卖仿冒设计师品牌衣服。

5 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

6 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

7 sprouts   

n.新芽，嫩枝( sprout的名词复数 )v.发芽( sprout的第三人称单数 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出

参考例句：

• The wheat sprouts grew perceptibly after the rain. 下了一场雨，麦苗立刻见长。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The sprouts have pushed up the earth. 嫩芽把土顶起来了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 spinach   

n.菠菜

参考例句：

• Eating spinach is supposed to make you strong.据说吃菠菜能使人强壮。
• You should eat such vegetables as carrot,celery and spinach.你应该吃胡萝卜、芹菜和菠菜这类的蔬菜。

9 intrigued   

adj.好奇的，被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式)；激起…的兴趣或好奇心；“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• You've really intrigued me—tell me more! 你说的真有意思—再给我讲一些吧！
• He was intrigued by her story. 他被她的故事迷住了。

10 mechanics   

n.力学，机械学；结构

参考例句：

• The mechanics of fixing a car are very long.修理一部汽车的过程很长。
• The mechanics of the machine are very old.这台机器的机件非常老。