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2012年6月7日 星期四

Bad Luck on Saturday


“Bad luck always comes in threes” and last Saturday seemed to prove it. After trouble with the car and the television, we spent the evening waiting for the next disaster. Shortly after dinner we both smelled smoke. My wife, who is often careless when cooking, ran to the kitchen but returned looking puzzled. I rushed up the stairs to see wisps of smoke coming from under our bedroom door. I went to the bathroom and tied a damp cloth over my face. Then I returned to the bedroom, opened the door and crawled in – there would be less smoke at floor level. With one hand stretched out in front of me I advanced carefully feeling for the switch to turn off the electric blanket. At that moment I heard the bell of an approaching fire engine. Thank goodness my wife had not been wasting her time.

Vocabulary:
l  seem[k`m](vi.)看來好像,似乎;感到好像,覺得似乎
l  prove[dqbj](v.)證明,證實
l  disaster[gatl@kfR] (n.)災害,災難,不幸
l  both[ecZ](ad.);;兩者皆
l  careless[thUqpak](a.)粗心的,疏忽的;草率的
l  puzzled[dSlxg](a.) 困惑的,搞糊塗的,茫然的
l  rush up
l  rush[qSX](v.),;使急速行動;急送;急派
l  wisp[rakd](n.)小捆,小把,小束; (煙等的)一縷(交織)
l   tie[fAa](v.),,,
l   damp[g@md](a.)有濕氣的;潮濕的
l   cloth[hpOZ](n.);(,,合成纖維等)織物;衣料
l   crawled[hqOp] ,爬行,蠕動;緩慢地移動,徐徐行進
l   stretch out延長; 伸出
l   in front of...的前面;在某人/某物前面
l   advance[Qgtj@nk](v.)前進;向前移動;使向前移動;推進,促進
l   carefully[thUqiQpa](ad.)小心謹慎地;警惕地;仔細地;周密地
l   feel for用手摸著找...
l   blanket[tep@Vhaf](a.)總括的,全體的
l   approach[QtdqcfX](n.)接近,靠近;即將達到
l   fire engine消防車
l   thank goodness 謝天謝地

2012年6月6日 星期三

The Happy Family


Grandfather Smithson has just died, and the family are sitting in the lounge of his big house. They are waiting for the family lawyer; He’s got Grandfather Smithson’s will. The old man was 104 years old when he died, and he was very rich. His only son and all his daughters have died of old age.

The door opens, the lawyer has arrived.

Lawyer: Good afternoon, everybody. First we must talk about…
Roger: There’s nothing to talk about. I’m the only living son of our grandfather’s only son, so Alton House is mine.

Laura: Wait a minute, Roger. Alton House is ours; George and I have lived here for years and looked after Grandfather.
Jessica: Then the summer cottage is mine.

Robert: Why is it yours, Aunt Jessica?
Jessica: Because I’ve lived there for the last three years.

Robert: Then the big car must be mine, because I’ve cleaned it fifty times or more.
John: Yes, the big car can be his, and the sports car is mine; I’ve always looked after it.

Lawyer: Wait a minute, everybody. First we must talk about Mr. Smithson’s dog.
All: Oh! Aaaah! Why? Ooooooh! What for?

Laywer: He loved his old dog Flip very much, you know. Who wants to look after him? (Nobody speak.) This is important; the old man wanted his dog to have a good home.
Laura: Jessica, the dog’s yours; you can keep it in the summer cottage.

Jessica: Not me! I like beautiful dogs, but I don’t want a mongrel like that.

Mary: Excuse me, sir…(But nobody listens to Mary; She is small, quiet, sixteen, and the daughter of the man’s servant) Excuse me, sir. (Everybody looks at her.) Can I have the dog, sir? I love Filp very much.

All: Yes, give it to Mary! The dog is yours, Mary…
Lawyer: Quiet, please. Now, do you all want Mary to have the dog?

All: Yes, yes, the dog can be hers; give her the dog…
Lawyer: Right. Mary, the dog Flip is yours. Now listen to the will, everybody:

“…and somebody must have my dog Filp and look after him, because he has been a better friend to me than my relatives. That person must be better than the others, so to that person, man, woman or child, I leave Alton House, my summer cottage, my cars, my money and all my other property…”
  
Vocabulary:
l   lounge[pANngY](n.)【英】(私人的)起居室
l   will[rap](n.)遺囑
l   cottage[thFfagY](n.)別墅
l   What for為什麼目的
l   mongrel[tmSVvqQp](a.)雜種的;雜交的;混血的(n.)雜種狗;雜種動物;雜交植物;【貶】混血兒
l   servant[tkPjQnf](n.)僕人,佣人,雇工
l   relative[tqUpQfaj](n.)親戚,親屬(a.)相對的,比較的;...有關係的,相關的
l   property[tdqFdRfa](n.)財產,資產;所有物

Great Inventions


There have been many great inventions, things that changed the way we live. The first great invention was one that is still very important today – the wheel. This made it easier to carry heavy things and to travel long distances.

For hundreds of years after that there were few inventions that had as much effect as the wheel. Then in the early 1800’s the world started to change. There was little unknown land left in the world. People did not have to explore much anymore. They began to work instead to make life better.

In the second half of the 19th century many great inventions were made. Among them were the camera, the electric light and the radio. These have all become a big part of our life today.

The first part of the 20th century saw more great inventions. The helicopter in 1909. Movies with sound in 1926. The computer in 1928. The jet planes in 1930. This was also a time when a new material was first made. Nylon came out in 1935. It changed the kind of clothes people wear.

The middle part of the 20th century brought new ways to help people get over diseases. They worked very well. They made people healthier and let them longer lives. By the 1960’s most people could expect to live to be at least 60.

By this time most people had a very good life. Of course new inventions continued to be made. But man now had a desire to explore again. The world was known to man but the stars were not. Man began looking for ways to go into space. Russia made the first step. Then the United States took a step. Since then other countries have made their steps into space.

In 1969 man took his biggest step away from earth. Americans first walked on the moon. This is certainly just a beginning though. New inventions will someday allow us to do things we have never yet dreamed of.

Vocabulary:
l   invention[antjUnXQn](n.)發明,創造;發明物,創作品
l   leave[left-left-leaving][p`j](vt.)遺忘;丟下
l   explore[explored-explored-exploring][ahtkdpcq](v.)探測;探勘;...探險
l   instead[antkfUg](ad.)作為替代;反而,
l   helicopter[toUpahFdfR](n.)直升飛機
l   get over克服;恢復;...忘懷;熬過
l   disease(vt.)使生病;使不健全(n.),疾病
l   desire[gatlAaq](vt.n.)渴望;希望;要求;慾望,渴望
l   certainly[tkPfQnpa](ad.)無疑地;必定;確實; (用於回答)當然;可以;沒問題
l   though[\c](ad.) (一般放在句尾)然而,還是
l   dream of夢想到;想到;夢想;渴望;夢見

2012年6月4日 星期一

A Faithful Dog


More than seven hundred years ago, the Prince of Wales had a very big and brave dog, Gelert.

One day the Prince wanted to go hunting with his men. He told his dog to stay at home and look after baby son. The baby was in a wooden cradle, which is like a small bed.

When the Prince came back from hunting, Gelert ran out to meet his master. He wagged his tail and jumped up put his paws on the Prince’s chest. Then the Prince saw blood on Gelert’s jaws and head.

“What have you done?” the Prince said. He rushed into his home and looked for his baby son. The cradle was lying on its side on the floor. The clothes were torn and there was blood on them.

“So you have killed my son!” the Prince said angrily. “You unfaithful dog!” He took out sword and killed the dog. Just as Gelert was dying, he managed to bark for a moment. Then the Prince heard a baby call to the dog.

The prince ran out of the house and saw his son lying on the ground unhurt. Near him was a dead wolf. Then the Prince knew that Gelert had defended the baby and killed the wolf.

The Prince ran back into the house but he was too late. Gelert was dead. The prince was very sad indeed. Tears ran down his face when he realized he had killed his faithful friend. The Prince carried the body of his brave dog to the top of the mountain buried him there. After this, the prince never smiled again. Every morning at dawn, he walked up the mountain so that he could stand by the dog’s grave for a few minutes.

If you go to Mount Snowdon in Wales, people will show you where Gelertis buried. There is a sign by his grave. It reminds people of a brave an faithful dog.

Vocabulary:
l   faithful[tiTZiQp](a.)忠實的;忠誠的;忠貞的
l   prince[dqank](n.)王子,親王
l   brave[eqTj](a.)勇敢的,英勇的
l   go hunting(n.)打獵
l   men[m@n](n.)男雇員;男僕
l   wooden[trNgz](a.)木製的;木的
l   cradle[thqTgx](n.)搖籃;策源地,發源地
l   wag[wagged-wagged-wagging][r@v](v.),擺動
l   paw[dO](n.)腳爪;爪子
l   chest[fXUkf](n.),胸膛
l   jaw[gYO](n.);;下頜,下巴
l   rushed into倉促從事
l   lie on橫躺在
l   unfaithful[SntiTZiQp](a.)不忠實的
l   took out拿出
l   sword[kcqg](n.),
l   just as當某種事情正在進行;正當
l   dying[tgAaaV](a.)垂死的;行將結束的;快熄滅的
l   manage to設法
l   bark[barked-barked-barking][eFqh](v.)厲聲說話;咆哮;厲聲說出
l   a moment一會兒
l   defend[defended-defended-defending][gatiUng](v.)防禦;保衛;保護
l   tears[faq](n.)眼淚;淚珠
l   ran down流下;撞倒;撞沈
l   bury[buried-buried-burying][teUqa](vt.)埋葬,安葬
l   dawn[gOn](n.)黎明,拂曉
l   stand by站在旁邊,旁觀;幫助;...合力;支持;準備;待命;(無線電)正準備收報(發報);備用