Dialogue 1

Jingjing: Mark, have you travelled much in China?
京晶：马克，你在中国旅游得多吗？
Mark: I've been to most of the major cities.
马克：我去过大多数大城市吧
Jingjing: Which city did you like the best?
京晶：你最喜欢哪个城市？
Mark: That's hard to say. I enjoy visiting Shenzhen and Guangzhou. The tropical climate is nice for a change. And the food is great.
马克：很难说。我喜欢去深圳和广州。换换热带气候感受一下还挺好的，食物也很好吃。
Jingjing: Do you think you'd want to live in the south?
京晶：你觉得你想住在南方吗？
Mark: Not for long. In the summer it's too hot and humid. In the winter it's still cold, and damp.
马克：不会长住吧。夏天太湿太热了。冬天也冷，湿冷。
Jingjing: Ha ha. You're hooked on the central heating we have in the north.
京晶：哈哈，你已经彻底离不开我们北方的集中供暖了吧。
Mark: I guess you could say so. Also, I like having different seasons.
马克：我猜你可以这么说吧。同样，我喜欢有分明的四季。
Jingjing: Me too. It's nice to see spring blossoms and autumn leaves.
京晶：我也是。看春花秋叶很美的。
Mark: You said it. It seems like the season is always about to change.
马克：可不是吗。看上去就像这季节随时准备改变。
Jingjing: Can you bear the cold in the north?
京晶：你能忍受北方的寒冷吗？
Mark: Sure. I grew up in the northern part of the US. So, it wasn't a big surprise when I came here.
马克：当然。我就是在美国的北部长大的。所以，但我来这儿的时候也没觉得太多意外。
Jingjing: I think Beijing winters are a little too long.
京晶：我觉得北京的冬天有点长。
Mark: They do kind of drag on.
马克：确实有点拖拉。
Jingjing: It's pretty easy to get cabin fever.
京晶：很容易觉得（在室内）闷得难受。
Mark: That's one of the reasons I look forward to spring every year.
马克：这也是我每年期待春天的原因之一。

New words: 习语短语：

major cities 大的、著名的城市
(big, famous cities)
hard to say 很难说，不确定
(difficult to say for sure)
hooked on 依赖于，沉迷于
(addicted to, totally reliant on)
central heating 集中供暖
(heating system provided to the public)
drag on 拖的，拖沓的
(last a long time, too long)
cabin fever 闷在屋里难受
(stuck in the house with room mates or family members)

Dialogue 2

Mark: Jingjing, do you think northerners are very different from southerners in China?
马克：京晶，你觉得在中国，北方人和南方人的区别很大吗？
Jingjing: They sure are.
京晶：那是当然
Mark: How so?
马克：怎么个区别？
Jingjing: Well, northerners are known for being boisterous.
京晶：北方人是出了名的热闹活泼
Mark: I thought it was in the south that people had a hot pepper temper.
马克：我以为是在南方人们脾气火爆。
Jingjing: That's not quite right. Maybe that has to do with spicy food.
京晶：并不完全正确。也许跟那些辣辣的食物有关。
Mark: Right. Not all southern food is spicy.
马克：对，不知所有的南方食物都是辣的
Jingjing: In general, southerners are a little more low key. They think it's important to be quiet and clever.
京晶：总体来说，南方人稍微低调一些。他们认为成为安静而机灵的人更加重要。
Mark: When I visited the south, I got a mellow feeling from the people there.
马克：当我去南方的时候，我在人们那里感到了一种平和。
Jingjing: Yeah. Meanwhile, in the north, people seem more passionate.
京晶：是的。同时，在北方，人们看上去更充满激情。
Mark: Hmm, people do talk more loudly in the north.
马克：嗯，在北方，人们确实更大声地说话。
Jingjing: Does it bother you how noisy people are sometimes?
京晶：人们有时候会非常吵闹，这一点烦扰你吗？
Mark: Nah, it's kind of cool.
马克：不会。还挺酷的。
Jingjing: But the mellow lifestyle of southerners is cool too, right?
京晶: 但是南方人的那种平和的生活方式也很酷，对吗？
Mark: Yes. It's just as cool, just different.
马克：是的，一样酷，不同的酷罢了

New words: 习语短语：

boisterous 大声的，外向的，热闹的
(loud, jovial, outgoing, maybe bothersome to people nearby)
a hot pepper temper 爆脾气
(easily angered)
low key 低调的，放松的，随和的
(relaxed, calm, easygoing)
a mellow feeling 一种平静的，淡定的感觉
(a feeling of calmness)
passionate 有热情的，兴奋的，热闹的
(excited, fun)