情境介紹：任職於跨國企業台灣分公司的Eric昨天去了花蓮泛舟，今天一進辦公室外籍同事Cynthia便找Eric攀談......
Cynthia: Hey Eric, I saw your photo posts on Facebook yesterday. Great pics. You took the day off to go whitewater rafting?
Eric: Yeah, some friends invited me at the last minute to fill in for someone. The threehour ride along the Xiuguluan Canyon was exhilarating and the sights were breathtaking!
Cynthia: Did your raft capsize?
Eric: I thought it would several times, but it didn’t. It’s now peak season and the recent rains made the rapids even faster than usual. I was glad I was wearing a life vest and helmet.
Cynthia: Were you tired at the end?
Eric: Exhausted! It was an adrenaline rush to navigate the rapids, and sometimes we had to paddle furiously. But at other times, we just drifted, enjoying the bubbling rapids, whirlpools and postcard-perfect natural scenery...Oh, good morning sir.
Nathan: Good morning, Eric. I also saw your photos on Facebook. Didn’t you call in sick yesterday?
Cynthia: 嘿，艾瑞克，我看到你昨天在Facebook上傳的照片。照得很好喔！你休假去泛舟啊？
Eric： 對呀，朋友臨時約我去替補無法參加的人。沿著秀姑巒溪峽谷3小時的旅程好刺激，風景更是令人屏息讚嘆！
Cynthia: 你們的橡皮艇有翻覆嗎？
Eric： 好幾次我都覺得似乎要翻船了，但最後沒有。現在是旺季，最近下的雨又剛好讓激流變得比平常更湍急。幸好我穿了救生背心並戴了安全帽。
Cynthia: 最後你有筋疲力盡嗎？
Eric： 累壞了！急流泛舟時就像是腎上腺素爆發，有時候我們都得卯起來划槳，但也有些時候我們只需要隨波逐流，享受翻騰的湍流、漩渦，還有像明信片一般完美的景色??哦，早安，老闆。
Nathan: 早安，艾瑞克。我也看到你Facebook上的照片。你昨天不是請病假嗎？
實用慣用語：休假？請病假？這些日常生活中必備的（requisite）用語英文怎麼說呢？一起來看看！
Take the day off 休假
例：Mr. and Mrs. Huang both took the day off to celebrate their thirtieth wedding anniversary yesterday.
（黃先生與黃太太昨天都請了假去慶祝他們的三十週年結婚紀念日。）
At the last minute 在最後一刻
例：I made it to the airport at the last minute, but then the flight was cancelled.
（我在最後一刻趕到機場，但班機卻被取消了。）
Fill in for
臨時接替某人; 暫代
例：Lee is stuck in traffic again. Guess who has to fill in for him— again?
（小李又遇到塞車了。猜猜看誰又得臨時代理他？）
Call in sick 打電話請病假
例：Peggy called in sick this morning, so I’ll be taking her calls.
（佩姬今天早上打電話請病假，所以我會幫忙接她的電話。）
本月加值：泛舟是一種深受喜愛（well-loved）的極限運動（extreme sport），為了要確保（ensure）活動過程的安全，全程都要遵從安全指示（safety guidelines ）。快來了解如何安全又開心地泛舟。
Hazard 危險
例：Grade 5 rapids have many hazards—large rocks, strong waves, and large drops.
（等級五的激流意味著許多危險—巨石、強浪與高度落差。）
Sunburn 曬傷
例：We don’t want you to get a sunburn, so make sure you put on some sunscreen.
（我們不希望你曬傷，所以切記要塗些防曬油。）
Rain or shine 不論天氣好壞
例： You are guaranteed a thrilling ride, rain or shine.
（無論天氣好壞，我們都保證你能有個刺激的旅程。）
Safety orientation 安全課程
例： Before rafting, every participant must receive a safety orientation.
（開始泛舟前，所有參加者都必須參加安全課程。）
