新概念英语第三册作文和书信写作Lesson 1 A puma at large 逃遁的美洲狮Mrs. Stone had spent the whole morning picking blackberries in the countryside near her home. It was nearly lunch time, so she decided to return for lunch. She was just picking up her basket when she heard a noise in the bushes. Then she saw an animal which looked like a cat. She knew it was not a cat because it was so large. The animal suddenly turned round to look at her and she thought it was going to come towards her and perhaps attack her. She dropped her basket and screamed loudly. Hearing the sound, the animal disappeared into the bushes, after which Mrs. Stone picked up her basket and ran all the way home.She told her neighbours that she had seen a puma in the countryside, but they did not believe her. She also telephoned the police but they didnt believe her either. (148 words)Lesson 2 Thirteen equals one 十三等于一A sticky business We were used to hearing our church bell striking the hours in our small village. For as long as anyone could remember, the bell had struck the hours day and night. However, one night the church bell remained silent and the next morning we saw that the clock had stopped at exactly one a.m. Our clock was clearly damaged, but no one could explain how this had happened. Armed with a torch, our vicar climbed into the church tower to see what was going on. He heard a loud buzz as he went towards the clock and in the torchlight he found it had been invaded by bees. He was lucky they didnt sting him! He shone his torch into the great bell and saw that it was full of wax and honey. No wonder it wasnt working! A bee keeper was called in to deal with the situation. He immediately removed the queen bee to one of his bee hives and the other bees followed. The clock was cleaned and was soon working again. We not only enjoyed hearing it strike the hours day and night, but we enjoyed eating the honey as well.(195 words)Lesson 3 An unknown goddess 无名女神After walking round the ancient city, the archaeologists discovered an ancient temple. This temple had obviously been a place of worship because it contained a sacred room. On entering the sacred room, the archaeologists found the clay fragments of fifteen statues, each of which was a goddess which had once been painted. After this, workmen began digging and soon discovered the head of a statue among remains dating from the fifth century B.C. They also found the body of this statue among remains from the fifteenth century B.C. The archaeologists carefully put the fragments together. They were astonished to find that the figure was a goddess. The goddess was a modern-looking woman. She had her hands on her hips and she was wearing a full-length skirt. Although the archaeologists tried very hard to identify her, they were unable to find out her name. (143 words)名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 1 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - Lesson 4 The double life of Alfred Bloggs 阿尔弗雷德 .布洛格斯的双重生活Nearly caught One morning Alf and three other dustmen were collecting rubbish in Merton Street and they stopped outside Mrs. Frosts house. Though Alf didnt know it, his wife was visiting Mrs. Frost at the time. She and Mrs. Frost were old friends, though Mrs. Frost had never met Alf. Alf was just getting out of the dustcart to go into Mrs. Frosts backyard when he saw his wife leaving Mrs. Frosts house. He quickly returned to the dustcart and hid in the driving cabin. While he was hiding, his fellow dustmen helped him by collecting Mrs. Frosts rubbish. Meanwhile, Alfs wife and Mrs. Frost talked on the doorstep. It looked as though their conversation would never end! At last Mrs. Bloggs said goodbye to Mrs. Frost. She waved to one of the dustmen whom she recognized and she went towards the dustcart to greet him. The dustman waved back and gave her a big smile as the dustcart drove off. Mrs. Bloggs stood on the pavement and watched the dustcart disappear down the street. Then she began to walk home. Its all right, Alf, his friend said. She cant see you now.Thanks, Jim, Alf said. That was a lucky escape! (200 words )Key to Letter writingA possible answer address date Dear Mrs. Frost, It was nice to meet you at Selenas party last week. You mentioned you had a copy of Whos Who. I am writing to ask if I could borrow it for a couple of days. Im doing some research on politicians and this book contains a lot of information. I promise I will take good care of it and return it to you as quickly as possible. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Yours sincerely, signature (80 words)Lesson 5 The facts 确切数字The journalist counted the number of steps as he wearily climbed up to the high wall surrounding the presidents palace. On arriving at the main gate, he sat down to get his breath back. He then produced a tape measure in order to measure the wall. While he was busy measuring the wall, a policeman approached him and asked him what he was doing. Though the journalist explained he was a reporter and his editor had asked him to find out the exact height of the wall, the policeman refused to believe him. He was arrested and sent to prison because the police thought that he might be a spy or might even want to assassinate the president. When the journalist insisted he was innocent, he made things worse for himself. This proved to the police that the man certainly was guilty and deserved to stay in prison indefinitely. (149 words)名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 2 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - Key to Letter writingA possible answer address date Dear Jack, Many congratulations on your recent marriage! Quite by chance I happened to read about your wedding in our local newspaper and I was thrilled with the news. Your wife sounds really charming. I gather that you will both be moving to our area, so well soon be neighbours. I hope youll be very happy and Ill be able to see you soon. I look forward to seeing you again and meeting your wife. My kindest regards to you both. Yours sincerely, signature (79 words) Lesson 6 Smash-and grab 砸橱窗抢劫They got away Seeing the thieves car join the traffic on Piccadilly, Mr. Taylor took a taxi and followed them. The taxi driver drove at full speed when Mr. Taylor told him what had happened. There wasnt too much traffic at this time of the morning so there was a mad chase through the streets of London. For a short time, the thieves car was on the wrong side of the road and hit another car, but it did not stop. Two policemen in a police car watched in amazement as the two vehicles went past, both breaking the speed limit. Lights on and horn blaring, the police car chased both the speeding cars. Mr. Taylors taxi stopped when the traffic lights turned red. The thieves ignored the traffic lights and got away. Meanwhile, the police caught up with the taxi at the traffic lights and the taxi driver was charged with speeding. They refused to let the driver off, even though Mr. Taylor carefully explained the situation. However, the police informed another police car of the chase and ten minutes later the thieves car was found abandoned in a side street. The thieves had escaped on foot and disappeared among the crowd. (200 words)Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) You wont believe what happened to me on Tuesday morning! I was walking down a busy street near Piccadilly when I saw a man smash the window of an antique shop and run off with an expensive vase. Other passers-by saw him, too, and we all chased the man down the street, shouting Stop! Thief! Stop! Thief! We managed to catch the man, but unfortunately the vase got broken.Ill tell you the full story when we meet next week. (80 words) Lesson 7 Mutilated ladies 残钞鉴别组Jane opened the oven door and saw that her meal was ready to serve. She took the 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 3 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - food out of the oven and in doing so, noticed something strange inside the oven which she couldnt recognize. So she went to find John and told him about it. In dismay, John quickly explained that he had put his wallet containing the days takings into the oven for safekeeping. They both rushed to the oven and saw that the money had been destroyed At first, they didnt know what to do. John wanted to throw the money away, but Jane wouldnt let him. Its best not to disturb the wallet, Jane said. You can see all the money is there, even if it has been destroyed Jane told John to go and see his bank manager for advice, so the next day John took the wallet and the ashes to the bank (150 words)Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) Thank you again for your wonderful hospitality! It was a real pleasure to see you again after such a long time. Ill never forget your kindness during my stay. I particularly enjoyed our visit to the local market and our long walks in the countryside. I also enjoyed your company and the excellent food and wine. Youre a perfect host! I hope you will be able to visit me before long and look forward to seeing you soon. Lesson 8 A famous monastery 著名的修道院One very cold morning, a monk took two St. Bernards dogs out for exercise. He immediately noticed that the dogs were very restless. Suspecting a traveller might be in difficulty, the monk returned to the monastery to organize a search party. The two dogs led four monks through the snow. Two of the monks pulled a sledge behind them, in case they needed it. There had been very high winds the previous night, but now everything was still and visibility was bad because there was a heavy fog. Moreover, the temperature had fallen to -20.The dogs led the monks towards the Pass and as the monks got near, they heard cries in the distance. The dogs soon found a man who was trapped under the snow and immediately dragged him out. The man was alive, but frozen stiff. The monks strapped him to the sledge and took him back to the monastery. The man was unconscious, but he soon recovered in the warm atmosphere of the monastery where he was given plenty of hot drinks and food. When the traveller was able to speak, the monks listened with interest as he told them what had happened the previous night. (200 words)Key to Letter writing A possible answer(body of letter only) I hear youll be taking a holiday in the Alps, which Im sure youll enjoy! I went there last year and stayed in the Berg Hotel high in the mountains not far from Zermatt. The hotel has fine views across the valley and I warmly recommend it. Youll love the healthy mountain air and enjoy every comfort at moderate prices. Im going there again this year. I look forward to hearing all about your holiday when you get back. (79 words)名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 4 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - Lesson 9 Flying cats 飞猫Human beings like to keep dogs and cats. Dogs are submissive and faithful to their masters, but cats like to be independent. Cats are especially lovable when they are still kittens. As kittens they like to play by chasing anything that moves. Thats how they learn to hunt mice, birds, insects and other small creatures. A lot of people keep cats so they can have a pet . As kittens grow into cats, they like to stay indoors. They like regular meals and enjoy sleeping in front of a nice fire. However, they also like going out. During the day time and at night they like to go hunting. Sometimes during the night they have fights with other cats. Cats are very clean animals. You often see them washing themselves. Human beings are fascinated by their behaviour because cats are domestic animals, while at the same time they enjoy their independence. (150 words)Key to Letter writingA possible answer(body of letter only) Im afraid I have to report a little accident: my baby tore some of the pages from the book you kindly lent me. I am very sorry that this happened. I had left the book on a low table, but the baby got hold of it and tore several pages. However, I was able to buy another copy and Im sending it to you by separate post. Please let me know when it arrives. My kindest regards to you all. (80 words)Lesson 10 The loss of the Titanic “ 泰坦尼克 “ 号的沉没Abandon snip The Titanic began to sink, slowly at first. The order to abandon ship was unexpected, so passengers and crew were completely unprepared. It was the middle of the night. Some people were asleep in their cabins.Others were on deck admiring the brilliant night sky and the giant icebergs rising above them. Others were eating and dancing in the wonderful ballrooms on the ship. The immediate effect was panic and confusion. People began rushing in all directions, wondering what to do next. The cold was indescribable and many passengers were still in their night clothes. Members of the crew came up from below and began to lower the lifeboats. It was a case of women and children first, but it soon became obvious that there werent enough lifeboats for everyone, so people jumped overboard into the freezing water in order to save their lives. Some of those swimming in the water struggled to get into the lifeboats, but most of them were already full. The Titanic sank rapidly, carrying many people down with it. There were cries of despair from people in the water as they watched the lifeboats moving away and were left to drown in the icy ocean.(200 words)Lesson 11 Not guilty 无罪When the Customs Officer asked the traveller if he was carrying anything valuable, the man said that he had nothing to declare. The Officer asked the man to open his suitcase. Although the case contained only a suit and some dirty clothes, it was very 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 5 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - heavy. This made the Customs Officer suspicious, so he removed all the clothes from the case. The case was soon empty and when the Officer lifted it, he found that it was still very heavy.The Officer examined the case carefully and saw that the bottom was very shallow. He pressed the base hard and removed the bottom part of the case which contained a quantity of emeralds and other precious stones. While the Officer was looking at an emerald, the man tried to escape. For a moment the man disappeared among the passing holiday travellers, but he was soon caught and placed under arrest. Key to Letter writing A possible answer(body of letter only) Thank you for your letter asking me to lend you some money to start a new business. Im very sorry that I cant help you at the moment. I not only have a great many expenses of my own, but Im in debt myself. Why dont you ask our friend Jim Clark? I know Jim is keen to invest in business and might be able to lend you some money. I wish you every success in your new business venture. (80 words)Lesson 12 Life on a desert island 荒岛生活Shipwrecked The ship went down and everyone was drowned. I was the only one who managed to jump into the sea. I clung to a plank in the water for several hours till I was washed up on a desert island. I slept on the beach for a very long time-I cant remember how long. When I woke up, I was hungry and thirsty, so I decided to explore the island. It was uninhabited, but I found plenty of fruit which had fallen from the trees. I lived on coconuts and pineapples and there was plenty of fresh spring water. I tried to hunt wild animals with my bare hands(small pigs and other creatures), but I failed to catch anything. So I spent my days swimming in the warm clear water and lying in the sun. One afternoon while I was lying on the beach as usual, I saw a boat on the horizon. I signalled with my white shirt and shouted as loudly as I could. Fortunately ,someone on the boat saw me and I was rescued. Of course, I was pleased to get back to civilization, but I was very sorry to leave this island paradise. (200 words)Key to Letter writingA possible answer(Purpose and Conclusion only) We have a wonderful view from our hotel window. Just below us is a beach which stretches for a couple of miles and beyond it clear blue water. We can be sure of brilliant sunshine every day. We look forward to spending our holiday swimming, eating and sleeping! We all keep thinking of you and wish you were with us. (60 words)Lesson 13 It s only me “ 是我，别害怕 ”Mrs. Richards immediately went upstairs and took off her costume. She felt sorry for the poor man from the Electricity Board, but at the same time she was rather amused. Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door and Mrs. Richards opened it at once. 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 6 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - The electricity man had returned, accompanied by a policeman, so she invited both in. The man told Mrs. Richards that he had tried to read her metre and that there was a ghost in the storeroom. Though Mrs. Richards explained that she had dressed up as a ghost, he refused to believe her. She told him to open the storeroom door, but he was too frightened, so she opened it herself. While the electricity man and the policeman were looking for the ghost in the storeroom, Mrs. Richards fetched her costume. She showed it to both men and only then did they believe her. (150 words)Key to Letter writing possible answer (body of letter only) You cant imagine what happened to me the other day when I was checking the electricity metres in Ormond Road! I went to check the metre of one of our customers and got a terrible shock. Im convinced the house is haunted because a ghost lives in the storeroom. As soon as it saw me, it came towards me and I fled! This is really a true story and Ill tell you all about it when we meet.(78 words)Lesson 14 A noble gangster 贵族歹徒Hawkwood defeated News that Hawkwood and his men were approaching caused panic among villagers who prepared to defend their farms. Hawkwood had a bad reputation among farmers because they knew he would not hesitate to kill them and to burn their farms. The farmers fought very hard, even though they were poorly armed. With their sticks and spades, they were no match for Hawkwoods well-armed soldiers who had horses, swords and bows and arrows. During the battle, a great many farmers were killed. After Hawkwood destroyed their farms, he sent a message to theprince of the city-state demanding a large amount of protection money. He said that if this money was paid, he would go away and cause no more trouble. However, if it wasnt paid, he would invade the city. To Hawkwoods amazement, this demand was refused, so he and his men invaded the city. As a result, many buildings were destroyed and thousands of people were killed, including quite a few of Hawkwoods soldiers. The city people fought very hard until Hawkwood and his men were finally driven off. Because the city people defended themselves so well, Hawkwood never attacked them again. He and the prince even became friends. (200 words )Key to Letter writingA possible answer (body of letter only) I am writing to you about the talk I agreed to give at the local library in two weeks time. I regret I have to cancel this talk. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I am being sent abroad by my firm and will be away for three weeks. Ill be back on June 24th. I will be happy to give my talk on a later occasion. I look forward to hearing from you and to arranging a new date. (80 words)名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 7 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - Lesson 15 Fifty pence worth of trouble 五十便士的麻烦I was walking along the street when I saw a crowd ahead of me. I could hear people shouting and making a noise. On arriving at the scene, I saw a small boy on the pavement with his arm in a drain cover. A lady carrying a large bar of soap and a saucepan of water knelt down beside the boy. She asked the boy if he was in pain and he said he wasnt. Then she rubbed his arm with butter, but he couldnt get it free. Meanwhile, someone had telephoned the fire brigade. The boy had begun to cry, but when he saw the firemen, he cheered up. At first, the firemen decided to cut through the drain cover, but they changed their minds and rubbed the boys arm with a special type of grease. The boy was soon free and though his arm hurt, he was smiling. Key to Letter writingA possible answer (body of letter only) I know youre going to be eight years old in ten days time! Im not quite sure any more what boys of your age like these days. Id like to get you something you really like. For example, perhaps youd like a computer game, or a model car, or a pair of rollerblades, or something else. Let me know what you tike best and Ill post it to you so it arrives on your birthday. Write to me soon. (79 words)Lesson 16 Mary had a little lamb 玛丽有一头小羔羊Not so black Dimitri was surprised to find that the lamb had turned white. He took a close look at it and recognized it as his own. This discovery immediately led to an angry scene between Dimitri and Aleko. Dimitri repeated his accusation that Aleko had stolen the lamb, but Aleko still denied any theft. During the violent argument, Dimitri said the rain had proved that the lamb had been dyed black and he recognized it immediately as the one he had given to his wife. When Aleko finally admitted he had stolen the lamb, Dimitri called the police. Aleko was arrested and Dimitri took his lamb home. The story caused a lot of excitement in the village. The villagers didnt often have the opportunity to talk about such an important event and they were greatly amused by what had happened. Some thought Aleko had been very clever. Others thought he had been extremely stupid. Others said God had sent the rain to punish Aleko for his crime and to prove he was a thief. They discussed the event at great length for a long time, as there wasnt much else to talk about in a village where nothing much ever happened. (199 words)Key to Letter writing A possible answers (two introductions) 1 A prize you have won: You know I entered a competition some time ago and Im sure you will be really pleased to share my good news. (22 words) 2 An examination you have passed: Yesterday the postman delivered a large brown envelope containingmy exam results and I was very nervous when I opened it. The 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 8 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - agony is over! (25 words)Lesson 17 The longest suspension bridge in the world 世界上最长的吊桥The bridge I know best is called the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It joins either side of Sydney Harbour. From far away it looks like a great arch, but when you get near, you can see a great deck under the arch. It is made of steel and supported by two towers. If you stand on the bridge early in the morning, you can see the Parramatta River to the west and the open sea to the east. At this time everything is quiet. During the day, however, the harbour becomes busy with small boats and large ships moving in all directions. I enjoy standing on the bridge at night when you see the magnificent Opera House looking like a great sailing ship. In the darkness you can see the city lights. In the stillness the traffic and the movement of the sea are the only sounds that can be heard. (150 words)Key to Letter writing A possible answer possible answer (body of letter only) Here are a few directions ahead of your visit next week. To be here for lunch, take the 12.15 train from the main station and get off at West Hill. From there you can get a 27 bus just outside the station and get off at Park Avenue. When you come out of the station, take the first road on your left. My house is number 36 which is clearly marked. I look forward to seeing you next week. (79 words)Lesson 18 Electric currents in modern art 现代艺术中的电流An interesting exhibition Recently I went to the Royal Academy in London to see the summer exhibition. The work of many artists was on display and the exhibition aroused a lot of public interest. Crowds of people filled the galleries. The pictures were, with a few exceptions, mainly by relatively unknown artists. Many of them were traditional pictures of landscapes and portraits.I particularly liked a picture of an old farmhouse by a stream with a few sheep in a field. The strangest picture I saw was an untitled abstract painting by a well-known modern artist. It consisted of swirls of different colours which had been rubbed into the canvas with the artists fingers. The picture looked a mess, but was also very effective, attracting a lot of comment. I couldnt help overhearing what people said, things likeI could paint a picture like that with my eyes shutor Look how perfect the sunset is in that painting. Id love to own a picture like that, and so on. There is no doubt it was an excellent exhibition because there were so many different styles on display. There was something to suit everyone, but only if you could afford the high prices! (200 words)Key to Letter writing A possible answer(purpose of letter only) 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 9 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - Thank you so much for your kind invitation to the exhibition,Ancient Xian and the Terracotta Army,now on at the British Museum in London.Id love to join you and look forward to seeing you again.Im particularly interested in this exhibition because it has been so well received and Ive heard so much about it.Its a unique opportunity to see it.Ill meet you at the entrance to the exhibition at 2.15 on Thursday, 24th. Lesson 19 A very dear cat 一只贵重的宝贝猫In a bar one night, Mr. X was talking to a workman who told him that he often worked in Mrs. Ramsays flat.The workman added that Mrs. Ramsay was wealthy and she lived alone with her cat. Every day, Mr. X stood outside Mrs. Ramsays block of flats. As the cat took a short walk every evening, he saw that it had regular habits.He found out as much as he could about Mrs. Ramsay and learnt that she loved this cat very much. One evening, as the cat was leaving the block of flats, he kidnapped it. He took the cat to a secret address. During the next three days,he walked past Mrs. Ramsays flat on several occasions and noticed that no other cat ever appeared. Now he was sure he had the right cat,so he wrote a letter in which he stated his demands. (150 words)Key to Letter writing A possible answer(body of letter only) I havent been in touch since I left school. After passing my exams, I did a two-year course in business studies. At the end of it, I applied for a job with a local building firm and got a job immediately.I like it very much because I work in an office,but get out and about a lot as well.I hope to be promoted soon. Thank you for all your help and advice while I was at school. (80 words)Lesson 20 Pioneer pilots 飞行员的先驱My flight across the Channel It was early morning. I looked around, but there was no sign of Latham, so I decided to go on a test flight first. At 4.15, I took off and flew over Calais for fifteen minutes. When I landed there was still no sign of Latham. At 4.45 I took off again. This time I was determined to fly across the Channel. When I looked down there was no sign of the ship below, which was supposed to be following me, I suddenly felt alone and was worried whether I was flying in the right direction. All I could see was sea and sky. I could feel the high winds against the plane and the engine got very hot. Fortunately, it began to rain and the rain cooled my engine. Suddenly, I could see land ahead. Dover! I flew over Dover, looking for somewhere to land. I saw a field below and brought the plane down. I was still sitting in the cockpit, hardly able to believe the flight was so successful- just thirty-seven minutes to cross from Calais- when a British policeman arrived. He smiled broadly at me and said,Good morning! I smiled back and said,Bonjour! (200 words)名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 10 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - Key to Letter writingA possible answer (body of letter only) I just thought Id tell you about my first flight! At this moment, we are flying at 30,000 feet and at five hundred miles an hour. Below I can see a few clouds and miles of countryside. I couldnt imagine it would be so beautiful! I was nervous when the plane took off, but Im all right now. Well be arriving at our destination in three hours and forty minutes. Ill tell you all about the flight when I see you. (80 words) Lesson 21 Daniel Mendoza 丹尼尔 ?门多萨The first fight The first fight between Humphries and his pupil Mendoza, after a quarrel, was held at Stilton and attracted a lot of attention. At the time, Richard Humphries was the most eminent boxer in England and had many supporters. But the young Mendoza had his supporters, too. The atmosphere before the fight was electric. Half of the people there made bets on Humphries, the other half bet on Mendoza. When the two fighters entered the ring, there was a lot of shouting and cheering. The referee called both fighters to the middle of the ring, spoke to them and the fight started. At first, both men were very wary. After all, this was a fight between teacher and pupil, so they knew very well what the other could do - and they were fighting with bare fists. Each of the boxers fought well for most of the match,but in the end Humphries was too strong and too experienced for the young Mendoza. He knocked him down once: Mendoza got up. He knocked him down again, and although Mendoza tried to get up, he just couldnt.The referee counted ten and that was the end of the match. When Mendoza got up, he was very angry, but eventually congratulated Humphries. However, his defeat made him determined to go on and fight his teacher again so that he could finally become champion. (229 words)Lesson 22 By heart 熟记台词Six short weeks A couple of years ago, a new play called The World Tomorrow was going to be shown in our local theatre. There was a great deal of advertising for it and there was considerable public interest, mainly, I think, because the cast contained a number of famous actors and actresses. Most actors and actresses are usually nervous on the first night of any play, and no one really knows what can go wrong or how the audience will react. In the case of The World Tomorrow, no one forgot their lines, but the play was not well received. It was a comedy, so it was supposed to be funny, but nobody laughed-not in the right places anyway-and people even walked out before the end. The cast suspected that they would get bad reviews the following day, and they did. One review described it as the saddest comedy Ive ever seen; another thought it was the most professionally acted disaster we have ever seen on our local stage.名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 11 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - In spite of the reviews, however, the play still ran for six weeks. The last performance, on the last Saturday evening, attracted a small audience, and the actors struggled through to the end. At the end of six terrible weeks, however, there was one final moment of relief. When the last line was spoken: Our six short weeks have hastened to their end, the audience saw the funny side of it and laughed. Even the actors and actresses laughed. (248 words)Lesson 23 One mans meat is another mans poison 各有所爱Snails, snails, snails! The snails had escaped from the paper bag and they were everywhere-on the walls, on the ceiling, on the carpet, and even on the large hall mirror. When we began to look carefully, we found that they were even in coat pockets in the clothes hanging on the clothes hooks in the hall. It was disgusting! Snails move slowly, but its amazing how far they can travel in a couple of hours! It took Robert and me ages to collect them. He fetched a pair of steps for me and ladders for himself, and we collected them in two buckets. There were snail marks everywhere, too, and it took hours to clear up the mess-remember, there were several dozen of them. Snails may not be fast, but we had been talking for a couple of hours, and they can travel. Even now I am sure we didnt find them all: some are still crawling round Roberts house. The ones that we did not find were lucky! Robert was amused, but I wasnt. He decided to cook the snails and invited me to stay. I said before that I didnt fancy the idea, so I left him to his meal for one. I just couldnt look at the snails and have never been able to face them since then. (220 words) Key to Letter writingA possible answer (body of letter only) It was really nice to see you last week after such a long time. I was so pleased that you are well and that you have a good job now. Im hoping that we can get together again soon, so how would you like to come and spend a weekend with me and my family here in the country sometime in the next month or two? Youve never been to our house before, but Im sure you would enjoy it. Please let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you. (94 words)Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard “ 家丑”A weekend with Sebastian Now that George had explained about the skeleton, I felt better, but I still didnt want to sleep in the room with a skeleton hanging in the cupboard. I asked George to remove him, but he refused. Theres nowhere else to put him,said George, so hell have to stay.I couldnt disagree of course, but the moment I lay down to sleep, I knew it was going to be an uncomfortable night. In the end, I decided that I would take Sebastian somewhere for the night and bring him back up to my room early in the morning. So I 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 12 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - took him out of cupboard and walked around the house with him trying to find somewhere to put him. Georges maid was just going to bed as I walked along the landing. She saw Sebastian apparently walking around, screamed and fainted. She had obviously woken Carlton who appeared from his bedroom and, when the girl had regained consciousness, explained everything to her. He accused me of being stupid and sent me and Sebastian back to our room where I hung him up in the cupboard again. Imagine my surprise when I picked up one of Carltons detective stories two years later. There I was, with Sebastian the skeleton, as the main characters in one of his stories for the whole world to read. Still, he didnt use my real name, so I should be glad of that! (240 words ) Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) I havent written to you for some time, but felt that I should before contacting you by telephone or coming to the surgery. I have not been feeling at all well lately. I have been feeling tired all the time and have started to go to bed early most nights to get more sleep. Even then, after a good nights sleep, I still feel as if I could sleep longer. Ive taken vitamin tablets and things, but they havent done any good, so Id like to make an appointment to see you as soon as possible. (97 words)Lesson 25 The Cutty Sark “ 卡蒂萨克 ” 号帆船Ships of the past Men have always wanted to cross water. Thousands of years ago, men made simple dug-out canoes so that they could cross rivers or go out into lakes to fish. At first, then, mans earliest boats were small and simple and were powered and steered by paddles or oars. When men wanted to travel greater distances, across very large lakes or small seas, for example, boats needed to be larger. We have all seen pictures of ancient ships with rows of oars at each side and slaves to row them. In fact these galleys were just a larger version of the single-man rowing boat, still made of wood and very much the same design as very early boats. Early ships might have been primitive, they might have been made of wood and might have been powered through the water with oars, but they managed to cross oceans. The Viking ships that invaded Britain hundreds of years ago also reached North America. Later sailing ships, like those that Columbus sailed in, the galleons that formed the Spanish Armada or those that Nelson sailed in, were an advance. But perhaps the greatest development in the history of ships was when steam engines replaced sails. For centuries, ships had depended on the wind to sail across the seas and oceans. At last, with an engine to drive a propeller, seamen did not have to rely totally on the weather. From then on, ships like the Great Eastern could be larger, safer and more manoeuvrable in the water. (254 words) 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 13 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) Since we set sail from Southampton a week ago, the voyage has been awful. We have seen no sunshine, it has been raining all the time and the winds have been blowing hard. I have been seasick since we left. This is only a small ship and there are only about fifty other passengers. Three or four have visited me and introduced themselves. They are all sympathetic because they have all been on lots of cruises before. Tomorrow I want to go up on deck. We are calling into our first port, and I cant wait to get onto dry land again! (103 words)Lesson 26 Wanted: a large biscuit tin 征购大饼干筒The last question The other evening I listened to a quiz show on the radio which was organised by a firm of soap manufacturers. A member of the audience was invited to answer ten questions to win money. He could take a money prize after each correct answer or go on to a more difficult question. Each new question was worth twice the last question. The man was very nervous in front of the audience, but he got the first question right. Then he slowly answered all the questions correctly-spelling questions, history questions, general knowledge, mathematics, The audience was getting very excited as the question master got to question number 9. And your ninth question, he said, is worth 1,024. Here it is. Which nineteenth-century sailing ship won a race from Shanghai to England? It was the Thermopylae, the man said confidently. She beat the Cutty Sark.Correct, said the questionmaster, and the audience went mad. The question master had to ask them to be quiet. And here is your tenth and last question, the host said, which is worth 2,048 exactly. “Advertisement”: how do you spell it?The man paused and then said: I think this is a trick question. I can spell “advertisement”, but I can also spell “it ”. The answer is “I-T”. Youre absolutely right, the host said, and you have won 2,048! Congratulations! (239 words) Key to Letter writingA possible answer (body of letter only) How are you? I hope you are keeping well. I know I havent written recently but I have some good news. I have managed to find a job near you and want to move to your neighbourhood. Naturally I need to find somewhere to live. As you live in the area, would you mind helping me to find some accommodation? Im looking for a flat or even a small house to rent for at least six months. I look forward to hearing from you as soon as you can find something for me. (92 words)名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 14 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy 不卖也不买Tramps are parasites The majority of adults in society contribute to society by working. They work, earn money and pay taxes for the things we all need-hospitals, schools, public transport, the fire brigade, law and order and so on. We dont expect children or very old people to work and pay taxes. But everyone else should. So why should people like tramps and beggars be different? Tramps say all they want is their freedom. Well, they may be free, but their freedom is paid for by everyone else in society. There are many unemployed people who simply cannot get a job-but they would work if they could. And many beggars are people who have turned to begging because they cannot find a job. Tramps are not like them. Tramps lead a very selfish way of life and it is a way of life that shows an unwillingness to assume responsibility for others. The rest of us have a home, children, work, and so on. But not tramps! Tramps are lazy parasites on society, and if we all had their mentality, society would not exist, for them or anyone else. Although we might in some ways be envious of tramps, and although we might envy their freedom, how many of us could be as selfish as them? How many of us could say Im going to live exactly as I want, and damn the rest of society!? I couldnt. Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) I know I wrote to you only a few weeks ago, but Im writing this time to ask if you can help me. Do you think I can get a job in the UK for a few months? I dont mind doing almost anything-as long as its not too hard. I could work in a hotel or a restaurant, for example, but I couldnt work on a building site! I need money to help to pay for a holiday that I am planning to take next year in Australia. But a visit to the UK would also help me improve my English.(103 words)Lesson 28 Five pounds too dear 五镑太贵The bargain The writer had only just got rid of a man who was trying to sell a diamond ring when another man approached him with some expensive pens and watches. When he held them up for the writer to look at, the writer showed quite a lot of interest. Can I see one of the pens?the writer asked the man. They all looked genuine. The man handed the writer one and said:Its a beautiful pen, sir. Its worth 50, but you can have it for 30. When the writer offered him just 5, there was an argument about the price, but eventually the man said:You can have it for 10, sir. Thats the least I can take.As the writer walked away shrugging his shoulders, the man followed him. I cant really do it, sir-Im almost giving it away,he said,but you can have it for 5. The writer was obviously very pleased. He gave the man 5, took the pen, and the man disappeared quickly into the crowd. The writer was extremely pleased: he had bought a very expensive pen for just 5.What a bargain! Later, back on board ship, 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 15 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - the writer discovered why the man had been in such a hurry to get away: you couldnt fill the pen with ink and it just didnt work! It wasnt such abargain after all!Key to Letter writingA possible answer (body of letter only) I am writing to you because I have heard that you want to sell your CD player. Most of my friends have one, so I have wanted to buy one for some time. Ive looked at new ones, but I cant afford one, and my parents wont lend me the money, so I would like to buy yours. Perhaps you can tell me something about it. Can you tell me how old your machine is, what condition it is in and how much you are asking for it. Have you also got any CDs that youd like to sell with it? (101 words)Lesson 29 Funny or not? 是否可笑？The gasman An aunt of mine lives in a small village in the country and tells this story of what happened to her once. In order to understand the story, you should know a little about life in an English village. For example, people often enjoy afternoon tea together, they still leave doors unlocked, and certain tradesmen are used to delivering goods and, with permission, leaving them inside the owners house. One day my aunt had invited some friends round for afternoon tea. She had put some cakes in the oven to bake, and had gone upstairs to do some cleaning. When she finished, she decided to have a bath before her friends arrived. She was just about to get into the bath when she suddenly remembered the cakes. She wrapped a bath towel round her, went down to the kitchen and took the cakes out of the oven. Just then, there was a knock on the back door. She was sure it was the baker, who would open the door, come in and leave the bread on the kitchen table. She panicked, dashed into the cupboard under the stairs and closed the door. Then, horrified, she heard footsteps coming to the cupboard. The door opened and there stood the gasman who had come to read the meter-which was in the cupboard. My aunt blushed and said, Im very sorry. I was expecting the baker. Oh, the gasman said. Sorry, madam. He closed the door gently and left. (250 words)Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) Im writing to see if you can help me. Ive looked everywhere here at home, but cant find my overcoat anywhere. I have an idea I left it at your house when I came to see you about a fortnight ago. Its quite a new coat, its dark blue with a black collar, and there may be a pair of my gloves in one of the pockets. Could you look for it and let me know if I left it there? If so, I will come and collect it as soon as I can. (94 words)名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 16 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - Lesson 30 The death of a ghost 幽灵之死The ghost of Endley When I came in to work one morning I noticed that work had been done overnight-some hay had been cut and the cowsheds and other buildings had been cleaned, so I decided to stay up all the next night to try to solve the mystery. (I didnt tell Joe and Bob, of course.) I hid in the barn and waited. Obviously I fell asleep because I suddenly woke up to find that it was dark. I went straight to the cowshed and found that it had already been cleaned. Then I went out to the Felds where I could just see a figure working; I couldnt see whether it was a man, or a woman, or perhaps a ghost. I was scared, so I rushed back to the farmhouse and woke up the others. We all went out to the fields to see who it was, but when we got there, there was no one there. When I was in the fields before, I didnt know what or who the figure was. But now I was sure it was a ghost so I immediately decided not to work at Endley Farm any longer and handed in my resignation. When I told my story to the villagers, many of them still didnt believe me, even though they knew that something strange had been going on at Endley Farm for years.(230 words ) Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) I have already written several letters to you in the past few weeks, but I have heard nothing from you. Do I have your correct present address? Just a few pieces of news about me and the family. I am just about to take my final exams and then I hope to leave school and go to college or university. My brother has a new job and my sister is getting married next year. I would love to hear from you again. Please write as soon as you can and let me know all the latest news about you and your family. (102 words)Lesson 31 A lovable eccentric 可爱的怪人A true eccentric Mr. Chew is a man who has lived in our small town for years. He is a large man (some would say fat ),he has a round face, a big black moustache and a bald head. He always wears the same clothes-black trousers, a white shirt and a red waistcoat, and is always polite to everyone he meets. He owns an antiques shop near the river, and he livesover the shop. No one knows where he gets his things, but there are always lots of diffecent interesting antiques in the shop window every week. Mr. Chew is interested in politics, too. Every week he puts up strange notices in his shop window to passers-by. Usually the notices are trying to make people save a local building or stop a plan to build a road through the town. Every time there is a national election, he automatically stands for parliament and gives speeches almost every day in the town park saying what he would do if he were Prime Minister. (He usually says he would make sure that antiques dealers did not have to pay Income Tax and that no cars should be allowed into our little town at all.) Every year he gets a few votes, but 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 17 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - not enough to worry the serious candidates. For most people Mr. Chew is a harmless eccentric, and everyone likes talking to him. After all, he is someone who adds colour to the dull routine of their daily lives. Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of lever only) I was extremely sorry to hear that John had passed away. Unfortunately, I did not even know that he had been seriously ill. Otherwise I would have written to him. As you know, John and I were at university together and used to write to each other as often as we could. We also used to meet at least once a year with others for an anniversary dinner. We shall miss him. If there is any way I can help, please do not hesitate to ask me. You know that you can always phone me or write me a note. (100 words)Lesson 32 A lost ship 一艘沉船The last day The journey has gone well so far. We are now on the way to Russia and hope that we shall arrive with no more problems. But we are watching the sea and sky. The convoy successfully fought off an air attack early this morning. No ships were lost and we managed to shoot down three enemy aircraft before they broke off the attack. At 10 a.m. this morning we were attacked by a U-boat. This was the first time we had been attacked and for most men on board this was the first time they had been in action at sea. We were fortunate, but the ship ahead of us, the Dauntless, was torpedoed and sunk. After the ship sank, there were hundreds of men in the sea. We picked up as many survivors as we could in the Karen. In fact in the end we picked up 720 men, which meant that 50 men lost their lives in the attack on the Dauntless. The Karen was packed with men, many crowded on the open decks, when we turned and attacked the Uboat. Depth charges were dropped and the U-boat was put out of action. It is now 3.15 p.m., the light is already beginning to fade and storm clouds are gathering. We are about to be attacked by a second U-boat, this time from the north. The captain has just announced - (239 words) Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) March 14th, 1943 Dear Uncle Charles, I am writing to you from the first ship that I am serving on as an officer. The ship is a cruiser and her name is the Karen. We are sailing in convoy to Russia with ten other ships. We have already been at sea for three days and should reach Russia by the end of the week. The voyage has been good so far, but there is always a danger that we shall be torpedoed by an enemy submarine. We all pray that this will not happen and that we shall reach our 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 18 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - destination safely. The letter stopped here.(99 words )Lesson 33 A day to remember 难忘的一天Mistaken identity We have all experienced days when everything seems to go wrong. Things certainly went wrong for Ray, a friend of mine, one day last month. It all started, as these things do, with a simple case of mistaken identity. Ray had been shopping and was loaded with parcels when he got back to the multistory car park to look for his car. He knew he was on the correct level, but he couldnt see his car anywhere. Then, suddenly, while he was looking, he saw one exactly like it. It was a red Nissan. It was exactly the same as his own car, and naturally he mistook it for his own. Still holding the parcels, he felt in his jacket pockets and found his key. He tried to open the drivers door, but the key just wouldnt turn. He couldnt understand it In the end, he forced the lock - and naturally broke the key. At that point he dropped the parcels as well. This infuriated him. The only way he could get into his car was to break a window, so he deliberately smashed the window of the car. As he was putting his hand in, the owner came back and saw him. The owner rushed towards Ray, held him against the car, and called a policeman on his mobile phone. When Ray was arrested, he tried to explain, but the police did not believe him - until they found Rays car on a level below! (246 words) Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) Thank you very much for your letter of 23rd July offering to buy my Toyota Corolla for 2,500. As I said in my advertisement, the car is in very good condition and has a low mileage for its age, so I wanted to sell it for 2,750 or nearest offer. I am therefore writing to accept your offer officially and to make arrangements for the sale. If you can come to my house next Saturday morning with the money, I shall have the car and documents ready. Please telephone me to discuss any further details. I look forward to hearing from you. (104 words )Lesson 34 A happy discovery 幸运的发现An antique shop The Antique Shop has been in the little street near the church for years. As you look at it from across the road, it draws you towards it. It has one large window display designed to attract all sorts of customers. There is expensive glass, porcelain and jewellery to attract people with a lot of money; there is second-hand furniture, modern silver and other things (hardly antique!) to attract those with not so much. When you enter the shop, a little bell rings and the owner, a little grey-haired old lady called Mrs. Century, comes out from a room at the back and greets you like a lost relative! She greets everyone the same and always with a smile. 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 19 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - The shop sells all kinds of antiques. There are shelves full of old books along the back of the shop. There are two large tables in the middle of the shop covered with pieces of glass and porcelain. Then, around the walls on the floor are large pots, brass statues and things. There are lots of painting on the walls, too. At the weekend, the shop usually has five or six customers in it at one time. You might find a professional antique collector, a holiday couple and a young mother (with child in pram) looking for a cheap antique for her husbands birthday. We all like looking for unusual things and hope to find a bargain one day. You might find one in Mrs. Centurys Antique Shop . (249 words)Key to Letter writingA possible answer (body of letter only) Later this year I am going to spend a month in North Africa with some friends. Since I know it will be hot, and since I know you went to Egypt two years ago, I am writing to ask your advice about what we should take. I realizx that it will be very hot, but I dont know what we should wear. Should we wear shorts, sandals and short-sleeved shirts? Or should we perhaps wear lightweight jeans, long-sleeved shirts and perhaps walking boots for visiting famous sights? There are some girls in the group. Can you give me some advice for them, too? (105 words)Lesson 35 Justice was done 伸张正义A burglary that went wrong There is a large jewellery store in the town that I have often wanted to rob. A few weeks ago I started planning the theft and kept a close watch on the shop. I noticed when people went in and out, when they started and finished work, and so on. And I noticed the chimneys, too. One night I climbed onto the roof of the store and looked for a way in. One of the chimneys seemed wide enough for me to get in, so I started climbing down. Very soon, however, I got stuck and had to climb out again. I didnt give up. I looked around, found another chimney that looked quite wide at the top and climbed down that one. Again I got stuck. This time, however, I was really stuck. I could climb neither up nor down. At first I struggled to try to free myself, but I couldnt get out. Then I started to get scared and started sweating. I tried to calm myself by quietly counting and thinking of pleasant things. But nothing worked and finally I started shouting for help. Nothing happened, everything was dark and silent, and I got more and more frightened. I think I went to sleep because I suddenly realized that light was shining down the chimney. I shouted and shouted. Eventually I heard tapping and was finally freed by fire fighters who had smashed a hole in the chimney. (240 words) Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) The last time we met was about a month ago and I remember we parted in anger: well, 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 20 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - at least I did. You will remember that we had an argument and I came home saying that I would never speak to you again. Naturally since then I have had time to think about the situation and I am writing now to apologize for acting the way I did and for saying the things that I said. Perhaps we could meet again very soon. Please write and let me know what you think. Lesson 36 A chance in a million 百万分之一的机遇The past When the war finished, Franz Bussman did everything he could to get information about his brother Hans. With no information, he reluctantly assumed his brother was dead, and gave up the search. With no family, and having been unable to find his brother, Franze found it difficult to settle down. Over the years he moved from place to place and from job to job, never staying very long in one place. When he met Anna (now Mrs. Bussman), he was working as a waiter in a hotel. He and Anna got married and Franz settled down at last. He moved from the dinning room into the kitchen of the hotel and became a cook. But this did not last very long. He was talking to a friend one day, a taxi driver, who suggested that they should go into partnership. So they did, and Franz became a taxi driver. He and the friend drove taxis themselves, but they also soon owned four more taxis and employed four drivers. He visited his home town once to visit his old house, but it was a sad visit. There was a large modern block of flats where his family house used to be. And although he spoke to some of the apartment owners, no one remembered him or his family. Now that he has finally found his brother Hans, he and Anna are planning to invite Hans to come and live near them and work as a taxi driver in the company. (250 words) Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) For the past few days I have been ill and, on the advice of my doctor, have had to spend some time in bed. I am therefore writing to inform you that I shall unfortunately be absent from work for the next few days. Naturally I hope to return to work as soon as possible. In the meantime, however, there is one thing that should be attended to in my absence. Before I fell ill, I was in the process of checking the proofs of the new brochure and would be grateful if someone could complete the job. I look forward to seeing you in a few days time. (109 words )Lesson 37 The Westhaven Express 开往威斯特海温的快车A disastrous train journey When I finally boarded the train, I was looking forward to a pleasant journey to the village of Slowleigh where my friends live. I sat in my seat, got out a book and was already reading when the train started. According to the timetable, the train was due to arrive in Slowleigh at 4.30. I had been so interested in my book that I had a shock when I looked at my watch. It was almost 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 21 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - 4.30. I closed my book and waited for the train to slow down. It didnt. In fact, the train was going very fast - and that was Slowleigh, wasnt it?! The train went straight on. I asked the other passengers why the train hadnt stopped and they told me it was the express to the city. I didnt believe it Then the ticket collector came along. He looked at my ticket and I tried to explain, but in the end I had to pay the full fare to the city. By the time we arrived in the city it was six oclock. The journey had lasted two hours and I was miles away from my original destination. I rang my friends and said I would get a fast train back. Then I checked the timetable: there was no fast train back to Slowleigh, only a slow one, at 7 oclock. By the time I finally reached Slowleigh Station, it was nine oclock at night. My pleasant little train journey had taken 4.5 hours!(250 words) Key to Letter writing Apossible answer (body of letter only) I have just heard that Joanna has given birth to a baby girl. Congratulations to you both! You must both be very proud parents and I bet she looks like Joanna! Youve heard all the old jokes, so I wont repeat them - except to say that I know you will have some sleepless nights from now on! I hope that Joanna and your new daughter are both well. You must let me know what she weighs and who she really looks like. I hope to be able to visit you all very soon. Let me know when I shall be welcome. All my love (104 words)Lesson 38 The first calender 最早的日历Studying the past Future historians will have plenty of sources from which to learn about twentieth-century man. Not only will they have the written word, they will also have films, videos, audio cassettes, CDs and CD-ROMs. In fact, they will have so much source material that they will hardly know where to start! If they study all the material available, they will be able to build up a complete social and political history of our time. They will know exactly how we dressed, what we ate in every different country and they will know exactly what our homes were like. They will know what our towns and cities were like and what forms of entertainment we enjoyed. In fact, they will not only learn about our forms of entertainment, they will be able to enjoy a lot of them, too - our music, plays, musical shows, video games, our art, our literature, And they will be able to read and see the news day by day as it happened. They will learn in detail the way we fought our wars - the way we used jet fighters, helicopters, ships and tanks. They will be able to learn every detail of great moments in history, and everything about leading figures of the time as well as the lives of ordinary men and women. In future, the study of history will provide interest and excitement for a lot of people, the past will be brought to life and history will no longer be boring.(249 words ) 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 22 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) We have been writing to each other now for about five years and, although we have exchanged lots of photos of each other and our families, we have never met face to face. At last there is a chance for us to meet. I will be visiting Canada with my parents next year and naturally I want to come and see you. I just cant wait to meet for the first time. We are planning to fly to Canada early in April, but can you please let me know if there is any time when you and your parents will be away?(102 words)Lesson 39 Nothing to worry about 不必担心Bruce remained unperturbed It was typical of Bruce to anno unce cheerfully that there was no oil in the engine! For the rest of us, it was a disaster. We all got out and began shouting at him and then at each other. What could we do? We were standing in the middle of a very large pool up to our ankles in water with a car that was useless. We tried to push it, but of course it was absolutely impossible. All we managed to do was to push it deeper into the soft mud. In the end we all walked to next village where we tried to get a taxi so that we could take some oil (and petrol) back to the car. We couldnt find one driver who would take us over the rough road. Fortunately there was a small garage and we paid a large sum of money to the garage owner to rent a jeep. With a can of oil and an extra can of petrol we all climbed in and set off. When we eventually got back to the pool, we attached a rope from the jeep to the car and pulled the car out of the water. We were not surprised to find that the engine was badly damaged, and would not even start with the oil we had brought back. Disaster again, but Bruce was undismayed! (230 words ) Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) I am having a great holiday here in T . Pat and I have done all the typical tourist things and have seen most of the sights. However, Im afraid we are both running out of money - and we both have to pay our hotel bill at the end of the week. Pat has managed to get some more through his bank, but I would be very grateful if you could send me another 250 through the Landmark Bank. (78 words)Lesson 40 Who s who 真假难辨Arrest the police! The policeman who accompanied the workman to the pay phone still did not realize that they had been the victims of a practical joke. When he and the worker returned to the scene of the hoax right outside the university gates, the other workman was still quarrelling with the police and resisting arrest. Following the workers call to the police station, it was not long before more police 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 23 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - arrived on the scene - and it is at this point that the story becomes very complicated! The workmen told the police who had just arrived that the first lot of policemen were actually students dressed up as policemen. The second lot of police therefore threatened to arrest the first lot of police, but before they did so, they asked for their identity cards. The first lot ignored this request and said that they really were policemen, but that the workmen were students. The workers had to prove their identity, too, they said. None of them had to prove their identity by showing identity cards, because at this point two or three of the policemen started laughing, and then the workmen started laughing, and in the end they were all laughing. They finally realized that they had all been victims of a hoax - and not one of them could remember what the student had looked like. After all, said one workman, they all look the same to me. (237 words)Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) Thank you very much for your last letter. It was really good to hear from you again and to read about the long trip you intend to make and your offer to take me with you. Yes, I would love to come. You are going to visit a part of the country that I have never been to, so naturally Id like to come along. And I shall of course share the expenses - petrol, food and accommodation, and any other expenses. However, you didnt say how much you think the trip will cost, so perhaps you could let me know. Lesson 41 Illusions of pastoral peace 宁静田园生活的遐想I have never understood city-lovers. For me a city is a place to visit for a few hours, to go shopping, to see special exhibitions, shows, plays and films. But its not a place to live in, even though thousands do. Usually they are tied to the city by their jobs or perhaps even by family. There are so many advantages to living in the country. It is quiet and more healthy. There is far less traffic on the roads and the air is so much fresher. Instead of buying everything in packets from a supermarket, in the country we can always buy fresh food from farms or village shops every day - milk, fruit, fresh eggs, vegetables and meat. And we dont have to look at Use by labels to see when we must use something by: we know that everything is fresh. And the people in the country are always so polite and friendly too - as long as you obey the unwritten rules of the countryside, that is. On the other hand, there are so many advantages to living in a town or city. The first thing most country people notice is the noise and dirt. It must be the traffic, but many country people find it difficult to breathe in the city. And it is stressful, too: people always seem to be in a rush, and they are so often rude and unfriendly. There are so many advantages to living in the country that it is a mystery to me why some country people say they would like to live in the city. In fact, I just cannot understand how anyone can even consider living in the city. (282 words ) 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 24 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) I was very pleased to hear that you are coming to the city for a few days next month. I think its good for you to see occasionally what life has to offer! And there is so much you will be able to do! Of course I can put you up. You know you dont really need to ask. As long as I am going to be here (and I will be during the time you want to visit), you can always use my guestroom. Let me have your exact dates and I will make sure the guestroom is ready. (100 words)Lesson 42Modern cavemen 现代洞穴人One day last summer Rob, a friend of mine, decided to go out for a day on his own. He took a day off work and went to the beach. He walked round the headland a mile from the town and found a deserted beach. He couldnt believe it there was no one else there. He spent a marvellous relaxing day there swimming, sunbathing and reading, and for the whole day he was the only one on the beach. Then, late in the afternoon, he decided to pack up and go home. He took his time drying himself, changing and packing his things into the shoulder bag he had brought with him, and then began to walk towards the headland. As he was walking along the beach, he suddenly realized that the tide was coming in: it was coming in very fast, and he began to get a little worried. He walked faster, but soon the tide had reached the headland and there was no way that he could walk around. He looked round and saw a cave in the cliff. As he hoped to climb up inside it, he went in. Unfortunately, he just couldnt see a way out, so he started back. It was too late: the tide was coming in the cave and as he looked down from the point he had reached, the sea that was already covering the floor of the cave and beginning to rise up the chimney in the cave. He turned round and started climbing again - and eventually found a smaller chimney that he managed to climb up to reach the top of the cliff. He had never been so frightened in his life. He promised himself that he would never do it again. (292 words) Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) I am writing to say how sorry I am that I didnt invite you to my party last Saturday night. It wasnt until the middle of the evening that I realized you werent there, and by then it was too late to do anything. You may not believe this, but your name was the first on my list of guests for the party when I prepared it on my computer. I can only assume that when my sister printed it off and sent the invitations, she didnt notice your name was missing. (92 words)Lesson 43 Fully insured 全保险It was the biggest pie dish in the world and, floating on the canal, looked very inviting. It had been anchored to the side of the canal after it had been launched and was as big 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 25 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - as many of the boats on the canal. It was about eighteen feet long and about six feet wide, and the sides were about three feet high. When a number of teenage girls and boys came along the canal path early in the evening, they thought the dish looked fascinating. There were about ten of them and they all jumped or climbed into the dish one by one. The first thing that happened was that they started slipping and sliding everywhere and all fell down in the bottom of the dish because it was so smooth. They all laughed a lot. Then one of them turned on the large portable radio that he had brought with him and some of them started dancing. (At least there was no one near the canal to complain about the noise.) Suddenly the dish began to move in the water. It went down one side, and then down one end, and the teenagers moved to the other end. Then it started dipping that end and they all slid into a pile. At that point the rim of the dish reached the level of the water. Once that happened, the teenagers couldnt climb back up to the other end, and the water started pouring in. It capsized in minutes and sank in seven feet of water. Fortunately they all managed to swim to the bank and were safe. The teenagers may not have done much damage, but if they hadnt held their party on the dish, it wouldnt have sunk and the insurance company wouldnt have had to pay to salvage it from the canal. (306 words) Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) I have just learned from an article in last weeks local paper that you and Jane were involved in a car accident. I was really very sorry to read the news. If I had known earlier (from your family or from a friend), I would have contacted you both earlier. However, the main thing is that you are both OK. When you and Jane have recovered completely from the experience, I would like you to come over and see me for an evening. Please accept my very best wishes. (89 words)Lesson 44 Speed and comfort 又快捷又舒适CompositionAll forms of travel have advantages and disadvantages. Flying has many advantages that regular international travellers will tell you about, but it has many disadvantages. When you travel by train, you turn up at the railway station, buy a ticket to your destination, go onto the platform and get on the train when it arrives. With travelling by air, booking itself is a major problem. Immediately you are faced with choices because different airlines offer the same flights for different prices. Personally I never know which to choose. And then theres the real time. When they tell you that it is a two-hour flight, add at least five hours to that. Remember first of all that you have to get to the airport (by car, bus, coach or train). Then you have to check in-usually at least an hour before take-off - go through customs and passport control, and then wait in the departure lounge (bored out of your mind!) until your flight is called. Boarding, takes at least half an hour, and then you sit in the aircraft waiting to take off. At the other end, after 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 26 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - your flight, again you are subjected to customs and passport control before waiting for your luggage before you catch your transport from the airport to your real destination. On the flight itself you are squashed in, often sitting next to strangers who might have strange or bad habits, such as an irritating cough. They always give you a meal, but airline food often tastes like plastic and there is rarely any choice. There are just two small toilets for hundreds of people and there is the constant drone of engines and the hum of the air-conditioning system. For some travellers, top, there is a constant sense of danger: Will we arrive safely? - Will any of the engines fail? -What if theres a mad hijacker on board?Flying has many disadvantages but millions will still go on flying.(329 words) Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) Enclosed is a ticket for a performance of Shakespeares Hamlet at the Centre Theatre next Saturday evening. Its a present from me and, no, I havent gone mad! Three months ago I saw an advertisement for this particular performance and immediately booked a ticket for it. Now, I suddenly find that I must go home to see my family, so I will not be able to attend the performance. As I know you enjoy going to the theatre so much, and I know you are studying Hamlet for an English exam, I thought you would be able to use it -Enjoy the performance. (103 words)Lesson 45 The power of the press 新闻报道的威力There is a well-known expression in English to describe rising from poverty to a state of being very rich or wealthy: its called going from rags to riches. It doesnt usually mean that a person has been living in rags and then becomes extremely rich. The expression is not quite right to describe what happened to John, but not far wrong. Johns life had been very ordinary and certainly lacked excitement. He was 25 years old, but he didnt takepart in any sport, he didnt have a girlfriend and he didnt drive a car. Instead he went everywhere on his bicycle. In fact he led a pretty boring life, but he was happy. Then one day a friend suggested he do the football pools. (In England this is a way of winning a lot of money. If your predictions correspond to real football scores, you can win lots of money.) John did the football pools and won a million pounds. He went mad with the money. He bought a new car and a big house.And then he met a girl and married her. It was all too quick. Very soon they started arguing and soon they got a divorce. Now John is alone again, and living in his big house as a sad millionaire. The lesson of the story is this: never listen to the advice of a friend. If John had never done the football pools, he would never have become a sad millionaire. On the other hand, he is now able to give a lot of money to charity - to help people less fortunate than himself. (271 words ) 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 27 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - Key to Letter writingA possible answer Dear Sir, I write with reference to the article which you published in your paper two days ago about the Swifts and their four new children. It may be a little unusual for a woman to give birth to quads (or quadruplets, to give them their proper name), but surely the event did not deserve a full page with photos! A short paragraph would have been enough: we did not need to know the ages of the parents, the fathers job, and so on. Surely there is a lot more important news from around the world to fill the pages of your newspaper. Yours faithfully, (105 words )Lesson 46 Do it yourself 自己动手Friends have often told me that one of the simplest plumbing jobs in a house is changing the washer on a dripping tap. We had a dripping tap in the kitchen. It had been dripping for weeks. I didnt want to call in a plumber because they charge a lot of money, so I decided to do it myself. Surely its a fairly easy job, I thought. What can go wrong? I really did not think that it would be difficult. I knew that the first thing I had to do was to turn off the water at the mains. Unfortunately, I couldnt find where to turn off the water. Was it under the sink in our kitchen? Or was it outside somewhere? Eventually I found it under the kitchen sink on a pipe coming up from the ground that I had never noticed before. When I had turned off the mains tap, I turned on the kitchen tap until it stopped running. So far, so good! Then I gaily embarked on the task of unscrewing the tap and taking off the old washer. When I tried to put the new washer on, however, I realized that I had a problem. Whatever I did, it just wouldnt go on. So I cut it a little and it went on with no problem. Then I put everything back together and turned on the mains. I was so pleased with myself - until, five minutes later, the tap started dripping worse than ever. As a result of the experience, I have made a decision. I will never attempt to change a washer again, and I will call in a professional for any plumbing, building or electrical job that ever needs doing in the house. (291 words) Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) When we last met two years ago, I told you about the trouble I was having at work and you gave me some very valuable advice. I was worried about promotion, and you told me to work hard and be patient. I am writing now to thank you and to say that you were absolutely right. In fact, I really cant thank you enough. I have worked hard over the past two years, and I have waited. And now I have just heard that I am going to be promoted next month. I am going to be head of my section in the department. (104 words)名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 28 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - Lesson 47 Too high a price? 代价太高It has often been said that you are what you eat . But what does that mean? It certainly does not mean that if you eat enough carrots, you will begin to look like one! It means that you will be healthy if you eat healthy food, and your health will not be so good if you eat junk food. And obviously it applies to some people, but not to others. A friend of mine is mainly a vegetarian, she eats mostly fruit and vegetables, with some fish, and she is extremely healthy. She even has a meal occasionally with fried eggs, fried bacon and chips , but it doesnt seem to do her any harm. Basically she eats a diet which is 90% healthy. So, I suppose, she is what she eats. There is a problem, however, and it is this. Your physical health is not simply the result of what you eat and drink: it is also partly a result of your own metabolism, the amount of exercise you take and the general way you live (your lifestyle, if you like). If you eat healthy food, but sit at a desk all day and then sit all evening watching television, then of course you cant expect to be really healthy. I eat well, I think. I eat fresh meat, fruit and vegetables when I can. I do not eat much fatty food, I do not eat much prepared food (frozen meals) and very rarely have a fried meal. I take regular exercise, particularly walking and cycling, and I dont drink much alcohol. But I still weigh 150 pounds, which is too much for my age and height. Key to Letter writingA possible answer (body of letter only) You have often said that you would like to visit the UK. Well, heres your chance! I have just seen an announcement in the university office asking for names of students from othercountries that we students could recommend for a free months holiday course here in Edinburgh during thenext summer holidays. Basically, it will be a free English language course with free accommodation. You would have to pay for your own air fare here and back. Naturally, I would make sure that I would be here in Edinburgh during your time here. Let me know what you think. (100 words)Lesson 48 The silent village 沉默的村庄When we reached the stream where we had stepped out of the ferry and where the boatman said he would wait, there was no one. There was no boat and no boatman. At first we were surprised and thought that we had perhaps mistaken the place where he said he would wait. We walked along the bank of the stream for a few hundred yards in one direction, and then in the other.He was definitely not there. I was worried that the villagers would be coming down the mountain after us, but we couldnt see anybody, and the only noise was the noise of the running stream. We called across the stream to attract the attention of anyone on the other side, but nothing happened. It seemed that we were stranded. We sat down on the bank of the stream and just looked at each other. Come on,I said.Weve been in worse situations than this. What about that time we got lost in the forest in Germany, and the time the car broke down in Australia?Youre right, she said, cheering up. There is something we can do.名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 29 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - And, since I certainly couldnt think of anything better, we did just what she suggested. We both took off our shirts, tied our personal belongings in them (purse, money, passport, keys and so on), tied the shirts round our waists, and waded into the water until we had to swim. And we swam to the other side, where we squeezed out our shirts and put them on again wet. Then we walked back to our small hotel in the town. Perhaps the most surprising thing was that when we walked into the hotel still wet from our swim across the stream, no one said a word! (301 words) Key to Letter writingA possible answer (body of letter only) I am writing to congratulate you on the occasion of your eighty-fifth birthday. I have been trying to imagine all the things that have happened during your life and all the questions I could ask you. You must remember the Second World War (1939-1945). What do you remember about it? And what about the Coronation of Elizabeth , and Kennedys assassination, and the Gulf War, and the death of Princess Diana,and lots of other events like that? You must tell me all about them sometime. Once again, many congratulations on your 85th birthday! (96 words)Lesson 49 The ideal servant 理想的仆人Domestic servants still exist, but nowadays, instead of working for rich old ladies, they only work for members of the royal family, aristocrats, film stars, pop stars, successful businessmen and other rich and famous people, and there are really very few of them. The great age of domestic servants is past. There are many reasons why there is such a small number of domestic servants now. The first thing, of course, is that there are very few families that own big houses that need domestic servants. Many of the large country houses in Britain that need servants have been bought by an organisation called the National Trust and many of the people who help to run these properties are voluntary. They are certainly not servants and they believe that they are helping to preserve the heritage of Great Britain. The houses that are still owned privately are now run much more efficiently than they used to be, and very few entertain guests as they used to do. Instead, they open their gates to the general public, and so they need the same staff that major entertainments need. True, such large houses have some domestic staff, but they employ many other people who would not like to think of themselves as domestic servants - waiters and waitresses in their caf6s, cleaners, car park attendants, ticket collectors, guides, office staff, and so on. I am personally pleased that there are so few people in domestic service now. Most of us work for someone else, its true, but the whole idea of being a servant , a domestic servant , is an idea connected more with past centuries than the twentieth or twenty-first centuries. (279 words ) 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 30 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) Thank you very much for your cheque which I received at the end of last week for my 21 st birthday, It was extremely kind of you and is far more than I deserve. Naturally you would like to know what I intend to do with the money. For some time now I have wanted to buy a computer, so I am going to buy one that takes floppy disks and CDs, and one that has games and that I can use to send e-mail messages. Once again, many many thanks for the money. (94 words)Lesson 50 New Year resolutions 新年的决心Are New Year resolutions made to be broken? I think so. Some people are serious about them of course,but most know that they wont succeed in keeping them. Thats probably why they make resolutions such as I must be polite to Aunt Harriet when they only see Aunt Harriet twice a year! -or I must cut down on my smoking when they only ever have a cigarette after a family lunch on Sundays! Such resolutions, then, are not only ridiculous, but hardly resolutions at all! The last time I ever made a list of resolutions was five years ago. I remember now that I resolved always to do my college work on time, to keep my room tidy, to have nothing to do with the girls in the nearby girlscollege, to write home at least once a week, to wash my dirty clothes regularly and to have a haircut once a month. What was I thinking of?! For most college students such resolutions would be impossible - and of course they were for me! I kept three of the resolutions for a week, and a girlfriend from the nearby girls college helped me to keep two more (the ones about keeping my room tidy and washing my dirty clothes regularly!) for another week.After that, I gave up in despair. Instead, I resolved just to try to be just a little bit more tidy and a little more thoughtful, generally. I dont bother to make New Year resolutions any more since I have proved to myself and others that I cant keep them. There seems to be little point in breaking habits which have taken years to establish.(279 words ) Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) It is about a month since I last wrote to you. At that time I was studying in a language school. However,since then I have left the school and managed to find a job. Before I left home, I know that I promised I would write to you once a week - and I had every intention of doing it. Im sorry I havent written as often as I promised, but I do not always have very much news. Ill write and tell you all about the job next time. I really will try to write more often in future. (100 words )名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 31 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - Lesson 51 Predicting the future预测未来Predicting what computers will be like in 20 years time or what they will be able to do is a guessing game. If Leon Bagrit could not predict everything, what chance have I got? However, because prediction is just a calculated guess, I will try! The development of the computer since the 1960s has been very fast. From large mainframe computers which filled whole rooms to small lap-top computers which you can carry in a shoulder bag or large handbag, it has taken only forty years. Computers are already smaller, more powerful and cheaper than they have ever been. So what might happen in the next twenty years? Lets speculate. In twenty years time its possible that many people will be doing their everyday shopping by computer. The virtual -reality shop will be available through your TV set. You will be able to walk through your supermarket on screen, click or tick what you want, and then order it - and it will be delivered. In education, most students could be using computer-notebooks which make notes for them as they listen to a lecture or watch a demonstration experiment. In the world of travel, aircraft already have computer systems that will control auto-pilot. In twenty years time, computers could actually pilot aircraft - with no need for a real, live human pilot at all. Computers already help doctors diagnose disease and other health problems, and help in the control of body systems during operations. What else might they do in the future? They might actually control certain kinds of surgery (brain surgery, for example) where the human hand cannot always keep still enough, and power computer-operated limbs. So there are some ideas. But who knows what might really happen? No one. No one can see into the future. We shall just have to wait and see. (307 words) Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) As you are coming in tomorrow after I have left, I thought I should write you a few notes. You already have a set of keys, but I have also left a set of keys with our neighbours opposite, John and Jane Smith. If you need anything, please ask them. You wont have to bother about the post because I have asked the Post Office to keep all our mail till we come back. Everything else is as I told you, but please remember to leave the answerphone on when you go out and write a list of messages for me. Enjoy yourself, but please look after the house. (108 words)Lesson 52 Mud is mud 实事求是For me, a days shopping is the best way I think of to pass a day away from college or work. I have beenlooking forward to a day out shopping for weeks because I have wanted to get some new clothes for ages, solast Friday I took a day off. I got up at the usual time (as if I were going to work or college) because for me shopping is as serious aswork. Before I left the house I made sure I put on a good pair of walking shoes and then caught the bus intothe centre of the town. Some people visit all the shops in the hope that they will find what they want at the 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 32 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - prices they want topay. Not me: Im one of those shoppers who has a list of purchases - and with a fairly good idea of howmuch I want to pay. The first thing I wanted was something to wear to a friends wedding next month - and I didnt want topay very much. I found just what I wanted in the second shop I visited. And in the second shoe shop I visited, I found a pair of shoes that would go with the new clothes and which I could wear to work afterwards. Withinan hour I had bought the most important things on my shopping list. I was so pleased! But then came the most difficult part of the day. The third thing on my shopping list wasBirthday presentfor Pat. I like to give her a present but it is always so difficult. This year, I decided, I would buy her a book. Do you know how long I spent in one large book shop? Two hours! And even then I didnt get her a bookalthough I bought three for myself! By the time I got home, it was six oclock. I was absolutely exhausted, but pleased that I had managed tobuy two things on my list. (337 words) Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) Did you hear reports of the thunderstorm in our area a week ago? We were caught in the middle of it. We were woken in the middle of the night by thunder and lightning. We went downstairs where mymother made coffee and tea. Then the wind started howling and it started to pour with rain. When we lookedout of the windows, we could hardly see any of the neighbouring houses, and water was flooding down the road. Suddenly there was a crash on our roof. We didnt realize how bad the damage was until the following morning when we found that the chimney had fallen through the roof. (110 words)Lesson 53 In the public interest 为了公众的利益What does a policeman actually do? It is not an easy job to describe. After all, a policeman has a numberof jobs in one. A policeman often has to control traffic, either on foot in the centre of a town, or in a police caron the roads. Indeed, in Britain, he might be in the Traffic Police and spend all, or a lot of, his time driving upand down main roads and motorways. A traffic policeman has to help keep the traffic moving, stop speedingmotorists and help when there is an accident. A policeman has to help keep the peace, too. If there is a fight or some other disturbance, we expect thepolice to come and assess the situation and restore order. And they often have to deal with situations at greatrisk to themselves and their own safety. We expect the police to solve crimes, of course, so an ordinary policeman, even if he is not a detective, will often have to help look for and arrest criminals. And who do we call when there is an emergency - an air crash, a fire, a road accident, or a burglary? Wecall the police. So a policeman has to be prepared to face any unpleasant emergency that may happen in themodern world. The police do an absolutely necessary job, they do it extremely well and I support 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 33 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - them, but I do not envypolicemen. I do not think that I could ever do the job of a policeman. (296 words) Key to Letter writing A possible answer Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to you to complain about the standard of postal services in our district. We used to receive post regularly at special times of the day and post used to be collected regularly from post boxes at the same times every day. In the past few months, however, the service has deteriorated. We nolonger receive post regularly and it would seem that post is collected from post boxes at any time of day. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully, (100 words)Lesson 54 Instinct or cleverness? 是本能还是机智According to my dictionary,pests are small animals or insects that harm or destroy food supplies. But for me, they are more than that: they are insects and small animals that spread disease and damage property, too. Whatever they do and however you define them, pests have been a major problem to man through out history. Man has tried to control or exterminate these creatures, but never with very much success. In some ways, insets are the worst pests. Ants, locusts and beetles damage property, woodwork, crops and harvest, and in this century we have sprayed crops with insecticides and pesticides to protect them from in sects. The problem now is that there are some insects that have become immune to pesticides. Rats and mice eat our food supplies too and spread disease, and people have tried to kill or catch them with poison or traps. But again, they are still with us. We havent managed to exterminate them. Lets not forget, however, that for farmers, certain birds are pests too. In Britain, seagulls, pigeons and other birds often fly down in their hundreds (or even thousands) to pick up seeds when farmers are planting crops. Years ago, farmers used to stand scarecrows in the fields to frighten away birds, but Im not sure how effective they were. We have tried different things, then, to control pests, and we have managed to hold some pests in check. However, some are a big problem, both in the major industrial nations and in the Third World. While locusts are a terrible problem in countries like Sudan and Ethiopia, rats are still a problem in most large cities in the world. We might control pests to a certain extent, but we shall never get rid of them. (292 words) Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) It seems ages since we went on holiday together, so I thought I would write and ask how you are. I am keeping well and working hard at college. I came back from our holiday really 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 34 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - refreshed and readyfor this term. And we really bad a good time, didnt we? I particularly remember the day you brought yourcamera and took lots of amusing photos. Have you had them developed yet? If so, Id love to see them. write and let me know what you are doing now. Did you start that new job? I look forward to seeing the photos. All best wishes, (105 words)Lesson 55 From the earth: Greetings 来自地球的问候Do you remember ET in the film ET, the Extraterrestrial? If you do, you will know that the common picture of extraterrestrials is that they will look rather strange - for instance, they might have big eyes and funny feet and be a strange colour - but they will still somehow look like living creatures from earth. At the same time, of course, we believe that they will probably have incredible powers - like ETs power to he a lin juries and to come alive again. Many science - fiction stories and films have shown aliens or extraterrestrials like this. They may somehow look like strange earth creatures, therefore, but they are benevolent. But what if extraterrestrials - beings from other planets - are creatures with incredible intelligence and with no form, that is, with no body form like earthly creatures? They might be almost living thoughts . How would we greet them? How would we deal with them? And what if they are not benevolent? In other words, what if they really want to take over the earth? There are stories that extraterrestrials or aliens have already crashed on earth in spacecraft (flying saucers) and that scientists have studied them. There are even more fantastic stories that scientists are already learning from extraterrestrials new knowledge which will help us build incredible spacecraft to fly to other planets and beyond. Stories like that must surely be just rumours. Perhaps one day we will know if there really are extraterrestrials out there in space, and if there are, we will know what they look like and what they think of us. Will they really be little green men? Or will they begiants? Or Perhaps they will be so small that we can hardly see them? Will they be friendly? Or will they want to take over the earth? Who knows? One thing is certain. If we were ever to discover that there are extraterrestrials out there, the discovery would completely change our view of the universe and ourselves. (329 words) Key to Letter writing A possible answer (body of letter only) Many thanks for the enclosed travel guide which you lent me a month ago and which I am returning as promised. As we are thinking of going to Greece for a holiday, the book was extremely useful. We were able to read about mainland Greece as well as all the different islands, and we think that we know where we would like to go. We will probably fly to Athens for two or three days and then go to Cephalonia, one of the islands off the west coast. When we have made all the arrangements, we might line to borrow the book again 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 35 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - Write soon. (105 words)Lesson 57 Back in the old country 重返故里There is a house in another part of my home town that I would love to own. It is called the White House , like the Presidents house in Washington! I think you could easily describe it as a mansion and it is magnificent. I have no idea how muchit is worth, but that doesnt worry me. I admire the house and have always admired it. I do not have to imagine what the house is like inside because I have, strange as it may seem, actually been inside. About three years ago the owner held an exhibition of sculptures and paintings in the house. The exhibits were distributed throughout the house so that all the visitors had a chance to see the house. When you go in through the large heavy green front door, you find yourself in a large entrance hall with a shining black and white marble floor, rooms leading off from it in all directions, and a large open staircase leading up to the first floor. There is a large dining room on the right and a large sitting room on the left. Both rooms have big windows that look out onto the front lawn. There are always peacocks on the front lawn, and there are two large oak trees where you can sit in the shade on hot summer days. At the back of the house is a large kitchen, a laundry and work room and a games room. Upstairs there are six bedrooms and four bathrooms. I think there are four bathrooms, but I cant quite remember. The house is full of beautiful antique furniture and all the rooms are decorated in a classical style - lots of light blue and light green paint with white doors, and quite a lot of gold decoration. The whole thing may sound like a dream, but one day it will be reality. One day I will own my ideal house. (322 words) Key to Letter writingA possible answer for letter (b) Flat 605 6/F, 35 Dadong Street, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510065 P.R.C. 10th September, 20- Dear Charlie, Thank you very much for your present which arrived just before my birthday. It was very kind of you. Now that I have my own copy of the Thesaurus , I will naturally be able to make a lot of use of it. And I think that some of my friends will want to use it too! My family and I are well and looking forward to a short holiday next month. It will be the first holiday that we have had for two years. Please remember me to your parents and sisters. 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 36 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - All best wishes. Write soon. (99 words )Lesson 58 A spot of bother一点儿小麻烦There is nothing like your first visit to a foreign country. Whatever you may have heard, or whatever you have read or seen, you still dont really know what to expect. You will hear and read a new language, you will be surrounded by a completely different culture, and everything will seem new and strange. My first visit abroad was three years ago when I went to the UK. I had booked to attend a short English language course in London with a friend of mine. After a very long flight, we landed at Heathrow Airport and were met by a representative of the A1English Language School. She welcomed us and took us to our accommodation. We were staying with a small English family. At first everything was so strange - the food, the furniture in their home and the way they live, everything! But after three or four days we both began to enjoy our stay, and of course we made lots of friends at the school, which was only half a mile away. There are so many things to learn when you are in England. For example, one day my friend and I were sightseeing in London and stopped to ask an Englishman the way. Excuse me, I said. Where is Albert Hall? I thought my English was just right.Oh, he said, you mean the Albert Hall!Yes, I said, where is the Albert Hall?He then explained how to get to the Albert Hall, but I didnt realize the word the was so important in English! It is impossible to overestimate what you get from foreign travel. Going to the UK made me realize how small the world is, it made me see how important travel is, and it helped me to understand what foreign visitors feel like when they visit China forthe first time. (317 words ) Key to Letter writing A possible answer for letter (a) I know that we had arranged to spend a day in town next Tuesday. I thought that I had better write and tell you that I shall unfortunately not be able to see you. The reason is that I have been ill for the past two weeks with some kind of infection. Its a little like flu, but seems to be worse. Can I suggest instead that you come and visit me one day? Almost any day will suit me, but it might be best if you ring first. (89 words )Lesson 59 Collecting 收藏There was a knock on the window. At first it was hardly noticeable, almost as if a branch on the large oak tree outside had brushed against the window. It was repeated, 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 37 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - and then there was silence. I got up and looked out of the window. I couldnt see anybody and my dog hadnt started barking. It was mid-afternoon, about three oclock and I had been listening to the radio and reading a book. The house stands on its own, down the end of a long lane in the middle of the countryside, so it is very lonely. I have few neighbours, but the neighbours I have are very good, even though we dont see each other very often. I had got so nervous recently that I had to summon up enough courage to unlock the front door and go outside. There was no one there. True, there was a light breeze and the wind was shaking the branches of the oak tree, but the only other sound was the noise of the traffic on the main road a mile away. For one moment I thought I saw someone hiding behind the fence, but nothing moved, so I thought I must be wrong. I came back in and settled down by the fire with my book. Then there was a knock on the window, this time louder. It was a real knock with a human hand, no doubt about it - well, certainly not the branch of a tree - and my heart started pounding. I looked up and there, outside the window, was the little girl from down the lane. Her mother had sent her down to see if I was all right, and she had decided to play a trick on me!(292 words ) Key to Letter writing A possible answer for letter (a) I was very pleased to hear you are coming to see me after all this time. However, as you have never been here before, I thought Id better give you some directions. You will be coming out to High town on the underground. As you come out of the station, turn left and walk along the High Street for 200 metres. Turn left into Green Street, then our road is the first on the right. Our apartment block is on the left. Im enclosing a rough map, so Im sure youll find the apartment with no problems. All best wishes, (100 words)Lesson 60 Too early and too late太早和太晚A piece of paper was blowing in the wind. When I saw it, I was sitting in the park eating my sandwiches. It was floating across the surface of the park lake, not large, about half the size of a postcard, and I wondered when it would drop into the water. But it didnt. As it got near to the surface, it rose again and the wind took it over the bank towards some trees. Even then I thought that it looked very light - perhaps tissue paper or toilet paper, maybe - because it almost fluttered, like a butterfly. But then again, perhaps it wasnt. Perhaps it was just ordinary paper that had got a bit wet. I finished my sandwiches, threw my waste paper into the bin nearby and set off back towards the trees and my office. I was not looking forward to the afternoon. As I walked round the edge of the lake, the piece of paper flew up again in front of me. It began to annoy me, and intrigue me - because when it flew up, I noticed that it was 名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 38 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - - pink with some writing on it. It flew away and I chased it. It dropped down and I had nearly reached it when the wind took it again. I ran after it once more and it landed again some metres in front of me. I finally caught up with it and put my foot on it to stop it flying away again. This time I held it firmly with my foot until I could lean down and pick it up. I looked at it and realized what it was: a lottery ticket - a little wet, and one cornerwas torn, but it was a lottery ticket. I could see that the date on it was about six weeks before. It was probably worth nothing, but I decided to take it home and dry it. It was worth something! When I checked the numbers with the winning numbers six weeks before, I had four the same. Thepiece of paper was worth50! (344 words) Key to Letter writing A possible answer for letter (a) (body of letter only) I am writing to inform you that I shall unfortunately have to be absent from school from Monday, 13th to Thursday, 16th July. The reason is that an uncle of mine has just died and we have to attend his funeral. As he lived a long way away, my family is travelling there on Monday in order to attend the funeral on Tuesday. My parents then have to attend to certain matters before we travel back on Wednesday. I sincerely hope that, in view of the situation, you will grant me leave of absence for these four days. (97 words)名师资料总结 - - -精品资料欢迎下载 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 名师精心整理 - - - - - - - 第 39 页，共 39 页 - - - - - - - - -