公共英语考试二级口语经典对话
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美国对阿尔及利亚的比赛结束了，Larry和李华在谈论这场比赛。
LH: 真够悬的!双方一直是0比0，我还以为美国队要被淘汰了呢!谁知美国队居然在最后三分种里进了个球，这下就挺进16强啦!
L: I know! That was so amazing! If I watch a few more games like that, I'm going to have a heart attack!
LH: 心脏病?不至于吧!不过，这场比赛最后几分钟确实挺刺激的。
L: You're right. That game really came down to the wire.
LH: Down to the wire? 这是什么意思?
L: When something comes down to the wire, that means there isn't much time left.
LH: 哦，down to the wire就是指到了最后关头。 你是说这场比赛在快结束的时候居然难分胜负。
L: Right. Here's another example. My big report for work is due tomorrow and I still have a lot of work to do, so it's really coming down to the wire today.
LH: 你是说，明天有报告要交，可你还没怎么写呢，所以今天是你完成报告的最后关头了!哎?既然要写报告，干嘛还看世界杯?
L: I'll just say that I know what's important in life. Say, how is your summer job search going?
LH: 还在找呢。我已经快没钱了，如果再找不到工作，我连房租也交不出来了。
L: Gosh, it sounds like it's really coming down to the wire. Have you had any success?
LH: 倒是有一份工作，我已经进入最后一轮面试了，公司说今天下午打电话通知我结果。
L: Wow, it sounds like it's coming down to the wire. You must really be on the edge of your seat.
LH: 是啊，已经快5点了，还没来电话，我都要急死了!
今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是on the edge of your seat, 表示紧张兴奋。另一是down to the wire, 意思是到最后关头。
对话六
夏天到了，酷暑难当，李华和Larry一起去游泳。 今天我们要学两个常用语：few and far between和take the plunge.
LH: Larry, 这几天怎么这么热啊! 每天都有快40度!
L: I know! I have my air conditioner turned all the way to full power, and my apartment still feels really hot.
LH: 华盛顿每年夏天都这么热。
L: Even though summers in Washington DC can be hot, summers that are this hot are few and far between.
LH: 你说这么热的夏天是few and far between? 这是什么意思?
L: Something that is few and far between is very rare.
LH: 哦， few and far between就是很少见的意思。你是说，虽然华盛顿的夏天比较热，但像今年这么热的还是很少见的。
L: Right! Here is another example. Hurricane Katrina caused a lot of terrible damage in Louisiana. Luckily, hurricanes that big are few and far between.
LH: 对，像卡特里娜那种威力的飓风也是很少见的。Larry, 你看天气预报了么?不知道什么时候会下雨，能凉快凉快?
L: Not any time soon.. we can have a nice day having fun swimming. I've been so busy lately that my chances to relax have been few and far between.
LH: 是啊，你最近好像特别忙。怎么那么多工作啊?
L: Well there is a promotion opportunity for a great job at my company. Chances like this are few and far between, so I'm working really hard to get it.
LH: 现在经济不好，能有升职的机会的确不容易，你要好好争取!不过今天我们还是在游泳池里好好轻松一下吧! 咱们去哪个泳池?
L: We're not going to the pool. My friend Andy is taking us out to swim in the ocean on his boat!
LH: 啊?你朋友Andy有船?这么有钱的朋友我怎么一个都没有!
L: Well that's true, friends with boats are few and far between, so you have to be careful to maintain the friendship.
LH: Larry， 你不会是因为Andy有钱才跟他当朋友的吧?
L: Of course not! But you know, Lihua, in heat like this, some friends might be more important than others.
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Larry和李华上了Andy的船，准备在海中畅游一番。
LH: Larry, 在游泳之前，我得问问你，这海里到底有没有鲨鱼啊?
L: Hmmm ... probably. But to be honest, right now I am more afraid of the sun than I am of any sharks.
LH: 你不在乎，我可在乎! 我不想成为鲨鱼的下午茶!
L: Lihua, I understand that you are a little nervous. But sometimes you just have to take the plunge.
LH: Take the plunge? Plunge，不是往下跳的意思么?你是说，让我不管三七二十一，跳进海里就好了?
L: Right! But you know, you can also say that you "take the plunge" any time you do something risky or scary.
LH: 哦，take the plunge就是冒险一试。你是说，虽然我有些害怕，但还是应该果断地下水?
L: Right! For example, Anthony was really nervous about quitting his job and switching careers, but eventually he decided to take the plunge.
LH: 哦，Anthony在辞职和改行的问题上一直挺犹豫的，但最后他还是决定冒险一试。这么说起来，我也有类似的经历，我来美国留学就是这样的!
L: Exactly! I bet it was a big decision to leave China and come to America, but you decided to take the plunge. Aren't you happy you did?