英语趣味课堂：电池-Batteries

Adrienne: So, Mary, my battery has almost ran out. I'm so glad you had some but they're cold.

Mary: Well, I keep them in my frigerator along with several other sizes of batteries just so I have them on hand. It's a little quirky habit of mine but I always like to have backup whenever I need it so I've got into the habit of stock piling batteries and keeping them in the fridge.

Adrienne: Well, it's very practical but why do you keep them in the frigerator?

Mary: I read somewhere a long time ago that that's how you extend the life of batteries by keeping them cool, that and film too so I also have several canisters of film in there, too, no room for the butter but.

Adrienne: Do you have any food in your frigerator?

Mary: Some but it's mostly batteries and film.

Adrienne: What kind of food do you keep in your frigerator?

Mary: Right now because it's winter time, I have some oranges and actually some grapes and things so those are kind of coveted at this time of year, otherwise just the standard things. I have yogurt, milk, and some bread and I think six brusselsprouts.

Adrienne: Just six.

Mary: Just six.

Adrienne: Why do you have brusselsprouts?

Mary: Just got in the habit of eating them. They're really very good, so I thought well I'll keep on, just handfuls so they don't spoil.

Adrienne: How so you prepare your brusselsprouts?

Mary: Um, I steam them for about 10 minutes or so and eat them just perfectly plain, a little salt and a little pepper, that's about it.

Adrienne: Really, I find them a little bitter.

Mary: I find them a little bitter too, but the longer you steam them the bitterness kind of goes away and of course there's ways you can dissipate the bitterness with a little bit of butter or salt or seasonings too, so they're not so bad.

Adrienne: Well, I'll have to try that.

学习内容：

quirky

It's a little quirky habit of mine.

When something is quirky it means that it is a little out of the ordinary. A 'quirky habit' is one that not many people have.

Notice the following:

I like quirky clothes and jewellery.

She is a little quirky.

stockpile

I've got into the habit of stockpiling batteries and keeping them in the fridge.

When you 'stockpile' something it means that you collect it to make sure that you have plenty and do not run out.

Notice the following:

I stockpile tins of food for the winter

It is a really good idea to stockpile wood for the open fire so that you have always got a good supply of fuel.

extend the life

I read somewhere a long time ago that that's how you extend the life of batteries by keeping them cool.

When you 'extend the life' of something it means that you keep it going for longer than normal by performing a special action.

Notice the following:

You extend your life by making sure you have lots of exercise and eat healthily.

I plan on extending the life of my car by keeping it in mint condition.

plain

I steam them for about 10 minutes or so and eat them just perfectly plain, a little salt and a little pepper, that's about it.

When something is 'plain' it means that it has had nothing added to it and is in its simplest form.

Notice the following:

I like my food plain and without any spices added to it.

The curtains are plain and very simple.

dissipate

There's ways you can dissipate the bitterness with a little bit of butter or salt.

When something 'dissipates' it means that it disperses and reduces as it does so. We use dissipate to describe something that spreads out and then slowly fades away.

Notice the following:

The smoke dissipated as it went into the air.

The crowds dissipate quickly after the concert finishes.