生活英语对话 Episode 17: Booking tickets

本单元是关于订票的对话。
Agent: Good morning, London Attractions.
Michal: I'd like to book two tickets for next week. For River Boat cruise¹ please.
Agent: OK. When?
Michal: Next Thuesday.
Agent: Sorry?
Michal: Thuesday.
Agent: I'm sorry sir, is that Tuesday the first or Thursday the third?
Michal: Thursday the third.
Agent: Right, and what time would you like?
Michal: In an evening.
Agent: Because it's winter, the last trip is at 7.00. Is that OK?
Michal: Yes thanks.
Agent: OK, just let me put you on hold for a moment please?


Vocabulary:

To put someone on hold (used in business telephoning): To ask a phone caller to wait (usually music is played while s/he is waiting).

本单元的语言点是冠词，英语中有三个冠词，下面是关于冠词的用法。

There are three types of articles in English. The definite article (the), the indefinite² article (a or an) and the zero article (when we don't use a, an or the).
Here are some of the rules about when we use each of them:

The indefinite article (a or an)

To refer to something (that is singular and countable³) for the first time in a conversation or piece of text:
She's got a dog and a cat.
Do you want to see a film tonight?
With job titles, professions or to explain what people do:
She's an artist.
Alice is a nurse.
Helen's a student.
He's a house-husband.

Note: He's an unemployed⁴. (incorrect) He's unemployed. (correct)

With expressions of quantity:
a pair of, a few, a little, a piece of, a bit of, a hundred, a thousand, a million, an hour, a day, a week

The definite article (the)

To refer to something (that is singular or plural⁵, countable or uncountable) when both the writer and reader, or speaker and listener, know which thing is being referred to:
She's got a dog and a cat. The dog is friendly but the cat always scratches me.
Do you want to see a film tonight? Yes, let's see the new Harry⁶ Potter one.
With rivers, seas and mountain ranges:
the Thames , the Atlantic , the Alps
Where there is only one of these things or people:
the White House, the moon, the UN, the EU, the president
With superlative adjectives:
She's the best in the class at English.
They're the fastest team in the race.

The zero article (when we don't use any article)

To refer to something (that is plural or uncountable) when talking about things in general:
France makes very good cheese.
She hates that kind of music.
That shop sells fantastic cakes, sweets and chocolates.
With streets, cites, countries, mountains:
Fifth Avenue, Beijing, India, Mount Fuji
With some places and some modes of transport:
to/in bed, at home, to/at work, at/to school/college/university, by bus/train/car, on foot

1 cruise   

v.巡航，航游，缓慢巡行；n.海上航游

参考例句：

• They went on a cruise to Tenerife.他们乘船去特纳利夫岛。
• She wants to cruise the canals of France in a barge.她想乘驳船游览法国的运河。

2 indefinite   

adj.不明确的，模糊的，不定的，无限的

参考例句：

• The store will be closed for an indefinite period.这家商店将无限期关闭。
• He gave me an indefinite answer.他给了我一个含糊其辞的答复。

3 countable   

adj.可数的，可以计算的

参考例句：

• The word "person" is a countable noun.person这个词是个可数名词。
• Countable nouns have singular and plural forms.可数名词有单数和复数之分。

4 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

5 plural   

n.复数；复数形式；adj.复数的

参考例句：

• Most plural nouns in English end in's '.英语的复数名词多以s结尾。
• Here you should use plural pronoun.这里你应该用复数代词。

6 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。