Robbie在家里一边浇花一边和他的朋友Mike聊关于大学面试的事。Mike刚刚
参加过哥伦比亚大学的面试。

    Mike： I had an interview today ， too. I had a great interview with
Admissions at Columbia University. Robbie ： Really ？ What did they say？

    Will you get into the school？

    Mike： Well ， they didn't say anything for sure. But I figure that
with my grades and with my personality， I'll have no problem. Robbie
： Columbia's a terrific school. What are you going to do ？

    Mike： Do ？ I don't know. I also applied to NYU. Robbie： You sound
excited about Columbia. What's your problem ， Mike ？

    Mike： Indecision. Indecision. It's not easy， and this is an important
decision we have to make. What about you？ How was your interview with
Michigan？

    Robbie： The interview was fine. Mike ： It's a great college. Robbie
： It is. My father would like me to go there. He and my Grandpa both
went there. Mike： Great medical school ， too. Robbie： I know. Mike
： You can follow in your father's footsteps. Robbie： Ah ！ I'd like
to follow in my own footsteps ， Mike. Mike ： What do you want to study？

    Robbie： I've been thinking. I think I want to study journalism to
be a reporter —— a newspaperman. Mike ： You do a pretty good job on
the River dale High School paper. Robbie： And I've been thinking about
it a lot lately. Mike ： Have you discussed it with your parents？

    Robbie： No. But I have to. Mike： OK. Let's talk.

    「语言点精讲」

    1. I had a great interview with Admissions at Columbia University.
Columbia University ：哥伦比亚大学，纽约市的一所私立大学，是著名的常青
藤盟校（Ivy League）之一。其他的常青藤盟校包括：布朗大学（Brown University），
康乃尔大学（Cornell University），达特茅斯学院（Dartmouth College ），
哈佛大学（Harvard University），宾夕法尼亚大学（University of Pennsylvania），
普林斯顿大学（Princeton University）以及耶鲁大学（Yale University ）。

    2. Well ， they didn't say anything for sure. But I figure that with
my grades and with my personality ， I'll have no problem.他们没有给明
确的答复。但是我猜想以我的分数和我的品行，我不会有问题的。

    I figure：我合计，我猜想，我估计。

    grades：这里指“分数”。

    personality ：指人的个性，性格，品行。

    3. I also applied to NYU. 我还申请了纽约大学。

    NYU ：纽约大学（New York University ）。这是纽约的另一所私立大学。

    4. You sound excited about Columbia. You sound excited about…：听
起来你对……兴趣很大。

    5. You can follow in your father's footsteps. 你可以走你父亲的路
（当医生）。

    follow in your father's footsteps ：走你父亲的路。

    6. Ah ！

    用这个声音表示不以为然、不认同。

    7. I think I want to study journalism to be a reporter—— a newspaperman.
我想我要念新闻专业，当记者——当新闻工作者。

    newspaperman：新闻记者，新闻工作者。后缀-man表示职业，例如： milkman
（送牛奶的人），fireman （消防队员），mailman （邮递员）等。但近年来女
权运动者对这类合成词愤慨不已，认为有明显的性别歧视，因此很多改以中性词
代替，例如： journalist ， milk person， firefighter， mail carrier 等。