20090723 -- A Car Drives Through It (1)

A Car Drives Through It

Eat, drink and even get married – all without leaving your car

When you're in a hurry, there's nothing more convenient than a drive-through. Often written "drive-thru," this convenience began due to Americass love affair with cars. Companies wanted to make it easier for people to do business without leaving their cars.

The first bank opened a drive-through in 1946. Fast-food restaurants followed in the late 1940s. Both fast-food restaurants and banks use microphones and speakers to communicate with customers. Fast-food customers give their orders from their car.

Then they drive up next to a window in the building to receive their meals. Banking customers receive their cash from an automatic drawer. Coffee huts and pharmacies have windows where drivers pull up to get coffee or medicine. Alan Hilowitz, a spokesperson for the Starbucks Coffee Company, told The New York Times newspaper, "Drive-throughs are a matter of customer want and customer need. They serve a fast-pace world with people talking on cell phones and trying anything that will squeeze a little more int the day."


microphone n. 麥克風
=> 可簡稱為mic
eg: Speak into the microphone so everyone in the room can hear you.
eg: Please speak into the microphone so we can hear you.
eg: My cell phone has a built-in microphone, so I can record messages.

speaker n. 喇叭
=> speakers that projects you the sound
eg: Loud music came from the five big speakers near the stage.
eg: Many speakers were installed around the auditorium for the concert.
eg: There's no sound coming out from the left-hand speaker of the CD player.

automatic adj. 自動式地
eg: You don't have to turn on the water; it's automatic.
eg: automatic doors 自動門
eg: a fully-automatic washing machine

automatic adj. 自然而然的/一定會有的
eg: There's an automatic fine for overdue payments.

squeeze v. 擠
=> push a little more
eg: If we hurry, we can squeeze in luch before our noon meeting.

spokesperson n. 發言人
=> the person speaks for the company

love affairs 強烈的愛好

drawer n. 抽屜

pharmacy n. 藥房

//== Chat room ==//

America's love affair with cars 美國人對汽車強烈的愛好

love affair
=> American enthusiasm/passion for car

love affair 男女之間的戀情

in love 相愛的
eg: A young couple in love 一對情侶
eg: I'm in love with

in love 對一件事情的愛好
eg: I'm in love with baseball. 我瘋迷棒球

//== Grammer on the go ==//

"Drive-throughs are a matter of customer want and customer need.
= "Drive-throughs are a subject all about customer want and customer need.

be a matter of
= are a subject or situation all about

eg: The new airport regulations are a matter of national security.
eg: A Roman gladiator's (鬥劍者) performance in the arena is a matter of life of death.