Tips for China
Brian: Hey Fanny.
Fanny: Hey.
Brian: So we're asking each other questions about our countries, and I have a couple of questions about China for you.
Fanny: Sure, go ahead.
Brian: So the first thing I was looking to know was, what's the best time to visit China? what time of year?
Fanny: Oh yeah, I think ... you know because China has four seasons ... it's really cold in the winter for, I mean because I come from the north part of China. So if you wanna go to China I think the best season should be summer.
Brian: Summertime.
Fanny: Summertime.
Brian: OK, so maybe like June or July is a good time?
Fanny: I think July is the best time to go, because August there will be a lot of tourists there ... so July will be the best time because you can see the best view and there will not be that crowded.
Brian: Now does it rain a lot in July? I've heard there's, like, rainy seasons?
Fanny: In the north part ... it doesn't rain that much but in the south part it does.
Brian: So I should probably bring an umbrella and a raincoat?
Fanny: Oh yeah, I think so.
Brian: OK.
Fanny: Which city do you want to visit?
Brian: Well that's actually a good question. You know I've never been to China and I don't know so much about it. What would be the most interesting place that you can recommend?
Fanny: It depends on what kind of view you want to see, what kind of ... you know, especially in the north part, there are a lot of historical cities like Beijing, Xian you can visit. You can see the old China because there are other ... for example there is the Summer Palace. Have you ever heard of that?
Brian: I've heard of it but I don't actually know what it is.
Fanny: Yeah, it's just a palace which the old Chinese king lived there. It's a very good place to visit because you can see the long history you know because China has a long history, so you can see that kind of thing.
Brian: So this is a pretty popular tourist place ...
Fanny: Very popular. And also there is the Great Wall in Beijing
Brian: Ah, I do know the Great Wall, I've heard of that one.
Fanny: Yeah, so I think a lot of foreigners are very interested in the Great Wall, so maybe you can go there and see ...
Brian: OK, that sounds pretty good ...
Fanny: .. then maybe you don't need the umbrella then
Brian: Fair enough.
recommend
What would be the most interesting place that you can recommend?
The word 'recommend' means to suggest something. Note the
following:
- Can you recommend a good restaurant?
- We do not recommend going downtown on the weekend.
not ... that crowded
It will not be that crowded.
The phrase 'not that' is similar in meaning to 'a little'.
Note the following:
- New York is expensive but not that expensive.
- The math test was actually not that difficult.
historical
There are a lot of historical cities like Beijing.
Historical things are important to help us remember and understand
the past. Note the following:
- There are many historical buildings downtown.
- This monument has historical importance.
a long history
China has a long history.
We use the phrase 'long history' to talk about something that has
been around or been happening for a long time.
- Countries in the Western Hemisphere do not have long histories.
- He has a long history of letting people down.
popular place
So this is a pretty popular tourist place.
A popular place has
many visitors. Note the following:
- MoMo's is a popular tourist place.
- The park is a popular place to spend the weekend.
Vocabulary Quiz
long story • popular place