【正文】 family for a long time. The instrument was bought by my grandfather many years ago. Recently it was damaged by a visitor. She tried to play jazz on it! She struck the keys too hard and two of the strings were broken. My father was shocked. Now we are not allowed to touch it. It is being repaired by a friend of my father39。s garden is more interesting. He has made neat paths and has built a wooden bridge over a pool. I like gardens too, but I do not like hard work. Every year I enter for the garden petition too, and I always win a little prize for the worst garden in the town!Lesson 9 A cold wele 冷遇On Wednesday evening, we went to the Town Hall. It was the last day of the year and a large crowd of people had gathered under the Town Hall clock. It would strike twelve in twenty minutes39。The Nicest Garden Competition39。Lesson 3 Please send me a card 請給我寄一張明信片Postcards always spoil my holidays. Last summer, I went to Italy. I visited museums and sat in public gardens. A friendly waiter taught me a few words of Italian. Then he lent me a book. I read a few lines, but I did not understand a word. Everyday I thought about postcards. My holidays passed quickly, but I did not send cards to my friends. On the last day I made a big decision. I got up early and bought thirtyseven cards. I spent the whole day in my room, but I did not write a single card!Lesson 4 An exciting trip 激動人心的旅行I have just received a letter from my brother, Tim. He is in Australia. He has been there for six months. Tim is an engineer. He is working for a big firm and he has already visited a great number of different places in Australia. He has just bought an Australian car and has gone to Alice springs, a small town in the centre of Australia. He will soon visit Darwin. From there, he will fly to Perth. My brother has never been abroad before, so he is finding this trip very exciting.Lesson 5 No wrong numbers 無錯(cuò)號之虞 Scott has a garage in Silbury and now he has just bought another garage in Pinhurst. Pinhurst is only five miles from Silbury, but Mr. Scott cannot get a telephone for his new garage, so he has just bought twelve pigeons. Yesterday, a pigeon carried the first message from Pinhurst to Silbury. The bird covered the distance in three minutes. Up to now, has sent a great many requests for spare parts and other urgent messages from one garage to the other. In this way, he has begun his own private 39。 she said. 39。I39。m still having breakfast,39。I39。 Just then, the telephone rang. It was my aunt Lucy. 39。What a day!39。Lesson 1 A private conversation 私人談話Last week I went to the theatre. I had a very good seat. The play was very interesting. I did not enjoy it. A young man and a young woman were sitting behind me. They were talking loudly. I got very angry. I could not hear the actors. I turned round. I looked at the man and the woman angrily. They did not pay any attention. In the end, I could not bear it. I turned round again. I can39。 I thought. 39。I39。m ing to see you.39。 I said.39。m having breakfast,39。Do you always get up so late? It39。telephone39。 each year, but Joe wins every time. Bill Frith39。 time. Fifteen minutes passed and then, at five to twelve, the clock stopped. The big minute hand did not move. We waited and waited, but nothing happened. Suddenly someone shouted. 39。s.Lesson 11 One good turn deserves another 禮尚往來I was having dinner at a restaurant when Tony Steele came in. Tony worked in a lawyer39。so now you can pay for my dinner!39。ll have plenty of time. We39。 As I soon learnt, he was English himself!39。Don39。 If you receive a request like this, you cannot fail to obey it!Lesson 17 Always young 青春常駐My aunt Jennifer is an actress. She must be at least thirtyfive years old. In spite of this, she often appears on the stage as a young girl. Jennifer will have to take part in a new play soon. This time, she will be a girl of seventeen. In the play, she must appear in a bright red dress and long black stockings. Last year in another play, she had to wear short socks and a bright, orangecoloured dress. If anyone ever asks her how old she is, she always answers, 39。Did you have a good meal? he asked.39。t pay the bill. I haven39。m very sorry,39。The play may begin at any moment,39。May I have two tickets please?39。ve sold out,39。Can I return these two tickets?39。Could I have those two tickets please?39。but they39。I might as well have them,39。It39。m not really interested in fishing. I am only interested in sitting in a boat and doing nothing at all!Lesson 21 Mad or not? 是不是瘋了？Aeroplanes are slowly driving me mad. I live near an airport and passing planes can be heard night and day. The airport was built years ago, but for some reason it could not be used then. Last year, however, it came into use. Over a hundred people must have been driven away from their homes by the noise. I am one of the few people left. Sometimes I think this house will be knocked down by a passing plane. I have been offered a large sum of money to go away, but I am determined to stay here. Everybody says I must be mad and they are probably right.Lesson 22 A glass envelope 玻璃信封My daughter, Jane, never dreamed of receiving a letter from a girl of her own age in Holland. Last year, we were travelling across the Channel and Jane put a piece of paper with her name and address on it into a bottle. She threw the bottle into the sea. She never thought of it again, but ten months later, she received a letter from a girl in Holland. Both girls write to each other regularly now. However, they have decided to use the post office. Letters will cost a little more, but they will certainly travel faster.Lesson 23 A new house 新居I had a letter from my sister yesterday. She lives in Nigeria. In her letter, she said that she would e to England next year. If she es, she will get a surprise. We are now living in a beautiful new house in the country. Work on it had begun before my sister left. The house was pleted five months ago. In my letter, I told her that she could stay with us. The house ha