Describe a person you spend a lot of time with

這張題卡的準備方式

這張題卡（cue card）的範圍很廣，幾乎任何親密關係都適用：父母、伴侶、室友、每天見面的同事都可以。所以第一個決定，是選出你能用最真實、最具體的細節來描述的人，而不是字面上最符合「a lot of time」的人。和你同住的父母，或工作時坐在你旁邊的好朋友，都很適合，只要你能舉出你們實際一起做的事當例子。

三個要點依序從身分、活動談到相識的經過，所以清楚的結構是：先說出這個人和你的關係，接著描述一種你們典型的相處方式，再簡短說明你們認識多久，最後以你為什麼重視這段時間作結，這也是「explain」那一行要你集中說明的地方。

要避免的陷阱，是整整2分鐘都在描述這個人的一般個性。這張題卡問的是共度的時間本身，所以要不斷回到你們實際一起做的事，例如用餐、通勤、嗜好、談話，而不是滑進一段與題目無關的人物素描。

讓回答更出色的詞彙

1分鐘準備計畫

在1分鐘的準備時間裡，可以寫下：

• who: relationship, brief background
• how we spend time: typical activity or routine
• how long known: rough timeframe
• why I value it: specific reason

範例回答

以下是這張題卡完整回答的一種寫法，用來示範結構和程度，不是要你照背。

I’d like to talk about my younger sister, Sabina, who I probably spend more time with than anyone else at the moment, mainly because we still live in the same flat while she finishes university. We get on really well, which honestly wasn’t always the case when we were younger and used to argue over almost everything, but somewhere in our early twenties we became genuinely close instead of just related. Most days we end up having dinner together, since we’re both usually home by early evening, and we’ll talk about anything from her coursework to something ridiculous one of us saw online that day. At weekends we sometimes go for a walk in the park near our flat, or just sit and watch a series together, which has become a small, reliable way for both of us to unwind after a busy week. We’ve obviously known each other our whole lives, but I’d say the last four or five years, since I moved back to the same city as her, are when we actually started spending real time together rather than just seeing each other at family events. What I value most is that I can say almost anything to her without worrying how it sounds, which isn’t true of every relationship, even close ones. She also happens to be one of the few people who genuinely tells me when she thinks I’m wrong about something, which I’ve come to appreciate rather than resent, and that honesty is probably the main reason our time together feels worthwhile rather than just familiar.

這張題卡的常見錯誤

• 回答的大部分時間都在描述這個人的個性，而不是你們共度的時間。
• 選了一位你幾乎舉不出具體例子的人，結果只能用模糊又重複的語言。
• 完全忽略「how long you’ve known each other」這一項。
• 敘述平淡、只講事實，沒有說出這段相處時間對你為什麼重要的真正理由。