Of the three distinct cones, Ruapehu stands highest at over 2600 meters. Permanent snow and ice fields cover its top. Driving upwards on Ruapehu, we come to a building that looks slightly out of place. This is the Chateau Tongariro, opened in 1929. Its design was inspired by a Canadian mountain hotel. Further up, we find a ski village. Guests can ski from their front doors, right onto the slopes. Even in the late New Zealand spring, visitors are still enjoying snow sports.
Unlike most mountain villages, this one is built on volcanic land. Huge boulders and rock fields govern where houses can be built and where roads may pass. It's a little frightening to know that Ruapehu still erupts sometimes. And it's apt that it appears in the Mount Doom scenes in the Lord of the Rings movies.
Tongariro's three volcanoes rise from a plain that surrounds them on all sides. As we descend Ruapehu and skirt this plain, these mountains are always in view and always magnificent."
Don't visit New Zealand without seeing this outstanding volcanic wonder!
Info Cloud
skirt around 不直接碰觸或談論一件事情
Welcome to Info Cloud, everyone. Do you know what it means when someone skirts around an issue?
Very simply, it means to avoid answering or talking about something directly. What makes you think of that expression, Anne Marie?
Well, I talked to one of my friends often. She lives back in the U.S., but has always been very supportive of us living in Taiwan.
Anne Marie, it sounds like you are trying to tell me something, but I'm not sure exactly what. Rex is right. Actually, I am skirting around the issue myself. I've noticed lately that the subject of returning to the U.S. is coming up with her more and more.
Do you think that your friend wants you to move back to the United States?
Well, she does seem to work in ways to ask if I thought about moving back more and more often.
Now it is fairly common for politicians to skirt questions. That means that they find ways to avoid direct answers to a question.
When you skirt around something, it basically means the same thing , but it doesn't always involve answering a question.
So, Anne Marie, what do you tell your friend when she asked about moving back to the U.S.?
I just remind her that our move was permanent. I try not to skirt around the issue with giving her that response.
當你聽到有人避重就輕地迴避一些話題，你可以說: He is skirting around the issue. skirt 除了裙子之外，當作動詞有「沿著邊緣走」的涵義，skirt around 就代表不直接碰觸或談論一件事情。政客們碰到一些敏感的話題，通常會 skirt around，避免不必要的麻煩。不過這個用語也可以用在日常生活中，任何你不想直接回答的話題，像是「什麼時候要結婚啊?」、「 你以後要上什麼大學?」之類的問題。
Language Lab
permanent adj. 永久的、長久的
lasting or continuing for a very long time or forever : not temporary or changing
- Trina did really well during her internship and was offered a permanent job.
Trina 實習的時候表現良好，因此獲得一份固定的工作。
- The teacher accidentally used a permanent marker on the white board.
老師不小心用永久性馬克筆寫在白板上。
- Roselyn is moving to the city for her new job, but she hasn’t found a permanent place to stay yet.
Roselyn 為了新工作搬到城市裡，但是她目前還沒有找到一個固定的地方住。
permanent n. 燙頭髮 [簡稱 perm]
a process in which someone's hair is curled and treated with chemicals so that it remains curly for a long time
- Mrs. Crenshaw is going to the hair salon to get a permanent.
Crenshaw 太太要到美髮院燙頭髮。
upwards adv. 向上
from a lower place or level to a higher place or level
- The worker wanted to look at the crack in the ceiling, so he shined his flashlight upwards.
工人為了能夠好好看一下天花板的裂痕，所以把手電筒往上照。
- The boy wanted to be high up in the tree, so he kept climbing upwards.
小男孩想要到樹頂上，所以就繼續往上爬。
downwards adv. 向下
from a higher place or level to a lower place or level
- I thought we were going up the mountain, so why is this trail going downwards?
我以為我們是要往山上走，怎麼這條山路是一直往下呢?
- The magician showed me three cards on the table; they were all facing downwards.
魔術師讓我看桌上三張面朝下的牌。
apt adj. 適合的、適當的
appropriate or suitable
- Because the boss was angry and demanded an explanation, Robbie gave an apt reply.
因為老闆很生氣，並要求Robbie給一個解釋，Robbie 就給他一個恰當的回答。
apt adj. 容易造成、容易引起
likely to do something : having a tendency to do something — followed by to + verb
- During the summer, flies and mosquitoes are apt to appear in the house.
在夏天，蒼蠅、蚊子很容易出現在屋內。
apt adj. 形容一個人很有天分、很聰明
quick to learn
- Just because you didn’t do well on that test doesn’t mean you are not an apt student.
你在那次測驗裡表現不好，不等於你沒有天分。
[某些地址上會寫 apt，但是在這種情況下，apt是公寓 apartment 的縮寫。]
outstanding adj. 非常棒、優秀
extremely good or excellent
- The children’s choir did an outstanding job.
兒童合唱團演唱得非常棒。
- Jimmy’s work is outstanding because he always does his best.
Jimmy做的工作非常優秀，因為他都會盡力而為。
- The circus show was outstanding, and the tickets sold out within a few days.
那場馬戲團表演非常好看，所以所有的票在短短幾天都賣完了。
