I.Useful Expressions
1.—Why didn't you call me last night?你昨天晚上为什么没给我打电话?
—Because I went out.因为我出去了。
2.—Tell me why you didn't come yesterday.告诉我你昨天为何没来?
—Because I was ill.因为我生病了。
3.—As she is ill,we shall have to put off our trip to Shanghai.由于她生病了,我们将不得不推迟我们的上海之行。
—What a pity!真遗憾!
4.—He was late as a result of /because of the heavy rain.由于大雨他来迟了。
—So was I.我也是。
5.—Do you know the reason why she didn't accept the present?你知道她为何没收下这份礼物吗?
—It's because she didn't like it.因为她不喜欢。
6.—What caused the fire?是什么导致了火灾?
—A cigarette end.一个香烟头。
7.—Do you know the cause of the disease?你知道这种疾病的原因吗?
—I think smoking is one of the causes.我想吸烟是其中的一种。
8.—Because of his illness,he has to stay in bed all day.因为生病,他只好整天躺在床上。
—We'd better go and see him sometime this week.我们最好本周某个时间去看看他。
9.—I don't have the tape.我没有这盘磁带。
—Is that why you'd like to make a copy of it?这就是你想复制一盘的原因吗?
10.—Everybody likes him as he's kind and hon-est.人人都喜欢他,因为他善良而又诚实。
—That's right.对。
11.—It's raining hard outside.外面正下着大雨。
—So we'll go there an-other day.因此我们改天再去那儿。
12.—I didn't hear the telephone.我没听见电话响。
—You must have been asleep.你一定是睡着了。
13.—What made her so happy?什么事使她这么高兴?
—Passing the examina-tion.考试通过了。
14.—If you go on like this,you will fail.如果你继续这样的话,你会失败的。
—Thank you for your warning.谢谢你的提醒。
15.—Do you know why he got up so early?你知道他起这么早的原因吗?
—I don't know.我不知道。
II.Cultural Information
Today people talk a lot about “causes and effects”,such as “the causes and effects of Iraq War and the causes and effects of SARS”.But in your expression,you should pay attention to the differences between “cause” and “reason”.A cause(of something) is what makes something happen(eg.The causes of the war/fire),while a reason (for something) has a wider use.It can be the explanation that people give for why something is done.Please think over the sentences with “reason” and “cause” in the first part.
