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有具体时间的情况下，通常用“一直”，而不是“一向”：

When there’s a specific time in the sentence, we usually use “一直”， not “一向”。

最近一直在下雨。

这几年人民的生活水平一直在提高。

上SILP以来，我一直很用功。

我一直在北京二十年了。

我一出生就一直在这儿。

一复习就不开心了，

When I review for the test, I become unhappy.

一不开心就不复习了，

When I become unhappy, I stop my review.

一不复习就开心了，

When I stop my review, I become happy.

一开心一天就过去了。

When I become happy, time flies and I call it a day.

When you want to say you do something from a certain moment to another moment, use the pattern 从（时间）……V到（时间）。

人们从早上7点工作到晚上11点。

People work from 7 in the morning to 11 in the evening.

我从半夜3点睡到中午12点。

I slept from 3 at night to 12 at noon.

这个问题我他从早想到晚，都没想出来。

He’s been thinking about this question from morning to night, but he still hasn’t figured it out.

我们常用“会”来表示有某个爱好或者有某项才能，而不常用“能”。

We tend to use 会 to claim that we have certain hobbies or talents, instead of using “能”.

比如（For example）：

他会打篮球。He can play basketball.

她会弹钢琴。She can play the piano.

提示（tips）：“会”后面可以是名词， “能”后面不可以是名词。

“会” can be followed by a noun, while “能” cannot.

例：

他会电脑。He can use computer.

她会功夫。She can perform kung fu.

Use 看不出来 when you want to say “I can’t see why…” “I can’t see how to deal with it” ” “I can’t see he’s as bad as you believe”, etc.

我看不出来为什么要这么贵。

I can’t see why it’s so expensive.

我看不出来应该怎么办。

I can’t see how to deal with it.

我看不出来他像你想得这么坏。

I can’t see he’s as bad as you believe.

课文：中国从八十年代起就开始改革开放了。(China HAS ALREADY begun reform-&-open-up policy since 1980s)

VS  中国从八十年代起开始改革开放。( China began reform-&-open-up policy in 1980s )

我十年前就住这儿了。（I HAVE ALREADY lived here since 10 years ago.）

我十年前住这儿。（I lived here 10 years ago.）

南美洲人在五千年前就开始种植玉米了。（South-Americans HAVE ALREADY BEGUN to plant corns since 5000 years ago.)

南美洲人在五千年前开始种植玉米。（South-Americans began to plant corns since 5000 years ago.)

The most wicked word of this week goes to ‘才’. It can both mean something is very difficult and easy to achieve.

1). 我家离学校很远，骑车半小时才到。(Indicating riding half an hour is a long journey.)

2). 我家离学校很近，才半个小时就到了。(Indicating half an hour is short distance, comparatively easy one.)

If 才 is followed by a specific time period of a specific amount of money, it means ‘only’.

考试才两个小时就结束了。

美国的电脑很便宜，才300块就能买一台。

If 才is followed directly by verbs instead of a specific amount of time/money, it means something is very difficult.

美国的电脑很贵，要300块才买的了一台。

Hopefully it helps clear some of your doubts.

It was a very packed tour. We went to Hong Kong Lounge on Geary Street and ate super delicious dim sum. Then we went to do a Scavenger Hunt in a nearby Asian supermarket. The Boyzone Team won the 20 dollars award by selecting 29/30 items on the list. They missed preserved eggs of course. Then we took a bus to the oldest Chinatown on Grand Street. The bus trip was nothing short of roller coasting thanks to the Inception-style streets of SF. After the Chinatown tour, we went to Japanese town to search for cute and fancy stationary and had dinner in a small but cozy Japanese restaurant. It was already 9ish when we returned Monterey. The trip was tiring, but most of time fun, because we got nice company.

1. 老师给学生们们起了意味深长的中文名字。

2. 意味深长的是，这个政策一出台，立即引起社会各方面的广泛关注。

3. 欧洲的政治版图由于此次欧盟扩大而发生了 意味深长的改变。

4. 他们的特别代表Arnold也表示,这是为稳定局势和筹备大选所采取的意味深长的措施。

5. 我希望可以和更多新入大学的朋友一道来分享这些意味深长的故事。

6. 香港著名的记者们为此写出一篇篇意味深长的文章。

7.  美国、日本近十几年来在家电领域竞争态势的变化，给人的启迪是意味深长的。

8. 国家队前主教练苏永舜曾说过这样一句意味深长的话：一个不善于总结历史的民族是没有作为的民族。

不能说：

意味深长的书，我想要有意味深长的看法，等等。

“除非……否则不”可以变成“除非……才”，“除非……才”可以变成“除非……否则不”。

用“除非……否则”比较保险（secure，safe），不容易出错。

1. 除非桑蒂尼在他面前双膝着地诚恳地哀求他,否则他不考虑归队。

除非 桑蒂尼在他面前双膝着地诚恳地哀求他,他才考虑归队。

2. 这间公司除非有优质的服务，吸引大量用户，才可能继续生存发展下去。

这间公司除非有优质的服务，吸引大量用户，否则不可能继续生存发展下去。

3. 除非是紧急情况，否则会被罚款。

除非是紧急情况，才不会被罚款。

4。 除非停止袭击,并采取谈判措施,才有可能换回这些士兵。

除非停止袭击,并采取谈判措施,否则不可能换回这些士兵。