1、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 fo
2、r 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 ste
3、ering-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
4、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 swa
5、m 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 drop
6、ped 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 oclock train to London, said the man. Do you always catch such an early train ? asked the inspector. Of course I do, answered th
7、e man. I must be at work at 10.0 oclock. 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 waite
8、d for the train. And you didnt 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 oclock train, but that you caught the 8.25 which would still get you to work on time. You see, on the morning of the mur
9、der, the 8.0 oclock 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
10、 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 woul
11、d 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 f
12、ood 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
13、 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 beg
14、an. 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 w
15、as 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 gentlem
16、en ! 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 archit
17、ect 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
18、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.
19、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 i
20、nformed 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 th
21、e 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 a
22、nd 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 ! Le
23、sson92 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 a
24、lmost there when a sarcastic voice below said, I dont 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 t
25、he policeman in the same tone. Excuse my interrupting you. I hate to interrupt a man when hes busy working, but would you mind coming with me to the station ? Well, Id prefer to stay here, I said. You see, Ive forgotten my key. Your what ? he called. My key, I shouted. Fortunately, the shouting woke
26、 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
27、, 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 h
28、ad 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 offic
29、ially 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 instr
30、ucted 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
31、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 pe
32、dal 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
33、 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-extinguishe
34、r, 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 th
35、at fool, Horst, aimed a fire-extinguisher at me. He thought I was on fire. I must definitely get that fellow posted. The Ambassadors wife went on asking questions, when she suddenly noticed a big hole in her husbands hat. And how can you explain that ? she asked. Oh, that, said the Ambassador. Someo
36、ne fired a shot through my office window. Accurate, dont you think ? Fortunately, I wasnt wearing it at the time. If I had been, I would not have been able to get home for lunch. Lesson96 The dead return 亡灵返乡 A Festival for the Dead is held once a year in Japan. This festival is a cheerful occasion,
37、 for on this day, the dead are said to return to their homes and they are welcomed by the living. As they are expected to be hungry after their long journey, food is laid out for them. Specially-made lanterns are hung outside each house to help the dead to find their way. All night long, people danc
38、e and sing. In the early morning, the food that had been laid out for the dead is thrown into apatience 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
39、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 o
40、ld 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
41、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.
42、 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 ha
43、d 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 oclock train to London, said the
44、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 oclock. 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
45、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 didnt 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 oclock train, but that yo
46、u caught the 8.25 which would still get you to work on time. You see, on the morning of the murder, the 8.0 oclock 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 the
47、y 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
48、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, ha
49、s 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 b
