Chapter Two · Vowels in Detail
Review of /ɪ/, /i/, /ɛ/ and /æ/
Page 20
Dialogues for Practice for /ɪ/ and /i/ · Continued
3.
A: Please meet me for dinner.
B: I will be there at six.
4.
A: Is it expensive?
B: No, it isn’t. It’s really cheap.
5.
A: I need a refill of these pills.
B: Speak with your physician.
6.
A: Is he still really sick?
B: No, he’s just feeling a little weak.
7.
A: This is completely different.
B: But it is interesting, isn’t it?
这一部分继续练 /ɪ/ 和 /i/ 的区别。
这些对话不是为了理解句意，而是为了训练你在自然对话里保持两个音的差别。
可以重点抓这些词：
meet, dinner, will, six, expensive, isn’t, really, cheap, need, refill, these, pills, speak, physician, still, sick, feeling, weak, completely, different, interesting。
先把每句中的目标词圈出来，再慢读。
读 /i/ 时，保持更长、更紧、更亮；
读 /ɪ/ 时，保持短、松、轻。
最后再跟着 Track 69 整段模仿。
对话练习的目标是：不要只在单词里分清 /ɪ/ 和 /i/，还要能在真实句子和对话速度中保持区别。
Practice Paragraph
Guilty or Innocent?
Let’s be realistic. It’s not that difficult to see that he’s guilty. He steals, drinks, and cheats. He has cheated his victims, and he needs to be in prison. He did these terrible things, yet he insists that he’s innocent. Who is he kidding? In the beginning, many people did believe that he was innocent. But now we have all the evidence that we need. Even though he won’t admit his guilt, I foresee him being in prison for at least fifteen years. Don’t you agree with me?
这一段是综合练习，把 /ɪ/ 和 /i/ 放进一整段文章里。
相比单词和短句，段落练习更接近真实说话：你需要在连续表达中保持目标音清楚。
重点注意这些词中的 /ɪ/ 和 /i/：
realistic, difficult, see, he’s, guilty, steals, drinks, cheats, cheated, victims, needs, prison, did, these, things, insists, innocent, kidding, beginning, believe, evidence, need, even, guilt, foresee, being, fifteen, agree, me。
第一遍慢读，只找目标音。
第二遍跟音频读，注意每个目标音的口腔状态。
第三遍尝试自然速度朗读，但不要因为速度变快就把 /i/ 读短，或者把 /ɪ/ 拉长。
段落练习的目标是从“发准单词”进入“稳定说话”。
真正的发音能力不是孤立读准，而是在连续表达里仍然保持清晰区别。
Review of /ɛ/ and /æ/ Sounds
Remember that for the /æ/ the jaw is more open, and the tongue is down at the floor of your mouth. And for the /ɛ/ sound, the jaw is just slightly down.
这里开始复习 /ɛ/ 和 /æ/。
/ɛ/ 像 get, pen, men，嘴巴只是轻微打开。
/æ/ 像 fat, pan, man，嘴巴要更打开，舌头更低。
/ɛ/：下巴稍微放低，嘴巴中等打开。
/æ/：下巴更明显打开，舌头更低，贴近口腔底部。
这两个音最大的区别，不是“长短”，而是嘴巴打开程度和舌头高度。
不要把 men 和 man、pen 和 pan、beg 和 bag 读成一样。
如果 /æ/ 的嘴巴没有打开，就很容易听起来像 /ɛ/。
Sentence Pairs for Practice
| /ɛ/ | /æ/ |
|---|---|
| Don’t think about the pest. | Don’t think about the past. |
| He gave me a letter. | He gave me a ladder. |
| Send it carefully. | Sand it carefully. |
| The men helped me. | The man helped me. |
| I need a new pen. | I need a new pan. |
| Do you need to beg? | Do you need a bag? |
这些句子对比非常关键。
每一组句子只有一个核心元音不同，但意思会发生变化。
比如 pest 和 past，pen 和 pan，beg 和 bag。
先不要整句快读。
可以先单独练目标词：
pest / past，letter / ladder，men / man，pen / pan，beg / bag。
确认嘴型不同后，再读完整句子。
/ɛ/ 和 /æ/ 的核心区别是：
/ɛ/ = 嘴巴稍微打开，像 pen。
/æ/ = 嘴巴更打开，舌头更低，像 pan。
Word Pairs in Sentences
- This bed is bad.
- Dan is in the den.
- She said that she was sad.
- I guess I need gas.
- They laughed after he left.
- I bet that’s a bat.
这一组句子把 /ɛ/ 和 /æ/ 放在同一个句子里。
这样练习比单独读词更有效，因为你必须在一句话里快速切换两个不同的嘴型。
重点练这些词组：
bed / bad，Dan / den，said / sad，guess / gas，laughed / left，bet / bat。
读 /ɛ/ 时，下巴只轻微下放；
读 /æ/ 时，嘴巴明显打开，舌头更低。
可以先夸张一点练，等嘴巴记住动作后，再恢复自然语速。
这一页先完成 /ɪ/ 和 /i/ 的对话与段落练习，然后进入 /ɛ/ 和 /æ/ 的细节复习。
核心是：相似元音不能只靠耳朵模糊判断，要用嘴型和舌位建立清楚的动作区别。