Hi.
I tried to describe the photo.
english-test.net/toeic/liste … nghai.html
Any suggestion will be appreciated.
Thank you.
…
This is a twilight photo of a huge city along a coast.
At the right side of the photo, I can see a sea or maybe a big river.
There is no bridge to be seen, so I would rather think it is a sea instead of a huge river.
The arch-shaped coast line begins from right lower edge of photo and goes to the center of the photo, and then turns toward the right side, and makes horizontal line.
The coast has no beach. Instead of beach, there is relatively a big pedestrian walking road along the coast. There are a lot of pedestrians. It is accompanied by a green tree deviation, and then, there is a big automobile road, which has ten lane carriageways. The traffic is awfully busy. Automobiles keep to the right side.
At the left side of the road, there are skyscrapers. There is a huge clock
tower building, which has antique appearance. I think this city has a relatively long history, though I don’t know where it is.
It must be twilight time, because the color of the sky is reddish, sunset-color. “Dawn” seems less likely, because there is too clouded traffic and there are too many pedestrians as for dawn.
There are a several ships or boats on the sea. I’m not familiar with the shape of these ships. I wonder it might be submarines, though it is less likely. Maybe these are some kind of barges. The figures are vague.
This is a photo of a huge coastal city. The muted light gives the impression that it is twilight or early morning. I think it must be twilight time, because the color of the sky is a reddish sunset-color. “Dawn” seems less likely, because the roads and river are crowded with traffic and there are too many pedestrians for that time of day. However, this may be deceptive and the hazy colour might just be fog or smog.
At the right side of the photo, I can see what I believe is the sea. As there is no bridge to be seen, I do not think it is a huge river. (It is actually a river though, despite appearances! It is the Huangpu River.)
The bay can be seen as an arc-shaped coast line which begins at the lower right edge of the photo, bends toward the center of the photo, and then turns right again where it creates an almost horizontal line.
The coast has no beach. Instead of beach, there is a wide pedestrian walkway or promenade along the coast. There are a lot of pedestrians on the walkway. The promenade is separated from the busy road by a wide strip of green trees and foliage. It is possible that there is also a narrow gauge train line here, but the size of the photograph makes it difficult to tell. The road has ten lanes (a carriageway is a group of lanes - the road consists of two five lane lane carriageways.). The traffic is awfully ‘awfully’ is correct but sounds very old fashioned in this sense) busy. Automobiles keep to the right side.
On the left side of the road as we look at the photo, there are skyscrapers. There is a building with a huge clock-tower, which has an antique appearance. I think this city has a relatively long history, though I don’t know where it is. (Actually the title tells you that this is the Bund of Shanghai, which is how I know the expanse of water is a river and not the sea.)
There are a several ships or boats on the sea. I’m not familiar with the shape of these ships. I wonder if they might be submarines, though it is unlikely. Maybe these are some kind of barge. The figures are vague. (Most of them are cargo vessels so would be a type of barge.)
You can read more about the Bund (and compare it with your own writing) here:
chinahighlights.com/shanghai … e-bund.htm
Hi.
Thank you for your reply and taking your time for me. I will analyze yours and the web site you recommended to me.
One quick question is why “the sea” as in “At the right side of the photo, I can see what I believe is the sea.”
Why definite article?
I think “a sea” might be better, because nobody knows the name of the sea, and actually it is not any sea. It is the river.
I understand the confusion, but it is one of the vagaries of the language:
When we speak about ‘sea’ in general rather than a specific sea, we often say ‘the sea’:
I can see the sea from my bedroom window - it doesn’t matter what sea it is.
We’re going to the sea-side tomorrow.
Thank you.
I got it.
Just like “the sky”, I should have said “the sea”.
I confused “sea” is just like a usual noun such as “an apple”, because I somehow thought of “the seven seas”.