【正文】 r emen have put out a big for est f ir e in Cal if or ni a. Since t hen, t hey have been trying to f ind out how the fir e began. Forest f ir e are of ten caused by broken glas or by cigar ete ends which peopl e car el ssly t hrow away. Yest er day t he f iremen exami ned the ground car ef ully, but wer e not able t o find any broken glas . They wer e al so qui te sur e that a cigar et te end did not start the fi re. This morning, however , a f ir eman accidental y di scovered the cause. He noticed t he r emains of a snake whi ch was wound round t he elect ric wi res of a 16, 000vol t power l ine. In t hi s way, he was able to solve the mystery. The explanati on was si mpl e but very unusual . A bi rd had snatched up the snake f rom t he ground and then dropped it on to the wir es. The snake t hen wound it self round t he wi res. When i t di d so, i t sent sparks down to t he ground and these immedi at el y st ar ted a fir e. Lesson54 St icky f ingers 粘糊的手指 Aft er breakfast, I sent the chil dr en t o school and then I went t o mar ket. It was sti l ear ly when I returned home. The chil dr en were at school, my husband was at work and the house was quiet. So I deci ded to make some tarts f or tea. I n a short time I was busy mi xi ng butt er and f lour and my hands wer e soon cover ed wi th st icky past ry. At exact ly t hat moment, the telephone r ang. Nothing coul d have been more annoyi ng. I pi cked up the recei ver between t wo st icky f ingers and was dismayed when I r ecognized the voice of Mr s Bat es. I t ook me t en mi nutes to per suade her t o ring back later. At last I hung up t he r ecei ver. What a mes! There was past ry on my fi ngers, on the telephone, and on the door knobs. I had no sooner got back to t he kit chen t han the door bel l r ang loud enough to wake t he dead. This t ime it was t he post man and he want ed me t o si gn f or a registered leter ! Leson55 Not a gol d mine 并非金礦 Dr eams of fi ndi ng l ost reasure almost came tr ue r ecent ly. A new machi ne cal led 39。. Because t he t ree was ment ioned in a newspaper, the number of vi sit or s to Fri nl ey has now increased. The t ree was plant ed near a church fi fty year s ago, but it i s only in r ecent years t hat it has gained an evi l reputati on. It is said t hat if anyone t ouches the tree, he wil have bad l uck。Wher e have you been hiding ?39。cl ock this evening. By t hat t ime, t he Astr a wil have been flyi ng t hr ough space for seventeen hour s and wil l have cir cl ed t he ear th a great many t imes. When t he f ir st radio mesages have been r ecei ved, t he r esul ts of t he t ri p wil be announced immedi at el y. Lesson62 Af ter the fi re 大火之后 Fir emen had been f ight ing the forest fi re f or nearl y three weks before they could get it under cont rol. A short t ime bef or e, great tr es had covered the count rysi de f or mil es around. Now, smoke st il r ose up f rom t he warm gr ound over t he desolate hil s. Wi nt er was ing on and the hi ls t hr eate ned t he sur rounding vil ages wi th destr ucti on, for heavy r ai n would not only wash away t he soi l but would cause serious floods as wel l. When the f ire had at last been put out , t he f or est authorit ies or dered sever al tons of a speci al type of gras sed which would grow quickl y. The seed was sprayed over the gr ound in huge quantit ies by aer opl anes. The planes had been plant ing seed f or nearl y a mont h when it began t o rain. By t hen, however , in many places the gras had alr eady t aken root . In place of the gr ea t rees which had been growing t her e for centuri es, patches of green had begun t o appear in the blackened soil . Lesson63 She was not amused 她并不覺得好笑 Geof fr ey Hampden has a large ci rcle of f ri ends and is ver y popul ar at parti es. Everybody admir es him for hi s fine sense of humoreverybody, t hat is, except his si x year ol d daughter, Jenny. Recentl y, one of Geof frey39。 39。 said t he conduct or suddenl y. 39。t m at er ,39。 We are goi ng back now, 39。Thi s i s the pr et ti est carpet I have ever s een,39。 Lesson53 Hot snake 觸電的蛇 At last fi remen have put out a bi g forest fi re i n Cali fornia. Si nce then, they have been t rying to f ind out how t he f ir e began. Forest fi re are oft en caused by broken glas or by cigar et te ends whi ch peopl e carel esl y t hr ow away. Yester day the fir em en exami ned the gr ound caref ul y, but were not abl e to fi nd any br oken gl as. They were also quit e sure t hat a ci garet e end di d not st ar t he f ir e. Thi s m or ni ng, however, a fi rem an acci dental y discover ed t he cause. He not iced t he r emains of a snake whi ch was wound r ound t he el ectr ic wi res of a 16, 000 vol t power li ne. In t hi s way, he was abl e to sol ve t he m yst ery. The explanati on was sim pl e but ver y unusual. A bi rd had snat ched up t he snake f rom t he gr ound and t hen dr opped it on to t he wir es. The snake t hen wound it self r ound t he wi res. When i t di d so, i t sent sparks down t o t he gr ound and these immediat el y st ar ted a fi re. Lesson54 St icky f i ngers 粘糊的手指 Aft er breakf ast, I sent t he chi ldren to school and t hen I went t o market . I t was st il ear ly when I r et ur ned hom e. The chi ldren wer e at school, my husband was at wor k and t he house was qui et. So I decided t o m ake some t art s for t ea. In a short tim e I was busy mi xi ng but ter and fl our and my hands wer e soon covered wit h sti cky pastr y. At exactl y that moment, t he t el ephone rang. Not hi ng coul d have been m or e annoying. I picked up the receiver bet ween t wo sti cky fi ngers and was di smayed when I r ecognized t he voice of Mr s Bat es. I t ook me t en mi nutes t o per suade her t o r i ng back later. At last I hung up t he r ecei ver. What a m ess! Ther e was past r y on my fi ngers, on t he t el ephone, and on t he door knobs. I had no soo