分类词汇6--House房子 /Apartment 公寓
I recently spent a month on vacation – but instead of staying in a hotel,
I looked for a short-term rental （a place to live that can be rented for a
short period of time）. I ended up sharing a two-bedroom apartment –
that’s an apartment with two bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen –
with some friends. It was actually cheaper than renting a studio apartment
（an apartment with only one big room） all by myself.
The apartment was on the top floor of a five-story building （that’s a
building with five floors） and it had a balcony overlooking the ocean
（that means you can see the ocean from the balcony）. From the roof,
we also had a nice view of the city skyline
（this is another expression used when you can see some
from a certain place.)
The apartment had recently been remodeled/renovated – meaning it was
fixed up and improved – and was fully furnished, so it already had
furniture （beds, tables, etc.） and appliances （refrigerator, stove, etc.）
We loved the spacious living room （the room was big）, but unfortunately the bedrooms were rather cramped （small and uncomfortable）.
It was nice to spend a month there, but by the end of the trip I started to
feel homesick – that’s when you feel sad because you miss your life at
home.
I’d really like to have a place of my own so that I’m not throwing away
money on rent every month, but there’s a real shortage of afford a
housing（houses/apartments that are reasonably priced） in my city. Even if I stay away from the upscale neighborhoods （areas where rich people
live）, I’d still have to take out a mortgage （borrow money from the bank,
in order to buy a house） and it’ll take me more than 30 years to pay it off.
But still, I’m gonna start saving up for a down payment （an initial payment on a big purchase）. Someday, when I do move into a new place, I’ll be sure to throw a housewarming party （a party to celebrate living in a new house/apartment）.
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分类词汇7--Eating 吃
My mother radically changed her eating habits a few years ago. In the
past, she ate a lot of junk food （food that is not nutritious/healthy） and was overweight. Sometimes she would try to go on a diet （eat less food and healthier food）, but it would never last. But now she understands how unhealthy processed foods are – they’re full of food additives （chemicals added to food） that contribute to weight gain and heart problems.
Nowadays, she eats a balanced diet including a lot of nourishing meals （meals that are healthy and nutritious） that she prepares herself. She
doesn’t buy organic food because she thinks the prices are outrageous,
but she stocks up on fresh produce （fresh fruits and vegetaes） so that
she can grab an apple or some veggies when she wants a quick snack
（something small and fast to eat）. She has also learned to eat in
moderation and watch her portion sizes （how much food you take）.
I often stop by her house when I’m in the mood for a home-cooked meal.
The other day she made a hearty stew （a thick soup with lots of flavors
and ingredients） that was full of beans and vegetables. My brother, who has a healthy appetite （the capacity to eat a lot）, had a second helping （a second portion） – but I found the stew so filling that I could barely
finish my bowl.
My mother recently told me that she’d like to try some international cuisine. I was surprised to hear that, because a few years ago she had a bad
experience after getting food poisoning （when you get sick because of
contaminated food） at a Japanese restaurant. So tomorrow I’m taking
her to a Brazilian steakhouse. I told her to eat light meals （small meals） during the day so that she doesn’t spoil her appetite for dinner （“spoiling your appetite” means eating food earlier, and then not being hungry for a meal later）.
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