L5-U1-P2 英语流利说 5-1-2 懂你英语 Level5 Unit1 Part2

At Jessica’s Reunion Party 1

Jessica's 20-year class reunion was held at a fancy hotel

When she arrived, she wasn't sure she was in the right place

At first she didn't recognize anyone

She felt a bit awkward and out of place

But it wasn't long before a strange man came up to her

He was already losing his hair, and he was wearing thick glasses

"Don't you remember me" he asked

When he said who he was, she barely remembered him, especially since he had changed so much

Then he told her that he had always had a crush on her

He said she looked beautiful and he immediately took a selfie of them, with his arm tight around her waist

This made her feel a bit strange

She smiled at him and pretended to be happy to see him

But in fact, she wasn't sure how to react, though he seemed nice

She finally excused herself and went to the ladies room

She was beginning to regret having come to the reunion

She had always been shy, and she still was

When she returned to the party, Sharon invited her to sit at her table

Dinner was going to be served soon, and some of the classmates were going to give speeches

Sharon asked Jessica to say a few words too, because people were curious

This was a surprise

Jessica had never been very popular and she didn't think anyone had noticed her

She had always felt like an outsider, with only a couple of close friends

Still, she had been one of the best students, and people remembered her

At Jessica’s Reunion Party 2

As the evening wore on, Jessica began to really enjoy herself

She talked with her old friends and was amazed by how some others had changed

For example, Tom used to be good-looking and athletic

He was one of the most popular students and a star basketball player

His one problem was math

He had had a hard time in math, especially in geometry

This was because he wasn't a logical thinker

Expect for basketball, he didn't want to do anything unless it was easy

Tom was no longer good-looking

His nose, which had always been large, had grown even larger

he had also gained a lot of weight

His wife had left him, so for the first time ever, he was alone

He looked lonely and depressed, not at all like he used to be

Steve was a nobody in middle school

People hardly noticed him

He was small, quiet, and a bit ugly, with crooked teeth

What he was good at was English

His English was even better than their teacher's

After graduating, he went to a low-ranked university and eventually  dropped out (退学)

For a while he worked as a tour guide

Then, 10 years ago, he and some friends started a little company which is now a great success

In fact, he had become a rich, generous man

He had a nice, warm smile and his success hadn't gone to his head

It was a pleasure to be around him

Betty used to be the most beautiful girl in school

She wasn't very smart, but she was a great singer

She made a video of her singing, and it went viral

She became famous overnight, but it only lasted for about two years

After that, her fans lost interest in her

She tried to become an actress, but she failed

She had been too stiff and nervous in front of the camera

Betty had a nice husband who seemed to adore her

The one tragedy in her life happened about five years ago, when she lost her daughter to a rare form of cancer

Because of that, her hair had begun to turn grey

Jessica couldn't help but feel sorry for her

Betty had had such high hopes and tremendous energy as a girl, but things didn't work out

And then there was John

John used to be the school bully

He had been big, strong and mean

He hadn't been nice to anybody

It seemed that he was always angry and ready to hit someone

After graduating, he joined the army and went overseas to fight in a war

He saw many people die and he grew to hate fighting of any kind

Then one day he was nearly killed when the helicopter he was in was shot down

He survived the crash, but he lost a leg and was hospitalized for nearly a year

Now he had completely changed

He had gentle, kind eyes, and a beautiful smile

He was working for an organization that provides support for elderly people

From Jessica's point of view, John had turned out to be a wonderful surprise

In the end, Jessica was glad she went to her reunion

It was interesting to see how people had changed through the years

Still, she was happy to get home and appreciate everything that she had

Language of Love

A broken heart is what happens when a love relationship is broken off

Someone with a broken heart is usually depressed which means they feel awful and don't enjoy life

To fall in love with someone can be a wonderful experience, with powerful emotions

People in love often share their deepest feelings and emotions, which is intimacy

To find someone attractive usually means there is a physical desire to be with them

Physical attraction may sometimes lead to love, but in many cases it may only lead to a short-term sexual relationship

To flirt with someone means to let him or her know that you want to be approached

Some people use their eyes or a smile to flirt

Jealousy is what often happens when two people compete for the love of the same person

The one who losses may be very jealous of the other and try to break things up

Reactions to News

Some people can remain calm even when everyone else is confused and upset

When you are calm, you can think clearly and make good decisions

People react to disappointing news in different ways

Sometimes they get discouraged and lose their confidence

Sometimes they get depressed and begin to cry or even get drunk

People are furious when they are extremely angry

People who are furious at each other may end up fighting or trying to hurt each other

To be excited is usually a good thing

People can become excited while watching a soccer match and seeing their team score a goal

The opposite of "exciting" is "dull" or "boring"

Someone is terrified if they are extremely afraid and shaking with fear

Terrified people will often scream and run away from whatever is threatening them

Office Gossip

A: What are you so excited about

B: Have you heard John and Sylvia are getting a divorce

A: No, I haven't, but I'm not suprised To be honest, I've never expected their marriage to last very long She is so aggressive and bossy

B: Well, I think John had an affair! He met someone on a business trip

A: Really How did you find THAT out

B: Sherry told me a few minutes ago

A: Oh, Sherry She is such a gossip I wouldn't believe anything she says

B: No, really This time I think we can trust her I don't think she's making it up

A: Wow, this is news What about their baby

B: I don't know I haven't heard anything about that

A: Well, that's too bad Even though I don't like either one of them, I feel sorry for them It's so sad when this happens, especially for the child

B: You are right It's easy to get caught up in all the gossip and forget to think about the serious consequences

A: Still, I can't say I'm surprised Can you imagine living with someone like that

B: No, I can't She is so self-centered

A: And what about him

B: I don't know him well, but he seems nice

A: I think so too I'm not sure how he ever fell for her

B: Are you kidding Hormones, you have to admit that she's physically attractive He probably couldn't help himself And now it seems he has fallen for someone else

A: I guess he can't control himself I've heard he has a drinking problem, too

B: Oh, I wasn't aware of that Well, what's new, right Something's never changed

A: That's for sure Hey, what about lunch

B: No thanks I'd better get back to work