Joan 考完学测后，成功通过第一阶段筛选、得到面试机会，写完英文自传的她，想请美国朋友 Lian 帮她过目。
Joan: Lian, could you help me with my English personal statement?
Joan: Lian，你可以帮我看看我的英文自传吗？
Lian: Sure, are you going to apply for a job?
Lian: 当然可以啊，妳要应征工作吗？
Joan: No, it’s for applying to university.
Joan: 没啦，这是要申请大学用的。
Lian: You got some interviews? Congratulations!
Lian: 妳得到面试机会了吗？恭喜！
Joan: Thanks! So I’m wondering, if you were the interviewer, what do you think of my personal statement?
Joan: 谢啦！所以我想知道假如妳是面试官，妳对我的自传有什么想法？
(Lian reads through Joan’s personal statement…)
(在 Lian 看完她的自传后…)
Lian: There’s no grammatical errors. But I think you should emphasize your extracurricular activities more. That would make it much more persuasive!
Lian: 看下来没有文法错误，但我觉得妳可以强调妳在课外活动中的成就，这样会更有说服力！
Joan: That’s a great suggestion!
Joan: 这建议不错耶！
personal statement (n.) 自传
personal 为形容词，意思是「个人的」，而 statement 为名词，表示「陈述」，何谓个人陈述？也就是申请大学或研究所时所需要的自传。也可称作 application essay 或 statement of purpose。
Your personal statement is too lengthy—keep it short and simple!
妳的自传太冗长了，简短简洁就好！
apply for / apply to (phr.) 申请
apply 有「运用；使用」之意，在本篇对话意为「申请；应征」。 apply for 后面是加上「想申请获得的东西」，比方说 apply for a job、 apply for a scholarship，那么 apply to 后面所接的则是你所申请的对象或单位，例如：apply to XXX university。
My sister applied for a government loan to start her own business.
我姐姐请了创投基金要自己创业。
He applied to Harvard and was accepted.
他申请哈佛大学，也成功录取了。
extracurricular activity (n.) 课外活动
字首 extra- 意为「额外的」，curricular 是「课程的」，所以 extracurricular activity 就是「课外活动」，如参加社团活动等等。
Many companies like to recruit fresh graduates who participate in a lot of extracurricular activities.
许多公司喜欢雇用有课外活动经验的社会新鲜人。
Joan 和 Lian 两人继续聊了下去…
Lian: So what else do you need to prepare?
Lian: 所以你还要准备哪些东西？
Joan: I still need two recommendation letters and my transcript.
Joan: 我还需要两封推荐信还有我的历年成绩单。
Lian: You should also enclose any certificates of merit that you have!
Lian: 妳应该也附上妳的奖状！
Joan: Oh yeah, almost forgot!
Joan: 噢对，差点就忘了！
Lian: What do you want to major in?
Lian: 妳想读什么科系？
Joan: English—but I’m a bit nervous about doing a whole interview in a second language.
Joan: 英文系，但我很害怕用外语面试。
Lian: I can help you— let’s do a mock interview!
Lian: 我可以帮你，来模拟一下面试吧！
transcript (n.) 历年成绩单
transcript 为名词，有「文字纪录，文本」之意，另外也可以指「历年成绩单」，单学期的成绩单则可用 report card 表示。
The company asked applicants to bring their college transcripts to the interview.
公司要求申请人带着他们的大学历年成绩单来面试。
enclose (v.) 附上
enclose 的意思是以实体的形式「附上」，attach 则是指「在电子邮件附上」，因此电子邮件的「附档」称为 attachment，而实体的附件则可称作 enclosure。
I enclosed my volunteer certificate alongside my CV.
我在个人简历中附上志工证明。
certificate of merit (n.) 奖状
certificate 是「证书；证明」，merit 是「优点；功绩」，所以 certificate of merit 就是指「奖状」。
He lost all of his certificates of merit when moving house.
他在搬家时弄丢了全部的奖状。
mock (adj.) 模拟的
mock 当动词有「嘲笑；嘲弄」之意，当形容词则是「假的；模拟的」，例如：mock exam (模拟考)、mock interview (模拟面试)。
Students have to take three to four mock exams this semester.
学生这学期要考三到四次的模拟考。
