Robbie在家里一邊澆花一邊和他的朋友Mike聊關于大學面試的事。Mike剛剛
參加過哥倫比亞大學的面試。

    Mike： I had an interview today ， too. I had a great interview with
Admissions at Columbia University. Robbie ： Really ？ What did they say？

    Will you get into the school？

    Mike： Well ， they didn't say anything for sure. But I figure that
with my grades and with my personality， I'll have no problem. Robbie
： Columbia's a terrific school. What are you going to do ？

    Mike： Do ？ I don't know. I also applied to NYU. Robbie： You sound
excited about Columbia. What's your problem ， Mike ？

    Mike： Indecision. Indecision. It's not easy， and this is an important
decision we have to make. What about you？ How was your interview with
Michigan？

    Robbie： The interview was fine. Mike ： It's a great college. Robbie
： It is. My father would like me to go there. He and my Grandpa both
went there. Mike： Great medical school ， too. Robbie： I know. Mike
： You can follow in your father's footsteps. Robbie： Ah ！ I'd like
to follow in my own footsteps ， Mike. Mike ： What do you want to study？

    Robbie： I've been thinking. I think I want to study journalism to
be a reporter —— a newspaperman. Mike ： You do a pretty good job on
the River dale High School paper. Robbie： And I've been thinking about
it a lot lately. Mike ： Have you discussed it with your parents？

    Robbie： No. But I have to. Mike： OK. Let's talk.

    「語言點精講」

    1. I had a great interview with Admissions at Columbia University.
Columbia University ：哥倫比亞大學，紐約市的一所私立大學，是著名的常青
藤盟校（Ivy League）之一。其他的常青藤盟校包括：布朗大學（Brown University），
康乃爾大學（Cornell University），達特茅斯學院（Dartmouth College ），
哈佛大學（Harvard University），賓夕法尼亞大學（University of Pennsylvania），
普林斯頓大學（Princeton University）以及耶魯大學（Yale University ）。

    2. Well ， they didn't say anything for sure. But I figure that with
my grades and with my personality ， I'll have no problem.他們沒有給明
確的答復。但是我猜想以我的分數和我的品行，我不會有問題的。

    I figure：我合計，我猜想，我估計。

    grades：這里指“分數”。

    personality ：指人的個性，性格，品行。

    3. I also applied to NYU. 我還申請了紐約大學。

    NYU ：紐約大學（New York University ）。這是紐約的另一所私立大學。

    4. You sound excited about Columbia. You sound excited about…：聽
起來你對……興趣很大。

    5. You can follow in your father's footsteps. 你可以走你父親的路
（當醫生）。

    follow in your father's footsteps ：走你父親的路。

    6. Ah ！

    用這個聲音表示不以為然、不認同。

    7. I think I want to study journalism to be a reporter—— a newspaperman.
我想我要念新聞專業，當記者——當新聞工作者。

    newspaperman：新聞記者，新聞工作者。后綴-man表示職業，例如： milkman
（送牛奶的人），fireman （消防隊員），mailman （郵遞員）等。但近年來女
權運動者對這類合成詞憤慨不已，認為有明顯的性別歧視，因此很多改以中性詞
代替，例如： journalist ， milk person， firefighter， mail carrier 等。