新概念英语第二册课文(背诵者专用)

新概念英语第二册

Lesson 1

A private conversation

私人谈话

First listen and then answer the question.

Why did the writer complain to the people behind him?

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？

First listen and then answer the question.

Why was the writer's aunt surprised?

It was Sunday. I never get up early on Sundays. I sometimes stay

in bed until lunchtime. 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

First listen and then answer the question.

How many cards did the writer send?

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. Everyday I thought

about postcards. My holidays passed quickly, but I did not send

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

First listen and then answer the question.

Why is Tim finding this trip exciting?

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 fending this trip very exciting.

Lesson 5

No wrong numbers

无错号之虞

First listen and then answer the question.

What does 'No wrong numbers' mean?

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, 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

First listen and then answer the question.

Who is Percy Buttons?

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

First listen and then answer the question.

Did the detectives save the diamonds?

The plane was late and detectives were waiting at the airport all

morning. They were expecting a valuable parcel of diamonds

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

First listen and then answer the question.

Why is Joe's garden the most beautiful one in the town?

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

First listen and then answer the question.

What does 'a cold welcome' refer to?

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

First listen and then answer the question.

What happened to the clavichord?

We have an old musical instrument. It is called a clavichord. It

was made in Germany in 1681. Our clavichord is kept in the

living room. It has belonged 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

First listen and then answer the question.

Who paid for Tony's dinner?

I was having dinner at a restaurant when Tony Steele came in.

Tony 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. Tony 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 twenty

pounds. To my surprise, he gave me the money immediately. 'I

have never borrowed any money from you,' Tony said, 'so now

you can pay for my dinner!'

Lesson 12

Goodbye and good luck

再见，一路顺风

First listen and then answer the question.

Where is Captain Alison going and how?

Our neighbour, Captain Charles Alison, will sail from

Portsmouth tomorrow. We'll meet him at the harbour early in the

morning. He will be in his small boat, Topsail. Topsail is a

famous little boat. It has sailed across the Atlantic many times.

Captain Alison will set out at eight o'clock, so we'll have plenty

of time. We'll see his boat and then we'll say goodbye 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

First listen and then answer the question.

Why will the police have a difficult time?

The Greenwood Boys are a group of pop 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 W

orkers' 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？

First listen and then answer the question.

Did the young man speak English?

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,

As I soon learnt, he was English himself!'

Lesson 15

Good news

佳音

First listen and then answer the question.

What was the good news?

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.

'orth,' I said in a weak voice.

'Don't interrupt,' he said.

Then he smiled and told me I would receive an extra thousand

pounds a year!

Lesson 16

A polite request

彬彬有礼的要求

First listen and then answer the question.

What was the polite request?

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

Parking

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

青春常驻

First listen and then answer the question.

Why doesn't Aunt Jennifer tell anyone how old she is?

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 asks her how old she is,

she always answers, 'Darling, it must be terrible to be grown up!'

Lesson 18

He often does this!

他经常干这种事！

First listen and then answer the question.

What had happened to the writer's bag?

After I had had lunch at a village pub, 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 landlord came in.

'Did you have a good meal?

'Yes, thank you,' I answered, 'but I can't pay the bill. I haven't got

my bag.'

The landlord 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 in into the garden. He

often does this!'

Lesson 19

Sold out

票已售完

First listen and then answer the question.

When will the writer see the play?

'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.

I went back to the ticket office at once.

'Could I have those two tickets please?' I asked.

'Certainly

,' the girl said, 'but they're for next Wednesday's

performance. Do you still want them?'

'I might as well have them,' I said sadly.

Lesson 20

One man in a boat

独坐孤舟

First listen and then answer the question.

Why is fishing the writer's favourite sport?

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!

Lesson 21

Mad or not?

是不是疯了

First listen and then answer the question.

Why do people think the writer is mad?

Aeroplanes are slowly driving me mad. I live near an airport and

passing planes can be heard night and day. The airport was built

years ago, 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.

Lesson 22

A glass envelope

玻璃信封

First listen and then answer the question.

How did Jane receive a letter from a stranger?

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 little more, but they will certainly travel faster.

Lesson 23

A new house

新居

First listen and then answer the question.

Why is the new house special?

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. W

ork 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.

Lesson 24

If could be worse

不幸中之万幸

First listen and then answer the question.

Had the writer's money been stolen?

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 $$50. 'I found this outside this

gentleman's room,' she said. 'Well,' I said to the manager, 'there is

still some honesty in this world!'

Lesson 25

Do the English speak English?

英国人讲的是英语吗？

First listen and then answer the question.

Why does the writer not understand the porter?

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

person speaks a different language. The English understand each

other, but I don't understand them! Do they speak English?

Lesson 26

The best art critics

最佳艺术评论家

First listen and then answer the question.

Who is the student's best critic?

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 are 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!

Lesson 27

A wet night

雨夜

First listen and then answer the question.

What happened to the boys in the night?

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 smelled good. After a

wonderful meal, they told stories and sang songs by the campfire.

But some time later it began to rain. The boys felt tired so they

put 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!

Lesson 28

No parking

禁止停车

First listen and then answer the question.

What is Jasper White's problem?

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 cars and their owners.

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 cars and their owners to stone. But none of them has

been turned to stone yet!

Lesson 29

Taxi!

出租汽车

First listen and then answer the question.

Does Captain Fawcett think any trip is too dangerous?

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.

Lesson 30

Football or polo?

足球还是水球？

First listen and then answer the question.

What happened to the man in the boat?

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.

Lesson 31

Success story

成功者的故事

First listen and then answer the question.

What was Frank's first job?

Yesterday afternoon Frank Hawkins was telling me about his

experiences as a young man. Before he retired, Frank was 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 1958 he bought a small workshop of his own. In his

twenties Frank used to make spare parts for aeroplanes. At that

time he had two helpers. In a few years the small workshop 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 grandson's bicycle!

Lesson 32

Shopping made easy

购物变得很方便

First listen and then answer the question.

Who was the thief?

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!

Lesson 33

Out of the darkness

冲出黑暗

First listen and then answer the question.

Why was the girl in hospital?

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.

Lesson 34

Quick work

破案“神速”

First listen and then answer the question.

How long had the police taken to find his bicycle?

Dan Robinson has been worried all week. Last Tuesday he

received a letter from the local police. In the letter he was asked

to call at the station. Dan wondered why he was wanted by the

police, but he went to the station yesterday and now he is not

worried anymore. 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. Dan 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 Dan was a boy of fifteen!

Lesson 35

Stop thief!

捉贼！

First listen and then answer the question.

How did Roy stop the thieves?

Roy Trenton used to drive a taxi. A short while ago, however, he

became a bus driver and he has 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.

Lesson 36

Across the Channel

横渡海峡

First listen and then answer the question.

What is Debbie going to try to do?

Debbie 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. Debbie is only eleven years old and she

hopes to set up a new world record. She is a strong swimmer and

many people feel that she is sure to succeed. Debbie'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. Debbie intends to take short

rests every two hours. She will have something to drink but she

will not eat any solid food. Most of Debbie's school friends will

be waiting for her on the English coast. Among them will be

Debbie's mother, who swam the Channel herself when she was a

girl.

Lesson 37

The Olympic Games

奥林匹克运动会

First listen and then answer the question.

When was the last time this country hosted the Olympic Games?

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 new Olympic- standard 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'. W

orkers 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 fantastic 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.

Lesson 38

Everything except the weather

唯独没有考虑到天气

First listen and then answer the question.

Why did Harrison sell his house so quickly?

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 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.

Lesson 39

Am I all right?

我是否痊愈？

First listen and then answer the question.

Why did Mr. Gilbert telephone Dr. Millington?

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 hosptial for another two weeks. Then Dr. Millingto

n

asked the caller if he was a relative of the patient. 'No,' the

patient answered, 'I am Mr. John Gilbert.'

Lesson 40

Food and talk

进餐与交谈

First listen and then answer the question.

Was Mrs. Rumbold a good companion at dinner?

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

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!

Lesson 41

Do you call that a hat?

你把那个叫帽子吗？

First listen and then answer the question.

What kind of shopping does the writer enjoy

, do you think?

'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 needn't 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!

Lesson 42

Not very musical

并非很懂音乐

First listen and then answer the question.

What happened when the snake charmer began to play jazz?

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

and modern pop songs. The snake, however, continued to 'dance'

slowly

. It obviously could not tell the difference between Indian

music and jazz!

Lesson 43

Over the South Pole

飞越南极

First listen and then answer the question.

How was the plane able to clear the mountains?

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.

Lesson 44

Through the forest

穿过森林

First listen and then answer the question.

How did Mrs. Sterling get her bag back?

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.'

Lesson 45

A clear conscience

问心无愧

First listen and then answer the question.

How did Sam get his money back?

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 50 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!'

Lesson 46

Expensive and uncomfortable

既昂贵又受罪

First listen and then answer the question.

What did the man in this story do?

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 woolen 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 eighteen

hours. The man was ordered to pay $$3,500 for the cost of the trip.

The normal price of a ticket is $$2,000!

Lesson 47

A thirsty ghost

嗜酒的鬼魂

First listen and then answer the question.

What evidence is there of a ghost?

A public house which was recently bought by Thompson

is up for sale. on 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 on 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,

on shook his head. The villagers have told him that

they will not accept the pub even if he gives it away.

Lesson 48

Did you want to tell me something?

你想对我说什么吗？

First listen and then answer the question.

Why did the writer become very worried?

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 match boxes

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.

Lesson 49

The end of a dream

美梦告终

First listen and then answer the question.

How did the dream end?

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.

Lesson 50

Taken for a ride

乘车兜风

First listen and then answer the question.

Why did the writer not get off the bus at W

oodford Green?

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 W

oodford 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 W

oodford 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're going back now,' said the conductor.

'Well, in that case, I prefer to stay on the bus,' I answered.

Lesson 51

Reward for virtue

对美德的奖赏

First listen and then answer the question.

Why did Hugh's diet not work?

My friend, Hugh, 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 Hugh 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 Hugh 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!

Lesson 52

A pretty carpet

漂亮的地毯

First listen and then answer the question.

What is the writer's carpet made of?

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!'

Lesson 53

Hot snake

触电的蛇

First listen and then answer the question.

What caused the fire?

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

fires 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 firemen 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