Zanzibar

Adventures in Africa
慢活桑給巴爾 - 非洲探險記

Off the coast of Tanzania lies the exotic island of Zanzibar. This amazing place is home to beautiful old houses, leafy forests and white sandy beaches. Some friends and I had the adventure of a lifetime there last year.

We took a two-hour ferry ride from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to Stone Town. After scouting around for a hotel, we chose a simple one with clean rooms and a rooftop restaurant. Then we hired a guide and headed to Zanzibar's famous spice farms. Cloves, peppers, cinnamon and ginger are just a few of the spices that grow there.

Tourism and spices are the island's biggest industries. Many spices are tropical and grow on trees and vines. It was like walking through a forest. At each new plant, our guide pulled off a small bit of the spice. We smelled it and guessed which one it was. Then he told us about the spice. I bought some saffron and vanilla. After the tour, we picked out some crab and fish at the seafood market for the cooks to prepare. Then we went to bed fat and happy.

The next day we went to a beach on a small island nearby. We snorkeled, played Frisbee and ate fresh seafood on the beach! The third day we decided to go and stay at a beach called Paje. Our hotel was right on the beach, and the floors in our rooms were the sand! We swam, read and danced to African music. The warm, shallow water makes kite surfing very popular there. 

Very early on the morning of the fifth day, we journeyed to the island's southern tip. There we met a fisherman, who, when he saw us, said, "Are you ready to swim with dolphins?" Dolphins! He told us the dolphins came every morning to eat and play. So we rode out and waited in the boat until we saw a dolphin fin. The fisherman drove the boat near the dolphins and urged us to jump in. So we did! The dolphins were shy, but we could hear them talking to each other. Eventually they swarm closer. One came so close I could have to touched it!

We returned to Stone Town, and  my friends left, I stayed longer to explore Stone Town's big old houses. Hundreds of years ago, the city had been a huge trading port for slaves and ivory. All shipments going east to the Indian Ocean stopped in Stone Town. At that time, the city was rich, and wealthy people built big houses with beautiful doors. But then it became illegal to trade slaves and ivory.

Stone Town is a magical place for picture taking. Old doors with ornate designs still mark the entryways to all of the houses. The narrow streets are filled with shops selling paintings, jewelry, spices, etc. I also visited a 
museum in Stone Town that used to be the royal palace, I learned how Zanzibar had been influenced by the Kingdom of Oman until the 1960s. That is why the people look like they are from North Africa.

Zanzibar - a magical place with friendly people, good food, and fun activities. I am very glad that I want!

Grammar Gym:
"Old doors with ornate designs still mark the entryways to all of the houses."
"mark" - make a mark, or mark a "x" on somewhere.
"mark" - here is " to characterize".
A huge painting marks the wall in the lobby of the museum.
An old fountain marks the center of the village square.

Vocabulary Tips:
scout (v) - looking for, seeking.搜寻，寻找。(n)侦查，侦查者。
*A team was sent to scout for a safer hiding site.搜寻较安全的躲藏地方。
* a talent scout -星探。
* a boy scout -男童子军。
* a girl scout -女童子军。
spice (n) - a special flavor that add to the food to make food taste better.香料，调味品。
*Ginger is one spice that is widely used in Asian cooking.
spice (v) - spice the food, add special flavor to the food.使活泼生动或添趣味。
*The comedian's acting really spiced up the movie.喜剧演员的演出，增色不少。
tourism - a business that depends on visitors coming over to visit and spend money.观光业，旅游业。
*The country's foreign earnings mostly come from tourism.
tourist (n)- people who make travel and visit.旅游客，观光客。
*The town is packed with tourists during the summer.挤满了。。
pick out (something)- choice things among something. pick out a dress or a pair of shoes from the store.挑选出，捡出。
*The editor picked out several photos for the magazine cover.
pick out -突出，凸出，辨识出。
*Phil's yellow cap makes it easy to pick him out in the crowd.
pick (person )- pick someone. 选出某人来"pick someone"。。不加“out”。
*I pick you to be my helper.
exotic - different, unusual.
home to .....- something you can find in there.
lifetime - all my life.
ferry - a boat, use as a transportation to travel between two places in a short amount time.
saffron - a orange color flower has its special flavor.(adj)橘黄色，(n)蕃红花，一种黄色染料，橘黄色.
snorkel -your body is on the surface of the water, stick your head into the water to see the things under the water.浮潜。
*We snorkeled in the famous tropical bay for hours.
snorkel (n) -浮潜用的水下通气管。
*William packed his mask fins and snorkel for his trip to the Bahamas.
shallow -not deep,浅，水浅的，不深。
* The river is very shallow, you can walk across.or a shallow conversation if you don't know someone very well. or a shallow breathing, not breath deep.
*The patient's breathing was fast and shallow.呼吸快而浅。
*The dish was displayed on a shallow plate.浅盘子
shallow -肤浅的。
*The model was often criticized as being arrogant and shallow.常常被批评为骄傲又很肤浅。
urged - strongly encourage or ask someone to do something.催促，极力主张。。。
*The congressman urged the Congress to pass the bill.催促国会通过这法案。
urge (n)-强烈的冲动或欲望。
* I fight the urge to fall asleep throughout the entire session.对抗强烈想睡觉的欲望。
eventually - something will happen sometimes in the future.终于，终究。
*After a long delay, the flight eventually took off.飞机 经过长时间的耽延，终于起飞了。
eventually / finally :终于。最后。。
eventually -几经波折， 最后终于发生了
finally -对某件事情有所期望，到后来终于发生了
*My mail order finally arrived.
" right on" - you are looking for something, it is right on your desk. or right on where you at.
"right + prep. " - the exact the location of something.
body boarding - body lay on the board and surf.
kite surfing = kite boarding.
swam - swim's past tense.
jump in - join in, get in.
slave - people who belong someone else, have no freedom, work hard for his master. 奴隶或苦工。
*The slaves were traded openly in the marketplace.公然，公开
slave -being controlled or mastered by someone or something。被控制或影响的。
*Tanya is a slave to fashion. She spends most of her income on clothing.
ivory - 象牙
*Trading ivory is illegal.
*These exquisite ivory carvings cost the collector a fortune.
ivory (adj) -象牙色，乳白色或使象牙做的。
*The ivory paint really made the kitchen brighter.
magical -神奇的，迷人的。
* The magical moment of love at first sight is the theme of many love stones.
magic -魔术，魔法。
*The ship disappeared in the fog like magic.
ornate -装饰华丽的，或是华美的。
*The hotel's ornate decorations attract many customers.
*The architect is famous for his ornate styles.


Language Tips:
cook/chef /cooker : 厨师/主厨/锅子
cook (n) -厨师。烧煮或烹调的人。
cook (v) -做烧煮，烹调这件事。
cooker - appliance.锅子
slow cooker -慢烧锅，炖锅。
Who's the cook (n) of this delicious meal? 这样好吃的佳肴是哪一位厨师做的？
picked out some crab and fish.......for the cooks to prepare. 厨师
chef - chief, chief in the kitchen, the leader in the kitchen./主厨，大厨。厨房里的领袖。

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sand - (不可数n) 沙，砂
grain -用来数砂（沙）子的单位。
a grain of sand -一粒砂（沙）。
sand -sands 加“s“只有一个地方可用”，那就是用在古老文言用法。即如下：
the sands of time -时间，光阴，岁月。
the sands of time are running out -长日将近，时间剩下不多。
hourglass -沙漏。
seize the day - (seize the time) 把握时间，不要虚度光阴。
carpe diem - 拉丁语，意即“seize the day.”-抓住时间，把握时间，别虚度了时光。
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jewel / jewelry -宝石/珠宝。
wear -穿，戴。
wear jewelry -珠宝是可以穿，戴在人身上的。
jewel - gem.宝石。
gem include emerald翡翠绿, amethyst紫水晶, ruby-红玛瑙, diamond钻石, opal蛋白石...etc.
setting -镶，嵌。
jewel is setting on jewelry, jewelry may have one or more jewels on it.


Taking notes of study "Studio Classroom".