内容来源：分享美国 地址链接：http://go.usa.gov/ccXbJ 

来自世界不同地方的六位学生在美国相遇。他们都是交换学生，到美国大学就读一个学期，学习英语，了解美国文化，同时修专业课程。英语“日常会话” (Everyday Conversations)系列围绕这六位学生在美国的经历展开。这套材料适于中级或中级以上英语水平的学生使用。

Peter: Halloween is in just a couple of days. Does anybody have a costume?

Akinyi: You want to dress up and go trick-or-treating? Isn’t that only for kids?

Lucía: Halloween isn’t just for kids. There are a lot of events happening on campus.

Ajay: Like what?

Lee: The environmental club is putting together a haunted house.

Jana: Are you going to be part of it?

Lee: Yeah, but I can’t tell you what I’ll be doing. It has to be a surprise. Otherwise, it won’t be as scary. You all should come to the haunted house on Saturday night.

Peter: Yes, we should all dress up and go to the haunted house.

Lucía: I’m in! Also, there’s going to be food and games, like apple bobbing, in the student center that night, so we could go to that too.

Ajay: Okay, I’ll dress up too. What should I be?

Jana: Well, there are six of us. Should we think of a group of six characters and dress up as those characters?

Akinyi: We could be a group of superheroes.

Ajay: Yes! I’ve always wanted to be a superhero.

Peter: Why does that not surprise me?

让我们来学习一些词语（也可阅读英文解释）：

Halloween：万圣节。万圣节并不是美国的正式假日，但它是美国人在每年10月31日欢度的一个重要节日。在万圣节之夜，儿童会穿戴特殊的装束，到邻里挨家挨户要糖果。有时成年人也在这天作特殊的装扮，并且举行欢庆晚会。

A costume：戏装或用于专门目的的服装。

To dress up是一个动词词组，在这里的意思是穿衣打扮。它后面可跟as+名词，进一步说明装扮成什么人物。例如： “I dressed up as Cinderella on Halloween. “（我在万圣节装扮成了灰姑娘。） “She will dress up as a robot.”（她将装扮成机器人。）

Trick-or-treating是万圣节的一个传统内容。儿童走家串户要糖果，在敲门时喊 “trick or treat”（“给糖果，不然给你恶作剧”）。

美国高校里通常有许多俱乐部（club），如体育俱乐部，以及围绕各种兴趣爱好的俱乐部。

A haunted house 意为闹鬼的房子，这些是万圣节夜晚诱人的地方 。有些建筑物或房舍会被布置得群魔乱舞，以便让进来的人感到毛骨悚然。

Apple bobbing (也叫 bobbing for apples)是通常在万圣节时，儿童玩的一种咬苹果游戏。苹果被放在一个盛满水的大盆中，漂在水面上。游戏者必须用牙齿——不能用手臂——把苹果拾起。

A student center (也叫a student union) 是大学校园中的学生活动和社交中心，相当于高校校园中的社区中心。

有兴趣听更多英语对话吗？请浏览“英语学习”专题网页。

Everyday conversations: What’s your Halloween costume? [audio]
 

Six students from around the world meet. What do they have in common? They are all exchange students studying at a U.S. university for a semester. Throughout the semester, they learn more English, learn about U.S. culture, and learn more about their fields of study. This series of Everyday Conversations is about these six students and their experiences during a semester at a university in the U.S. These conversations are for intermediate-level English-language learners or higher.

Peter: Halloween is in just a couple of days. Does anybody have a costume?

Akinyi: You want to dress up and go trick-or-treating? Isn’t that only for kids?

Lucía: Halloween isn’t just for kids. There are a lot of events happening on campus.

Ajay: Like what?

Lee: The environmental club is putting together a haunted house.

Jana: Are you going to be part of it?

Lee: Yeah, but I can’t tell you what I’ll be doing. It has to be a surprise. Otherwise, it won’t be as scary. You all should come to the haunted house on Saturday night.

Peter: Yes, we should all dress up and go to the haunted house.

Lucía: I’m in! Also, there’s going to be food and games, like apple bobbing, in the student center that night, so we could go to that too.

Ajay: Okay, I’ll dress up too. What should I be?

Jana: Well, there are six of us. Should we think of a group of six characters and dress up as those characters?

Akinyi: We could be a group of superheroes.

Ajay: Yes! I’ve always wanted to be a superhero.

Peter: Why does that not surprise me?

Now let’s review the vocabulary.

Halloween is not a formal holiday, but it is one of the major celebrations in the U.S. It is celebrated on October 31 each year. On Halloween, children dress up in costumes and go trick-or-treating. Adults sometimes dress up as well and attend parties.

A costume is the clothing worn by someone who is trying to look like a different person or thing.

To dress up is a phrasal verb. In this context, it means to put on a costume. It can be followed by the word as to state what the costume is. For example, “I dressed up as Cinderella on Halloween.” “She will dress up as a robot.”

Trick-or-treating is a Halloween custom. children knock on people’s doors and say “trick or treat” to ask for candy.

In colleges and universities in the U.S., there are often clubs. A club is a group of people who meet to participate in activities or events, such as a sport, hobby or other shared interest.

A haunted house is a Halloween attraction. A building or series of rooms is decorated to frighten people as they walk through the house.

Apple bobbing (also known as bobbing for apples) is a game played, often by children, on Halloween. A large tub is filled with water. Apples are put in the water, and they float to the surface. Players try to pick up apples using only their teeth. They cannot use their arms.

A student center (also known as a student union) is a building on a university campus. A student center is a place for students to socialize, etc., and is the community center of the university.

Ready to learn more English? Our materials can help.