Topic1 Puzzles

1. Did you like doing puzzles when you were a kid?

-Yes, I really enjoyed doing puzzles when I was a kid. I sometimes had trouble staying focused. But when I started working on a puzzle, I got totally sucked into it. It was like the rest of the world didn’t exist. I was completely focused on putting the pieces together. I wouldn’t rest until finished.

图源网络

2. When do you do puzzles, during your trip or when you feel bored？

-Trip:

I usually do puzzles while I’m on a trip. It’s a fun way to spend your time, especially if you’re hoping to relax after a busy day. Whenever my family and I go on vacation together, we always bring a puzzle with us if we can. It’s great to sit around and put it together as a family.

-Bored:
I usually do puzzles when I feel bored. 

Puzzles are a great activity to do when you just want to kill some time. Solving a puzzle doesn't require too much attention.

But it's just engaging enough to keep you focused for a few hours at a time. So I think it's a great way to stave off boredom.

语块积累：

I got totally sucked into it. 

我会完全沉浸其中。

It's great to sit around and put it together as a family.

一家人围坐在一起，一起解决问题，感觉真好。

It was like the rest of the world didn't exist. 

就像是世界上其他地方都不存在一样。

putting the pieces together

把拼图拼起来

engaging enough

足够有吸引力

stave off boredom

打发无聊时间

Topic2 Describe an important event you celebrated.

图源网络

You should say:

What the event was;

When it happened;

Who attended the event;
And explain how you feel about the event.

范例：庆祝过的活动

An important event I celebrated recently was my sister's PhD graduation. 

If memory serves correctly, this happened just a few months ago. It was a really big deal for her because she had a hard time doing the PhD. You know, doctoral courses are way harder and she had to publish her research paper in a reputable science  journal, which is definitely not a walk in the park. 

So when she finally settled on a PhD degree and made it through, my family and I were very proud of her. 

The hooding ceremony was a little boring, to be honest. 

We had to sit through hours of speeches and a super long line of graduates walking across the stage. 

But it was so worth it to hear my sister's name get called and watch her accept her PhD degree. My heart was bursting with pride.The best part was the dinner party that we had after the ceremony. 

We made a reservation at a fancy restaurant and  invited lots of family and friends. 

We had our own private room to celebrate in, which made the occasion feel extra special. 

It was so nice being surrounded by loved ones.I know my sister was really happy to have us all there with her.

I felt pretty happy as well. Even though the day  wasn't about me, I was over the moon because my sister had achieved a huge  milestone in her life. I was glad that she made it to the finish line and was finally ready to get a job in her field.

语块积累：

not a walk in the park

不是一件容易的事

over the moon

非常开心

achieved a huge milestone in her life

成就了她人生中一个重要里程碑

made it through

在这里指的是顺利毕业

the hooding ceremony

学位授予仪式

My heart was bursting with pride.

我感到无比骄傲

made it to the finish line

到达了终点线，实现了自己的目标