10 Nature (Flowers, Birds, Weather, Seasons)

+ Flowers

1. Do you like flowers? _ Yes, I like flowers. They’re so beautiful and varied (adj-đa dạng), and some have a wonderful scent, too. The world would be a little more boring without their cute faces and lovely scents (mùi, mùi hương).

(Yes. They are pretty and smell nice. They cheer me up and make the place look nice and cheerful.

I don’t really like flowers. They die if you don’t take care of them and I’m forgetful. They are pretty though and smell nice.)

2. What is your favorite flowers? _ My favorite flowers change with the kind of mood (n-tâm trạng) that I am in. If I am happy I like carnations (hoa cẩm chướng); If I feel romantic I like roses.

(I love lilacs. I’m addicted to their fragrance.

I’m partial to daisies. They’re so cheerful and happy and not too expensive. They last a long time – sometimes two weeks.)

3. What are the occasions when people send or receive flowers? _ Usually people send flowers when it’s a special occasion, such as when a friend has a birthday, or graduates from school, or has a new baby, or opens a new business, or gets promoted or married.

4. What flowers have special meaning China? _ You know if you asked my mom, she could answer that question, she is a florist. I never really was that interested in which flower goes on which day. I think roses go to someone who is in love. Peony (hoa mẫu đơn) is kind of the national flower and it represents prosperity (sự thịnh vượng) and fortune (vận mệnh).

Vocabulary:

chrysanthemum (n) hoa cúc

peony (n) hoa mẫu đơn

national flower

symbol of prosperity (sự thịnh vượng)

jasmine (n) cây hoa nhàn

daisy (n) cây cúc

carnation (n) hoa cẩm chướng

china rose (n)

orchid (n) cây phong lan

symbolic meanings (n) ý nghĩa của biểu tượng

represent (v)

integrity (n) tính chính trực; toàn vẹn

virtue (n) đức hạnh, chinh tiết

bloom (v) nở hoa, ra hoa

fragrance (n) mùi thơm phức

+ Birds:
1. Are there many birds near your home? _ Yes, there are, but you usually can only hear them sing in the early morning. There are also a lot of sparrows (chim sẽ) flying around and pigeons (chim bồ câu) on the roof (mái nhà) on my apartment building.

2. How do you feel about birds? _ I think some birds can be beautiful, and I enjoy listening to their singing. They’re so small and sweet (ngọt ngào). They really help me to leave this would a while as I look at them flying about go gracefully (duyên dáng, trang nhã).

(Yeah they can be good companions (người bầu bạn) but my main problem with them is that they tend to poo (v- săn trộm) all over when you let them out to fly around. They can also be loud for no reason at all. They are good pets because they are easy to maintain.No, actually I have birds … small cute birds are okay, as long as they are outside, but I hate brids. I think I have a bird phobia (n- sự ám ảnh). My heart starts pounding (pound v- đật thình thịch) every time I walk by the parrots in the pet store (they are not caged (v-giam giu) or chained (v-xich, buoc, choi lại) or anything, they just sit on their little tree freely). Birds freak me out (v- cam thay kho chiu).)

3. How do Chinese people feel about birds? _ Just go to a park and you will see that Chinese people really like birds. They love to keep them as pets and fill (v- chứa đầy) their house with them.

4. Do any birds have any particular significance in China? _ The Phoenix (chim phượng hoàn), which although is mythological (adj- thần thoại), is a bird that has particular significance in China. It is a sign of good fortune and blessing (n- phúc lành).

5. Do you think birds should be protected? _ Well, I think birds, like any other animal, need to be protected if they become an endangered (v-gây nguy hiểm) species (n- các loài). They really have a hard time protecting themselves and if they were gone, something special would be missing from life.

6. How can they be protected? _ We can protect birds by raising awareness (n- nhận thức) about their situation, and by not buying endangered species, or destroying their habitats (n- môi trường sống). We also need to keep an eye on the environment, which is their habitat.

7. Do Chinese people like raising (keeping) pet birds? _ Yes, many people like to keep birds as pets. They like listening to the birds sing, and some birds can even be taught how to talk. Birds are great pets. They are so cute and sweet.

8. Is bird-watching popular in China? _ If people have the time and the money and can get to a location that has a lot of birds, then people will do it, but unfortunately that is not the case here in China.

Vocabulary:

magpie (n)

sparrow (n) chim sẻ

crow (n) con quạ

mandarin duck (n) con vịt

parrot (n) con vẹt

phoenix (n) chim phượng hoàng

peacock (n) con công

crane (n) con sếu

longevity (n) tuổi thọ

elegance (n) thanh lịch, tao nhã

eat insects

control pests

poo (v) săn trộm

bird watching

cage (n) chuồng, lồng
eco-system (n) hệ thống sinh thái
variety (n) sự đa dạng
feather (n) lông chim, lông vũ

+ Weather

1. What is the climate like in your hometown? _ I live in Chongqing and the weather there is very wet in winter and extremely hot in summer.

(The climate in my hometown is generally hot and sunny /hot and rainy, especially during the noon/ very dry and dusty/ cold and cloudy.)

2. Does it rain much here in Beijing? _ No, it doesn’t and that is getting to be a problem here with the threat (sự đe dọa) of drought (hạn hán) conditions appearing on the horizon (tầng địa lý). We really need the rain and sometimes I spend days just hoping the sky will pour down (v- đổ, rót) what we so desperately need (adv- liều mạng).

3. Do you like rainy days or sunny days? _ I like sunny days better than rainy days. Rainy days make me feel sad, and make me feel like not going outside.

(Well I suppose that it depends. If I have to work or have a lot do that day, then I’d prefer it be sunny outside. If I don’t have anything to do and I’m off work, which is rare, then I don’t mind the rain. When it rains I don’t have anything to do and I can just curl up on the couch, watch movies, read a book, or nap then. Rainy days don’t bother me. So, I suppose (v- nghĩ rằng) it depends on my mood and how busy I am that particular day.

I like sunny days. Rainy days are boring and sometimes they can make you sad.)

4. When (in what month/season) does it rain most in your hometown? _ My hometown is Chongqing and it rains mostly in summer, buckets of rain at a time. It is really refreshing when it comes down, and the sound of the rain is magical.

5. Do you think rain is good? _ Of course, rain is good. Crops couldn’t grow without it, and then we would all starve to death.

6. Does rain ever affect transportation in your hometown? _ If it rains very heavily, then there are often traffic jams, because nobody wants to walk or ride bicycles. They all take taxis or cars, and this causes traffic jams.

Vocabulary:

agreeable weather (n) thời tiết thuận lợi

humid (adj) ẩm ướt

stifling (adj) ngột ngạt, khó thở

breezy (adj) mát, thoáng gió

scorching (adj) nóng như thiêu

freezing (adj) rét, buốt, băng giá

chilly (adj) lạnh lẽo, giá lạnh

depressing (adj) buồn phiền, chán nản

drizzle (v) mưa phùn

typhoon (n) bão to

sunny days

dust storm (n)

temperature (n)

+ Seasons:

1. Which season do you like best? why? _ My favorite season is spring, because flowers begin to bloom (v- nở hoa) and the weather starts to warm up.

(My favorite season is summer, because I like hot weather and lot of sunshine.

My favorite season is winter, because I like cold weather, and I always hope it will snow.

I like spring because it is starting to get warm and isn’t too cold or too hot. I don’t like the others because winter is too cold, summer is too hot and autumn is starting to get cold.)

2. What do people do in this season? _ In spring, because have holidays, they often like to visit their hometowns or other beautiful places.

(In summer, because the weather is so warm, some people like to go the beach, or go outside. Other people would rather stay indoors with their air-conditioner on.

In autumn, because the weather starts to get cooler, people usually like to travel.

In winter, if you live somewhere where the weather gets very cold, people like to ice skate, or ski. If you don’t like cold weather, you stay inside and keep warm.)

3. Do you think the seasons have changed in recent years, compared to the past? _ Nowadays, there are many changes in the seasons. Sometimes the summers are usually hot, or the winters usually warm, or the rains come too early or too late.

Vocabulary:

crisp (adj) khô và lạnh

warm (adj)

sunny (adj)

wrap up warm
still and quiet