【文章內(nèi)容簡介】 nterested in sitting in a boat and doing nothing at all!釣魚是我特別喜愛的一項運動。我經(jīng)常一釣數(shù)小時卻一無所獲，但我從不為此煩惱。有些垂釣者就是不走運，他們往往魚釣不到，卻釣上來些舊靴子和垃圾。我的運氣甚至還不及他們。我什么東西也未釣到過 就連舊靴子也沒有。我總是在河上呆上整整一上午，然后空著袋子回家?！澳憧蓜e再釣魚了！”我的朋友們說，“這是浪費時間?！比欢麄儧]有認(rèn)識到重要的一點，我并不是真的對釣魚有興趣，我感興趣的只是獨坐孤舟，無所事事！Lesson21 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 during the war, 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.飛機正在逐漸把我逼瘋。我住在一個機場附近，過往飛機日夜不絕于耳。機場是許多年前建的，但由于某種原因當(dāng)時未能啟用。然而去年機場開始使用了。有100多人肯定是被噪音逼得已經(jīng)棄家遠(yuǎn)去，我是少數(shù)留下來的人中的一個。有時我覺得這房子就要被一架飛過的飛機撞倒。他們曾向我提供一大筆錢讓我搬走，但我決定留在這兒。大家都說我肯定是瘋了，也許他們說的是對的。Lesson22 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 postoffice. Letters will cost a litt1e more, but they will certainly travel faster.我的女兒簡從未想過會接到荷蘭一位同齡姑娘的來信。去年，當(dāng)我們橫渡英吉利海峽時，簡把寫有她姓名和住址的一張紙條裝進(jìn)了一只瓶子，又將瓶子扔進(jìn)了大海。此后她就再沒去想那只瓶子。但10個月以后，她收到了荷蘭一位姑娘的來信?，F(xiàn)在這兩位姑娘定期通信了。然而她們還是決定利用郵局。這樣會稍微多花點錢，但肯定是快得多了。Lesson23 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 nowliving 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 has many large rooms and there is a lovely garden. It is a very modern house, so it looks strange to some people. It must be the only modern house in the district.昨天我收到了姐姐的一封信，她住在尼日利亞。在信中她說她明年將到英國來。如果她來了，她會感到非常驚奇了。我們現(xiàn)在住在鄉(xiāng)間的一棟漂亮的新住宅里。這棟房子在我姐姐離開之前就已動工了，是在5個月以前竣工的。我在信中告訴她，她可以和我們住在一起。這棟房子里有許多房間，還有一個漂亮的花園。它是一棟非常現(xiàn)代化的住宅，因此在有些人看來很古怪。它肯定是這個地區(qū)唯一的一棟現(xiàn)代化住宅。Lesson24 It could be worse 不幸中之萬幸I entered the hotel manager39。s office and sat down. I had just lost $50 and I felt very upset.39。 I left the money in my room,39。 I said, 39。and it39。s not there now.39。 The manager was sympathetic, but he could do nothing. 39。Everyone39。s losing money these days,39。 he said. He started to plain about this wicked world but was interrupted by a knock at the door. A girl came in and put an envelope on his desk. It contained $5o. 39。I found this outside this gentleman39。s room39。 she said. 39。Well,39。 I said to the manager, 39。there is still some honesty in this world!’我走進(jìn)飯店經(jīng)理的辦公室，坐了下來。我剛剛丟了50英鎊，感到非常煩惱。“我把錢放在房間里，”我說，“可現(xiàn)在沒有了?！苯?jīng)理深表同情，但卻無能為力?！艾F(xiàn)在大家都在丟錢，”他說。他開始抱怨起這個邪惡的世道來，卻被一陣敲門聲打斷了。一個姑娘走了進(jìn)來，把一個信封放在了他桌上。它里面裝著50英鎊。“這是我在這位先生的房門外撿到的，”她說?！笆前。蔽覍δ俏唤?jīng)理說，“這世界上還是有誠實可言的！”Lesson25 Do the English speak English? 英國人講的是英語嗎？I arrived in London at last. The railway station was big, black and dark. I did not know the way to my hotel, so I asked a porter. I not only spoke English very carefully, but very clearly as well. The porter, however, could not understand me。 I repeated my question several times and at last he understood. He answered me, but he spoke neither slowly nor clearly. 39。I am a foreigner,39。 I said. Then he spoke slowly, but I could not understand him. My teacher never spoke English like that! The porter and I looked at each other and smiled. Then he said something and I understood it. 39。You39。ll soon learn English!39。 he said. I wonder. In England, each man speaks a different language. The English understand each other, but I don39。t understand them! Do they speak English?我終于到了倫敦?；疖囌竞艽螅趾谟职?。我不知道去飯店的路該怎么走，于是向一個搬運工打聽。我的英語講得不但非常認(rèn)真，而且咬字也非常清楚。然而搬運工卻不明白我的話。我把問話重復(fù)了很多遍。他終于聽懂了。他回答了，但他講得既不慢也不清楚?！拔沂莻€外國人，”我說。于是他說得慢了，可我還是聽不懂。我的老師從來不那樣講英語！我和搬運工相視一笑。接著，他說了點什么，這回我聽懂了?！澳鷷芸鞂W(xué)會英語的！”他說。我感到奇怪。在英國，人們各自說著一種不同的語言。英國人之間相互聽得懂，可我卻不懂他們的話！他們說的是英語嗎？lesson26 The best art critics 最佳美術(shù)評論家I am an art student and I paint a lot of pictures. Many people pretend that they understand modern art. They always tell you what a picture is 39。about39。. Of course, many pictures arc not 39。about39。 anything. They are just pretty patterns. We like them in the same way that we like pretty curtain material. I think that young children often appreciate modern pictures better than anyone else. They notice more. My sister is only seven, but she always tells me whether my pictures are good or not. She came into my room yesterday. 39。 What are you doing ?39。 she asked. 39。 I39。m hanging this picture on the wall,39。 I answered. 39。It39。s a new one. Do you like it ?39。 She looked at it critically for a moment.39。 It39。s all right,39。 she said, 39。but isn39。t it upsidedown ?39。 I looked at it again. She was right! It was!我是個學(xué)藝術(shù)的學(xué)生，畫了很多畫。有很多人裝成很懂現(xiàn)代藝術(shù)的樣子，總是告訴你一幅畫的“意思”是什么。當(dāng)然，有很多畫是什么“意思”也沒有的。它們就是些好看的圖案，我們喜愛它們就像我們喜歡漂亮的窗簾布一樣。我覺得小孩子們往往比任何人都更能欣賞現(xiàn)代繪畫，他們觀察到的東西更多。我的妹妹只有7歲，但她總能說出我的畫是好還是壞。昨天她到我房里來了。Lesson27 A wet night 雨夜Late in the afternoon, the boys put up their tent in the middle of a field. As soon as this was done, they cooked a meal over an open fire. They were all hungry and the food smelt good. After a wonderful meal, they told stories and sang songs by the camp fire. But some time later it began to rain. The boys felt tired so they pet out the fire and crept into their tent. Their sleepingbags were warm and fortable, so they all slept soundly. In the middle of the night, two boys woke up and began shouting. The tent was full of water! They all leapt out of their sleepingbags and hurried outside. It was raining heavily and they fo