Our school days are important and memorable times of our lives; days we often look back on with great affection. When you think back, what do you remember? What stands out in your mind?
In this Podcast, you will learn:
(i) To talk about events in the past when you were at school or university
(ii) How to recall some of things you may have done or liked when you were younger
Dialogue:
Two people are remembering their school years:
(在街上）
(zài jiē shàng)
(on the street)
A: 高考刚结束，你看街上这些高中生，都好开心好轻松的样子。
Gāo kǎo gāng jié shù, nǐ kàn jiē shàng zhè xiē gāo zhōng shēng, dōu hǎo kāi xīn hǎo qīng sōng de yàng zǐ.
The university entrance exams have just finished. Look at those secondary school students on the street, they all look so happy and relaxed.
B: 是啊！哎，你高中时候什么样儿啊？
Shì ā! Ài, nǐ gāo zhōng shí hòu shén me yàng er ā?
Yeah! Hey, what were you like in secondary school?
A: 哈哈，我高中时学习可是班里数一数二的，但是体育不太好。你呢？
Hā hā, wǒ gāo zhōng shí xué xí kě shì bān lǐ shǔ yī shǔ èr de, dàn shì tǐ yù bù tài hǎo. Nǐ ne?
Haha, I was one of the best students in class in secondary school, but my PE was not great. How about you?
B: 我学习只能算是中等生吧，但我很爱参加学校的各种活动。
Wǒ xué xí zhǐ néng suàn shì zhōng děng shēng ba, dàn wǒ hěn ài cān jiā xué xiào de gè zhǒng huó dòng.
I was just average, but I loved to participate in all kinds of school activities.
Chinese words and phrases mentioned in this Podcast:
高考：the university entrance exam
刚结束：have just finished
街上：on the street
高中生：secondary school student
好（轻松）：very (relaxed)
轻松：relaxed
开心：happy
……的样子：look/appearance
高中：secondary school
学习：study/academic performance
班里：in class
体育：PE class
算是：considered
中等生：a student of average academic achievement
参加：take part in/participate in
各种：all kinds of
活动：activity
Cultural/Grammar notes:
‘数一数二’ is an idiom in Chinese which means if somebody or something is not in first place, they/it are/is in second place.
‘可是’ in this conversation does not mean ‘but’, rather it is an auxiliary word expressing emphatic tone.
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