英語筆記 | 《雅思口語 1》 / msvlia 唯黎雅

1. Do you live in a house or an apartment? (5.5)

(8.0)    I actually live in an apartment at the moment, though my parents have a house. I love my place because it's in a prime location; I've got a convenience store and a shopping centre right downstairs, not to mention a bus station, so it's incredibly handy for getting around.

• prime location：黃金地段、優越的位置、絕佳的位置*
• prime：最好的、最理想的
• I've got a...：I have
• not to mention：更不用說、更別提、更何況（前面已經很不錯了，後面還有額外的優點）
• incredibly：非常、極其、特別
• handy：方便的、好用的、順手的
• getting around：四處移動、出行、到處走、交通往來

2. Can you describe your home? (5.5)

(8.0)    My family's house is a two-story building. On the ground floor, we have a cozy living room, a functional kitchen, and a designated dining area where we usually gather for meals. The upstairs level features three bedrooms: my parents' master bedroom, my own room, and my brother's bedroom.

• two-story：兩層樓的
• cozy：舒適的、溫馨的、溫暖宜人的
• functional：實用的、功能齊全的
• designated：指定的、專門劃分出來的
• feature(s)：擁有、設有、包括
• master bedroom：主臥室

3. What do you like most about your home? (5.5)

(8.0)    Honestly, the thing I love most about my home is the backyard. It's quite a peaceful space with plenty of flowers and trees, which makes it a perfect retreat. My dog loves running around there, and I often head out to just relax, enjoy the fresh air, and spend some quality time with my pet surrounded by nature.

• The thing I love most about...：我最喜歡...的一點是...
• The thing I love most about this city is...
• The thing I love most about my job is...
• retreat：撤退、放鬆的地方、避世之所、心靈休憩地
• head out：出去、動身、走出去

4. Is there anything you would like to change about your home? (6.0)

(8.0)    I'd love to tweak the layout of my living room, honestly. Right now, it feels a bit cluttered and, to be fair, quite chaotic, which makes it hard to relax. I think it's crucial to have a space that's really clean and orderly, so I'm planning to replace some of the older furniture with more minimalist pieces. Ideally, I want to redesign the floor plan to make it feel more spacious and organized.

• I'd love to...：我很想、我很願意（比I want to更柔和）
• tweak：微調、稍微改動
• cluttered：雜亂的（有很多東西堆著）
• to be fair：說句公道話、客觀來說
• pieces：家具單件、單個物品
• spacious：寬敞的

5. Do you think it's better to live in a house or an apartment? Why? (6.5)

(8.0)    Honestly, I personally prefer living in an apartment. The biggest draw for me is the convenience; being located near public transport, like the MRT or LRT, makes commuting to my workplace or heading into the city centre absolutely seamless. Plus, most modern apartment complexes come with excellent amenities like a gym or pool, which is a major perk compared to maintaining a house.

• the biggest draw：最大吸引力*
• commuting：通勤*
• seamless：無縫、順暢、沒有阻礙*
• apartment complexes：公寓小區
• come with：附帶
• amenities：配套設施、便利設施*
• major perk：主要好處、額外福利*

6. How important is it for you to feel comfortable at home? (5.5)

(8.0)    To be honest, feeling comfortable at home is incredibly important to me. It's my personal sanctuary where I can truly unwind. I don't need anything elaborate; for me, comfort means having a peaceful space, free from interruptions, where I can just enjoy my downtime. Whether it's having the right atmosphere, reliable internet for my hobbies, or just having my essentials within arm's reach, that sense of convenience and tranquility really helps me recharge after a busy day.

• personal sanctuary：個人避風港*
• unwind：放鬆、解壓
• elaborate：精緻複雜的、花哨的
• downtime：休息時間*
• within arm's reach：伸手可及
• tranquility：寧靜
• recharge：恢復精力

7. Do you prefer a home with a lot of natural light? (6.5)

(8.0)    Personally, I'm absolutely a fan of natural light. I find that a bright, airy living space really uplifts the atmosphere, making it feel much more welcoming and comfortable. On the flip side, relying too heavily on artificial lighting can be quite harsh and often leaves my eyes feeling fatigued by the end of the day. So, yeah, a home with plenty of windows is definitely at the top of my priority list.

• I'm absolutely a fan of...：我非常喜歡...*
• airy：通風的
• uplift the atmosphere：提升氛圍的*
• on the flip side：另一方面*
• harsh：刺眼的、強烈的、不柔和的
• leave sb doing：讓某人處於某種狀態
• at the top of my priority list：我優先考慮的第一位*

9. Have you lived in your current home for a long time? (6.5)

(8.0)    Actually, I've been living in my current apartment for about a year and a half now. It's not my family home, but it's been a great change. I decided to move here primarily because it's significantly more convenient for my daily commute to work, which has saved me quite a bit of travel time.

10. Who do you live with? (6.5)

(8.0)    Actually, I live in an apartment on my own. I used to share a place with my ex-boyfriend, but since we parted ways, I've really embraced living by myself. It's been incredibly liberating because I have total autonomy over my daily routine, and I don't need to coordinate my schedule with anyone else. I've really grown to value this independent lifestyle.

• on my own / by myself：獨自一人
• parted ways：分開（比broke up更委婉一點）
• embrace living by myself：開始享受獨居*
• liberating：解放*
• autonomy：自主權*
• I've grown to...：我逐漸開始...、我慢慢變得...（逐漸...過程感更強）*
• I've grown to like this city.
• I've grown to appreciate my own space.
• I've grown to accept the situation.
• I've grown to enjoy living alone.
• I've grown to trust her.

Photo by Marcin Nowak on Unsplash