Dialogue A
Zhang Wen, the general manager, is introducing Helen Taylor, his new secretary, to Li Hen.
Zhang Wen: Good morning, Li Hen.
Li Hen: Good morning, Mr. Zhang.
Zhang Wen: This is Helen, my new secretary. She’s from the United States. And Helen, this is Li Hen, sales manager of our company.
Helen Taylor: How do you do, Miss Li? Glad to meet you.
Li Hen: How do you do, Miss Taylor? Glad to meet you, too.
Text A
If parents bring up a child with the aim of turning the child a genius, they will cause great damage to him. According to some educators, this is one of the biggest mistakes which some parents make. Generally, the child will understand very well what the parent expects, and will fail. Unrealistic expectations can cause great damage to the children.
However, if parents are not unrealistic about what they expect their children to do, but are hopeful in a sensible way, the child may succeed in doing very well, especially if the parents are very supportive of their children.
Michael Li is very lucky. He is very fond of music, and his parents help him a lot by taking him to concerts and arranging private piano and violin lessons for him. They even drive him 50 kilometres twice a week for violin lessons. Although Michael’s father plays the
trumpet（小號）in a large orchestra（管弦樂隊）. However, he never makes Michael enter
music competitions if he is unwilling.
Michael’s friend, Winston Chen, however, is not so lucky. Although both his parents are successful musicians, they set too high a standard for Winston. They want their son to be as successful as they are and so they enter him in every piano competition held. They are very unhappy when he does not win. “When I was your age, I used to win every competition I entered.” Winston’s father tells him. Winston is always afraid that he will disappoint his parents and now he always seems quiet and unhappy.
Words and Expressions
genius ['d?i?n??s]n. 天纔；天賦
cause [k??z]n. 原因；動機vt. 導致；引起 damage ['dæm?d?]vt.& vi. 損害，毀壞n. 損害 expect [?k'spekt]vt. & vi. 期望；預料；要求
unrealistic [ ?nr??'l?st?k] adj. 不切實際的；不現實的 expectation [ ekspek'te??(?)n] n. 期待；預期；期望值 sensible ['sens?bl] adj. 明智的；合乎情理的
succeed [s?k'si?d]vi. 成功
especially [?'spe??l?]adv. 尤其地；格外地
supportive [s?'p??t?v]adj. 支持的，擁護的；贊助的
arrange [?'re?nd?]vt. & vi. 安排；分類；整理
private ['pra?v?t]adj. 私人的
competition [ k?mp?'t??n]n. 競爭；比賽 unwilling [?n'w?l??]adj. 不願意的，不情願的 successful [s?k'sesfl]adj. 成功的
standard ['stænd?d]n. 標準，規格
disappoint [ d?s?'p??nt]vt. & vi. 使失望
Notes
1.If parents bring up a child with the aim of turning the child a genius, they will cause great damage to him. 如果父母親帶著把孩子變成天纔的目的去撫養孩子，他們會對孩子 造成很大的傷害。with the aim of... 意為“帶著……目的”。cause damage to... 意為“給……造成損失”。
2.However, if parents are not unrealistic about what they expect their children to do,but are hopeful in a sensible way, the child may succeed in doing very well, especially if the parents are very supportive of their children. 然而，如果父母對孩子的期望不是不切實際 的，而是以理智的方式充滿希望，特別是如果父母非常支持他們的孩子，孩子可能會 做得很好。
3.I used to win every competition I entered. 我過去參加的每一場比賽都贏了。used to do 意為“過去常常做”。
4.They want their son to be as successful as they are and so they enter him in every piano competition held. 他們希望他們的兒子像他們一樣成功，所以他們讓兒子參加了每一次鋼琴比賽。as+ adj./adv.+ as 意為“與……一樣”。
