雅思口語素材補充：A skill you recently learned

　　A skill you recently learned

　　Describe a (useful) skill you recently learned

　　-what the skill is/was

　　-where you learned it

　　-how you learned it

　　-and explain how you think this skill will be useful in the future.

　　今天給大家補充一個09年9月的新話題卡的素材，這個話題卡比較抽象—描述一項最近學的有用的技能。選材可以很靈活，比如：swimming, driving, cooking, speaking a foreign language等等。主要突出USEFUL就可以了。上面得照片是好友Sophia拍的，圖文結合得很棒，給這篇日志做個搭配吧。

　　what the skill is/was: I recently learned how to drive. Driving is a useful skill because it allows me much greater mobility. I do not have to rely on public transportation or friends give me a lift to the places that I need to go. The bus is so crowded! Also, I am always fighting against the clock when I am on the bus—sometimes if there is a traffic jam I can be stuck on the bus for an hour. I am just not able to let that much time slip away.

　　give me a lift 搭順風車

　　fighting against the clock 與時間賽跑 爭分奪秒

　　be stuck on the bus 被困在公車上

　　let that much time slip away 讓那么多時間溜走

　　where you learned it: I learned to drive a couple of months ago, so I am still a little bit green; I'm still a beginner. Learning to drive was not exactly a piece of cake. Sometimes I like to let my mind wander, so I have to really focus on keeping my eyes on the road. It was a good learning experience.

　　a little bit green 有點兒嫩

　　a piece of cake 小菜一碟

　　let my mind wander 走神兒

　　how you learned it: I learned to drive both by taking a class and by practicing with my parents in the car. The class was a bore but the practical training was fun. I always looked forward to getting behind the wheel to practice my driving. I practiced by often taking my mom's car for a spin. However, because I was still learning, my mom always insisted that she tag along. My mom was always a backseat driver on these trips so sometimes it was frustrating to always have her tell me exactly how to drive.

　　taking a class 參加培訓班 上課

　　getting behind the wheel 開車

　　for a spin 兜一圈

　　tag along 陪伴 跟隨

　　backseat driver 坐在汽車后座對駕駛員指手畫腳的人; 干涉與自己職責無關的人

　　and explain how you think this skill will be useful in the future: This skill will be very useful in the future. It will allow me to be much more independent. I won't have to be at the mercy of my parents when I want to go somewhere the bus does not go to. I just have to make sure that I do not get a speeding ticket. My parents say that if I get a ticket I will have to pay for all of it and that my parents will take the keys away for a week. If you ask me, this is just a slap on the wrist. So, I flirt with the speed limit sometimes, but I usually drive under the limit—especially if there are traffic cops around. I know where all of the big speed traps are in my city so I can stay one up on the traffic patrolmen. All in all, I think this will be one of the most important skills for my future. I wouldn't trade my driving license for all the tea in China.

　　be at the mercy of sb 依賴某人 依靠某人

　　speeding ticket 超速罰單

　　If you ask me 在我看來

　　a slap on the wrist 在手腕上拍一下=很輕的處罰

　　traffic cops 交警

　　not for all the tea in China 給我中國所有的茶也不=無論怎樣都不