英语趣味课堂：泰国和美国-Thailand and America

Thailand is so different from where I used to live in America. First of all, in my neighborhood there are many stray dogs, dogs with no home. During the day, they lay around and sleep and at night they fight and make a lot of noise barking and howling. Sometimes they're even dangerous, especially people who ride by on their bikes, sometimes can be bit by these dogs. In America, stray dogs, are sent to the pound. The pound, the dog pound, is like a jail for dogs. Um, also, in front of my house, in front of every house in my neighborhood, there's a fence, or a gate with a lock on it. I don't like it. I think it's a hassle because I have to take out my key, unlock the lock, then drive the car out, stop the car, get out, close the gate and then put the lock on again. In America, it's much more convenient. Usually there's a garage or a closed car park and when you drive up you have a remote control, and it opens, the garage door opens automatically, and in America usually we don't have fences or gates around our front yard. Often there's a gate around the backyard, but nothing in the front. Some of the really expensive houses in Thailand too, around there fence they have broken pieces of glass around the top to keep people who want to climb in from getting in. In Thailand usually to buy food, you go to the outdoor market. It's very different than the clean supermarkets in America because they are lots of different smells and lots of action. You can smell fish, meat, trash, fruit, smoke from the barbeques, curry. Sometimes the smells are not so good. People come there, cook fresh food every day and they'll stay there till they sell all their food. It's very cheap. You can eat for about 2 or 3 U.S. dollars. So it's not as clean and it doesn't smell as nice as a big supermarket in America but I think it's a lot more interesting. It makes the supermarkets in America seem very boring.

学习内容：

stray

First of all, in my neighborhood there are many stray dogs, dogs with no home.

When something is 'stray' it means that it does not have an owner and lives on the streets.

Notice the following:

She takes in stray cats and dogs and helps to find new homes for them.

I think my cat got into a fight with a stray cat.

pound

In America, stray dogs, are sent to the pound.

A 'pound' is a place where stray animals are taken to be cared for while the authorities try to find their owners or find new homes for them.

Notice the following:

I would like to volunteer at the pound.

A lot of stray dogs have arrived at the pound recently.

fence

In front of my house, in front of every house in my neighborhood, there's a fence.

A 'fence' is a structure, like a short wall, that marks the boundary of a property and can stop things from getting in and out.

Notice the following:

I need to paint the fence.

The dog will never get out as there is a six foot fence around the garden.

remote control

Usually there's a garage or a closed car park and when you drive up you have a remote control, and it opens, the garage door opens automatically.

When you have a 'remote control' it means that you can operated it electronically with device you hold in your hand and you do not have to do it manually. In the case of the garage door, you push a button in your car and the door opens.

Notice the following:

I would like some remote control electric gates.

The television is remote control.

backyard

Often there's a gate around the backyard, but nothing in the front.

The 'backyard' is the private space behind a house that belongs to the owners of the property.

Notice the following:

I have planted some nice new flowers in the backyard.

They have a swimming pool in their backyard.