日志
BBC Listening Unit 51
BBC Olympic English 51 – Possibility 可能性
3-Minute English Lesson Script三分钟英语
Feifei: Hello and welcome to Olympic English from BBC Learning English. I’m Feifei.
Diarmuid: And I’m Diarmuid. Today’s lesson is all about expressing possibility.
Feifei: 是的，我们今天要来学习在英语中如何表达不同的可能性。
Diarmuid: So if I wanted to talk about the weather tomorrow Feifei, I could say ‘It might rain tomorrow’.
Feifei: ‘It might rain tomorrow’ 可能明天会下雨。
Diarmuid: Or, if I wanted to describe a possible plan for tomorrow I could say: ‘We might be going to the theatre tomorrow night’.
Feifei: ‘We might be going to the theatre tomorrow night’ 明天晚上我们可能可以去剧院。Can we also use the word ‘may’?
Diarmuid: Yes we can. Going back to the first example, we could say: ‘It may rain tomorrow’.
Feifei: ‘It may rain tomorrow’ 明天可能会下雨。
Diarmuid: That’s right or: ‘We may be going to the shops later’.
Feifei: I see. Is there a big difference between ‘might’ and ‘may’?
Diarmuid: Actually they often have the same meaning although ‘may’ could mean there is more of a chance of something happening.
Feifei:其实他们的意思都是一样的，不过用 ‘may’ 通常来表示某件事发生的可能性更大。
Diarmuid: So if someone said: ‘What are you doing at the weekend?’ -
Feifei: ‘What are you doing at the weekend?’ 你准备在周末做什么？
Diarmuid: …you could say ‘I may be going to the cinema but I might stay at home’.
Feifei: I may be going to the cinema but I might stay at home 我可能去看电影，不过我也可能会待在家里。
3-Minute English Lesson Script三分钟英语
Feifei: Hello and welcome to Olympic English from BBC Learning English. I’m Feifei.
Diarmuid: And I’m Diarmuid. Today’s lesson is all about expressing possibility.
Feifei: 是的，我们今天要来学习在英语中如何表达不同的可能性。
Diarmuid: So if I wanted to talk about the weather tomorrow Feifei, I could say ‘It might rain tomorrow’.
Feifei: ‘It might rain tomorrow’ 可能明天会下雨。
Diarmuid: Or, if I wanted to describe a possible plan for tomorrow I could say: ‘We might be going to the theatre tomorrow night’.
Feifei: ‘We might be going to the theatre tomorrow night’ 明天晚上我们可能可以去剧院。Can we also use the word ‘may’?
Diarmuid: Yes we can. Going back to the first example, we could say: ‘It may rain tomorrow’.
Feifei: ‘It may rain tomorrow’ 明天可能会下雨。
Diarmuid: That’s right or: ‘We may be going to the shops later’.
Feifei: I see. Is there a big difference between ‘might’ and ‘may’?
Diarmuid: Actually they often have the same meaning although ‘may’ could mean there is more of a chance of something happening.
Feifei:其实他们的意思都是一样的，不过用 ‘may’ 通常来表示某件事发生的可能性更大。
Diarmuid: So if someone said: ‘What are you doing at the weekend?’ -
Feifei: ‘What are you doing at the weekend?’ 你准备在周末做什么？
Diarmuid: …you could say ‘I may be going to the cinema but I might stay at home’.
Feifei: I may be going to the cinema but I might stay at home 我可能去看电影，不过我也可能会待在家里。
Example 1
A: Do you think you will be free tomorrow?
B: I might be meeting my friends, actually.
Example 2
A: How do you fancy going shopping on Saturday?
B: I’d love to but I may have to work.
B: I’d love to but I may have to work.
Feifei: How about the word ‘maybe’ Diarmuid?
Diarmuid: Well, ‘maybe’ is a word we use to suggest a possibility but unlike ‘might’ or ‘may’ which are verbs, ‘maybe’ is an adverb. So we’d say: ‘Maybe I’ll have a rest’.
Feifei: ‘Maybe I’ll have a rest’ 也许我会休息一会儿。
Diarmuid: That’s right. Now another verb we can use to talk about possibilities is ‘could’.
Feifei: When do we use ‘could’?
Diarmuid: Well we can often use it to talk about our options. So if I asked you: ‘Where shall we eat tonight?’ -
Feifei: Where shall we eat tonight? 我们今晚会去哪儿吃饭？
Diarmuid: You might say: ‘We could try that new French restaurant.’
Feifei: ‘We could try that new French restaurant’ 我们可以去试试那家新开的法国餐厅。 Or how about this: ‘We could go to a British pub’.
Diarmuid: Now that does sound like a good idea Feifei! Anyway, that’s all for today but hopefully we’ll see you all next time for the final episode of Olympic English from the BBC!
Feifei:请大家不要忘了经常到我们的网站来看。Bye for now.
Diarmuid: See you next time.
Diarmuid: Well, ‘maybe’ is a word we use to suggest a possibility but unlike ‘might’ or ‘may’ which are verbs, ‘maybe’ is an adverb. So we’d say: ‘Maybe I’ll have a rest’.
Feifei: ‘Maybe I’ll have a rest’ 也许我会休息一会儿。
Diarmuid: That’s right. Now another verb we can use to talk about possibilities is ‘could’.
Feifei: When do we use ‘could’?
Diarmuid: Well we can often use it to talk about our options. So if I asked you: ‘Where shall we eat tonight?’ -
Feifei: Where shall we eat tonight? 我们今晚会去哪儿吃饭？
Diarmuid: You might say: ‘We could try that new French restaurant.’
Feifei: ‘We could try that new French restaurant’ 我们可以去试试那家新开的法国餐厅。 Or how about this: ‘We could go to a British pub’.
Diarmuid: Now that does sound like a good idea Feifei! Anyway, that’s all for today but hopefully we’ll see you all next time for the final episode of Olympic English from the BBC!
Feifei:请大家不要忘了经常到我们的网站来看。Bye for now.
Diarmuid: See you next time.
Dialogue 1 对话:
Lihua: Do you think the weather will be good this weekend?
Lihua: 你觉得这个周末天气会好吗？
Paul: I heard it may rain. Paul: 我听说会下雨。
Lihua: Oh. That’s a pity. I thought that we might go hiking in the hills.
Lihua:哦，那太遗憾了。我本来想咱们可以去山上散步的。
Paul: Mmm…. Well we could go to that new art gallery instead.
Paul:嗯…. 我们或者也可以去那家新开的美术馆看看。
Lihua: Yes that might be a better idea.
Lihua:对，那可能是个更好的主意。
Paul: Maybe we’ll meet some of the artists too.
Paul:也许我们还会碰到一些艺术家。
Lihua: Ok -let’s do that then! Lihua:好吧，那咱们就这么说定了！
Lihua: 你觉得这个周末天气会好吗？
Paul: I heard it may rain. Paul: 我听说会下雨。
Lihua: Oh. That’s a pity. I thought that we might go hiking in the hills.
Lihua:哦，那太遗憾了。我本来想咱们可以去山上散步的。
Paul: Mmm…. Well we could go to that new art gallery instead.
Paul:嗯…. 我们或者也可以去那家新开的美术馆看看。
Lihua: Yes that might be a better idea.
Lihua:对，那可能是个更好的主意。
Paul: Maybe we’ll meet some of the artists too.
Paul:也许我们还会碰到一些艺术家。
Lihua: Ok -let’s do that then! Lihua:好吧，那咱们就这么说定了！
Dialogue 2 对话:
John: Hey Mei Hong, how are you getting to Xi’an next week？
Mei Hong: I’m not sure yet. I may take the train but then again I might take the bus.
John: Yeah but the bus takes a long time. You could fly -it’s not so expensive these days.
Mei Hong: Really? Maybe I’ll do that then.
John: Ok well, you let me know your schedule and I’ll book a ticket for you.
Mei Hong: Ok. Thanks for that!
Mei Hong: I’m not sure yet. I may take the train but then again I might take the bus.
John: Yeah but the bus takes a long time. You could fly -it’s not so expensive these days.
Mei Hong: Really? Maybe I’ll do that then.
John: Ok well, you let me know your schedule and I’ll book a ticket for you.
Mei Hong: Ok. Thanks for that!
Key Phrases关键词语
It might rain tomorrow. 明天可能会下雨。
I may take the train. 我可能会坐火车。
We could go to the new art gallery. 我们可以去那家新开的美术馆。
I may go to the cinema but I might just 我可能去看电影，不过我也可能待在家里。
stay at home.
Maybe we’ll meet some of the artists.也许我们会遇到几位艺术家。
Summary Table 1 句型小结
It rain tomorrow. 明天可能会下雨。
We
might
go to the theatre tonight. 我们今晚可能会去剧院看戏。
Summary Table 2 句型小结
I may take the train. 我可能会坐火车。
We be going to the cinema tonight.
我们今晚可能会去看电影。
Summary Table 3 句型小结
We could go to the new art gallery. 我们可以去那家新开的美术馆。
You fly there. 你可以坐飞机去那里。
Summary Table 4 句型小结
Maybe I’ ll do that. 也许我会那样做。
we’ ll meet some of the artists. 也许我们会遇到几位艺术家。
NOTES注释
‘Might’, ‘may’ and ‘could’ 都是可以用来表示可能性的语气动词。这些语气动词后面一定要
连跟一个动词不定式。
这些语气动词也有它们的否定式
(might not, may not) 除了 ‘could’. 因为’Could not’表示
的意思是没有能力或被禁止，而不是缺乏可能性。
(might not, may not) 除了 ‘could’. 因为’Could not’表示
的意思是没有能力或被禁止，而不是缺乏可能性。
我们一般不会使用 ‘might’ 或者 ‘may’ 去构成问句。构成问句是我们通常会使用 ‘Do you
think…?’ 或者 ‘could’。
think…?’ 或者 ‘could’。
‘Maybe’是一个副词，一般在句子中起到表达可能性的作用，不过请不要把它和 ‘may be’进行
混淆，因为 ‘may be’是由语气词 may + 动词不定式 be所构成。
Vocabulary词汇
1. Art gallery
2. Theatre
3. Artist
4. Schedule
5. Pub
美术艺术馆
剧院
艺术家
日程
酒馆、酒吧
6. Cinema
7. Expensive
8. Fly
9. Shopping
10. Hiking
电影院
昂贵的
飞行
购物
长途徒步旅行
Practice 练习
Choose the correct word to fill in the space.
1) I _______ (may, could) not be coming to the party tomorrow.
2 _________ (Could, Might) you help me carry my bags?
3) __________ (Maybe, Might) I will have noodles tonight.
4) _________ (Do you think, Could) it will be wet tomorrow?
5) I ___________ (may be, maybe) late for work on Friday.
6) ___________ (Could, May) you pass me the salt please?
7) We _______ (might, could) not have enough time to catch the train.
2 _________ (Could, Might) you help me carry my bags?
3) __________ (Maybe, Might) I will have noodles tonight.
4) _________ (Do you think, Could) it will be wet tomorrow?
5) I ___________ (may be, maybe) late for work on Friday.
6) ___________ (Could, May) you pass me the salt please?
7) We _______ (might, could) not have enough time to catch the train.
Answer Key 答案
1. may
2. Could
3. Maybe
4. Do you think
5. may be
6. Could
7. might
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