Book II Lesson 85
广交朋友
Never too old to learn ??
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 nding him a prent to mark the occasion.
All tho who have contributed towards the gift will sign their names in a large album which will be nt 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 himlf to gardening.
关于朋友的句子
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.
Book II Lesson 86
Out of control ?
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 a.
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 pasd, they swam on as quickly as they could becau 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 ud up.
Before long, the noi dropped completely and the boat began to drift gently across the water.
Book II Lesson 87
A perfect alibi ?
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 cour 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 suppo 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 cour 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 e, on the morning of the murder, the 8.
0 o'clock train did not run at all.
It broke down at Ferng
reen station and was taken off the line.
'
Book II Lesson 88
Trapped in a mine ?
men have been trapped in a mine for venteen hours.
If they are not brought to the surface soon they may lo their lives.
赫哲However, rescue operations are proving difficult.
If explosives are ud, vibrations will cau the roof of the mine to collap.
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 clost 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 lo heart.
Book II Lesson 89
A slip of the tongue ?People will do anything to e a free show--even if it is a bad one.
When the news got round that a variety show would be prented at our local cinema by the P.and U.
Bird Seed Company, we all rushed to e it.
We had to queue for hours to get in and there must have been veral hundred people prent just be- fore the show began.
Unfortunately, the show was one of the dullest we have ever en.
Tho 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 advertir 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 !
'
Book II Lesson 90
Whats for supper ?
将多多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 keptaway from living areas.
Children do not have to cross busy streets to go to school.
Houwives can visit-shopping centres on foot, for in the specially designed living areas, cars are unnecessary.
At first, the government had great difficulty in persuading people to leave Rio and to ttle in Brasilia.
Since 1960, however, the population has been growing all the time.
丛的组词
Brasilia h
as quickly established itlf 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.
Book II Lesson 91
Three men in a basket ?
A pilot noticed a balloon which emed 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, becau 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-glass.
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 !
Book II Lesson 92
Asking for trouble ×?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.
'Excu 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 e, 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.
Book II Lesson 93
A noble gift ?
One of the most famous monuments in the world, the Statue of Liberty, was prented 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.
含章殿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 chon 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 nt to America.
By th
e end of October 1886, the statue had been put together again and it was officially prented 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 pasd through New York Harbour to make their homes in America.
Book II Lesson 94
Future champions ?
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 the young swimmers is the underwater tricycle race.
Tricycles are lined up on the floor of the pool ven feet under water.
刺五加籽的功效与作用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 tho among us who cannot swim five yards before they are gasping for air.
Book II Lesson 95
Dé11When the Ambassador of Escalopia returned home for lunch, his wife got a shock.
农民负担
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 t 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 bament.
I went down immediately.
of cour, 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.'
Book II Lesson 96
The dead return í?A Festival for the Dead is held once a year in Japan.
This festival is a cheerful occasion, 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 hou to help the dead to find their way.
All night long, people dance and sing.
In the early morning, the food that had been laid out for the dead is thrown into a river or into the a as it is
considered unlucky for anyone living to eat it.
In towns that are near the a, the tiny lanterns which had been hung in the streets the night before, are placed into the water when the festival is over.
Thousands of lanterns slowly drift out to a guiding the dead on their return journey to the other world.
This is a moving spectacle, for crowds of people stand on the shore watching the lanterns drifting away until they can be en no more.
