今日课题

Hello, everyone. This is Keke Net English. Welcome to Juliet’s Morning English Class. As a saying runs, An hour in the morning is worth two in the evening. So, I hope we can spend a wonderful and a meaningful time here.

We have a way of asking a person to explain a statement that he’s been made. Guess what it is. Let listen to the following mini situational dialogue to get the answer.

(Scene:It happens between a couple. )

Mary:You need to change your hairstyle.

Richard:What do you mean by that? Do you dislike the way it's cut.

Have you got the answer? It is What do you mean by that. It's similar to saying Tell me what that means. And it equals to Chinese——你那么说是什么意思？More examples, let’s take a look at:

1.What do you mean by telling everyone that I'm a gay?

2:.What do you mean by special treatment?

3. :What do you mean by coming between me and Edward?

4. :What do you mean by not telling me the truth ?

If someone asks to you What do you mean by something or by doing something? You might as well say, What I am trying to say is... Here is another mini situational dialogue. Let's look at:

(Scene:It happens between two classmates chewing the fat.)

John :I miss my ex-girlfriend.

Rose:What do you mean by that.

John:What I am trying to say is that she has broken up with me.

Here is an idiom: tobreak up with sb. It refers to separation between two lovers.

课堂互动

Now, be active and answer my questions, finishing listening to the dialogue again. For sure, I’m about tell you myquestions. They are as follows:

1. Is Mary like the way his husband’s hair is cut now?

2. What does Mary asks Richard to do?

3. What is it in John’s mind? And what does he say? And why does he say like this.

Dialogue 1:

Wife:You need to change your hairstyle.

Husband:What do you mean by that? Do you dislike the way it’s cut.

Dialogue 2:

A :I miss my ex-girlfriend.

B:What do you mean by that.

A:What I am trying to say is that she has broken up with me.

Theanswersare as follows:

1. No, she didn't.

2. She asks him to change a hairstyle.

3. His ex-girlfriend is in his mind. He says he misses his ex-girlfriend. Because her ex-girlfriend left him.

Today we’ve learned two short sentences used in spoken English. One is What do you mean by that? The other is What I am trying to say is that...

Remember, An early bird catches worms. I think all of you are an early bird. Well, it's time to say good-by to you. Let's call it day. Here is Juliet's Morning Class. Juliet is here.Than you for your participation in today's study activity. See you next time.

课后功课

Please translate the following sentences into English.

1. 你这样做是什么意思？

2. 你所说的总体情况具体是指什么？

3. 你喝我的牛奶是什么意思？

4. 你刚才所说的到底是什么意思？

5. 不管怎么说，你和别的男人来往又是什么意思？

6. 你说ticket这个词是什么意思？

参考答案

The suggestive answer are as follows:

What do you mean by acting like this?

2. What do you mean by the general information?

3. What do you mean by taking my milk ?

4. What do you exactly mean by what you said just now?

5. What do you mean by going with other men, anyway?

6. What do you mean by "ticket"?