【正文】 age soon lear nt t hat a l ar ge sum of money had been l ost. Sam Bent on, t he l ocal but cher, had l ost his wal l et whil e t aki ng hi s savi ngs t o t he post off i ce. Sam was sure t hat t he wal l et m ust have been f ound by one of t he vi l ager s, but i t was not r etur ned t o him . Thr ee mont hs pased, and t hen one m orni ng, Sam f ound hi s wal et out si de hi s f ront door . It had been wrapped up in newspaper and it cont ained hal f t he m oney he had l ost, t oget her wi t h a not e whi ch sai d: 39。A t hi ef, yes, 39。but onl y 5o per cent a t hi ef! 39。 Two m ont hs l ater, som e m or e m oney was sent t o Sam wi t h anot her note:39。 Onl y 25 per cent a thi ef now!39。 I n t im e, al Sam 39。s m oney was pai d back i n t hi s way. The l ast note said:39。 I am 100 per cent honest now!39。 l esson46 Expensive and un f ort abl e 既昂貴又受罪 When a pl ane f r om London ar r ived at Sydney air por t, wor ker s began t o unl oad a number of wooden boxes whi ch cont ained clot hi ng. No one coul d acount f or t he f act t hat one of t he boxes was extr em ely heavy. I t s uddenl y occur r ed t o one of t he wor ker s t o open up t he box. He was ast oni shed at what he f ound. A man was l yi ng i n the box on t op of a pi l e of wool len goods. He was so sur pr ised at bei ng di scover ed t hat he di d not even tr y t o r un away. Af ter he was ar est ed, t he m an adm it ed hi di ng in t he box bef or e t he plane l ef t London. He had had a l ong and un f or table t ri p, f or he had been confi ned t o t he wooden box f or over t en hour s. The m an was or der ed t o pay amp。 345 f or t he cost of t he tr i p. The norm al pr ice of a ti cket i s amp。 230 ! Leson47 A t hirsty ghost 嗜酒的鬼魂 A publi c house whi ch was r ecent l y bought by Mr I an Thom pson i s up f or sale. Mr Thom pson is goi ng to sel it because i t i s haunt ed. He t ol d m e t hat he coul d not go to sl eep one ni ght because he hear d a str ange noise i ng fr om t he bar . The next m or ni ng, he found t hat the doors had been bl ocked by chair s and t he f urnit ur e had been moved. Though Mr Thom pson had tur ned t he li ght s off bef or e he went to bed, they wer e on i n t he m or ni ng. He al so sai d t hat he had f ound f ive empt y whisky bottl es whi ch t he ghost must have dr unk t he ni ght bef ore. When I suggested t hat som e vil l agers m ust have e in f or a fr ee dri nk, Mr Thom pson shook his head. The vil l agers have t ol d him t hat t hey wi l not acept t he i nn even i f he gi ves i t away. Leson48 Di d you want t o tel m e som et hi ng? 你想對我說什么嗎？ Dent ists al ways ask questi ons when it i s im possi ble f or you to answer. My dent ist had j ust pull ed out one of m y teeth and had t ol d m e t o r est f or a whil e. I t ri ed to say som et hi ng, but m y m out h was f ul of cott on wool. He knew I col lect ed bir ds39。 eggs and asked m e whet her m y col ect i on was gr owi ng. He t hen asked me how m y br ot her was and whet her I li ked my new job i n London. I n answer t o these quest i ons I eit her nodded or m ade st r ange noi ses. Meanwhil e, m y t ongue was busy searching out t he hol e wher e t he t ooth had been. I suddenl y felt ver y worr i ed, but could not sa y anyt hi ng. When t he denti st at last removed t he cott on wool fr om m y m out h, I was able t o t el l hi m that he had pul ed out the wr ong toot h. Leson49 The end of a dream 美夢告終 Tir ed of sl eepi ng on t he fl oor, a young man i n Teher an saved up f or year s t o buy a r eal bed. For t he fi rst tim e i n his l if e, he becam e t he pr oud owner of a bed whi ch had spri ngs and a m at tr es. Because t he weat her was very hot, he car i ed t he bed on to t he r oof of his house. He sl ept ver y wel l for t he f ir st wo ni ght s, but on t he t hir d ni ght, a st or m bl ew up. A gust of wind swept t he bed off t he roof and sent it cr ashi ng i nt o t he court yard bel ow. The young man di d not wake up unti l t he bed had st r uck t he gr ound. Alt hough t he bed was sm ashed t o pi eces, t he m an was mi r aculousl y unhur t. W hen he woke up, he was sti l on t he m at ress. Gl anci ng at t he bi t s of wood and m et al t hat l ay around him, t he m an sadl y picke d up t he m at tr es and car ied i t i nt o hi s house. Aft er he had put it on t he fl oor , he prom ptl y went t o sl eep agai n. Leson50 Taken f or a ri de 乘車兜風 I l ove tr avel i ng i n t he countr y, but I don39。t li ke losi ng m y way. I went on an excur si on r ecent l y, but m y t ri p t ook m e l onger t han I expected. 39。 I39。m goi ng t o Woodfor d Gr en,39。 I sai d t o t he conduct or as I got on t he bus, 39。 but I don39。t know wher e i t is.39。 39。 I39。l l t el l you wher e t o get of f,39。 answer ed t he conduct or . I sat i n the f r ont of the bus t o get a good view of t he count ryside. Aft er some t im e, t he bus st opped. Looki ng r ound, I r eal ized wit h a shock that I was the onl y passenger l eft on t he bus. 39。 You39。l have t o get of f her e, 39。 the conduct or sai d. 39。Thi s i s as far as we go.39。 39。 Is t his Woodf ord Green ?39。 I asked. 39。Oh dear, 39。 sai d t he conduct or suddenl y. 39。 I for got t o put you of f.39。 39。I t doesn39。t m at ter, 39。 I sai d. 39。I 39。l l get off her e.39。 39。We ar e goi ng back now, 39。 sai d t he conduct or . 39。Wel l, i n t hat case, I pr efer t o st ay on t he bus, 39。 I answer ed. Leson51 Reward f or vi rt ue 對美德的獎賞 My fr iend, Her ber t, has al ways been fat, but thi ngs got so bad r ecentl y t hat he deci ded t o go on a diet. He began his di et a week ago. Fi r st of al, he wrot e out a l ong li st of al t he foods which wer e f or bidden. The l ist included most of t he thi ngs Her ber t loves: butt er , pot atoes, r ice, beer, m il k, chocol at e, and sweets. Yest er day I pai d him a vi si t. I r ang t he bel l and was not surpri sed t o