nyi and I are going to an event about
diasporas at the Campus Center
tonight at 8. Do you want to come with us?
Ajay: I was already planning to go,
but let’s all go together. I have an assignment for one of my
classes. I need to choose and write about a
diaspora
community in the U.S., and I think tonight’s event
will give me good background information.
Akinyi: It definitely will. There are
a lot of different diaspora communities in the U.S.
Lucía: Yeah, we’ve been studying this
in one of my classes. The U.S. has more global diaspora members
than any other country in the world.
Akinyi: I knew it was a
multicultural country, but I
had no idea just how multicultural
until I got here.
Ajay: Well, which diaspora community
do you think I should write about?
Akinyi: I think you should choose a
diaspora community that is
prominent
in this city.
Ajay: Yeah, I could interview people
in the community and talk to them about their experiences here in
the U.S. and even see how their experiences are different from ours
as exchange students. I really want to know
what the community
is
like.
Lucía: You should talk with Kayla.
She lives in our
dorm. Her family is part
of the Ethiopian diaspora, and they own a really popular restaurant
downtown. We should all go there for dinner
one night.
让我们来学习一些词语（也可阅读英文解释）：
A
diaspora
：流散移居海外的群体。这种移居他乡往往不是完全出于自愿，而是迫于国内战争、政局、饥荒等因素。
A
diaspora
community：外侨社群
Multicultural：多元文化的，多种文化传统的
To have no
idea：一种非正式的表达法，意思是
一无所知。例如：
“I have no idea where I’m going” 的意思是 “I do not know where I’m
going.”
prominent：突出的、显著的
在叙述句中说
what something
is like或在疑问句中用疑问语序
What
is something
like都是谈某地、某物或某人具有什么特征、什么样子。例如：问：
What is Florida like? （佛罗里达是什么样？）答：
It’s hot and humid, but I like
it.（炎热潮湿，但我喜欢那里。
）
问：
What
is Maria like? （马丽亚是怎样一个人？）答：
She’s
thoughtful and friendly, and she’s an excellent
student.（她细心友善，是个优秀的学生。）
Dorm：是
dormitory一词的简写，意思是学生宿
Downtown ：市内，城市中心地区
有兴趣听更多英语对话吗？请浏览“
英语学习”专题网页。
American
English
网站提供可供英语学生和教师免费使用的多种英语资源。American
English Facebook网页提供每天更新的英语学习资料。
“日常会话”由美国国务院教育与文化事务局英语语言项目处（Office of English Language
Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs）资深项目官员海蒂·豪兰（Heidi Howland）编写。
Six students from around the world meet. What do they have in
common? They are all exchange students studying at a U.S.
university for a semester. Throughout the semester, they learn more
English, learn about U.S. culture, and learn more about their
fields of study. This series of Everyday Conversations is about these six
students and their experiences during a semester at a university in
the U.S. These conversations are for intermediate-level
English-language learners or higher.
Audio:
https://share.america.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/DEC-W3-D2.mp3?_=1
Audio PlayerUse Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or
decrease volume. Students
(Lucía,
Akyinyi
and
Ajay) discuss the
many different groups of people who have moved from their homeland
to the U.S. and the different cultures in the U.S.
Lucía: Hey, Ajay. Akinyi and I are
going to an event about
diasporas at
the Campus Center tonight at 8. Do you want to come with us?
Ajay: I was already planning to go,
but let’s all go together. I have an assignment for one of my
classes. I need to choose and write about a
diaspora
community in the U.S., and I think tonight’s event
will give me good background information.
Akinyi: It definitely will. There are
a lot of different diaspora communities in the U.S.
Lucía: Yeah, we’ve been studying this
in one of my classes. The U.S. has more global diaspora members
than any other country in the world.
Akinyi: I knew it was a
multicultural country, but I
had no idea just how multicultural
until I got here.
Ajay: Well, which diaspora community
do you think I should write about?
Akinyi: I think you should choose a
diaspora community that is
prominent
in this city.
Ajay: Yeah, I could interview people
in the community and talk to them about their experiences here in
the U.S. and even see how their experiences are different from ours
as exchange students. I really want to know
what the community
is
like.
Lucía: You should talk with Kayla.
She lives in our
dorm. Her family is part
of the Ethiopian diaspora, and they own a really popular restaurant
downtown. We should all go there for dinner
one night.
Now let’s review the vocabulary.
A
diaspora is a large group of
people who have moved from their home country to live in other
countries in the world. Often this move is not completely by choice
but is because of war, political issues, famine, etc., in the
people’s home country.
A
diaspora community is a large
group of people who have moved from their homeland and live in a
different country.
Multicultural: relating to or including people who
have many different customs and beliefs.
To have no idea is an informal way to say
one does not know. For example: “I have no idea where I’m going”
means “I do not know where I’m going.”
Something that is
prominent is
well-known, important, easily seen.
When we use the phrase
what
something is like or the
question
What is something
like, we want
to know more about the place, object, event or person. For example:
Q:
What is Florida like? A:
It’s
hot and humid, but I like it. Q:
What is
Maria like? A:
She’s thoughtful and
friendly, and she’s an excellent student.
Dorm is short for
dormitory. A dormitory is a large building at a
college or university where students live.
Downtown refers to the main or central part
of a town or city.
Ready to learn more English?
Our materials can help.
The American English
website offers a variety of free resources for learners and
teachers of English. The American English Facebook page posts learning
materials for English-language learners daily.Everyday
Conversations are developed by the State Department’s Heidi
Howland, a senior program officer in the Office of English Language
Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
