Lesson 1 A private conversation 私人谈话
Last week I went to the theatre. I
had a very good seat. The play was very interesting. I did not enjoy
it. A young man and a young woman were sitting behind me. They were
talking loudly. I got very angry. I could not hear the actors. I turned round.
I looked at the man and the woman angrily. They did not pay any attention. In
the end, I could not bear it. I turned round again. 'I can't hear a word!' I
said angrily. ' It's none of your business,' the young man said
rudely. 'This is a private conversation!'.
Lesson 2 Breakfast or lunch? 早餐还是午餐?
It was Sunday. I never get up early
on Sundays. I sometimes stay in bed until lunch time.
Last Sunday I got up very late. I looked out of the window. It was dark
outside.
'What a day!' I thought. 'It's raining again.' Just then, the telephone rang.
It was my aunt Lucy.' I've just arrived by train,' she said. 'I'm coming to see
you.' 'But I'm still having breakfast,' I said.
'What are you doing ?' she asked. ' I'm having breakfast,' I repeated.
'Dear me,' she said. 'Do you always get up so late ? It's one o'clock!
Lesson 3 Please send me a card 请给我寄一张明信片
Postcards always spoil my holidays.
Last summer, I went to Italy. I visited museums and sat in public gardens. A
friendly waiter taught me a few words of Italian. 'Then he lent me a
book. I read a few lines, but I did not understand a word. Every day I thought
about postcards. My holidays passed quickly, but I did not send any cards to my
friends. On the last day I made a big decision. I got up early and bought
thirty-seven cards. I spent the whole day in my room, but I did not write a
single card !
Lesson 4 An exciting trip 激动人心的旅行
I have just received a letter from my
brother, Tim. He is in Australia. He has been there for six months. Tim is an
engineer. He is working for a big firm and he has already visited a great
number of different places in Australia. He has just bought an Australian car
and has gone to Alice Springs, a small town in the centre of Australia. He will
soon visit Darwin. From there, he will fly to Perth.
My brother has never been abroad
before, so he is finding this trip very exciting.
Lesson 5 No wrong numbers 无错号之虞
Mr James Scott has a garage in
Silbury and now he has just bought another garage in Pinhurst. Pinhurst is only
five miles from Silbury, but Mr Scott cannot get a telephone for his new
garage, so he has just bought twelve pigeons. Yesterday, a pigeon carried the
first message from Pinhurst to Silbury. The bird covered the distance in three
minutes. Up to now, Mr Scott has sent a great many requests for spare parts and
other urgent messages from one garage to the other. In this way, he has begun his
own private telephone service.
Lesson 6 Percy Buttons 珀西·巴顿斯
I have just moved to a house in Bridge Street. Yesterday a beggar knocked at my
door. He asked me for a meal and a glass of beer. In return for this, the
beggar stood on his head and sang songs. I gave him a meal. He ate the food and
drank the beer. Then he put a piece of cheese in his pocket and went away.
Later a neighbour told me about him. Everybody knows him. His name is Percy
Buttons. He calls at every house in the street once a month and always asks for
a meal and a glass of beer.
Lesson 7 Too late 为时太晚
The plane was late and detectives were waiting at the airport all morning. They
were expecting a valuable parcel of diamond from South Africa. A few hours
earlier, someone had told the police that thieves would try to steal the
diamonds. When the plane arrived, some of the detectives were waiting inside
the main building while others were waiting on the airfield. Two men took the
parcel off the plane and carried it into the Customs House. While two
detectives were keeping guard at the door, two others opened the
parcel. To their surprise, the precious parcel was full of stones and sand!
Lesson 8 The best and the worst 最好的和最差的
Joe Sanders has the most beautiful garden in our town. Nearly everybody enters
for 'The Nicest Garden Competition' each year, but Joe wins every time. Bill
Frith's garden is larger than Joe's. Bill works harder than Joe and grows more
flowers and vegetables, but Joe's garden is more interesting. He has made neat
paths and has built a wooden bridge over a pool. I like gardens too, but I do
not like hard work. Every year I enter for the garden competition too, and I
always win a little prize for the worst garden in the town!
Lesson 9 A cold welcome 冷遇
On Wednesday evening, we went to the Town Hall. It was the last day of the year
and a large crowd of people had gathered under the Town Hall clock. It would
strike twelve in twenty minutes' time. Fifteen minutes passed and then, at five
to twelve, the clock stopped. The big minute hand did not move. We waited and
waited, but nothing happened. Suddenly someone shouted, 'It's two minutes past
twelve! The clock has stopped!' I looked at my watch. It was true. The big
clock refused to welcome the New Year. At that moment everybody began to laugh
and sing.
Lesson 10 Not for jazz 不适于演奏爵士乐
We have an old musical instrument. It is called a clavichord(翼琴). It
was made in Germany in 1681. Our clavichord is kept in the living-room. It has
belong to our family for a long time. The instrument was bought by my
grandfather many years ago. Recently it was damaged by a visitor. She tried to
play jazz on it! She struck the keys too hard and two of the strings were
broken. My father was shocked. Now we are not allowed to touch it. It is being
repaired by a friend of my father's.
Lesson 11 One good turn deserves another 礼尚往来
I was having dinner at a restaurant when Harry Steele came in. Harry worked in
a lawyer's office years ago, but he is now working at a bank. He gets a good
salary, but he always borrows money from his friends and never pays it back.
Harry saw me and came and sat at the same table. He has never borrowed money
from me. While he was eating, I asked him to lend me &2. To my surprise, he
gave me the money immediately. 'I have never borrowed any money from you,'
Harry said, 'so now you can pay for my dinner!'
Lesson 12 Goodbye and good luck 再见,一路顺风
Our ncighbour, Captain Charles Alison, will sail from Portsmouth tomorrow. We
shall meet him at the harbour early in the morning. He will be in his small
boat, Topsail.Tapsail is a famous little boat. It has sailed across the
Atlantic many times. Captain Alison will set out at eight o'clock so we shall
have plenty of time. We shall see his boat and then we shall say good-bye to
him. He will be away for two months. We are very proud of him. He will take
part in an important race across the Atlantic.
Lesson 13 The Greenwood Boys 绿林少年
The Greenwood Boys are a group of popular singers. At present, they are
visiting all parts of the country. They will be arriving here tomorrow. They
will be coming by train and most of the young
people in the town will be meeting them at the station. Tomorrow evening they
will be singing at the Workers' Club. The Greenwood Boys will be staying for
five days. During this time, they will give five performances. As usual, the
police will have a difficult time. They will be trying to keep order. It is always
the same on these occasions.
Lesson 14 Do you speak English? 你会讲英语吗?
I had an amusing experience last year. After I had left a small
village in the south of France, I drove on to the next town. On the way, a
young man waved to me. I stopped and he asked me for a lift. As soon as he had
got into the car, I said good morning to him in French and he replied in the
same language. Apart from a few words, I do not know any French at all. Neither
of us spoke during the journey. I had nearly reached the town, when the young
man suddenly said, very slowly, 'Do you speak English?' As I soon learnt, he
was English himself!
Lesson 15 Good news 佳音
The secretary told me that Mr. Harmsworth would see me. I felt very nervous
when. I went into his office. He did not look up from his desk when I entered.
After I had sat down, he said that business was very bad. He told me that the
firm could not afford to pay such large salaries. Twenty people had already
left. I knew that my turn had come. 'Mr. Harmsworth,' I said in a weak voice.
'Don't interrupt,' he Said. Then he smiled and told me I would receive an extra
&100 a year!
Lesson 16 A polite request 彬彬有礼的要求
If you park your car in the wrong place, a traffic policeman will soon find it.
You will be very lucky if he lets you go without a ticket. However, this does
not always happen. Traffic police are sometimes very polite. During a holiday
in Sweden, I found this note on my car:' Sir, we welcome you to our city. This
is a "No Parking" area. You will enjoy your stay here if you pay
attention to our street signs. This note is only a reminder.' If you receive a
request like this, you cannot fail to obey it!
Lesson 17 Always young 青年常驻
My aunt Jennifer is an actress. She must be at least thirty-five years old. In
spite of this, she often appears on the stage as a young girl. Jennifer will
have to take part in a new play soon. This time, she will be a girl of
seventeen. In the play, she must appear in a bright red dress and long black
stockings. Last year in another play, she had to wear short socks and a bright,
orange-coloured dress. If anyone ever asked her how old she is, she always
answers, 'My dear, it must be terrible to be grown up!'
lesson18 He often does this! 他经常干这种事!
After I had had lunch at a village inn, I looked for my bag. I had left it on a
chair beside the door and now it wasn't there ! As I was looking for it, the
inn-keeper came in. 'Did you have a good meal ?' he asked. 'Yes, thank you,' I
answered, 'but I can't pay the bill. I haven't got my bag.' The inn-keeper
smiled and immediately went out. In a few minutes he returned with my bag and
gave it back to me. 'I'm very sorry,' he said ' My dog had taken it into the
garden. He often does this.'
Lesson19 Sold out 票已售完
'The play may begin at any moment,' I said.
'It may have begun already,' Susan answered.
'I hurried to the ticket-office. 'May I have two tickets please ?' I asked.
'I'm sorry, we've sold out,' the girl said.
'What a pity!' Susan exclaimed.
Just then, a man hurried to the ticket-office.
'Can I return these two tickets?' he asked.
'Certainly,' the girl said.
'Could I have those two tickets please ?' I asked.
'Certainly, 'the girl said, 'but they are for next Wednesday's performance.
'I might as well have them,' I said sadly.
Lesson20 One man in a boat 独坐孤舟
Fishing is my favourite sport. I often fish for hours without catching
anything. But this does not worry me. Some fishermen are unlucky. Instead of
catching fish, they catch old boots and rubbish. I am even less lucky. I never
catch anything-not even old boots. After having spent whole mornings on the
river, I always go home with an empty bag. 'You must give up fishing!' my
friends say.' It's a waste of time.' But they don't realize one important
thing. I'm not really interested in fishing. I am only interested in sitting in
a boat and doing nothing at all !
Lesson21 Mad or not? 是不是疯了?
Aeroplanes are slowly driving me mad. I live near an airport and passing planes
can be heard night and day. The airport was built during the war, but for some
reason it could not be used then. Last year, however, it came into use. Over a
hundred people must have been driven away from their homes by the noise. I am
one of the few people left. Sometimes I think this house will be knocked down
by a passing plane. I have been offered a large sum of money to go away, but I
am determined to stay here. Everybody says I must be mad and they are probably
right.
Lesson22 A glass envelope 玻璃信封
My daughter, Jane, never dreamed of receiving a letter from a girl of her own
age in Holland. Last year, we were travelling across the Channel and Jane put a
piece of paper with her name and address on it into a bottle. She threw the
bottle into the sea. She never thought of it again, but ten months later, she
received a letter from a girl in Holland. Both girls write to each other
regularly now. However, they have decided to use the post-office. Letters will
cost a litt1e more, but they will certainly travel faster.
Lesson23 A new house 新居
I had a letter from my sister yesterday. She lives in Nigeria. In her letter,
she said that she would come to England next year. If she comes, she will get a
surprise. We are now living in a beautiful new house in the country.
Work on it had begun before my sister left. The house was completed five months
ago. In my letter, I told her that she could stay with us. The house has many
large rooms and there is a lovely garden. It is a very modern house, so it
looks strange to some people. It must be the only modern house in the district.
Lesson24 It could be worse 不幸中之万幸
I entered the hotel manager's office and sat down. I had just lost &50 and
I felt very upset.' I left the money in my room,' I said, 'and it's not there
now.' The manager was sympathetic, but he could do nothing. 'Everyone's losing
money these days,' he said. He started to complain about this wicked world but
was interrupted by a knock at the door. A girl came in and put an envelope on
his desk. It contained &5o. 'I found this outside this gentleman's room'
she said. 'Well,' I said to the manager, 'there is still some honesty in this
world !'
lesson25 Do the English speak English? 英国人讲的是英语吗?
I arrived in London at last. The railway station was big, black and dark. I did
not know the way to my hotel, so I asked a porter. I not only spoke English
very carefully, but very clearly as well. The porter, however, could not
understand me; I repeated my question several times and at last he understood.
He answered me, but he spoke neither slowly nor clearly. 'I am a foreigner,' I
said. Then he spoke slowly, but I could not understand him. My teacher never
spoke English like that! The porter and I looked at each other and smiled. Then
he said something and I understood it. 'You'll soon learn English!' he said. I
wonder. In England, each man speaks a different language. The English
understand each other, but I don't understand them ! Do they speak English ?
lesson26 The best art critics 最佳美术评论家
I am an art student and I paint a lot of pictures. Many people pretend that
they understand modern art. They always tell you what a picture is 'about'. Of
course, many pictures arc not 'about' anything. They are just pretty patterns.
We like them in the same way that we like pretty curtain material. I think that
young children often appreciate modern pictures better than anyone else. They
notice more. My sister is only seven, but she always tells me whether my
pictures are good or not. She came into my room yesterday. ' What are you doing
?' she asked. ' I'm hanging this picture on the wall,' I answered. 'It's a new
one. Do you like it ?' She looked at it critically for a moment.' It's all
right,' she said, 'but isn't it upside-down ?' I looked at it again. She was
right! It was!
Lesson27 A wet night 雨夜
Late in the afternoon, the boys put up their tent in the middle of a field. As
soon as this was done, they cooked a meal over an open fire. They were all
hungry and the food smelt good. After a wonderful meal, they told stories and
sang songs by the camp fire. But some time later it began to rain. The boys
felt tired so they pet out the fire and crept into their tent. Their
sleeping-bags were warm and comfortable, so they all slept soundly. In the
middle of the night, two boys woke up and began shouting. The tent was full of
water! They all leapt out of their sleeping-bags and hurried outside. It was
raining heavily and they found that a stream had formed in the field. The
stream wound its way across the field and then flowed right under their tent!
Lesson28 No parking 禁止停车
Jasper White is one of those rare people who believes in ancient myths. He has
just bought a new house in the city, but ever since he moved in, he has had
trouble with motorists. when he returns home at night, he always finds that
someone has parked a car outside his gate. Because of this, he has not been
able to get his own car into his garage even once. Jasper has put up' No Parking'
signs outside his gate, but these have not had any effect. Now he has put an
ugly stone head over the gate. It is one of the ugliest faces I have ever seen.
I asked him what it was and he told me that it was Medusa, the Gorgon. Jasper
hopes that she will turn motorists to stone. But none of them has been turned
to stone yet!
Lesson29 Taxi! 出租汽车!
Captain Ben Fawcett has bought an unusual taxi and has begun a new service. The
'taxi' is a small Swiss aeroplane called a 'Pilatus Porter'. This wonderful
plane can carry seven passengers. The most surprising thing about it, however,
is that it can land anywhere: on snow, water, or even on a ploughed field.
Captain Fawcett's first passenger was a doctor who flew from Birmingham to a
lonely village in the Welsh mountains. Since then, Captain Fawcett has flown
passengers to many unusual places. Once he landed on the roof of a block of
flats and on another occasion, he landed in a deserted car park. Captain
Fawcett has just refused a strange request from a businessman. The man wanted
to fly to Rockall, a lonely island in the Atlantic Ocean, but Captain Fawcett
did not take him because the trip was too dangerous.
Lesson30 Football or polo? 足球还是水球?
The Wayle is a small river that cuts across the park near my home. I like
sitting by the Wayle on fine afternoons. It was warm last Sunday, so I went and
sat on the river bank as usual. Some children were playing games on the bank
and there were some people rowing on the river. Suddenly, one of the children
kicked a ball very hard and it went towards a passing boat. Some people on the
bank called out to the man in the boat, but he did not hear them. The ball
struck him so hard that he nearly fell into the water. I turned to look at the
children, but there weren't any in sight: they had all run away! The man
laughed when he realized what had happened. He called out to the children and
threw the ball back to the bank.
Lesson31 Success story 成功者的故事
Yesterday afternoon Frank Hawkins was telling me about his experiences as a
young man. Frank is now the head of a very large business company, but as a boy
he used to work in a small shop. It was his job to repair bicycles and at that
time he used to work fourteen hours a day. He saved money for years and in 1938
he bought a small work-shop of his own. During the war Frank used to make spare
parts for aeroplanes. At that time he had two helpers. By the end of the war,
the small work-shop had become a large factory which employed seven hundred and
twenty-eight people. Frank smiled when he remembered his hard early years and
the long road to success. He was still smiling when the door opened and his
wife came in. She wanted him to repair their son's bicycle!
Lesson32 Shopping made easy 购物变得很方便
People are not so honest as they once were. The temptation to steal is greater
than ever before--especially in large shops. A detective recently watched a
well-dressed woman who always went into a large store on Monday mornings. One
Monday, there were fewer people in the shop than usual when the woman came in,
so it was easier for the detective to watch her. The woman first bought a few
small articles. After a little time, she chose one of the most expensive
dresses in the shop and handed it to an assistant who wrapped it up for her as
quickly as possible. Then the woman simply took the parcel and walked out of
the shop without paying. When she was arrested, the detective found out that
the shop-assistant was her daughter. The girl' gave' her mother a free dress
once a week !
lesson33 Out of the darkness 冲出黑暗
Nearly a week passed before the girl was able to explain what had happened to
her. One afternoon she set out from the coast in a small boat and was caught in
a storm. Towards evening, the boat struck a rock and the girl jumped into the
sea. Then she swam to the shore after spending the whole night in the water.
During that time she covered a distance of eight miles. Early next morning, she
saw a light ahead. She knew she was near the shore because the light was high
up on the cliffs. On arriving at the shore, the girl struggled up the cliff
towards the light she had seen. That was all she remembered. When she woke up a
day later, she found herself in hospital.
Lesson34 Quick work 破案“神速”
Ted Robinson has been worried all the week. Last Tuesday he received a
letter from the local police. In the letter he was asked to call at
the station. Ted wondered why he was wanted by the police, but he
went to the station yesterday and now he is not worried any more. At the
station, he was told by a smiling policeman that his bicycle had been found.
Five days ago, the policeman told him, the bicycle was picked up in a small
village four hundred miles away. It is now being sent to his home by train. Ted
was most surprised when he heard the news. He was amused too,
because he never expected the bicycle to be found. It was stolen twenty years
ago when Ted was a boy of fifteen !
Lesson35 Stop thief! 捉贼!
Rov Trenton used to drive a taxi. A short while ago, however, he became a
bus-driver and he was not regretted it. He is finding his new work far more
exciting. When he was driving along Catford Street recently, he saw two thieves
rush out of a shop and run towards a waiting car. One of them was carrying a
bag full of money. Roy acted quickly and drove the bus straight at the thieves.
The one with the money got such a fright that he dropped the bag. As the
thieves were trying to get away in their car, Roy drove his bus into the back
of it. While the battered car was moving away, Roy stopped his bus and
telephoned the police. The thieves' car was badly damaged and easy to
recognize. Shortly afterwards, the police stopped the car and both men were
arrested.
Lesson36 Across the Channel 横渡海峡
Erna Hart is going to swim across the English Channel tomorrow. She is going to
set out from the French coast at five o'clock in the morning. Erna is only
fourteen years old and she hopes lo set up a new world record. She is a strong
swimmer and many people feel that she is sure to succeed. Erna's father will
set out with her in a small boat. Mr Hart has trained his daughter for years.
Tomorrow he will be watching her anxiously as she swims the long distance to
England. Erna intends to take short rests every two hours. She will have
something to drink but she will not eat any solid food. Most of Erna's school
friends will be waiting for her on the English coast. Among them will be Erna's
mother, who swam the Channel herself when she was a girl.
Lesson37 The Olympic Games 奥林匹克运动会
The Olympic Games will be held in our country in four years' time. As a great
many people will be visiting the country, the government will be building new
hotels, an immense stadium, and a fine new swimming pool. 'They will also be
building new roads and a special railway-line. The Games will be held just
outside the capital and the whole area will be called 'Olympic City'. Workers
will have completed the new roads by the end of this year. By the end of next
year, they will have finished work on the new stadium. The fine modern
buildings have been designed by Kurt Gunter. Everybody will be watching
anxiously as the new buildings go up. We are all very excited and are looking
forward to the Olympic Games because they have never been held before in this
country.
Lesson38 Everything except the weather 惟独没有考虑到天气
My old friend, Harrison, had lived in the Mediterranean for many years before
he returned to England. He had often dreamed of retiring in England and had
planned to settle down in the country. He had no sooner returned than he bought
a fine house and went to live there. Almost immediately he began to complain
about the weather, for even though it was still summer, it rained continually and
it was often bitterly cold. After so many years of sunshine, Harrison got a
shock. He acted as if he had never lived in England before. In the end, it was
more than he could bear. He had hardly had time to settle down when he sold the
house and left the country. The dream he had had for so many years ended there.
Harrison had thought of everything except the weather.
Lesson39 Am I all right? 我是否痊愈?
While John Gilbert was in hospital, he asked his doctor to tell him whether his
operation had been successful, but the doctor refused to do so. The following
day, the patient asked for a bedside telephone. When he was alone,
he telephoned the hospital exchange and asked for Doctor Millington. When the
doctor answered the phone, Mr Gilbert said he was inquiring about a certain
patient, a Mr John Gilbert. He asked if Mr Gilbert's operation had been
successful and the doctor told him that it had been. He then asked when Mr
Gilbert would be allowed to go home and the doctor told him that he would have
to stay in hospital for another two weeks. Then Dr Millington asked the caller
if he was a relative of the patient.' No,' the patient answered,' I am Mr John
Gilbert.'
Lesson40 Food and talk 进餐与交谈
Last week at a dinner-party, the hostess asked me to sit next to Mrs Rumbold.
Mrs Rumbold was a large, unsmiling lady in a tight black dress. She did not
even look up when I took my seat beside her. Her eyes were fixed on her plate
and in a short time, she was busy eating. I tried to make conversation.
' A new play is coming to" The Globe" soon,' I said. 'Will you be
seeing it ?' ' No,' she answered. 'Will you be spending your holidays abroad
this year ?' I asked. ' No,' she answered.
' Will you be staying in England?' I asked. ' No,' she answered.
In despair, I asked her whether she was enjoying her dinner.
' Young man,' she answered,' if you ate more and talked less, we would both
enjoy our dinner !'
lesson41 Do you call that a hat? 你把那个叫帽子吗?
'Do you call that a hat ?' I said to my wife. 'You needn't be so rude about
it,' my wife answered as she looked at herself in the mirror. I sat down on one
of those modern chairs with holes in it and waited. We had been in the hat shop
for half an hour and my wife was still in front of the mirror.
' We mustn't buy things we don't need,' I remarked suddenly. I regretted saying
it almost at once.
'You needn't have said that,' my wife answered.' I need not remind you of that
terrible tie you bought yesterday.'
' I find it beautiful,' I said. 'A man can never have too many ties.'
'And a woman can't have too many hats,' she answered.
Ten minutes later we walked out of the shop together. My wife was wearing a hat
that looked like a lighthouse !
Lesson42 Not very musical 并非很懂音乐
As we had had a long walk through one of the markets of Old Delhi, we stopped
at a square to have a rest. After a time, we noticed a snake-charmer with two
large baskets at the other side of the square, so we went to have a look at
him. As soon as he saw us, he picked up a long pipe which was covered with
coins and opened one of the baskets. When he began to play a tune, we had our
first glimpse of the snake. It rose out of the basket and began to follow the
movements of the pipe. We were very much surprised when the snake charmer
suddenly began to play jazz tunes and modern pop songs. The snake, however,
continued to 'dance' slowly. It obviously could not tell the difference between
Indian music and jazz!
Lesson43 Over the South Pole 飞越南极
In 1929, three years after his flight over the North Pole, the American
explorer, R. E. Byrd, successfully flew over the South Pole for the first time.
Though, at first, Byrd and his men were able to take a great many photographs
of the mountains that lay below, they soon ran into serious trouble. At one
point, it seemed certain that their plane would crash. It could only get over
the mountains if it rose to 10,000 feet. Byrd at once ordered his men to throw
out two heavy food sacks. The plane was then able to rise and it cleared the
mountains by 400 feet. Byrd now knew that he would be able to reach the South
Pole which was 300 miles away, for there were no more mountains in sight. The
aircraft was able to fly over the endless white plains without difficulty.
Lesson44 Through the forest 穿过森林
Mrs Anne Sterling did not think of the risk she was taking when she ran through
a forest after two men. They had rushed up to her while she was having a picnic
at the edge of a forest with her children and tried to steal her handbag. In
the struggle, the strap broke and, with the bag in their possession, both men
started running through the trees. Mrs Sterling got so angry that she ran after
them. She was soon out of breath, but she continued to run. When she caught up
with them, she saw that they had sat down and were going through the contents
of the bag, so she ran straight at them. The men got such a fright that they
dropped the bag and ran away. 'The strap needs mending,' said Mrs
Sterling later, 'but they did not steal anything.'
Lesson45 A clear conscience 问心无愧
The whole village soon learnt that a large sum of money had been lost. Sam
Benton, the local butcher, had lost his wallet while taking his savings to the
post-office. Sam was sure that the wallet must have been found by one of the
villagers, but it was not returned to him. Three months passed, and then one
morning, Sam found his wallet outside his front door. It had been wrapped up in
newspaper and it contained half the money he had lost, together with a note
which said: 'A thief, yes, 'but only 5o per cent a thief!' Two months later,
some more money was sent to Sam with another note:' Only 25 per cent a thief
now!' In time, all Sam's money was paid back in this way. The last note said:'
I am 100 per cent honest now!'
lesson46 Expensive and uncomfortable 既昂贵又受罪
When a plane from London arrived at Sydney airport, workers began to unload a
number of wooden boxes which contained clothing. No one could account for the
fact that one of the boxes was extremely heavy. It suddenly occurred to one of
the workers to open up the box. He was astonished at what he found. A man was
lying in the box on top of a pile of woollen goods. He was so surprised at
being discovered that he did not even try to run away. After he was arrested,
the man admitted hiding in the box before the plane left London. He had had a
long and uncomfortable trip, for he had been confined to the wooden box for
over ten hours. The man was ordered to pay &345 for the cost of the trip.
The normal price of a ticket is &230 !
Lesson47 A thirsty ghost 嗜酒的鬼魂
A public house which was recently bought by Mr Ian Thompson is up for sale. Mr
Thompson is going to sell it because it is haunted. He told me that he could
not go to sleep one night because he heard a strange noise coming from the bar.
The next morning, he found that the doors had been blocked by chairs and the
furniture had been moved. Though Mr Thompson had turned the lights off before
he went to bed, they were on in the morning. He also said that he had found
five empty whisky bottles which the ghost must have drunk the night before.
When I suggested that some villagers must have come in for a free drink, Mr
Thompson shook his head. The villagers have told him that they will not accept
the inn even if he gives it away.
Lesson48 Did you want to tell me something? 你想对我说什么吗?
Dentists always ask questions when it is impossible for you to answer. My
dentist had just pulled out one of my teeth and had told me to rest for a
while. I tried to say something, but my mouth was full of cotton-wool. He knew
I collected birds' eggs and asked me whether my collection was growing. He then
asked me how my brother was and whether I liked my new job in London. In answer
to these questions I either nodded or made strange noises. Meanwhile, my tongue
was busy searching out the hole where the tooth had been. I suddenly felt very
worried, but could not say anything. When the dentist at last removed the
cotton-wool from my mouth, I was able to tell him that he had pulled out the
wrong tooth.
Lesson49 The end of a dream 美梦告终
Tired of sleeping on the floor, a young man in Teheran saved up for years to
buy a real bed. For the first time in his life, he became the proud owner of a
bed which had springs and a mattress. Because the weather was very hot, he
carried the bed on to the roof of his house. He slept very well for the first
two nights, but on the third night, a storm blew up. A gust of wind swept the
bed off the roof and sent it crashing into the courtyard below. The young man
did not wake up until the bed had struck the ground. Although the bed was
smashed to pieces, the man was miraculously unhurt. When he woke up, he was
still on the mattress. Glancing at the bits of wood and metal that lay around
him, the man sadly picked up the mattress and carried it into his house. After
he had put it on the floor, he promptly went to sleep again.
Lesson50 Taken for a ride 乘车兜风
I love travelling in the country, but I don't like losing my way. I went on an
excursion recently, but my trip took me longer than I expected. '
I'm going to Woodford Green,' I said to the conductor as I got on the bus,' but
I don't know where it is.' ' I'll tell you where to get off,' answered the
conductor.
I sat in the front of the bus to get a good view of the countryside. After some
time, the bus stopped. Looking round, I realized with a shock that I was the
only passenger left on the bus.
' You'll have to get off here,' the conductor said. 'This is as far as we go.'
' Is this Woodford Green ?' I asked. 'Oh dear,' said the conductor suddenly.' I
forgot to put you off.' 'It doesn't matter,' I said. 'I'll get off here.' 'We
are going back now,' said the conductor. 'Well, in that case, I prefer to stay
on the bus,' I answered.
Lesson51 Reward for virtue 对美德的奖赏
My friend, Herbert, has always been fat, but things got so bad recently that he
decided to go on a diet. He began his diet a week ago. First of all, he wrote
out a long list of all the foods which were forbidden. The list included most
of the things Herbert loves: butter, potatoes, rice, beer, milk, chocolate, and
sweets. Yesterday I paid him a visit. I rang the bell and was not surprised to
see that Herbert was still as fat as ever. He led me into his room and
hurriedly hid a large parcel under his desk. It was obvious that he was very
embarrassed. When I asked him what he was doing, he smiled guiltily and then
put the parcel on the desk. He explained that his diet was so strict that he
had to reward himself occasionally. Then he showed me the contents of the
parcel. It contained five large bars of chocolate and three bags of sweets!
Lesson52 A pretty carpet 漂亮的地毯
We have just moved into a new house and I have been working hard all morning. I
have been trying to get my new room in order. This has not been easy because I
own over a thousand books. To make matters worse, the room is rather small, so
I have temporarily put my books on the floor. At the moment, they cover every
inch of floor space and I actually have to walk on them to get in or out of the
room. A short while ago, my sister helped me to carry one of my old bookcases
up the stairs. She went into my room and got a big surprise when she saw all
those books on the floor. 'This is the prettiest carpet I have ever seen,' she
said. She gazed at it for some time then added, 'You don't need bookcases at
all. You can sit here in your spare time and read the carpet!'
Lesson53 Hot snake 触电的蛇
At last firemen have put out a big forest fire in California. Since then, they
have been trying to find out how the fire began. Forest fire are often caused
by broken glass or by cigarette ends which people carelessly throw away.
Yesterday the firemen examined the ground carefully, but were not able to find
any broken glass. They were also quite sure that a cigarette end did not start
the fire. This morning, however, a fireman accidentally discovered the cause.
He noticed the remains of a snake which was wound round the electric wires of a
16,000-volt power line. In this way, he was able to solve the mystery. The
explanation was simple but very unusual. A bird had snatched up the snake from
the ground and then dropped it on to the wires. The snake then wound itself
round the wires. When it did so, it sent sparks down to the ground and these
immediately started a fire.
Lesson54 Sticky fingers 粘糊的手指
After breakfast, I sent the children to school and then I went to market. It
was still early when I returned home. The children were at school, my husband
was at work and the house was quiet. So I decided to make some tarts for tea.
In a short time I was busy mixing butter and flour and my hands were soon
covered with sticky pastry. At exactly that moment, the telephone rang. Nothing
could have been more annoying. I picked up the receiver between two sticky
fingers and was dismayed when I recognized the voice of Mrs Bates. It took me
ten minutes to persuade her to ring back later. At last I hung up the receiver.
What a mess! There was pastry on my fingers, on the telephone, and on the
door-knobs. I had no sooner got back to the kitchen than the door-bell rang
loud enough to wake the dead. This time it was the postman and he wanted me to
sign for a registered letter !
Lesson55 Not a gold mine 并非金矿
Dreams of finding lost treasure almost came true recently. A new machine called
'The Revealer' has been invented and it has been used to detect gold which has
been buried in the ground. The machine was used in a cave near the seashore
where--it is said--pirates used to hide gold. The pirates would often bury gold
in the cave and then fail to collect it. Armed with the new machine, a search
party went into the cave hoping to find buried treasure. The leader of the
party was examining the soil near the entrance to the cave when the machine
showed that there was gold under the ground. Very excited, the party dug a hole
two feet deep. They finally found a small gold coin which was almost worthless.
The party then searched the whole cave thoroughly but did not find anything
except an empty tin trunk. In spite of this, many people are confident that
'The Revealer' may reveal something of value fairly soon.
Lesson56 Faster than sound! 比声音还快!
Once a year a race is held for old cars. A lot of cars entered for this race
last year and there was a great deal of excitement just before it began. One of
the most handsome cars was a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. The most unusual car was
a Benz which had only three wheels. Built in 1885, it was the oldest car taking
part. After a great many loud explosions, the race began. Many of the cars
broke down on the course and some drivers spent more time under their cars than
in them ! A few cars, however, completed the race. The winning car reached a
speed of forty miles an hour--much faster than any of its rivals. It sped
downhill at the end of the race and its driver had a lot of trouble trying to
stop it. The race gave everyone a great deal of pleasure. It was very different
from modern car races but no less exciting.
Lesson57 Can I help you, madam? 你要买什么,夫人?
A woman in blue jeans stood at the window of an expensive shop. Though she
hesitated for a moment, she finally went in and asked to see a dress that was
in the window. The assistant who served her did not like the way she was
dressed. Glancing at her scornfully, he told her that the dress was sold. The
woman walked out of the shop angrily and decided to punish the assistant next
day. She returned to the shop the following morning dressed in a fur coat, with
a handbag in one hand and a long umbrella in the other. After seeking out the
rude assistant she asked for the same dress. Not realizing who she was, the
assistant was eager to serve her this time with great difficulty, he climbed
into the shop window to get the dress. As soon as she saw it, the woman said
she did not like it. She enjoyed herself making the assistant bring almost
everything in the window before finally buying the dress she had first asked
for.
Lesson58 A blessing in disguise? 是因祸得福吗?
The tiny village of Frinley is said to possess a 'cursed tree'. Because the
tree was mentioned in a newspaper, the number of visitors to Frinley has now
increased. The tree was planted near a church fifty years ago, but it is only
in recent years that it has gained an evil reputation. It is said that if
anyone touches the tree, he will have bad luck; if he picks a leaf, he will
die. Many villagers believe that the tree has already claimed a number of
victims. The vicar has been asked to have the tree cut down, but so far he has
refused. He has pointed out that the tree is a useful source of income as
tourists have been coming from all parts of the country to see it. In spite of
all that has been said, the tourists-have been picking leaves and cutting their
names on the tree-trunk. So far, not one of them has been struck down by sudden
death!
Lesson59 In or out ? 进来还是出去?
Our dog, Rex, used to sit outside our front gate and bark. Every time he wanted
to come into the garden he would bark until someone opened the gate. As the
neighbours complained of the noise, my husband spent weeks training him to
press his paw on the latch to let himself in. Rex soon became an expert at
opening the gate. However, when I was going out shopping last week, I noticed
him in the garden near the gate. This time he was barking so that someone would
let him out ! Since then, he has developed another bad habit. As soon as he
opens the gate from the outside, he comes into the garden and waits until the
gate shuts. Then he sits and barks until someone lets him out. After this he
immediately lets himself in and begins barking again. Yesterday my husband
removed the gate and Rex got so annoyed we have not seen him since.
Lesson60 The future 卜算未来
At a village fair, I decided to visit a fortune-teller called Madam Bellinsky.
I went into her tent and she told me to sit down. After I had given her some
money, she looked into a crystal ball and said: 'A relation of yours is coming
to see you. She will be arriving this evening and intends to stay for a few
days. The moment you leave this tent, you will get a big surprise. A woman you
know well will rush towards you. She will speak to you and then she will lead
you away from this place. That is all.' As soon as I went outside, I forgot all
about Madam Bellinsky because my wife hurried towards me. 'Where have you been
hiding ?' she asked impatiently. 'Your sister will be here in less than an hour
and we must be at the station to meet her. We are late already.' As she walked
away, I followed her out of the fair.
Lesson61 Trouble with the Hubble 哈勃望远镜的困境
In future, astronauts will be required to descend from a spaceship while it is
still in space and to return to it. The ability to do this will be necessary in
future flights to distant planets. Scientists are now trying to discover if
this is possible. The spaceship Astra which left the earth a short time ago,
will be travelling three hundred miles into space. At a certain point, the
Astra will stop for a short time and an astronaut will attempt to leave the
stationary spaceship and then return to it. We shall not know whether the
experiment has been successful until we have received a radio message. The
first message is expected to arrive at 7 o'clock this evening. By that time,
the Astra will have been flying through space for seventeen hours and will have
circled the earth a great many times. When the first radio messages have been
received, the results of the trip will be announced immediately.
Lesson62 After the fire 大火之后
Firemen had been fighting the forest fire for nearly three weeks before they
could get it under control. A short time before, great trees had covered the
countryside for miles around. Now, smoke still rose up from the warm ground
over the desolate hills. Winter was coming on and the hills threatened the
surrounding villages with destruction, for heavy rain would not only wash away
the soil but would cause serious floods as well. When the fire had at last been
put out, the forest authorities ordered several tons of a special type of
grass-seed which would grow quickly. The seed was sprayed over the ground in
huge quantities by aeroplanes. The planes had been planting seed for nearly a
month when it began to rain. By then, however, in many places the grass had
already taken root. In place of the great trees which had been growing there
for centuries, patches of green had begun to appear in the blackened soil.
Lesson63 She was not amused 她并不觉得好笑
Geoffrey Hampden has a large circle of friends and is very popular at parties.
Everybody admires him for his fine sense of humor--everybody, that is, except
his six-year-old daughter, Jenny. Recently, one of Geoffrey's closest friends
asked him to make a speech at a wedding reception. This is the sort of thing that
Geoffrey loves. He prepared the speech carefully and went to the wedding with
Jenny. He had included a large number of funny stories in the speech and, of
course, it was a great success. As soon as he had finished, Jenny told him she
wanted to go home. Geoffrey was a little disappointed by this but he did as his
daughter asked. On the way home, he asked Jenny if she had enjoyed the speech.
To his surprise, she said she hadn't. Geoffrey asked her why this was so and
she told him that she did not like to see so many people laughing at him!
Lesson64 The Channel Tunnel 海峡隧道
In l858, a French engineer, Aime Thome de Gamond, arrived in England with a
plan for a twenty-one mile tunnel across the English Channel. He said that it
would be possible to build a platform in the centre of the Channel. This
platform would serve as a port and a railway station. The tunnel would be
well-ventilated if tall chimneys were built above sea-level. In 1860, a better
plan was put forward by an Englishman, William Low. He suggested that a double
railway tunnel should be built. This would solve the problem of ventilation,
for if a train entered this tunnel, it would draw in fresh air behind it.
Forty-two years later a tunnel was actually begun. If, at the time, the British
had not feared invasion, it would have been completed. Recently, there has
again been great interest in the idea of a Channel Tunnel. If it is built, it
will connect Britain to Europe for the first time in history.
Lesson65 Jumbo versus the police 小象对警察
Last Christmas, the circus owner, Jimmy Gates, decided to take some presents to
a children's hospital. Dressed up as Father Christmas and accompanied by a
'guard of honour' of six pretty girls, he set off down the main street of the
city riding a baby elephant called Jumbo. He, should have known that the police
would never allow this sort of thing. A policeman approached Jimmy and told him
he ought to have gone along a side-street as Jumbo was holding up the traffic.
Though Jimmy agreed to go at once, Jumbo refused to move. Fifteen policemen had
to push very hard to get him off the main street. The police had a difficult
time, but they were most amused. 'Jumbo must weigh a few tons,' said a
policeman afterwards, 'so it was fortunate that we didn't have to carry him. Of
course, we should arrest him, but as he has a good record, we shall let him off
this time.'
Lesson66 Sweet as honey! 像蜜一样甜!
The Hatheld Puffin is a modern aero-plane, but its designer, Mr John Wimpenny,
is finding it difficult to get it off the ground. The reason for this is that
this plane is also a bicycle. Its pilot has to pedal hard to get it into the
air. After Mr Wimpenny had the plane built, it was tested thoroughly. In 1961,
it was the first man-powered aircraft to fly half a mile. While being flown by
a champion amateur cyclist in 1963, the plane crashed on an airfield. Since
then, Mr Wimpenny has had it rebuilt. He has had the length of the wings
increased so that they now measure 93 feet--almost as long as those of a
Dakota. Many people have shown interest in this new and unusual sport. But
though air cyclists may learn how to fly over short distances, and may,
eventually, even get across the English Channel, it is doubtful whether they
will ever cycle across the Atlantic.
Lesson67 Volcanoes 火山
Haroun Tazieff the Polish scientist, has spent his life-time studying active
volcanoes and deep caves in all parts of the world. In 1948, he went to lake
Kivu in the Congo to observe a new volcano which he later named Kituro. Tazieff
was able to set up his camp very close to the volcano while it was erupting
violently. Though he managed to take a number of brilliant photographs, he
could not stay near the volcano for very long. He noticed that a river of
liquid rock was coming towards him. It threatened to surround him completely,
but Tazieff managed to escape just in time. He waited until the volcano became
quiet and he was able to return two days later. This time, he managed to climb
into the mouth of Kituro so that he could take photographs and
measure temperatures. Tazieff has often risked his life in this way. He has
been able to tell us more about active volcanoes than any man alive.
Lesson68 Persistent 纠缠不休
I crossed the street to avoid meeting him, but he saw me and came running
towards me. It was no use pretending that I had not seen him, so I waved to
him. I never enjoy meeting Bert Dykes. He never has anything to do. No matter
how busy you are, he always insists on coming with you. I had to think of a way
of preventing him from following me around all morning.
'Hullo, Bert,' I said. 'Fancy meeting you here !'
'Hullo, Elizabeth,' Bert answered. ' I was just wondering how to spend the
morning--until I saw you. You're not busy doing anything, are you ?'
' No, not at all,' I answered.' I'm going to.. .'
'Would you mind my coming with you ?' he asked, before I had finished speaking.
‘ Not at all,' I lied, 'but I'm going to the dentist.'
' Then I'll come with you,' he answered.' There's always plenty to read in the
'waiting room !'
lesson69 But not murder! 并非谋杀!
I was being tested for a driving licence for the third time. I had been asked
to drive in heavy traffic and had done so successfully. After having been
instructed to drive out of town, I began to acquire confidence. Sure that I had
passed, I was almost beginning to enjoy my test. The examiner must have been
pleased with my performance, for he smiled and said, 'Just one more thing, Mr
Eames. Let us suppose that a child suddenly crosses the road in front of you.
As soon as I tap on the window, I want the car to be stopped immediately.' I
continued driving and after some time, the examiner tapped loudly. Though the
sound could be heard clearly, it took me a long time to react. I suddenly
pressed the brake pedal hard and we were both thrown forward. The examiner
looked at me sadly. 'Mr Eames,' he said, in a mournful voice,' you have just
killed that child !'
lesson70 Red for danger 危险的红色
During a bullfight, a drunk suddenly wandered into the middle of the ring. The
crowd began to shout, but the drunk was unaware of the danger. The bull was
busy with the matador at the time, but it suddenly caught sight of the drunk
who was shouting rude remarks and waving a red cap. Apparently sensitive to
criticism, the bull forgot all about the matador and charged at the drunk. The
crowd suddenly grew quiet. The drunk, however, seemed quite sure of himself.
When the bull got close to him, he clumsily stepped aside to let it pass. The
crowd broke into cheers and the drunk bowed. By this time, however, three men
had come into the ring and they quickly dragged the drunk to safety. Even the
bull seemed to feel sorry for him, for it looked on sympathetically until the
drunk was out of the way before once more turning its attention to the matador.
Lesson71 A famous clock 一个著名的大钟
When you visit London, one of the first things you will see is Big Ben, the
famous clock which can be heard all over the world on the B.B.C. If the Houses
of Parliament had hot been burned down in 1834, the great clock would never
have been erected. Big Ben takes its name from Sir Benjamin Hall who was
responsible for the making of the clock when the new Houses of Parliament were
being built. It is not only of immense size, but is extremely accurate as well.
Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day. On the
B.B.C. you can hear the clock when it is actually striking because microphones
are connected to the clock tower. Big Ben has rarely gone wrong. Once, however,
it failed to give the correct time. A painter who had been working on the tower
hung a pot of paint on one of the hands and slowed it down !
Lesson72 A car called Bluebird “蓝鸟”汽车
The great racing driver, Sir Malcolm Campbell, was the first man to drive at
over 300 miles per hour. He set up a new world record in September 1935 at
Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah. Bluebird, the car he was driving, had been
specially built for him. It was over 30 feet in length and had a 2500
horse-power engine. Although Campbell reached a speed of over 304 miles per
hour, he had great difficulty in controlling the car because a tyre burst
during the first run. After his attempt, Campbell was disappointed to learn
that his average speed had been 299 miles per hour. However, a few days later,
he was told that a mistake had been made. His average speed had been 301 miles
per hour. Since that time, racing drivers have reached speeds of over 400 miles
an hour. Following his father's footsteps many years later, Sir
Malcolm's son, Donald, also set up a world record. Like his father, he was
driving a car called Bluebird.
Lesson73 The record-holder 纪录保持者
Little boys who play truant from school are unimaginative. A quiet day's
fishing, or eight hours in a cinema seeing the same film over and over again,
is usually as far as they get. They have all been put to shame by a boy who,
while playing truant, travelled 1600 miles. He hitch- hiked to Dover and,
towards evening, went into a boat to find somewhere to sleep. When he woke up
next morning, he discovered that the boat had, in the meantime, travelled to
Calais. No one noticed the boy as he crept off. From there, he hitch-hiked to
Paris in a lorry. The driver gave him a few biscuits and a cup of coffee and
left him just outside the city. The next car the boy stopped did not take him
into the centre of Paris as he hoped it would, but to Perpignan on the French-Spanish
border. There he was picked up by a policeman and sent back to England by the
local authorities. He has surely set up a record for the thousands of boys who
dream of evading school.
Lesson74 Out of the limelight 舞台之外
An ancient bus stopped by a dry river bed and a party of famous actors and
actresses got off. Dressed in dark glasses and old clothes, they had taken
special precautions so that no one should recognize them. But as they soon
discovered, disguises can sometimes be too perfect.
'This is a wonderful place for a picnic,' said Gloria Gleam.
' It couldn't be better, Gloria,' Brinksley Meers agreed. 'No newspaper men, no
film fans! Why don't we come more often ?'
Meanwhile, two other actors, Rockwall Slinger and Merlin Greeves, had carried
two large food baskets to a shady spot under some trees. When they had all made
themselves comfortable, a stranger appeared. He looked very angry.
'Now you gut out of here, all of you!' he shouted: ' I'm sheriff here. Do you
see that notice ? It says" No Camping"-in case you can't read !'
' Look, sheriff, 'said Rockwall,' don't be too hard on us. I'm Rockwall Slinger
and this is Merlin Greeves.'
' Oh, is it ?' said the sheriff with a sneer. 'Well, I'm Brinksley Meers, and
my other name is Gloria Gleam. Now you get out of here fast !'
lesson75 SOS 呼救信号
When a light passenger plane flew off course some time ago, it crashed in the
mountains and its pilot was killed. The only passengers, a young woman and her
two baby daughters, were unhurt. It was the middle of winter.
Snow lay thick on the ground. The woman knew that the nearest
village was miles away. When it grew dark. she turned a suitcase into a bed and
put the children inside it, covering them with all the clothes she could find.
During the night, it got terribly cold. The woman kept as near as she could to
the children and even tried to get into the case herself, but it was too small.
Early ,next morning she heard planes passing overhead and wondered how she
could send a signal. Then she had an idea. She stamped out the letters' SOS' in
the snow. Fortunately, a pilot saw the signal and sent a message by radio to
the nearest town. It was not long before a helicopter arrived on the scene to
rescue the survivors of the plane crash.
Lesson76 April Fools Day 愚人节
'To end our special news bulletin,' said the voice of the television
announcer,' we are taking you to the macaroni fields of Calabria. Macaroni has
been grown in this area for over six hundred years. Two of the leading growers,
Giuseppe Moldova and Ricardo Brabante, tell me that they have been expecting a
splendid crop this year and harvesting has begun earlier than usual. Here you
can see two workers who, between them, have just finished cutting three
cart-loads of golden brown
macaroni stalks. The whole village has been working day and night gathering and
threshing this year's crop before the September rains. On the right, you can
see Mrs Brabante herself. She has been helping her husband for thirty years
now. Mrs Brabante is talking to the manager of the local factory
where the crop is processed. This last scene shows you what will happen at the
end of the harvest : the famous Calabrian macaroni-eating competition ! Signor
Fratelli, the present champion, has won it every year since 1961. And that ends
our special bulletin for today, Thursday, April 1st. We are now returning you
to the studio.'
Lesson77 A successful operation 一例成功的手术
The mummy of an Egyptian woman who died in 800 B.C. has just had an operation.
The mummy is that of Shepenmut who was once a singer in the Temple of Thebes.
As there were strange marks on the X-ray plates taken of the mummy, doctors
have been trying to find out whether the woman died of a rare disease. The only
way to do this was to operate. The operation, which lasted for over four hours,
proved to be very difficult because of the hard resin which covered the skin.
The doctors removed a section of the mummy and sent it to a laboratory. They
also found something which the X-ray of the god Duamutef. This god which has
the head of a cow was normally placed
inside a mummy. The doctors have not yet decided how the woman died. They
feared that the mummy would fall to pieces when they cut it open, but
fortunately this has not happened. The mummy successfully survived the
operation.
Lesson78 The last one? 最后一枝吗?
After reading an article entitled 'Cigarette Smoking and Your Health' I lit a
cigarette to calm my nerves. I smoked with concentration and pleasure as I was
sure that this would be my last cigarette. For a whole week I did not smoke at
all and during this time, my wife suffered terribly. I had all the usual
symptoms of someone giving up smoking: a bad temper and an enormous appetite.
My friends kept on offering me cigarettes and cigars. They made no effort to
hide their amusement whenever I produced a packet of sweets from my pocket.
After seven days of this I went to a party. Everybody around me was smoking and
I felt extremely uncomfortable. When my old friend Brian urged me to accept a
cigarette, it was more than I could bear. I took one guiltily, lit it and
smoked with satisfaction. My wife was delighted that things had returned to
normal once more. Anyway, as Brian pointed out, it is the easiest thing in the
world to give up smoking. He himself has done it lots of times!
Lesson79 By air 乘飞机
I used to travel by air a great deal when I was a boy. My parents, used to live
in South America and I used to fly there from Europe in the holidays. An
airhostess would take charge of me and I never had an unpleasant experience. I
am used to travelling by air and only on one occasion have I ever felt
frightened. After taking off, we were flying low over the city and slowly
gaining height, when the plane suddenly turned round and flew back to the
airport. While we were waiting to land, an air-hostess told us to keep calm and
to get off the plane quietly as soon as it had touched down. Everybody on board
was worried and we were curious to find out what had happened. Later we learnt
that there was a very important person on board. The police had been told that
a bomb had been planted on the plane. After we had landed, the plane was
searched thoroughly. Fortunately, nothing was found and five hours later we
were able to take off again.
Lesson80 The Crystal Palace 水晶宫
Perhaps the most extraordinary building of the nineteenth century was the
Crystal Palace, which was built in Hyde Park for the Great Exhibition of 1851.
The Crystal Palace was different from all other buildings in the world, for it
was made of iron and glass. It was one of the biggest buildings of all time and
a lot of people from many countries came to see it. A great many goods were
sent to the exhibition from various parts of the world. There was also a great
deal of machinery on display. The most wonderful piece of machinery on show was
Nasmyth's steam hammer. Though in those days, travelling was not as easy as it
is today, steam boats carried thousands of visitors across the Channel from
Europe. On arriving in England, they were taken to the Crystal Palace by train.
There were six million visitors in all, and the profits from the exhibition
were used to build museums and colleges. Later, the Crystal Palace was moved to
South London. It remained one of the most famous buildings in the world until
it was burnt down in 1936.
Lesson81 Escape 脱逃
When he had killed the guard, the prisoner of war quickly dragged him into the
bushes. Working rapidly in the darkness, he soon changed into the dead man's
clothes. Now, dressed in a blue uniform and with a rifle over his shoulder, the
prisoner marched boldly up and down in front of the camp. He could hear
shouting in the camp itself. Lights were blazing and men were running here and
there: they had just discovered that a prisoner had escaped. At that moment, a
large black car with four officers inside it, stopped at the camp gates. The
officers got out and the prisoner stood to attention and saluted as they
passed. When they had gone, the driver of the car came towards him. The man
obviously wanted to talk. He was rather elderly with grey hair and clear blue
eyes. The prisoner felt sorry for him, but there was nothing else he could do.
As the man came near, the prisoner knocked him to the ground with a sharp blow.
Then, jumping into the car, he drove off as quickly as he could.
Lesson82 Monster or fish? 是妖还是鱼?
Fishermen and sailors sometimes claim to have seen monsters in the sea. Though
people have often laughed at stories told by seamen, it is now known that many
of these 'monsters' which have at times been sighted are simply strange fish.
Occasionally, unusual creatures are washed to the shore, but they
are rarely caught out at sea. Some time ago, however, a peculiar fish was
caught near Madagascar. A small fishing-boat was carried miles out to sea by
the powerful fish as it pulled on the line. Realizing that this was no ordinary
fish, the fisherman made every effort not to damage it in any way. When it was
eventually brought to shore, it was found to be over thirteen feet long. It had
a head like a horse, big blue eyes, shining silver skin, and a bright red tail,
The fish, which has since been sent to a museum where it is being examined by a
scientist, is called an oarfish. Such creatures have rarely been seen alive by
man as they live at a depth of six hundred feet.
Lesson83 After the elections 大选之后
The former Prime Minister, Mr Wentworth Lane, was defeated in the recent
elections. He is now retiring from political life and has gone abroad. My
friend, Crawley, has always been a fanatical opponent of Mr Lane's Radical
Progressive Party. After the elections, Crawley went to the former Prime
Minister's house. When he asked if Mr Lane lived there, the policeman on duty
told him that since his defeat, the ex-Prime Minister had gone abroad. On the
following day, Crawley went to the house again. The same policeman was just
walking slowly past the entrance, when Crawley asked the same question. Though
a little suspicious this time, the policeman gave him the same answer. The day
after, Crawley went to the house once more and asked exactly the same question.
This time, the policeman lost his temper.' I told you yesterday and the day
before yesterday,' he shouted, 'Mr Lane was defeated in the elections. He has
retired from political life and gone to live abroad !' ' I know,' answered
Crawley,' but I love to hear you say it !'
Lesson84 On strike 罢工
Busmen have decided to go on strike next week. The strike is due to begin on
Tuesday. No one knows how long it will last. The busmen have stated that the
strike will continue until general agreement is reached about pay and working
conditions. Most people believe that the strike will last for at least a week.
Many owners of private cars are going to offer 'free rides' to people on their
way to work. This will relieve pressure on the trains to some extent.
Meanwhile, a number of university students have volunteered to drive buses
while the strike lasts. All the young men are expert drivers, but before they
drive any of the buses, they will have to pass a special test. The students are
going to take the test in two days' time. Even so, people are going to find it
difficult to get to work. But so far, the public has expressed its gratitude to
the students in letters to the Press. Only one or two people have objected that
the students will drive too fast!
Lesson85 Never too old to learn 活到老学到老
I have just received a letter from my old school informing me that my former
head- master, Mr Regmald Page, will be retiring next week. Pupils of the
school, old and new, will be sending him a present to mark the occasion. All
those who have contributed towards the gift will sign their names in a large
album which will be sent to the headmaster's home. We shall all remember Mr
Page for his patience and understanding and for the kindly encouragement he
gave us when we went so unwillingly to school. A great many former pupils will
be attending a farewell dinner in his honour next Thursday. It is a curious
coincidence that the day before his retirement, Mr Page will have been teaching
for a total of forty years. After he has retired, he will devote himself to
gardening. For him, this will be an entirely new hobby. But this does not
matter, for, as he has often remarked, one is never too old to learn.
Lesson86 Out of control 失控
As the man tried to swing the speed-boat round, the steering-wheel came away in
his hands. He waved desperately to his companion, who had been water-skiing for
the last fifteen minutes. Both men had hardly had time to realize what was
happening when they were thrown violent1y into the sea. The speed-boat had
struck a buoy, but it continued to move very quickly across the water. Both men
had just begun to swim towards the shore. when they noticed with dismay that
the speed-boat was moving in a circle. It now came straight towards them at
tremendous speed. In less than a minute, it roared past them only a few feet
away. After it had passed, they swam on as quickly as they could because they
knew that the boat would soon return. They had just had enough time to swim out
of danger when the boat again completed a circle. On this occasion, however, it
had slowed down considerably. The petrol had nearly all been used up. Before
long, the noise dropped completely and the boat began to drift gently across
the water.
Lesson87 A perfect alibi 极好的不在犯罪现场的证据
'At the time the murder was committed, I was travelling on the 8.0 o'clock
train to London,' said the man.
'Do you always catch such an early train ?' asked the inspector.
'Of course I do,' answered the man.' I must be at work at 10.0 o'clock. My
employer will confirm that I was there on time.'
' Would a later train get you to work on time ?' asked the inspector.
' I suppose it would, but I never catch a later train.'
'At what time did you arrive at the station ?'
'At ten to eight. I bought a paper and waited for the train.'
'And you didn't notice anything unusual ?'
' Of course not.'
'I suggest,' said the inspector, 'that you are not telling the truth. I suggest
that you did not catch the 8.0 o'clock train, but that you caught the 8.25
which would still get you to work on time. You see, on the morning of the
murder, the 8.0 o'clock train did not run at all. It broke down at Ferngreen
station and was taken off the line.'
Lesson88 Trapped in a mine 困在矿井里
Six men have been trapped in a mine for seventeen hours. If they are not
brought to the surface soon they may lose their lives. However, rescue
operations are proving difficult. If explosives are used, vibrations will cause
the roof of the mine to collapse. Rescue workers are therefore drilling a hole
on the north side of the mine. They intend to bring the men up in a special
capsule. If there had not been a hard layer of rock beneath the soil, they
would have completed the job in a few hours. As it is, they have been drilling
for sixteen hours and they still have a long way to go. Meanwhile, a
microphone, which was lowered into the mine two hours ago, has enabled the men
to keep in touch with the closest relatives. Though they are running out of
food and drink, the men are cheerful and confident that they will get out soon.
They have been told that rescue operations are progressing smoothly. If they
knew how difficult it was to drill through the hard rock, they would lose
heart.
Lesson89 A slip of the tongue 口误
People will do anything to see a free show--even if it is a bad one. When the
news got round that a variety show would be presented at our local cinema by
the P. and U. Bird Seed Company, we all rushed to see it. We had to queue for
hours to get in and there must have been several hundred people present just
be- fore the show began. Unfortunately, the show was one of the dullest we have
ever seen. Those who failed to get in need not have felt disappointed as many
of the artistes who should have appeared did not come. The only funny things we
heard that evening came from the advertiser at the beginning of the programme.
He was obviously very nervous and for some minutes stood awkwardly before the
microphone. As soon as he opened his mouth, everyone burst out laughing. We all
know what the poor man should have said, but what he actually said was: 'This
is the Poo and Ee Seed Bird Company. Good ladies, evening and gentlemen !'
lesson90 Whats for supper ? 晚餐吃什么?
Though Brazil is one of the richest countries in the world, much of it has not
yet been developed. It was mainly for this reason that the Brazilian government
decided to have a new city built 600 miles north-west of Rio de Janeiro.
Designed by the great architect Lucio Costa, the new city, Brasilia, replaced
Rio de Janeiro as the capital of Brazif in 1960. Brasilia has been carefully
planned for modern living. Its wide roads, which can take fourteen lanes of
traffic, have been kept
away from living areas. Children do not have to cross busy streets to go to
school. Housewives can visit-shopping centres on foot, for in these specially
designed living areas, cars are unnecessary. At first, the government had great
difficulty in persuading people to leave Rio and to settle in Brasilia. Since
1960, however, the population has been growing all the time. Brasilia has
quickly established itself as the capital of the country. The idea to have the
capital moved so far inland will have a great effect on the future of Brazil.
Lesson91 Three men in a basket 三人同篮
A pilot noticed a balloon which seemed to be making for a Royal Air Force
Station nearby. He informed the station at once, but no one there was able to
explain the mystery. The officer in the control tower was very angry when he
heard the news, because balloons can be a great danger to aircraft. He said
that someone might by spying on the station and the pilot was ordered to keep
track of the strange object. The pilot managed to circle the balloon for some
time. He could make out three men in a basket under it and one of them was
holding field-glasses. When the balloon was over the station, the pilot saw one
of the men taking photographs. Soon afterwards, the balloon began to descend
and it landed near an airfield. The police were called in, but they could not
arrest anyone, for the basket contained two Members of Parliament and the
Commanding Officer of the station! As the Commanding Officer explained later,
one half of the station did not know what the other half was doing !
Lesson92 Asking for trouble 自找麻烦
It must have been about two in the morning when I returned home. I tried to
wake up my wife by ringing the door-bell, but she was fast asleep, so I got a
ladder from the shed in the garden, put it against the wall, and began climbing
towards the bedroom window. I was almost there when a sarcastic voice below
said,' I don't think the windows need cleaning at this time of the night.'
I looked down and nearly fell off the ladder when I saw a policeman. I
immediately regretted answering in the way I did, but I said, 'I enjoy cleaning
windows at night.'
'So do I,' answered the policeman in the same tone. 'Excuse my interrupting
you. I hate to interrupt a man when he's busy working, but would you mind
coming with me to the station ?'
'Well, I'd prefer to stay here,' I said. 'You see, I've forgotten my key.'
'Your what ?' he called.
'My key,' I shouted.'
Fortunately, the shouting woke up my wife who opened the window just as the
policeman had started to climb towards me.
Lesson93 A noble gift 崇高的礼物
One of the most famous monuments in the world, the Statue of Liberty, was
presented to the United States of America in the nineteenth century by the
people of France. The great statue, which was designed by the sculptor Auguste
Bartholdi, took ten years to complete. The actual figure was made of copper
supported by a metal framework which had been especially constructed by Eiffel.
Before it could be transported to the United States, a site had to be found for
it and a pedestal had to be built. The site chosen was an island at the
entrance of New York Harbour. By 1884, a statue which was 151 feet tall, had
been erected in Paris. The following year, it was taken to pieces and sent to
America. By the end of October 1886, the statue had been put together again and
it was officially presented to the American people by Bartholdi. Ever since
then, the great monument has been a symbol of liberty for the millions of
people who have passed through New York Harbour to make their homes in America.
Lesson94 Future champions 未来的冠军
Experiments have proved that children can be instructed in swimming at a very
early age. At a special swimming pool in Los Angeles, children become expert at
holding their breath under water even before they can walk. Babies of two months
old do not appear to be reluctant to enter the water, It is not long before
they are so accustomed to swimming that they can pick up weights from the floor
of the pool. A game that is very popular with these young swimmers is the
underwater tricycle race. Tricycles are lined up on the floor of the pool seven
feet under water. The children compete against each other to reach the other
end of the pool. Many pedal their tricycles, but most of them prefer to push or
drag them. Some children can cover the whole length of the pool without coming
up for breath even once. Whether they will ever become future Olympic
champions, only time will tell. Meanwhile, they should encourage those among us
who cannot swim five yards before they are gasping for air.
Lesson95 A fantasy 纯属虚构
When the Ambassador of Escalopia returned home for lunch, his wife got a shock.
He looked pale and his clothes were in a frightful state.
'What has happened ?' she asked.
'How did your clothes get into such a mess ?'
'A fire-extinguisher, my dear,' answered the Ambassador drily. 'University
students set the Embassy on fire this morning.'
'Good heavens!' exclaimed his wife. 'And where were you at the time ?'
'I was in my office as usual,' answered the Ambassador. 'The fire broke out in
the basement. I went down immediately. of course, and that fool, Horst, aimed a
fire-extinguisher at me. He thought I was on fire. I must definitely get that
fellow posted.'
The Ambassador's wife went on asking questions, when she suddenly noticed a big
hole in her husband's hat. 'And how can you explain that ?' she
asked.
'Oh, that,' said the Ambassador. 'Someone fired a shot through my office
window. Accurate, don't you think ? Fortunately, I wasn't wearing it at the
time. If I had been, I would not have been able to get home for lunch.'
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