【正文】 been told that rescue operations are progressing smoothly. If they knew how difficult it was to drill through the hard rock, they would lose heart. Lesson89 A slip of the tongue 口誤 People will do anything to see a free showeven if it is a bad one. When the news got round that a variety show would be presented at our local cinema by the P. and U. Bird Seed Company, we all rushed to see it. We had to queue for hours to get in and there must have been several hundred people present just be fore the show began. Unfortunately, the show was one of the dullest we have ever seen. Those who failed to get in need not have felt disappointed as many of the artistes who should have appeared did not e. The only funny things we heard that evening came from the advertiser at the beginning of the programme. He was obviously very nervous and for some minutes stood awkwardly before the microphone. As soon as he opened his mouth, everyone burst out laughing. We all know what the poor man should have said, but what he actually said was: 39。This is the Poo and Ee Seed Bird Company. Good ladies, evening and gentlemen !39。 lesson90 Whats for supper ？ 晚餐吃什么？ Though Brazil is one of the richest countries in the world, much of it has not yet been developed. It was mainly for this reason that the Brazilian government decided to have a new city built 600 miles northwest of Rio de Janeiro. Designed by the great architect Lucio Costa, the new city, Brasilia, replaced Rio de Janeiro as the capital of Brazif in 1960. Brasilia has been carefully planned for modern living. Its wide roads, which can take fourteen lanes of traffic, have been kept away from living areas. Children do not have to cross busy streets to go to school. Housewives can visitshopping centres on foot, for in these specially designed living areas, cars are unnecessary. At first, the government had great difficulty in persuading people to leave Rio and to settle in Brasilia. Since 1960, however, the population has been growing all the time. Brasilia has quickly established itself as the capital of the country. The idea to have the capital moved so far inland will have a great effect on the future of Brazil. Lesson91 Three men in a basket 三人同籃 A pilot noticed a balloon which seemed to be making for a Royal Air Force Station nearby. He informed the station at once, but no one there was able to explain the mystery. The officer in the control tower was very angry when he heard the news, because balloons can be a great danger to aircraft. He said that someone might by spying on the station and the pilot was ordered to keep track of the strange object. The pilot managed to circle the balloon for some time. He could make out three men in a basket under it and one of them was holding fieldglasses. When the balloon was over the station, the pilot saw one of the men taking photographs. Soon afterwards, the balloon began to descend and it landed near an airfield. The police were called in, but they could not arrest anyone, for the basket contained two Members of Parliament and the Commanding Officer of the station! As the Commanding Officer explained later, one half of the station did not know what the other half was doing ! Lesson92 Asking for trouble 自找麻煩 It must have been about two in the morning when I returned home. I tried to wake up my wife by ringing the doorbell, but she was fast asleep, so I got a ladder from the shed in the garden, put it against the wall, and began climbing towards the bedroom window. I was almost there when a sarcastic voice below said,39。 I don39。t think the windows need cleaning at this time of the night.39。 I looked down and nearly fell off the ladder when I saw a policeman. I immediately regretted answering in the way I did, but I said, 39。I enjoy cleaning windows at night.39。 39。So do I,39。 answered the policeman in the same tone. 39。Excuse my interrupting you. I hate to interrupt a man when he39。s busy working, but would you mind ing with me to the station ?39。 39。Well, I39。d prefer to stay here,39。 I said. 39。You see, I39。ve fotten my key.39。 39。Your what ?39。 he called. 39。My key,39。 I shouted.39。 Fortunately, the shouting woke up my wife who opened the window just as the policeman had started to climb towards me. Lesson93 A noble gift 崇高的禮物 One of the most famous monuments in the world, the Statue of Liberty, was presented to the United States of America in the nieenth century by the people of France. The great statue, which was designed by the sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, took ten years to plete. The actual figure was made of copper supported by a metal framework which had been especially constructed by Eiffel. Before it could be transported to the United States, a site had to be found for it and a pedestal had to be built. The site chosen was an island at the entrance of New York Harbour. By 1884, a statue which was 151 feet tall, had been erected in Paris. The following year, it was taken to pieces and sent to America. By the end of October 1886, the statue had been put together again and it was officially presented to the American people by Bartholdi. Ever since then, the great monument has been a symbol of liberty for the millions of people who have passed through New York Harbour to make their homes in America. Lesson94 Future champions 未來的冠軍 Experiments have proved that children can be instructed in swimming at a very early age. At a special swimming pool in Los Angeles, children bee expert at holding their breath under water even before they can walk. Babies of two months old do not appear to be reluctant to enter the water, It is not long before they are so accustomed to swimming that they can pick up weights from the floor of the pool. A game that is very popular with these young swimmers is the underwater tricycle race. Tricycles are lined up on the floor of the pool seven feet under water. The children pete against each other to reach the other end of the pool. Many pedal their tricycles, but most of them prefer to push or drag them. Some children