对话文本
今天轮到这对夫妻的儿子，Ted出场了！Ted似乎很有音乐细胞，想成为一位音乐家呢。我们来看看下面的对话。

Susan: How was your day at school today, Ted?
Ted: Bad. I had a chemistry test, and I blew it.
Susan: Maybe if you didn’t cut class so often, you’d do better.
Bob: That’s right, son. Stop slacking off and start hitting the books!
Ted: but I can’t stand chemistry class. Besides, it’s a lost cause. That class is way over my head.
Susan: You need to buckle down.
Ted: When I am a famous musician, people won’t give a hoot about my knowledge of atoms and molecules.
Bob: That’s beside the point.
Susan: We know you have your heart set on going to New York University.
Bob: And you don’t stand a chance of getting in there with such poor grades!
词汇语法
(to) blow sth---to spoil sth
Blow的这个用法在口语里是很常见的, 意思就是 “笨手笨脚地把…弄糟，把…弄得一团糟”, 我们看下面两个例子:
to blow the whole project 使整个计划落空
We've blown it! 我们把事情搞糟了。

(to) cut class---to miss class without an excuse 旷课,缺课,逃学
She’s always cutting class. 她总是旷课.

(to) slack off---to do sth more slowly or with less energy than before 松懈,放松,懈怠
He's gone from success to success in his movie career, and there's no sign of him slacking off.
他在电影事业上佳作不断，丝毫没有懈怠的迹象。
友情提示: Slack 如果做形容词,还可以形容人 “懈怠的,不用心的,敷衍了事的,吊儿郎当的”,我们看一个例子:
He's been very slack in his work lately.
近来他工作很不认真.

(to) hit the books---to start studying (用功)读书，用功学习，备功课，做学校的功课，啃书本

Can’t stand---to hate 不能忍受,受不了
I can’t stand his brother. 他弟弟让我受不了.

Lost cause---sth hopeless必将失败的事业；已告失败的事业；败局已定的事业

Over one’s head---beyond one’s understanding 太难懂，超出某人理解力

Buckle down---to start working seriously 全力以赴，倾全力(于)，专心致力于；(使)认真干起来，努力(或热情)从事于，开始认真从事
I’d better buckle down to those reports. 我最好认真静下来努力完成那些报告.

(to) not give a hoot---to not care about 不在乎

Beside the point---not relevant; not important 无关紧要,不相干
“He’been married before.” 他曾经结过婚。
“That’s beside the point.”那不重要。

Have one’s heart set on sth---to really want sth 渴望,倾心于
友情提示:另一种表达方式是:set your heart on sth.
小编记得有一句歌词就是:But I get my heart set on you..歌名就是heart set,是很抒情的一首歌，大家有兴趣可以去搜索下。

(to) stand a chance---to have the possibility of success 有机会,有希望