【正文】 e 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。 service. 詹姆斯 .斯科特先生在錫爾伯里有一個(gè)汽車修理部 , 現(xiàn)在他剛在平赫斯特買了另一個(gè)汽車修理部 . 平赫特離錫爾伯里只有 5 英里 , 但詹姆斯 .斯科特先生未能為他新的汽車修理部搞到一部電話機(jī) , 所以他買了只鴿子 . 昨天 , 一只鴿子把第一封信從平赫特帶到錫爾伯里 . 這只鳥只用了 3分鐘就飛完了全程 . 到目前為止 , 斯科特先生從一個(gè)汽車修理部向另一個(gè)發(fā)送了大量索取備件的信件和其他緊急函件 . 就這樣 , 他開始自己的私人 “電話 ” 業(yè)務(wù) . 6【 Text】 I have just moved to a house in Bridge Street. Yesterday a beggar knocked at my door. He asked me for a meal and a glass of beer. In return for this, the beggar stood on his head and sang songs. I gave him a meal. He ate the food and drank the beer. Then he put a piece of cheese in his pocket and went away. Later a neighbour told me about him. Everybody knows him. His name is Percy Buttons. He calls at every house in the street once a month and always asks for a meal and a glass of beer. 我剛剛搬進(jìn)了大橋街的一所房子 . 昨天一個(gè)乞丐來敲我的門 , 問我要一頓飯和一杯啤酒 . 作為回報(bào) , 那乞丐頭頂?shù)氐沽⑵饋?, 嘴里還唱著歌 . 我給了他一頓飯 . 他把食物吃完 , 又喝了酒 . 然后把一塊乳酪裝進(jìn)衣袋里走了 . 后來 , 一位鄰居告訴了我他的情況 . 大家都認(rèn)識他 , 他叫珀西 .巴頓斯 . 他每月對這條街上的每戶人家光顧一次 , 總是請求給他一頓飯和一杯啤酒 . 7【 Text】 The plane was late and detectives were waiting at the airport all morning. They were expecting a valuable parcel of diamonds from South Africa. A few hours earlier, someone had told the police that thieves would try to steal the diamonds. When the plane arrived, some of the detectives were waiting inside the main building while others were waiting on the airfield. Two men took the parcel off the plane and carried it into the Customs House. While two detectives were keeping guard at the door, two others opened the parcel. To their surprise, the precious parcel was full of stones and sand! 飛機(jī)誤點(diǎn)了 , 偵探們在機(jī)場等了整整一上午 . 他們正期待從南非來的一個(gè)裝著鉆石的貴重包裹 . 數(shù)小時(shí)以前 , 有人向警方報(bào)告 , 說有人企圖偷走這些鉆石 . 當(dāng)飛機(jī)到達(dá)時(shí) , 一些偵探等候在主樓內(nèi) , 另一些偵探則守候在停機(jī)坪上 . 有兩個(gè)人把包裹拿下飛機(jī) , 進(jìn)了海關(guān) . 這時(shí)兩個(gè)偵探把住門口 , 另外兩個(gè)偵探打開了包裹 . 令他們吃驚的是 , 那珍貴的包裹里面裝的全是石頭和沙子 ! 8【 Text】 Joe Sanders has the most beautiful garden in our town. Nearly everybody enters for 39。 each year, but Joe wins every time. Bill Frith39。s. Bill works harder than Joe and grows more flowers and vegetables, but Joe39。 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 two minutes past twelve! The clock has stopped!39。s. 我家有件古樂器 , 被稱作古鋼琴 , 是 1681年德國造的 . 我們的這架古鋼琴存放在起居室里 . 我們家有這件樂器已經(jīng)很久了 , 是我祖父在很多年以前買的 . 可它最近被一個(gè)客人弄壞了 , 因?yàn)樗盟鼇韽椬嗑羰繕?. 她在擊琴鍵時(shí)用力過猛 , 損壞了兩根琴弦 . 我父親大為吃驚 , 不許我們再動它 . 父親的一個(gè)朋友正在修理這件樂器 . 11【 Text】 I was having dinner at a restaurant when Tony Steele came in. Tony worked in a lawyer39。I have never borrowed any money from you,39。so now you can pay for my dinner!39。ll meet him at the harbour early in the morning. He will be in his small boat, Topsail. Topsail is a famous little boat. It has sailed across the Atlantic many times. Captain Alison will set out at eight o39。ll have plenty of time. We39。ll say goodbye to him. He will be away for two months. We are very proud of him. He will take part in an important race across the Atlantic. 我們的鄰居查爾斯 .艾利森船長明天就要從樸次茅斯 (英國港市 )啟航了 . 明天一大早我們將在碼頭為他送行 . 他將乘坐他的 “濤波賽 ” 號小艇 . “濤波賽 ” 號是艘有名的小艇 , 它已經(jīng)多次橫渡大西洋 . 艾利森船長將于 8點(diǎn)鐘啟航 , 因此我們有充裕的時(shí)間 . 我們將參觀他的船 , 然后和他告別 . 他要離開兩個(gè)月 , 我們真為他感到自豪 , 他將參加一次重大的橫渡大西洋的比賽 . 13【 Text】 The Greenwood Boys are a group of pop singers. At present, they are visiting all parts of the country. They will be arriving here tomorrow. They will be ing by train and most of the young people in the town will be meeting them at the station. Tomorrow evening they will be singing at the Workers39。 As I soon learnt, he was English himself!39。,39。Don39。 he said. Then he smiled and told me I would receive an extra thousand pounds a year! 秘書告訴我說哈姆斯沃斯先生要見我 . 我走進(jìn)他的辦公室 , 感到非常緊張 . 我進(jìn)去的時(shí)候 , 他連頭也沒抬 . 待我坐下后 , 他說生意非常不景氣 . 他還告訴我 , 公司支付不起這么龐大的工資開支 , 有 20個(gè)人已經(jīng)離去 . 我知道這次該輪到我了 . “哈姆斯沃斯先生 , “我無力地說 . “不要打斷我的話 , “他說 . 然后他微笑了一下告訴我說 , 我每年將得到1,000 英鎊的額外收入 . 16【 Text】 If you park your car in the wrong place, a traffic policeman will soon find it. You will be very lucky if he lets you go without a ticket. However, this does not always happen. Traffic police are sometimes very polite. During a holiday in Sweden, I found this note on my car: 39。 If you receive a request like this, you cannot fail to obey it! 一旦你把汽車停錯(cuò)了地方 , 交通警很快就會發(fā)現(xiàn) . 如果他沒給你罰單就放你走了 , 算你走運(yùn) . 然而 , 情況并不都是這樣 , 交通警有時(shí)也很客氣 . 有一次在瑞典度假 , 我發(fā)現(xiàn)我的車上有這樣一個(gè)字條 : “先生 , 歡迎您光臨我們的城市 . 此處是‘禁止停車’區(qū) . 如果您對我們街上的標(biāo)牌稍加注意 , 您在此會過得很愉快的 . 謹(jǐn)此提請注意 . “如果你收到這樣的懇求 , 你是不會不遵照執(zhí)行的 ! 17【 Text】 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。 我的姑姑詹妮弗是位演員 , 她至少也有 35歲了 . 盡管如此 , 她卻常在舞臺上扮演小姑娘 . 詹妮弗很快又要參加一個(gè)新劇的演出 . 這一次 , 她將扮演一個(gè) 17歲的少女 . 演出時(shí)她必須穿一條鮮紅色的裙子和黑色的長筒襪 . 去年在演另一個(gè)劇時(shí) , 她不得不穿短襪和一件鮮艷的橘紅色的衣服 . 一旦有人問起她有多大年紀(jì) , 她總是回答 : “親愛的 , 長成大人真可怕啊 !” 18【 Text】 After I had had lunch at a village pub, I looked for my bag. I had left it on a chair beside the door and now it wasn39。Did you have a good meal? he asked. 39。 I answered, 39。t pay the bill. I haven39。 The landlord smiled and immediately went out. In