Foo and talk

Key word

dinner party 宴会 Mrs. Rumbold 兰伯尔德夫人
hostess n. 女主人 sit next to sb. 挨着某人坐
unsmiling adj. 不笑的，严肃的 tight adj. 紧身的
take one's seat 坐下 plate n. 盘子 fix 凝视
make conversation 闲聊，找话谈 The Globe 环球剧场
companion 伴侣、伙伴 good companion
despair n. 绝望、失望 socializing 社交

on text

Last week at a dinner party，the hostess asked me to sit next to Mrs.Rumbold. Mrs.Rumbold was a large, unsmiling lady in a tight black dress. She did not even look up when I took my seat beside her. Her eyes were fiexd on her plate and in a short time, she was busy eating. I tried to make conversation.
'A new play is coming to "The Globe" soon,' I said, 'Will you be seeing it?'
'No,', she answered.
'Will you be spending your holidays abroad this year?' I asked. 'No,' she answered.
'Will you be staying in Engliand?' I asked.
'No,', she answered.
In despair, I asked her whether she was enjoying her dinner.
'Young man,' she answered, 'if you eat more and talked less, we would both enjoy our dinner!'

Language points

• Will you be seeing it？用将来进行时来提问，尤其是提出问题但又不想迫使对方作出明确答复时，将来进行时可以显得比一般将来时will更委婉客气。

next to 与什么为邻

• The post office is next to the hotel.
• Next to your mother, who do you love most? //居于什么之后
• I know next to nothing about him. //next to 几乎

large

large 侧重表示三维量值，强调体积，修饰人时指个子大。

介词 in a tight，表示穿着什么

eyes were fixed 眼睛盯着什么

• be busy doing sth. 忙于做什么
  • They are busy preparing for this eveing‘s party.

The Globe

省略说法

Key structures and usage

虚拟语气，跟事实相反的假设。
if 从句中，用的是过去完成时态，主句也要变化时态，要用 would + 现在完成时态。

• If I had known that， I wouldn't have suported him.
• It would have been different if you had helped.

Note.

small talk converstion 说一些闲话
Socializing 社交