英語(yǔ)趣味課堂：優(yōu)點(diǎn)和缺點(diǎn)-Strong and Weak Points

Simon: Yeah, I got a job interview coming up and I know they're gonna ask me about what are your strong points and your weak points. You know.

Todd: Yeah, that's tough, because like I know my strong points and my weak points.

Simon: Yeah, well, let's talk about that, actually, personality wise. Forget about the job interview. Let's talk about, what do you think, what are your strong points as a person?

Todd: Ah, let's see. Well, I think the biggest one is I'm pretty generous. Like I really don't care about money, so I'll give my friends money or things that I have, cause I just don't care about that. Um, so that's probably my strong point. My weak points are I am very late all the time. I'm late to work. I'm late to meet my friends. I'm late when I have appointments, and I am always late, so that is probably my number one bad point, and um, I'm, and sometimes I'm a little selfish. I want things my way, and only my way.

Simon: So it's, do you use that expression, "It's my way or the highway!"

Todd: I would never say that, but that's maybe how I think sometimes.

Simon: That's how you feel inside, yeah.

Todd: How about you? What are your strong points and your weak points?

Simon: Well, one of my weak points. I can say, much like you, was being late but, uh, since, you know, uh, since I've has a long term girlfriend, she's made sure that that part of me has changed, but I think one of my weak points is that, uh, I'm mentally disorganized. I'm all over the place all the time, so that sometimes makes me forget things like, uh, my keys, or you know, where I put an important piece of paper or something like that.

Todd: You know sometimes I wonder, because I'm a teacher, that maybe more people are that way today because we have so much input, so much stimulus from TV, from the internet, from movies, from radio that we are not as mentally organized as people maybe 50 years ago.

Simon: Yeah, that quite, that could be possibly true, but most of my close friends, you know, say that I'm more disorganized in that way, or more chaotic than most people, so I think I'm a special case. You know, I lost my wallet about four or five times in the past year, so.

Todd: That's pretty bad. Um, what's your strong point though?

Simon: Well, you know, that's putting me on the spot. That's a pretty difficult question cause it's difficult to talk about yourself, but uh, you know I would have to say that I'm friendly, and easy-going and.

Todd: Yeah, I agree actually.

Simon: And uh, I think I have, I think I can get along with people well, so, that's would be my strong point I guess, easy going and and friendly, easy to get along with.

Todd: Well, I agree.

Simon: Oh, thank you, and I agree about you.

Todd: What? I'm always late.

Simon: That, too.

學(xué)習(xí)內(nèi)容：

job interview

I got a job interview coming up and I know what they're going to ask me about.

A 'job interview' is when you have a meeting and they ask you questions to decide if you are a good person for a job. Notice the following:

I need to go to bed early, because I have a job interview tomorrow.

I want things my way or selfish

Sometimes, I'm a little selfish and I want things my way.

When you 'want things your way' you don't want to compromise or change your ideas or plans for anyone else. If you are a selfish person you only think about yourself or think about yourself before all other people. Notice the following:

Sample

Sample

mentally disorganized

I think one of my weak points is that I'm mentally disorganized.

If you are 'mentally disorganized' it means that you don't have order to your thoughts. You have difficult keeping things in order and may forget things. Notice the following:

I feel really mentally disorganized right now. I need some time to think about all of this.

She never makes mistakes like that. She must be mentally disorganized from all that is happening in her life.

all over the place

I'm all over the place all the time, so that sometimes makes me forget things.

You can be 'all over the place' physically or mentally. If you are all over the place mentally it means that you can't organize your thoughts and you think of one thing and then another. When you are all over the place physically you have a lot of energy and can't stay focused on one thing so you move around a lot. Notice the following:

She has very good ideas, but she is all over the place most of the time.

I'm sorry. I'm all over the place today.

input or stimulus

I wonder if maybe people are that way because we have so much input, so much stimulus from TV and the internet.

'Input,' used like this, means information or ideas that are coming from outside sources. This information affects how we think and view the world. 'Stimulus' is information that your brain reacts to and it causes you to think. Notice the following:

When you move to a new place there is a lot of input to process right away.

It is more important for babies to have stimulus even when they are really young.

chaotic

My close friends say that I'm more chaotic than most people.

A 'chaotic' person has no order to his thoughts or actions. When a situation is chaotic there is no order and it is crazy. Notice the following:

Ten eight year old kids? That sounds chaotic!

Preparing everything was a little chaotic, but the party turned out well.

putting me on the spot (put on the spot)

That's a pretty difficult question and it's putting me on the spot.

When you 'put someone on the spot' you want him to answer a question without having much time to think about it. When you are on the spot the attention in focused on you. Notice the following:

He was really nervous when his boss put him on the spot at the meeting today.

I used to hate it when teachers would call on me and put me on the spot.