今天是中教口语课的第一天，给我们上课的是一位女士，看起来很是和蔼可亲的。今天大连的天气有些糟糕，一直在淅淅沥沥的下着小雨，早上起来的时候嗓子有些肿痛，吃了点药，好些了。

中教口语老师根据她的课程安排首先给我们上了一节简单的’Read-Retell’课程，课程内容很简单，老师准备了四篇类似笑话的短文，让我们其中之一A先看上3分钟，然后像我们其中的一个B复述短文的大意，B在听完A的复述后，再向C复述，就这样One by One。开始的时候，我们有些不适应，复述的磕磕绊绊而且用词遣句都不得当，到了最后一个的时候我们已经进入状态了，最重要的是我们已经认可和喜欢上了这种方式了。按照老师的安排，这次Retell只是相当于初级口语水平，下次课还要安排相当于中级口语水平的Retell，之后是商务英语级别。期待中，老师建议我们回去后可以自己选一些短文试着复述，一段时间练习后，会有不小的进步。

今天外教Alex开始按照Text Book讲，Alex好像对这种方式准备不足，导致课程有些沉闷，我们也兴趣不足。今天讨论的TOPIC是’Memory’，下面有些关于memory的Words & Phrase & Idioms：
Alzheimer’s disease
long term memory
short term memory
photographic memory
selective memory
good/bad/unfailing memory
one’s mind is/went/is going blank = forget

A [adj] memory for faces/number/names
[Ex.] I had a bad memory for faces of western people.

something slipped from memory = forget temporarily
[Ex.] I watched the football match last night, but the name of the player who kicked a penalty goal slipped from my memory.

On the tip of one’s tongue.
[Ex.] The name of the player who kicked a penalty goal in the football match last night is on the tip of my tongue.

在谈论完’Memory’之后，Alex专门拿出一定时间来纠正我们的pronunciation。他告诉我们在读英语时，碰到’,'要短暂停顿，碰到’.'，停顿时间要稍长些，碰到段间，就要更长些了。对于语句中的noun、verb、adj和adv要speak lower and louder，当然这些需要more practice。

今天是英语培训课程的第二天，前两节是中教听力，后两节则是外教口语，外教口语课每天都有两个学时，以保证我们有足够的时间和外教交流。

在正式开始听音之前，老师还是把前天测试写作时出现的问题给我们讲解了一番，那是一道商业信函写作，老师给我们指出了我们共同犯的几个错误。首当其冲的就是信函的格式问题，首先是称呼。我们四个人居然写出了四种方法，很是搞笑，分别为：
Dear Mr. Middleman
Dear Jim
Dear Mr. Jim Middleman
Dear Mr. Jim
由于信函原文中发信人和收信并不是很熟悉的朋友，所以应该选择第一个，即'Mr. + 姓'的形式。接着这个话题，老师又给我们深入了讲解了一些称呼上的知识。如：
Dear Sir, 在知道对方性别，但是不知道名字的前提下
Dear Madam, 在知道对方性别，但是不知道名字的前提下
Dear Sir/Madam, 在即不知道对方性别，又不知道名字的前提下
老师还谈了由于女权运动导致的一些用词方面的变化，如Chairman -> Chairwoman -> Chairperson -> Chair，同样情况的还有businessman这个单词，现在一般都说businessperson了。

对于感谢信，我们在正文的开头和结尾处都要加上感谢的语句，这里注意的是在正式的信函中要使用Thank you，而避免使用并不是应用于正式场合下的Thanks。而且在正式信函或者论文中不要使用缩略语，如不要用I'm/You're/It's/I don't，要用I am/You are/It is/I do not等。

总结完上次的写作内容后，我们正式进入听力环节，今天要完成的是'新视野大学英语视听说教程第三册'的第一个单元，按照上节课老师的'听懂每个单词'原则，我这里听写出听力全文，并按照老师的讲解做了些分析笔记：

Unit 1
Basic Listening Practice
1、
A: Ok. It's your turn to pay the bill. I paid last time.
B: What? You have a selective memory. You tried to pay last time, but your credit card failed. So I ended up with paying. It's definitely your turn.
Q: What is true according to the conversation?
这里'selective memory'是选择性的记忆的意思，意为'选择对自己有好处的记忆'；'end up with doing'最终做了某事。

2、
A: I'm having real trouble reviewing for the french exam. I just can't memorize all the vocabulary.
B: Me, too. I hate having to learn things by heart. I guess we just have to keep the text reading over and over.
Q : What does the woman prefer?

3、
A: Oh, look. There is that guy we saw last week playing football in the park. He looks great in his kit. remember?
B: Him? I don't remember him. I've got a terrible memory for faces. I have a hard time even recognizing people as being introduced to.
Q: According to the conversation, what is the man's problem?
这里kit指的是(橄榄球)服装、装备。

4、
A: Why is there a big sign on the back of your door that says keys?
B: It is to remind me to take my keys when I go out. Because I am always locking myself out by accident. It doesn't help though. Now I just forget to read the sign.
Q: Why is there a sign on the back of the door?

5、
A: That exam of history is really hard. The essay question is terrible.
B: I know. I wish I were like David. He has a photographic memory, you know. How useful that will be.
Q: What is true of David?

Listening In
A: Tell me your secret. You're suddenly getting excellent marks in every subject and you used to be a bottom of the class students just like me.
B: Simple enough. I've read an article in a scientific journal that links studying with remembering based on recent research into the brain.
A: Oh, That stuff is old hat. Studying at the same time everyday, Be sure your clothes are comfortable, make sure you have enough light…
B: Not so fast wise guy. I'm talking principles like mental visualization, creating a picture in your mind of what to be remembered.
A: Ok. That does sound different. Is a association principle? you know you connect what you want to remember with something you familiar with.
B: Right on! Consolidation is another. I review my notes right after the class and consolidate all, absorb the materials into what I've already learned.
A: You're moving ahead fast with that principles. I swear this weekend I'm going to study 16 hours a day both Saturday and Sunday.
B: Wow, big guy! That's not the way. Follow the principle of distributed practice, shorter study sessions distributed over several days are better.
A: That does made all very well for you. You've got a good memory. But what about me? I got a memory like a sieve.
B: You are too modest. There is nothing wrong with your memory, but memory is like a muscle. It needs exercise and don't forget it.

在听这段对话时，在'That stuff is old hat'处有很严重的连读现象。'old hat'是一个俚语，意为'陈旧的、不流行的'；'Not so fast'有"不要这么快下结论"的意思；'Right on'则是'正确，太对了'的意思。'That does sound different'这句听起来也不是很容易，这里是一个带有强调语气的句型。'That does made all very well for you'这句至今我也不敢肯定到底是不是这样的，因为没有原文。

今天三四节的外教口语主要以我们学生的说为主，Alex首先告诉我们用英语沟通的三个层次：
. Core Ideas
. Effective Communication
. Mastery

然后他针对Expression时的各种情况，和我一起做了些Practice：
. Facts
. Facts based uncertainty
. Thinking quickly
. Styles (Professional way & informal way)
. Unfamiliar topics
. Talking around
. Biased & Unbiased

其中在'Thinking quickly'环节，我们做了一个游戏，比如有A、B、C三个人，从A开始说：
A : I
B : I can
C : I can speak
A : I can speak fluent
B : I can speak fluent English.
就像这样，锻炼你的'Thinking quickly'能力，挺好玩的。你可以每次add a single word or a phrase or a entire sentence。

最后一个关于Biased & Unbiased的Practice不是很理解，当时他让我们其中两个人扮演寻找hotel的商人，另外两个扮演两个hotel的sales，两个sales推销他们的hotel，我们呢就问问题以决定住在哪个hotel。按照Alex的说法，两个sales属于'Biased'，其他两个属于'Unbiased'，至今仍不是很理解。