我来自加拿大，到中国已经有18个月了！在过去的18个月里，我在内蒙古的包头市教英语口语。来中国之前，我是个商人。在加拿大和我的孪生兄弟开了一家拥有80个雇佣工人的螺栓制造厂。做了25年的生意之后，我决定要对自己的人生做一次大的改变……

    Hi, everyone, my name is Canuck.
    I am Canadian and have been in China for 18 months now.
    I have been teaching oral English in Baotou（包头）, Inner Mongolia（内蒙古）     for the past 18 months. Prior to this I was a businessman in Canada.
    In my spare time I read and write a great deal. I enjoy paddling my canoe（划独木舟） on the many lakes and rivers of my homeland. Growing up in the Great Lakes（五大湖） region of Canada near Niagara Falls（尼加拉瓜大瀑布）, I learned to swim early in the waters of Lake Ontario（安大略湖） and it is still one of my favourite passtimes（娱乐方式）. I enjoy hiking in the mountains（登山） of my native country and ice skate（滑冰） as can most Canadians who learned as children.
    I have driven a car throughout most of Canada and the United States of America. I have visited England, Scotland（苏格兰）, the home of my ancestors（祖先） and France, although only briefly（短暂的）. I have spent winter vacations on several of the Caribbean Islands（加勒比海 群岛）, Barbados（巴巴多斯岛）, Eleuthra（艾琉德拉岛）, Trinidad and Tobago（特立尼达和多巴哥共和国）, Grenada（格林纳达）, and Antigua（安提瓜岛）. I have spent a year in the far north of Canada where my daughter lived, fishing, hunting and enjoying the wilderness.
    I will be available here to help you with any questions you may have about English, Canada or the United States, Canadian culture or anything that may interest you. Please write to me and I will do my best to respond quickly.
    Remember, I can not read Chinese, please use English if you want a reply! （还有，我看不懂中文，请用英文发文章！谢谢！）
    Now, welcome to "Canuck's Comments"!（ 欢迎进入“老外侃大山”！）
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Example
Topic: I know "highway", but what is different among "expressway", "freeway" and "motorway/parkway"?
Visitor: grace
Date: 10-08-2000

    Canuck's Comments: Hi Grace,
    Highway is the American common word for a medium-speed road rather than a slower -speed road in a town or city. It is very common to use. It is not a street which is the slow route between buildings in a town.
    Motorway is the same but used more in Europe.
    Expressway and freeway are similar and used for high-speed, limited-access routes. Limited access means very few crossings that cars can enter the expressway from. There is no charge to use these roads as in a toll road and that is why "free" is used. A parkway is usually a slower-speed route through a pleasant area and maintained for those who want to look at the views around them. Where I lived and visited just now on my trip, there is a wonderful "parkway" called the "Niagara Parkway" and it is along the Niagara River for tourists to use and through beautiful gardens and parkland.

    美容化妆 Cosmetology
    现代人已经渐渐抛开“女为悦己者容”的旧观念。谈到为什么要美容，也许大多数人都会这样说：
    ◆I'd like to freshened up a little.
    我想让自己焕然一新。
    一群女友聚在一起总免不了谈谈自己的问题肌肤：
    ◆My complexion is on the oily side.
    我的皮肤较油。
    ◆What can I do about my wrinkles？
    我该怎么样才能对付我脸上的皱纹？
    ◆I want to buy some cleansing cream.
    我想买洁面乳液。
    听听朋友们的建议：
    ◆I suggest you use cleansing gel.
    我提议你用洁面水晶。
    ◆The gentle formula keeps skin soft and healthy.
    配方温和，能保持皮肤柔软及健康。
    ◆We have a facial mask, moisturizing lotion, eye-cream and tonic.
    包括面膜、水分乳霜、眼霜及爽肤水。
    ◆You can try the moisturizing lotion and cleaning gel first.
    你可以先试试水份乳霜及洁面水晶。
    可问题是自己的肌肤很敏感呢！
◆My skin freaks out no matter what skin-care product I use.
    不论我用什么护肤品，我的皮肤都会受不了。

    看看周围朋友的美容经：
    ◆She never goes out without making herself up first.
    她每次出门都要化妆。
    ◆Mike is such a beach bum. All he wants to do is get a tan.
    迈克经常去海滩，他一心想把皮肤晒黑。
    美丽的眼睛焦点在卷曲的睫毛：
    ◆Please curl my eyelashes.
    请帮我卷曲睫毛。
    整容虽然效果明显，可是得冒一定风险：
    ◆The old actress has had three face lifts.
    那个老演员已经做过三次拉皮术了。
    ◆Gary should have a nose job. His nose is huge.
    加里应做鼻子整形手术。他的鼻子太大。

MULAN: Quiet and demure...
graceful...polite...Delicate...refined
...poised... punctual.
文静，贤淑，……优雅……礼貌……
得体……高雅……稳重……守时（在胳膊上写完最后一个字，她放下筷子。）
MULAN: Aiya. Little brother. Little brother. Lit- ahhh, there you are. Who's the smartest doggie in the world? Come on smart boy, can you help me with my chores today?
哎呀，弟弟，弟--阿哈，你在这儿。谁是世界上最聪明的小狗狗？快点，乖乖，今天你能帮我做点事情吗？（木兰的父亲花书正跪在祖先的面前为木兰祈祷。）
FA ZHOU: Honorable ancestors, please help Mulan impress the matchmaker today.
祖先在上，请你帮助木兰给媒人留个好印象。
FA ZHOU: Please, PLEASE, help her.
请，请你帮助她。（木兰跑到父亲面前。）
MULAN: Father I brought your--whoop!
父亲，我给你带来--哎呀!（木兰冒冒失失撞到父亲身上，茶杯跌到地上，还是父亲手即眼快，用拐杖套住了茶壶的把手。）
FA ZHOU: Mulan-- 木兰--
MULAN: I brought a spare.
我多带了一个茶杯。 （木兰从裙子下面又拿出一个茶杯，给父亲倒茶）
FA ZHOU: Mulan-- 木兰
MULAN: [hurried] Remember, the doctor said three cups of tea in the morning-- 记住，医生说，每天早喝三杯茶--
FA ZHOU: Mulan-- 木兰
MULAN: And three at night. 晚喝三杯茶
FA ZHOU: Mulan, you should already be in town. We're counting on you to up-- 木兰，你现在应该在镇上了，我们全家可都指望你--
MULAN: --uphold the family honor. Don't worry father. I wont let you down. Wish me luck. --给我们家增光。别担心，父亲。我不会让你失望的。祝我好运吧！ （木兰一溜烟跑了。）
FA ZHOU: Hurry! [to himself] I'm going to...pray some more. 快点！我还是再祈祷一下…… （花书转身又走进家里的祠堂。）

    一日千里

不成熟的    immature
不负责任的     irresponsible
成熟的     mature
唇刷     lip brush
慈悲的     kind
聪明的     bright
粗鲁的     rude
大惊小怪的     fussy
胆小的     timid
疯狂的     crazy
古怪的     weird
专横的     bossy
激动的     excited
骄傲的     proud
紧张的     nervous
可亲的     amiable
浪漫的     romantic
冷淡的     coldly
礼貌的     polite
敏感的     sensitive
明智的     sensible
脾气坏的     bad-tempered
谦虚的     modest
令人沮丧的     gloomy
神经质的     neurotic
生气的     angry
挑剔的     choosy
文明的     civilized
严厉的     severe
勇敢的     brave
有活力的     lively
有鉴赏力的     appreciative
有吸引力的     attractive
幼稚的     childish
愚钝的     dull
真诚的     sincere
镇定的     calm
自负的     conceited
自私的     selfish
自信的     confident