篇短文突破中考英语词汇二中英分开 12页

‎21. I Did a Silly Thing A few years ago, when my family moved to this city, I became interested in soap-box race That's when I discovered that“it is far easier to start something than it is to finish it.”‎ Dad bought a set of tools to make a racing car for me I just couldn't wait, and one day, while Dad was at work, I decided to have my car going. I looked at the drawings, and I said to myself,“Dude, you can do this.”I got out Dad's toolbox, and I started building. Part A fit into Part B Part C was a little harder to connect to Part D. It was easy to fix Part E. By the time I got to Part G. I'd made a real mess(混乱)of things. I really regret having done such a silly thing.‎ What did I learn from this experience? Now I know that before I start something, I should know how to finish it.‎ ‎22. Snakes Today I read a book about snakes. I found some interesting facts, especially some surprising facts in it Did you know that some big snakes are strong enough to kill a pig or a goat? All snakes eat animals. Without snakes, the world would probably be filled with rats and mice.‎ You probably didn’t know that snakes smell with their noses and their tongues. Some snakes are even longer than an elephant or a giraffe!‎ This book made me think a lot about snakes. Most snakes don't hurt people, but some are dangerous. I'm thinking if I saw a snake, would I know if it was dangerous?‎ ‎23. A Call from the Secretary Mr. Young was a boss, and he worked hard. Seldom did he have a vacation. His wife was afraid that he would get sick if he continued like that, so she suggested to him taking a vacation. At last Mr. Young agreed. But she was afraid that he might be disturbed by his company, so before they left, Mrs. Young went to see her husband's secretary. Mrs. Young told her,“My husband needs a vacation very much, so whatever happens; please don't disturb him with letters or telephones while were away. Just wait until we get back.”‎ Then on a pleasant morning, after Mr. and Mrs. Young had been away about a week, when the couple was having a picnic and eating their hamburger, Mr. Young received a phone call from his secretary, she said,“Something terrible has happened to your business, but I remember what Mrs. Young told me. so I'm not going to disturb you with it now while you're enjoying your vacation Bye-bye!”‎ ‎ 24. My Collection of Sea Shells Every summer my family goes to the beach I dig in the sand and search for sea shells(贝壳).‎ I've collected many shells so far. They have different colors: orange, silver, purple, gray（灰色), brown ... Some are common, others are unusual. I have a shell which is like a bird's wing, and one of my shells is like a whale's eyes.‎ Last year, my elder sister helped me put all my shells in my drawers and on my desk. When I see them, I will remember the fun I have at the beach ‎ ‎ 25. Breakfast Is Important One of the most important meals of the day is breakfast. People should always eat a good breakfast to keep well. Eating the right food is necessary for good health. You should eat different kinds of food in order to keep a good health A good breakfast should include eggs, bread, milk, and so on By eating breakfast every morning, you may feel lively in the morning's work Stepping out into the morning air after a good breakfast will make you feel wonderful.‎ Without breakfast, children may not grow as fast as they should and may not study and play as well in school in the morning as they could. They may have more sickness, and when they are sick, it may take them longer time to get well than children with good health habits.‎ Food provides energy for the body. Without food the body operation will slow down. So you must eat breakfast to keep well and do your best each morning.‎ ‎26. The Proper Way to Give Gifts (1)‎ Everyone has had the experience of giving a gift. A proper gift can help communication and express good wishes, and sometimes it may also bring about unexpected good results. But, an improper gift may not only fail to show good wishes, but also even result in misunderstanding(误会). The art of giving gifts needs more attention, especially in communication with friends from different countries.‎ When you give gifts to the Chinese, you should pay attention to what you say. In China, people may sometimes say the words like“Yi Dian Xin Yi.” ‎ ‎ 27. Making Electricity ‎ Because of electricity(电), it is easy for us to turn on an electric lamp or a TV. But where does all that electricity come from? Most power plants (发电厂) produce electricity by using coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear energy(核能).Other plants make electricity by using sunlight, wind, water, or even heat from underground!‎ ‎28. One Real Man In an ancient kingdom(王国),all men were ruled by their wives. The king didn’t believe it. In order to prove it was not true, the king had all the men of his kingdom brought before him. He warned that any man who did not tell the truth would be seriously punished.‎ Then he asked all the men who followed their wives' orders to step to the left side of the hall. All the men did so but one little man who moved to the right side.‎ ‎“It's good to see,”said the king,“that we have one real man in the kingdom Tell these chicken-hearted men why you alone among them stand on the right side of the hall.”‎ ‎“Your Majesty(陛下),”came the reply in a weak voice, “it is because before I left home my wife told me to keep out of crowds(人群). I don't dare to go against her.”‎ ‎29. Dialogue: Where Is My Pet Dog?‎ ‎(L: Lisa, S: Sam)‎ L: Ten years ago, I went on a tour to London with my pet dog.‎ S: Did you have a good time there?‎ L: Yes. I did. One day, after a tiring tour, I went into a restaurant with my pet dog.‎ S: You should feed your dog first, I think L: Right, so I signed(打手势) a waiter(服务员）to come over. At that time, I couldn't speak English. So I pointed to the dog and made an“eating”gesture, showing that the dog needed some food. ‎ S: What happened then?‎ L: The waiter nodded and walked away with my pet dog. I was happy because I made the waiter understand me without any difficulty. But after half an hour, he returned with a plate S: What was on the plate?‎ L: My pet dog! My pet dog was killed and cooked !‎ ‎30. Why Shouldn't We Smoke?‎ ‎ To begin with, smoking costs a lot of money. Smokers may also have to spend more on medicine and doctor visits. Another reason not to smoke is that it is bad for people who do not smoke, Secondhand smoke(二手烟)is a serious public health risk It isn't polite for a person to smoke in front of a nonsmoker. Besides, nonsmokers usually don't like the smell left in rooms, cars, or even on a smoker's clothes!‎ Most importantly, smoking causes big health problems For example, smoking makes it harder to breathe if a person has illnesses like asthma (哮喘). Smoking hurts a person's lungs(肺) , causing diseases like cancer, etc.‎ So if you don't smoke, don't start. If you do smoke, it's time to give it up.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎31. The Jobs of Tomorrow What kind of work do you want to do when you are older? Many jobs might interest you. Two of them that have been around the longest are farming and building. People who work with computers have newer kinds of jobs.‎ The jobs of tomorrow will be decided by what people need and want. When we decide which job to take, we need to get the necessary information about chances of jobs. The chances result from the relations between the total population, labor force, and the need for goods(商品)and services. ‎ ‎ 32. To Stop Two Boys from Fighting I am sixteen years old. I have a younger brother. My brother's name is Jim. Jim is a handsome boy and sometimes very humorous, he makes me laugh a lot, and I love him and am proud of him One afternoon I was walking from my house to the store to buy some ink when I saw a small boy running along the street towards me. He was running a thigh speed. When he came near me, I was surprised to see it was Jim ‎“Hi, Jim,”I shouted to him,“why are you running like that?”‎ Jim didn't stop. He looked a bit nervous, and shouted to me,“I'm trying to stop two boys from fighting.”‎ I was surprised again I laughed and said,“That's an important job for a little boy, isn’t it? You don't do things like that very often Who are the two boys?”‎ ‎“They're Tom and me,”answered Jim as he continued running down the street very quickly.‎ ‎33. Buying a House As house prices have risen too much these years, many people find it hard to afford a house. But all the people who do not have a house dream of the day they’ll pickup the keys to their own home The idea of owning a home is wonderful.‎ Buying a house will cost you a lot of money, so never do it in a hurry. Whatever the market condition is, when you are planning to buy a house there are many things to consider, whatever your intention is, to buy or only rent(租). After all, it is going to be your home, perhaps for quite a long time, and you want to be happy with it. You have to decide correctly what kind of house you want, how much you can afford to pay, and the type of area you wish to live in however, it's always easy to forget all above, because it's most probably that you'll fall in love with the house for sale when you first see it.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎34.Jimmy and His Son's Funny Stories Jimmy is our new neighbor. He speaks with strange accent, but we like to talk with him. He told me an interesting story about himself.‎ He said he liked growing flowers in his garden in his spare time. And one Sunday morning, after breakfast he put on his old clothes and began digging in his garden He dug and dug. After half an hour he suddenly found a coin near his foot He put it in his right pocket. A few minutes later, he found another one He put it in the same pocket, too. The same thing happened for the third, the fourth and the fifth time He was very happy and told his wife about it She was very happy, too. She said,“A thief(小偷) stole a lot of coins from a shop a few days ago. The police caught him but they didn’t find any coins.”‎ Then Jimmy went on digging and found some more coins, but just when he began to dig, he felt something cold in his trousers. It ran down one of his legs. He put his hand down quickly ——and the coin came into his hand. Now he knew there was a hole in his pocket.‎ Jimmy also told me something even funnier about his son, Jack One day he took his son Jack to a boy's clothing shop. That shop was giving away（赠送) balloons to buyers' children Jack asked if he might have two balloons.“Sorry,”the salesperson said,“but we give only one balloon to each child. Do you have a brother at home?”Jack was always honest He didn't tell lies, but he wanted another balloon badly.“No.”he replied regretfully,“but my sister has a brother, and I'd like one for him”‎ What a lovely boy Jack is!‎ ‎35. At Sea in a Small Boat People have sailed around the world in quite small boats. It is not an easy thing. Sometimes the weather goes bad. That will be the end of a boat; and the end of everyone in it. Accidents can happen easily and quickly.‎ One family had an accident with a big fish The fish swam under their boat and bit(咬) holes in it The water came into the boat, of course; and the boat soon went down However, these people had another, smaller boat——a life-boat(救生艇) ; and they all got into that They lived and hoped for many days. They woke and slept, and they always, hoped... At last a ship found them How do people live in a very small life-boat? Perhaps far weeks or months. They must be strong in every way. They must have hope——they must want to live But you cannot eat and drink hope.‎ You cannot drink sea water. Drink a lot of sea water——you will quickly die. Sailors（水手) can drink rain water. They must catch rain water in their boat. They must also catch fish and birds for food. Lifeboats do not often carry a cooker；and so the sailors cannot cook their food Raw(生的) fish and bird-meat is not very nice But there won't be any choice in a life-boat! The sailors must eat raw food or they will die What do people think about in a life-boat? They think about land, a warm bed, dry clothes, clean water and food.‎ ‎36. A Careless Couple Mr. and Mrs. Long have a poor memory, and they are also very careless. Compared with the careless parents, their daughter Linda is quite different. Linda is very careful in doing things. If Mr. and Mrs. Long can act carefully and remember to check their work, they’ll not cause so much trouble in their life.‎ One summer they plan to fly to New York for a visit. They get to the airport only ten minutes before the plane leaves So time is short. But suddenly Mrs. Long says she must tell Linda, their daughter, not to forget to lock the front door when she leaves for school in the morning. As Linda is then at school, they can't reach her on the phone So the couple hurries to the post office. Mrs. Long writes a short note to Linda, while Mr. Long buys a stamp and an envelope(邮票). Soon the note is ready. They put the stamp on the envelope and drop it in the letter box in a hurry. But suddenly Mrs. Long begins to cry. The short note to her daughter is still in her hand. She has put their plane tickets in the envelope!‎ ‎37. Protecting Your Teeth George Washington had many great successes in his life, but he didn't succeed in keeping his own teeth! Back then, many people lost their teeth, But modern people know how to protect their teeth The most important thing is to brush your teeth By keeping the teeth clean you will not have a toothache or other tooth disease One other important thing is to eat right. For example, milk and cheese give teeth calcium(钙), which they need to be strong. Fruits and vegetables also help by providing VA and VD. On the other hand, sweet food is bad for teeth So brush your teeth and eat right. They are the basic things you should do to protect your teeth. If you do the things, you'll be able to have good teeth for your whole life. That’s one success that even George Washington didn't have!‎ ‎ ‎ ‎38. American classroom Rules (1)‎ l. If the teacher asks a question, you should give an answer. If you do not understand the question, you should raise your hand and ask the teacher to repeat the question. If you do not know the answer, it is all right to tell the teacher that you do not know. Then the teacher knows what you need to learn ‎2. There is no excuse for not doing your homework. If you are absent, you should call your teacher or someone who is in your class and ask for the homework. It is your duty to find out what homework you have missed. It is not the teacher's duty to tell you the missing homework.‎ ‎3. You must not be absent on a test day. Serious illness is the only reason for missing a test.‎ ‎4. Be on time! It is considered not polite to be late* Also, it disturbs other classmates. If you must come in late, be sure to do it quietly. In the U. S it is not necessary to knock before you enter the classroom Most of the teachers will give you a low grade if you are often late.‎ ‎38. American Classroom Rules (2)‎ ‎5.Have your textbook out and be ready to begin when the class starts. Be sure you have a paper and a pencil ready.‎ ‎6. In America, you should call your teacher by his or her last name, not“teacher”. Also you should use Mr., Miss, Ms. or Mrs. before the last name (such as Mrs. Smith or Mr. Jones). This is considered polite ‎7. Be polite to other students. If another student is answering a question or giving a report, you should listen quietly and give them your attention.‎ ‎8. It is considered impolite in the U.S. to eat, drink or chew gum(嚼口香糖) during class. Also, taking off one's shoes in the classroom is not polite.‎ ‎9. If you must leave during class, do so quietly. There is no need to tell the teacher.‎ However, leaving the class for something instead of an emergency (紧急情况) is not accepted.‎ ‎10. Copying another student's test or paper is never accepted It is called cheating.‎ At most schools in the U. S , students who cheat will be dismissed ‎39. Very P/eased to Meet You During World War Two, a lot of young women in Britain(英国) were in the army. Joan Phillips was one of them She worked in a big camp, and of course met a lot of men, officers, and soldiers. One evening she met Captain Humphreys at a dance. Joan also played the piano there They had a very good time Captain Humphreys said to her,“I'm going abroad tomorrow, but I'd be very happy if We could write to each other.”Joan agreed. Then Captain Humphreys went to a foreign country. And they wrote for several months.‎ Then his letters stopped, but she received one from another officer, telling her that he had been wounded and was in a certain army hospital in England.‎ Joan went there and said to the matron(护士长),“I've come to visit captain Humphreys.”‎ ‎“Only family members are allowed to visit patients here,”the matron said.‎ ‎“Oh, that's all right,”answered Joan“I'm his sister.”‎ ‎“I'm pleased to meet you,”the matron said,“I'm his mother!”‎ ‎40. Keys? Kiss?‎ My cousin was giving an English lesson to a class of adults(成年人). They had recently come to live in America. My cousin placed many daily objects on a table, There was a pen, a ruler, an eraser, a tape, a piece of chalk, a newspaper, a magazine, a map, and a table tennis ball and so on Then she asked every member of the class to give her an object as they were told. The class went very smoothly and the students seemed interested and serious about the work. But when my cousin said to an Italian(意大利的)student,“Give me the keys,”the man looked surprised Seeing this, my cousin thought that the student hadn't heard her clearly, so she repeated,“Give me the keys.”The Italian student seemed a little shy, and then he threw his arms around the teacher's neck and kissed her on both cheeks(脸颊).‎ ‎21.我做了一件傻事 几年前，我们搬到这座城市时，我对肥皂(soap)箱(box)赛车比赛(race)产生了兴趣。就是在那时我发现(discover)了“开始做某件事要比完成它容易地多(far easier)”（即“开始容易结束难”）的道理。‎ 爸爸买了一套工具（A set of tools）要给我做一辆赛车(racing car)。我是急不可耐，然后有一天，爸爸在上班(be at work)时，我决定让我的小车转起来。我看着图纸(drawing)。对自己说，“都德，你可以做到。”我拿出了爸爸的工具箱，接着就开始造车了。零件A适合(fit)零件B。零件C连接(connect)到零件D就有点难度。零件E很容易安装(fix)。到我开始零件G时，我已经把事情弄的一团糟。我真的后悔(regret)做了这么一件傻(silly)事。‎ 这次经历(experience)让我学到了什么呢？现在我知道了在我开始做某事之前，我应该知道该如何完成它。 ‎ ‎22. 蛇 今天我读(read)了一本关于蛇(snake)的书。我发现其中有一些有趣的事实，尤其(especially)是一些令人吃惊的(surprising)事实。你知道吗？一些大蛇很强壮(strong)足以杀死一头猪或一只山羊(goat)。所有的蛇都吃动物。如果没有(without)蛇，这个世界很可能(probably)充满了(be filled with)老鼠(rats and mice)。‎ 你很可能不知道蛇是用它们的鼻子和舌头(tongue)来闻气味(smell)的。有的蛇甚至比一头象(elephant)或一只长颈鹿(giraffe)还长！‎ 这本书让我想了很多关于蛇的事情。大部分蛇不伤害(hurt)人，但有些是危险的(dangerous)蛇。我在想如果我看到一只蛇，我是否会知道它是危险的？ ‎ ‎23．秘书的电话 杨先生是个老板(boss)。他工作很辛苦，很少(seldom)休假(have a vacation)。杨夫人担心他这样工作下去会生病(get sick)．就建议(suggest)他去休假。最后，杨先生同意了。但杨夫人担心公司(company)有可能会打扰(disturb)他，因此，在他们出发前，扬夫人去会见了他丈夫(husband)的秘书(secretary)。她对秘书说：“我丈夫非常需要休息，所以我们不在的时候，无论发生了什么事，请不要打电话或写信打扰他。一切等我们回来再说。”‎ 于是，在一个令人愉快的(pleasant)早上，那是杨先生和夫人离开大约一周后，当这对夫妇(couple)正在野餐(picnic)，吃着汉堡包(hamburger)时，杨先生接到秘书的电话，她说：“您的生意出现了严重问题。但我记得(remember)杨夫人告诉我的话，所以在您享受(enjoy)假期之时，我就不打算打搅您了，再见(Bye-bye)!” ‎ ‎24.我的海贝收藏 每年夏天我们家都去海滩(beach)。我在沙子(sand)里挖掘(dig)寻找(search for)海贝(sea shell)。‎ 到目前为止(so far)我已经收集了许多贝壳。这些贝壳颜色各异：桔色、银色(silver)、紫色(purple)、灰色、棕色(brown)……有些是常见的(common)贝壳，有些是不寻常的。我有一个像鸟(bird)翅膀(wing)的贝壳，还有一个贝壳像鲸(whale)的眼睛。‎ 去年，我姐姐(elder sister)帮我把所有的贝壳放进我的抽屉(drawer)以及我的书桌(desk)上。当我看到它们时，我就会想起我在海滩玩时的快乐。 ‎ ‎25.早餐很重要 一天中最重要的一餐(meal)是早餐。人们必须吃好早餐来保持健康(keep well)。正确的饮食是良好的健康(health)所必需的(necessary)．为了(in order to)保持良好的健康，你应该吃各种不同的食物。‎ 优质的早餐应包括鸡蛋(egg)、面包(bread)、牛奶(milk)等(and so on)。每天吃早餐，你会感觉在上午的工作中充满活力(lively)。吃过营养全面的早餐后，走到外面(step out)呼吸清晨的空气，让你感觉(make you feel)美妙无比(wonderful)。‎ 不吃早餐，孩子们就不会快速(fast)成长，上午在校时也无法学好、玩好。他们更容易生病，而且生病时，比起那些有良好健康习惯(habit)的孩子，可能要花更长的时间恢复身体(it may take them longer time to get well)。‎ 食物为身体(body)提供能量(provide energy)。没有食物，身体的运转(operation)就会慢下来(slow down)。因此，要想保持健康并在每一个上午都做到最好，你必须吃早餐。‎ ‎26.送礼物的正确方式(1)‎ 大家都有送礼物的经历。适当的(proper)礼物有助于交流(communication)并表达(express)良好的祝愿（good wishes）。有时(sometimes)还能带来意想不到的(unexpected)效果(result)。但不恰当的(improper)礼物不仅(not only)不能表达心意，而且(but also)可能导致(result in)误会。送礼的艺术(art)需要更多的注意(attention)，尤其是与不同国家的朋友交往时。‎ 你给中国人送礼物时，应该注意(pay attention to)你的措辞。在中国，人们有时可能会说“一点心意”诸如此类的话。 ‎ ‎27．发电 因为(because of)有电，打开(turn on)电灯（electric lamp）或电视很容易。可电是从哪里来的呢？大部分发电厂通过煤炭(coal)、石油(oil)、天然气(natural gas)和核能来产生(produce)电能。还有一些发电厂则利用阳光、风(wind)、水甚至地热(heat from underground)来发电。‎ ‎28. 一个真正的男子汉 在古代的(ancient)一个王国里，所有的男人都由妻子统治(rule)。国王(king)不相信这一点，为了证明(prove)这不是真的，便把全国所有的男人都召来，并警告(warn)说，任何不说实话(tell the truth)者将受到严重的(serious)惩罚(punish)。‎ 然后，他让遵循(follow)妻子命令(order)的男人站到大厅(hall)的左边(left side)，所有的男人都站到了左边，只有一个小个子男人站到右边。‎ ‎“很好，”国王说：“我们国家总算还有一位真正的男子汉，你告诉这些软弱的家伙，为什么众人之中(among)只有你独自一人(alone)站在了大厅的右边。”‎ ‎“陛下，”那个男人用虚弱的(weak)声音回答道，“这是因为离家前，我妻子交待我，不许扎堆。我不敢(dare)违背(go against)她的命令。”‎ ‎29．对话(dialogue)：我的宠物狗在哪里？‎ ‎(L：丽萨Lisa，S：Sam山姆)‎ L：十年前，我带着我的宠物(pet)狗去伦敦(London)观光旅游(tour)。‎ S：你玩的好(have a good time)吗？‎ L：是的，玩的不错。有一天，令人劳累的(tiring)行程结束后，我带着我的狗进了一家餐馆(restaurant)。‎ S：我觉得你应当先喂(feed)你的狗。‎ L：是的，所以我给服务员打了个手势。那时我还不会说英语。因此我指向(point to)我的狗，然后作了一个“吃”的手势(gesture)，表示这只狗需要一些食物。‎ S：后来怎么了？‎ L：那个服务员点点头(nod)就带着我的狗走开了。我很高兴因为我没费吹灰之力(without any difficulty)就让服务员明白了。但半个小时后，他端着个盘子(plate)回来了。‎ S：盘子里是什么呀？‎ L:我的宠物狗！我的宠物狗被杀死烹饪(cook)了！‎ ‎30.为什么我们不应该吸烟？‎ 首先(be begin with)，吸烟(smoking)花费(cost)很多钱。吸烟者(smoker)可能还要花费(spend)更多的钱买药、看医生。‎ 不吸烟的另一个理由(reason)是吸烟对不吸烟者有害。二手烟对公众健康来说是一种严重的风险(risk)。在不吸烟者面前(in front of)吸烟是不礼貌的。此外，不吸烟者通常不喜欢房间内、汽车里、甚至是吸烟者衣服上的烟味。‎ 最重要的是，吸烟导致(cause)严重的健康问题(problem)。例如，吸烟会让哮喘等疾病(illness)患者呼吸(breathe)更困难。吸烟伤肺，还会导致癌症(cancer)等疾病(disease)。‎ 所以，如果你不吸烟，那就不要开始。如果你吸烟，是该戒烟(give up smoking)的时候了。 ‎ ‎31．未来的工作 长大后你想做什么工作呢？许多工作可能会让你感兴趣。其中有两种工作历史最久，它们是农业(farming)和建筑。电脑(computer)工作者则拥有更新类型的工作。‎ 未来(tomorrow)的工作将由人们的需求决定。我们决定做何种工作时，我们需要得到有关工作机会的必要信息（information）。这些机会来自总(total)人口(population)、劳动力(labor force)和商品服务需求之间的关系(relation)。‎ 提供(supply)健康护理的人可能找工作从来没什么问题。人们对有些人，如(such as)卡车司机(truck driver)，也总是有需求。大部分有车一族会需要轿车服务(service)，因此技工应该也很容易找工作。‎ 要获得好工作，最好的建议是想好你喜欢做什么。为此获得所需要(require)的教育和培训(training)，然后就可以去找一份好工作了。‎ ‎32.制止两个男孩打架 我十六岁，我有个弟弟（younger brother)，名叫吉姆。吉姆是个英俊的（handsome)男孩，有时还特别幽默(humorous)，逗得我笑(laugh)个不停。我很爱弟弟，为他感到骄傲(be proud of him)。‎ 有一天下午(afternoon)，我从家里出去到商店(store)买墨水(ink)．这时见一个男孩沿着(along)马路朝(toward)我跑(run)来，男孩以很快的速度(at high speed)跑着，跑近时，我惊讶地发现竟是吉姆。‎ ‎“嗨，吉姆，”我朝他喊道，“你干嘛跑那么快？”‎ 吉姆没有停下脚步，他看上去有点紧张(a bit nervous)，他对着我喊道，“我在设法阻止两个男孩打架(stop … from fighting)。”‎ 我还是很奇怪，我笑着说，“小男孩能这么干可真是了不起，这事你可干得不多。这两个男孩是谁呀？”‎ ‎“汤姆和我，”吉姆边回答边飞快地沿街跑去。 ‎ ‎33．买房子 这些年由于房价(house price)上涨过多，许多人发现很难买得起(afford)房子。但所有无房者都梦想有一天拿起他们自己家(their own home)的钥匙(key)。拥有(own)一个家的想法太美妙了。‎ 买房子会花费你很多钱，因此决不能匆忙(in a hurry)。无论市场条件(market ‎ condition)如何，你在计划(plan)购房时都要考虑很多事情，无论你的意图(intention)如何，买还是只租。毕竟(after all)这要成为你的家了，或许(perhaps)会在里面住上很长一段时间，你当然想开心地在房子里生活。那么，你必须正确地(correctly)怍决定，你想要什么样的房子，你能担负得起什么样的房子，以及你希望住在什么类型的区域(area)。然而，人们又很容易忘记(forget)以上所有问题，因为很可能当你第一次看到出售中的房子，你就会爱上它(fall in love with it)。‎ ‎34．吉米和他儿子的有趣故事 吉米是我们的新邻居。他讲话带着奇怪的口音(accent)，但我们喜欢和他交谈。他告诉过我一个关于他自己的有趣故事。‎ 他说他喜欢在空闲的(spare)时间在他的花园(garden)里种花。一个星期天的早上，吃过早饭后，他穿上(put on)旧衣服，就在花园里开始挖土。他挖啊挖，半个小时后，突然他发现脚边有一枚硬币。他把硬币放进右边的衣服口袋里．几分钟后(a few minutes later)，他又发现了另一枚。他还是放入同一个口袋。相同的事情又发生了，第三次、第四次、第五次。他非常高兴，然后告诉了他的妻子。她也很高兴，她说，“几天前有个小偷从一家商店里偷走(steal)好多硬币。警察(the police)抓住(catch)他但没找到硬币。”‎ 然后吉米继续挖(go on digging)．找到了更多的硬币，但就在他开始挖掘时，他感觉有什么凉凉的东西掉进他的裤子里。这个东西顺着他的腿往下滑。他迅速放下手——硬币在他手上了。现在他知道了他的口袋里有个洞(hole)。‎ 吉米还告诉我一个更有趣的(funny)故事，是关于他儿子杰克的。一天，他带着儿子杰克去一家男孩服装店。那家店铺正在给顾客的孩子赠送气球(balloon)。杰克问是否他可以得到两个气球。“对不起，”销售人员说，“每个孩子我们只给一个。你家里有弟弟吗？”杰克一直是诚实的(honest)。他不说谎话，但他非常想再要一个气球，于是他颇感遗憾地说，“没有，但我姐姐有一个弟弟，我想为他要一个。”‎ 杰克真是个可爱的男孩！ ‎ ‎35．乘小船在海上 人们曾在很小的船上周游世界。那可不是一件容易的事．有时天气(weather)变坏。那将是小船的末日。也是船上每个人的末日。事故(accident)发生地报容易也很快。‎ 有个家庭曾遭遇过一条大鱼(fish)导致的事故。那鱼游到他们的船下咬了几个洞．水涌入船里，当然，船很快下沉了。然而，这些人还有另一个更小的船——救生艇，他们都上了那艘救生艇。他们期盼(hope)着坚持了许多天，他们醒了(wake)又睡(sleep)，却总是怀着希望……最后一艘轮船(ship)发现了他们。‎ 人们在这么小的船里怎么生活呢？很可能度过几周或数月。他们必须在各个方面都很坚强．他们必须有希望——他们必须有活下去的愿望．但你总不能吃喝希望吧。‎ 你无法喝海水，喝大量海水后人很快就会死亡。水手可以喝雨(rain)水。他们必须接雨水存在船里．他们还要捉鱼和鸟当作食物。救生艇里一般不会有厨具(cooker)，因此水手们不能烹饪食物。生鱼和鸟的肉味道不是很好．但在救生艇上别无选择(choice)!水手们必须吃生的食物，否则(or)他们只有死路一条。‎ 在救生艇里人们又会想些什么呢？他们想念陆地(land)、温暖的床(bed)、干爽的(dry)衣服、干净的水和食物。 ‎ ‎36.粗心的夫妇 朗夫妇记忆力(memory)都不好，而且他们很粗心(careless)。与这对粗心的夫妇比较(compare)，他们的女儿(daughter)琳达却迥然不同。琳达做事很细心。如果朗夫妇能行动(act)细心，并记得检查(check)做过的事，他们就不会在生活中惹那么多的麻烦了。‎ 有一 年夏天，他们打算乘飞机(fly)到纽约去旅游。他们在飞机(plane)起飞前10分钟才到达机场(get to the airport)，所以时间很仓促。忽然朗夫人说她必须告诉女儿琳达早上去上学时别忘记锁(lock)前门。因为琳达那时还在学校，所以他们无法给她打电话。于是，夫妇俩急忙赶到邮局(post office)。朗夫人写便条(note)。朗先生去买邮票(stamp)。很快便条准备好了(ready)，他们忙乱地在信封上贴上邮票，然后投进(drop)邮筒。但突然间朗夫人哭了起来，原来给女儿的便条还在她手里，而他们的飞机票却被塞进了信封！ ‎ ‎37．保护牙齿 乔治·华盛顿在他的一生中取得很多成功(success)，但他却没有成功(succeed)保养好自己的牙齿！那时很多人的牙齿都脱落了。但现代人知道如何保护(protect)牙齿。‎ 最重要的事是刷牙。让牙齿保持清洁，你就不会害牙疼(toothache)或得其他牙病。‎ 另一件重要的事是正确饮食。例如，牛奶和奶酪(cheese)可以提供钙，牙齿要坚硬需要钙。水果和蔬菜(vegetable)提供的维A和维D也对牙齿有帮助。另一方面，甜的(sweet)食物对牙齿有害。‎ 因此，要刷牙、正确饮食。要保护牙齿，这些是你应做的基本的(basic)事情。如果你这样做，你的一生(your whole life)都会拥有好牙齿，那可是乔治·华盛顿都没有获得的成功哦！ ‎ ‎38. 美国课堂行为守则(1)‎ ‎1．如果老师(teacher)提问题，你应该回答。如果你不明白问题，你应该举手(raise your hand)让老师重复问题。如果你不知道答案，可以告诉老师你不知道。老师会知道你需要学习什么。‎ ‎2．不可以找借口(excuse)不做家庭作业(homework)。如果缺席了(absent)，就应该给老师或听课的同学打电话，问作业。查明(find out)缺课时的作业是你的责任(duty)．老师没有责任要提醒你作业。‎ ‎3．考试那天你不能缺席。患重病是唯一可以缺考的理由。‎ ‎4．要准时(on time)!迟到被认为是不礼貌的。而且，这也会打扰其他同学。如果你不得不迟到，一定要安静地(quietly)进教室(enter the classroom)．在美国，进入教室前不必敲门。如果你经常迟到，多数老师会给你低分(a low grade)。 ‎ ‎38．美国课堂行为守则(2)‎ ‎5．课前要拿出课本(textbook)为开始上课做好准备(be ready)．你一定要准备好纸张和铅笔(pencil)。‎ ‎6．在美国，你应该用姓氏称呼老师，而不是直接称呼“老师”。你要在姓前使用先生、小姐、女士或夫人（如史密斯夫人或琼斯先生）。这样做是有礼貌的。‎ ‎7．对其他学生要有礼貌。如果其他学生在回答问题或做报告(report)，你应该安静地听，把注意力集中到他们身上。‎ ‎8．在美国，在上课期间(during class)吃东西、喝饮料或嚼口香糖是不礼貌的。在教室脱鞋(take off )也是不礼貌的。‎ ‎9．如果上课时你必须要离开，一定要安静。没有必要告诉老师，然而，因非紧急事件离开教室是不能接受(accept)的。‎ ‎10.决不允许抄袭(copy)其他学生的试卷或论文，这被称为“作弊(cheating)”，在大部分美国学校，作弊的学生会被开除。 ‎ ‎39.很高兴认识你 二战(World War Two)期间，英国的许多年轻妇女在军队(army)服役．琼·菲利普斯就是其中的一个。她在一个大军营(big camp)里工作，自然结识了许多男士，既有军官，也有士兵。‎ 一天晚上，琼在舞会(dance)上认识了汉弗莱兹上尉(captain)．琼还在那里演奏了钢琴(piano)。他们玩得很高兴．汉弗莱兹上尉对她说：“明天我要出国(go abroad)．如果我们能给彼此写信(write to each other)，我将非常高兴。”琼同意了。然后，汉弗莱兹上尉去了国外(a foreign country)。他们书信来往，数月不断。‎ 后来他的来信中断了，但她收到另一位军官的来信，信中告诉她汉弗莱兹受伤了(wounded)，现在英国某陆军医院里。‎ 琼找到那家医院，对护士长说：“我来探望汉弗莱兹上尉。”‎ ‎“这里只允许病人(patient)的家庭成员(family member)探望他们。”护士长说。‎ ‎“哦，那好吧，”琼回答说：“我是他妹妹。”‎ ‎“很高兴认识你(I'm pleased to meet you)。”护士长说：“我是他母亲。”‎ ‎40.钥匙还是吻？‎ 我的表妹(cousin)在给一个成人学生班上英语课，他们都是最近搬来美国生活的。我的表妹在一张桌子上放置(place)了很多日常物品(daily object)，其中有一支钢笔(pen)、一把尺子、一块橡皮(eraser)、一盒磁带(tape)、一支粉笔(a piece of chalk)、一份报纸、一本杂志(magazine)、一张地图(map)、一个乒乓球(table tennis ball)以及其他物品。她让班里的每个成员按她的吩咐给她所要的物品。课进行得很顺利(smoothly)，学生们对这个工作看起来很感兴趣也很认真。但是当我的表妹对一名来自意大利的学生说，“给我钥匙”时，那人看起来很吃惊。看到这，我的表妹以为他没听清楚(clearly)，于是又重复了一遍，“给我钥匙。”那位意大利学生看起来有点害羞，然后，他伸出胳膊(arm)搂住老师的脖子(neck)．在她的双颊上亲吻(kiss)了两下。 ‎ ‎ ‎