新视野大学英语视听说教程 2 Unit 10-12

V. Let’s Talk
Helen’s Story
I’m Helen. Well, it happened a few years ago. I was living in a house with my parents. One
evening I had to prepare myself for an examination¹ at school. I was working in the basement² at
my table when my parents went to the city to go shopping. Suddenly, I heard steps on the floor
above me. I knew there was actually nobody in the house besides me. What could I do? I was
terribly frightened because I knew that it must a burglar³. We had the windows open to air the
room, so it must be burglar. What could I do? I remembered that I had a toy gun in my cupboard,
so I decide to take the toy gun and go upstairs. Well, I took the toy gun, went out of my room, and
shouted as if there was another person, “ George, take the dog and go outside.” On my way
upstairs, I turned on lights. The burglar must have heard me, and he rushed out of the window the
way he came in.
Well, I was relieved⁴, and then I tried to phone my parents, but I was so terribly frightened that I
wasn’t able to dial⁵ the number.

Character	Description6
Helen	prepared herself for an examination. was working in the basement.
Her parents	went shopping.
Helen	Heard steps on the floor above. was terribly frightened.
A burglar	must have come in.
Helen	took the toy gun from the cupboard, went upstairs, and shouted, “George, take the dog and go outside.” turned on lights.
The burglar	must have heard Helen. rushed out of the window the way he came in.
Helen	phoned her parents. wasn’t able to dial the number.

1 examination   

n.考试，考查，试题；检查，调查

参考例句：

• Teachers always judge their students on the final examination.老师常根据期末考试来评价他们的学生。
• He put up a good show in the final examination.他在期末考试中表现得不错。

2 basement   

n.地下室，地窖；建筑物的基部

参考例句：

• It is rather damp in the basement.地下室很潮湿。
• They live in a basement flat in North London.他们住在伦敦北部的一所地下公寓里。

3 burglar   

n.窃贼，破门盗窃者

参考例句：

• The policeman took the burglar by surprise as he opened the window.当夜盗开窗时，警察冷不防地捉住了他。
• The man glanced the burglar climbing out of the window.那人瞥见小偷从窗户爬出来。

4 relieved   

a.如释重负的

参考例句：

• You'll be relieved to know your jobs are safe. 现在知道你们的工作保住了，可以放心了。
• Your coming relieved me of the bother of writing a long letter. 你来了，省去我写长信的麻烦了。

5 dial   

n.(钟表等的)针盘；刻度盘；v.拨(电话号码)

参考例句：

• What number did you dial?你拨了什么号码？
• How do I dial London?怎样拨电话到伦敦？

6 description   

n.描述，记述；描绘，描写，刻划；种类

参考例句：

• Can you give me a description of the thief?你能给我描述一下那个窃贼的模样吗？
• He gave a description of what he had seen.他描述了他所见到的一切。