
● Useful Language
channel surfing | 不断换电视频道 |
nothing but = only | 除……之外没有什么;只不过,仅仅 |
no wonder | 难怪, 并不奇怪, 当然 |
drive sb. crazy | 把某人逼疯 |
the last straw | 最终使人无法忍受的事;终于导致失败的因素 |
long weekend | (休息两天以上的) 长周末 |
take a trip | 旅游 |
travel agency | 旅行社 |
a package tour | (由旅行社)安排一切的包价旅游 |
beat | a. 精疲力竭的;疲惫的 |
I’m easy. | 我随便(你们怎么安排都行)。 |
It’s up to you. | 由你决定。 |
rushed | a. 匆匆的,急速的 |
in a hurry to do sth. | 急于做某事 |
itinerary | n. 路线,旅行计划 |
ancient | a. 古老的, 古代的 |
emperor | n. 皇帝, 君主 |
sightseeing | n. 观光 |
places of interest | 游览胜地 |

● Watch the video and then answer the following questions, based on your observations.
1) Where are Shelley and Michael now?
They are in the living room.
2) What are they doing there?
They are doing nothing but watching TV.
3) What’s there in Michael’s hand?
He has a TV remote control in his hand.
4) Why does Michael look angry?
Because he is bored to distraction.
5) What are they doing now with the notebook?
They are looking for online information for a trip.

A. Watch the video and then decide whether each of the following statements is true (T) or false (F).
1) Shelley and Michael are feeling fed up and bored tonight as they sit in their shared living room. (T)
2) They are sick and tired of just hanging around (闲呆着) . (T)
3) For a change, they feel like going on a trip this coming long weekend. (T)
4) They are calling local travel agencies to check out package tours to Xi’an. (F)
5) They cannot wait to go on a tour to Xi’an, an ancient city with many interesting places for sightseeing. (T)
B. Now watch the video again and then complete the following conversation.
Shelley: Stop channel surfing like that, will you? It really makes me sick.
Michael: Alright! And I’m sick and tired of doing nothing but watching TV at night. I’m bored silly.
Shelley: I feel the same way these days.
Michael: No wonder you do. We have to work, work and work still more. It drives me crazy. I’ve had it with this!
Shelley: When will the fun ever start? I need a change of scenery. I long for a vacation to get my mind off work for a few days.
Michael: You took the words right out of my mouth. I just can’t go on like this, either. I really need a break. This last week working every night until midnight has been the last straw.
Shelley: But now we’ve got a long weekend, don’t we? What do you say we take a trip?
Michael: I think that’s a great idea. There’s so much of this country we haven’t seen. Do you have any idea where we should go?
Shelley: No. Let’s explore some travel agencies online to see what tours they offer.
Michael: Oh, so you prefer a package tour?
Shelley: Why not? What other possibilities are there? Traveling on your own takes so much work. And I’m beat.
Michael: Well, I’m easy. It’s up to you.
Shelley: I like tours. They’re convenient. Everything is organized for you. So little stress!
Michael: But it could be kind of rushed. We might be in a hurry to move from one place to another.
Shelley: Well, at least that way we can see more. Meanwhile, the most important thing is that our departure and arrival are carefully scheduled. So we can get back to work on time when the tour has finished.
Michael: That’s for sure.
Shelley: Let’s see whether they offer any special itinerary for Xi’an.
Michael: They should. It’s an ancient city. Its long history of emperors has left lots for sightseeing.
Shelley: You bet. I have heard a lot about Xi’an. There must be many places of interest there. Let’s see if we can go there.
Michael: I can’t wait.
Shelley: Neither can I.
C. After watching the video a third time, complete the following third-person account of the conversation.
Shelley and Michael are talking in their shared living room. They are feeling fed up and bored. They have been working so hard that they long for a vacation. They eventually decide to go on a tour because they haven’t seen much of China. But at first they have no idea where to go, so they explore travel agencies online to check out what itineraries they offer. Shelley is interested in a package tour, but Michael does not seem to like it because he fears it may be rushed. Still, fascinated by Xi’an’s long history of Chinese emperors and places of interest, they settle on a package tour to Xi’an.

1) Watch the video again, with a female student doing Shelley’s voice.

2) Watch the video once more, with a male student doing Michael’s voice.

3) Watch the video one last time, with a male student and a female student doing both of the voices for the whole conversation.
