初级英语听力(新版) Lesson 23

 　　初级英语听力(新版) Lesson23

　　Mr. Hanson: Could I have my bill, please?

　　Waitress: Yes, sir. One moment, please.

　　(She brings the bill and the customer looks at it carefully.)

　　Mr. Hanson: Could you kindly¹ explain this to me? What is item 6?

　　Waitress: Perhaps I cou1d go through it for you. The first item is the cover charge. Number 2 is the beer. Then your starter, your main course and the vegetables. The main course was 4.50 not 3.50, so item 6 is the difference.

　　Mr. Hanson: Oh, I see. But how was I expected to know that?

　　Waitress: Yes, sir. They are a bit hard to follow sometimes. Number 8 is your dessert and number 9 the cigarettes. Oh, and number 7 is your second beer.

　　Mr. Hanson: And what about the service, is that included?

　　Waitress: Yes, that's marked down here, 10 per cent service.

　　Mr. Hanson: Good. Thank you. Now, can you take my credit² card?

　　Waitress: I'm afraid we don't accept credit cards.

　　Mr. Hanson: Oh dear. What about a cheque with a banker's card?

　　Waitress: Yes, sir. That will be all right.

　　Customer: Can you bring me the bill, please?

　　Waiter: Certainly, sir.

　　(He brings the bill.)

　　Customer: I think there has been a mistake.

　　Waiter: I'm sorry, sir. What seems to be the trouble?

　　Customer: I think you have charged me twice for the same thing.

　　Look, the figure of 5.50 appears here and then again here.

　　Waiter: I'll just go and check it for you, sir.

　　(He returns a few minutes later.)

　　Waiter: Yes sir, you are quite right. The cashier³ made a mistake. I think you will find it correct now.

　　Customer: Thank you.

　　Waiter: We do apologize about this, sir.

　　Customer: That's all right. No harm done. Now, can I pay by traveler's cheques?

　　Waiter: Certainly, sir. We'll give you the change in local currency if that's all right.

　　Customer: You needn't worry about that. There won't be much change out of twenty-five dollars.

　　Waiter: Thank you, sir. That's most kind of you.

　　—Waiter, there's a fly in my soup.

　　—Shh, don't do too loud. Everyone will want one.

　　—Waiter, there's a fly in my soup.

　　—There is a spider on the bread. It'll catch it.

　　—What's this fly doing in my soup?

　　—I think it's doing the backstroke, sir.

　　—There is a dead fly swimming in my soup!

　　—That's impossible. A dead fly can't swim.

　　—There is a dead fly in my soup.

　　—Yes, sir. It's the hot liquid that kills them.

　　—Waiter, there is a fly in my soup.

　　—Yes, sir. We give extra meat rations⁴ on Fridays.

　　—Waiter, there is a fly in my soup.

　　—Don't worry, sir. There is no extra charge.

　　A strange thing happened to Henri yesterday. He was on a bus and wanted to get off. So he stood up and rang the bell. To make sure the driver heard him he rang it twice, but the bus didn't stop, and the conductor came and shouted at him.

　　The conductor was so annoyed, and spoke⁵ so fast, that Henri didn't understand a word. The bus stopped at the next bus stop and Henri got off. As he got off he heard someone say, "I think he's a foreigner."

　　When Henri got home, he told his landlady⁶ about the incident.

　　"How many times did you ring the bell?" she asked.

　　"Twice," said Henri.

　　"Well, that's the signal for the driver to go on," his landlady explained. "Only the conductor is allowed to ring the bell twice. That's why he got so annoyed."

　　Henri nodded. "I see," he said.

　　(A and B are a married couple. C is a travel agent.)

　　C: Good morning.

　　A and B: Good morning.

　　C: Can I help you?

　　A: Yes, we're thinking of going on holiday somewhere, but we're not sure where.

　　C: I see. What sort of holiday did you have in mind?

　　A: Lots of sunbathing⁷.

　　B: (at the same time) Lots of walking.

　　C: Mm. (looking puzzled) So you'd like somewhere warm?

　　B: Not too warm.

　　A: Yes, as sunny as possible.

　　C: And are you interested in the night-life at all?

　　A: Yes. It'd be nice if there were some good discos and clubs we could go to.

　　B: Oh, no! Surely that's what we're trying to get away from!

　　A: What do you mean? We never go out at all, so how could we get away from it?

　　B: Well, what's the point of going somewhere where there are lots of people just like here?

　　C: (interrupting) Could I just ask what sort of price you want to pay?

　　B: As cheap as possible.

　　A: What do you mean? We want a top hotel.

　　B: But we can't afford it.

　　A: Of course, we can. We've been saving⁸ up all year.

　　(Their voices rise as they argue. The travel agent looks bemused.)

　　C: Just a minute, please. I think I can make a suggestion. Why don't you try the South of France? Then one of you can go to the beach and the other can walk in the mountains.

　　A: That sounds like a good idea. And there are some good hotels there.

　　B: No—there are too many English people there!

　　A: Well, then at least we'd have someone to talk to.

　　B: But, there's no point in going abroad to meet English people there!

　　C: (interrupting again) Excuse me.

　　A and B: Yes?

　　C: Well, my wife and I have the same trouble as you. I like hot, lively places and she prefers a bit of peace and quiet and we always disagree about how much to spend. We usually split⁹ up and go to different places, but this year I've got a better idea.

　　A and B: What's that?

　　C: Well, I could go on holiday with you (indicates one of them) and you could go with my wife.

　　A: That's an interesting idea.

　　B: I'm not so sure ...

　　C: Look, why don't you come round now and meet my wife and we can see what we can arrange ...

　　The scene is at an airport. A man and a woman carrying several cases approach a customs officer (C.O.).

　　Man: (whispering) Don't worry. Everything will be all right.

　　Woman: I hope you know what you're doing!

　　(They put their bags down in front of the customs officer.)

　　C.O.: Good morning, sir, madam. Just returning from a holiday, are you?

　　Woman: That's right.

　　C.O.: And how long have you been abroad?

　　Woman: Two weeks.

　　Man: Yes, not very long. Not long enough to buy anything anyway. (laughing)

　　C.O.: I see. Have you got anything to declare?

　　Man: I'm sorry, I don't really know what you mean.

　　Woman: Harry¹⁰!

　　C.O.: Come on, sir. I'm sure you know what I mean. Have you got anything to declare?

　　Man: Well ... yes. I would like to declare that I love my wife.

　　Woman: Oh, Harry. You've never said that before.

　　Man: Well, it's true! It's just that I've never been able to tell you before.

　　Woman: And I love you too!

　　C.O.: (clearing throat) I'm sorry to interrupt, but I must ask you whether you have any goods to declare.

　　Man: Ah, well I do have a record-player, a fridge and something for my wife's birthday that I'd rather not tell you about.

　　Woman: Harry! And I thought you'd forgotten again!

　　Man: Of course not, dear!

　　C.O.: (annoyed) What I want to know, sir, is whether you have any goods in that bag that I should know about.

　　Man: Well, let's have a look. (opens bag) We've got some bars of soap, a tube of toothpaste, clothes, a jar of cream ...

　　C.O.: (angry) I only want to know if you have anything liable¹¹ for tax, like cigarettes, perfumes¹² or bottles of anything.

　　Man: Well, we do have a bottle of shampoo.

　　C.O.: Okay. I've had enough. You can go.

　　Man: You mean that's it?

　　C.O.: Please go away!

　　Woman: Come on, Harry. He just told us we could go.

　　(Takes hold of the suitcase and the contents spill out.)

　　C.O.: Just a minute. May I see that jewellery, please?

　　Man: Oh, my God! You great clumsy¹³ idiot¹⁴!

　　Woman: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.

　　Man: You never do anything right. I don't know why I married you in the first place!

　　Woman: But Harry! You just said you loved me.

　　Man: Not any more.

　　C.O.: And now what have you got to declare, sir?

　　Sam Lewis was a customs officer. He used to work in a small border town. It wasn't a busy town and there wasn't much work. The road was usually very quiet and there weren't many travelers. It wasn't a very interesting job, but Sam liked an easy life. About once a week, he used to meet an old man. His name was Draper. He always used to arrive at the border early in the morning in a big truck. The truck was always empty. After a while Sam became suspicious¹⁵. He often used to search the truck, but he never found anything. One day he asked Draper about his job. Draper laughed and said, "I'm a smuggler¹⁶."

　　Last year Sam retired¹⁷. He spent his savings¹⁸ on an expensive holiday. He flew to Bermuda, and stayed in a luxury¹⁹ hotel. One day, he was sitting by the pool and opposite him he saw Draper drinking champagne²⁰. Sam walked over to him.

　　Sam: Hello, there!

　　Draper: Hi!

　　Sam: Do you remember me?

　　Draper: Yes ... of course I do. You're a customs officer.

　　Sam: I used to be, but I'm not any more. I retired last month. I often used to search your truck ...

　　Draper: ... but you never found anything!

　　Sam: No, I didn't. Can I ask you something?

　　Draper: Of course, you can.

　　Sam: Were you a smuggler?

　　Draper: Of course I was.

　　Sam: But ... the truck was always empty. What were you smuggling²¹?

　　Draper: Trucks!

　　The first thing they do is to put out an APB and this goes to all the police stations in the country. Next we contact the hospitals. Often the person we are looking for has been in an accident. Then we might try parents, friends or relatives they might be with. We try to follow their movements and to find the last person they saw or were with. Then we try the media. We put photographs in local or national papers—especially papers they might read. There are other things we can do: put posters in places they might be, go on television. Here in America there is a magazine in which there are photographs of missing²² children. This is often the last hope. Of course, with nearly two million missing children every year, we can't do all these things for everyone. We haven't got the time, the money or the staff.

　　Are you a morning person or an evening person? That's the question. When do you work best? For me the answer is easy. I work best in the morning. All my creative work is done before lunchtime. I get up at about eight, and then have breakfast. I listen to the radio a bit, and read the papers. And I start. Usually I work from nine or nine thirty until twelve but after that I'm useless. On a good day I write fifteen hundred words or more, sometimes two thousand words, in the morning. Then after lunch I go for a walk, or read. In the evening I like to relax, go to the pub²³ or go out and meet people. If you're a writer you need self-discipline. But if you're tired, it shows: the mind and body must be fresh.

1 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

2 credit   

n.信用，荣誉，贷款，学分；v.归功于，赞颂，信任

参考例句：

• I credit him with a certain amount of sense.我认为他有一定的见识。
• He got the credit,and we did the dirty work.他得荣誉，我们做不讨好的工作。

3 cashier   

n.出纳员，收银员

参考例句：

• The young cashier gave a patient sigh.年轻的出纳员忍耐地叹了一口气。
• One brother is a cashier and the other sells.两个兄弟一位当出纳，另一位当店员。

4 rations   

定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量

参考例句：

• They are provisioned with seven days' rations. 他们得到了7天的给养。
• The soldiers complained that they were getting short rations. 士兵们抱怨他们得到的配给不够数。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 landlady   

n.女房东，女地主

参考例句：

• I heard my landlady creeping stealthily up to my door.我听到我的女房东偷偷地来到我的门前。
• The landlady came over to serve me.女店主过来接待我。

7 sunbathing   

n.日光浴

参考例句：

• tourists sunbathing on the beach 在海滩上沐浴着阳光的游客
• We've been sunbathing on the beach. 我们一直在海滩上晒日光浴。

8 saving   

n.节省，节约；[pl.]储蓄金，存款

参考例句：

• Energy saving is term strategic policy of our country.节约能源是我国长期的战略国策。
• Old-fashioned housewives were usually very saving.旧时的家庭主妇通常都很节俭。

9 split   

n.劈开，裂片，裂口；adj.分散的；v.分离，分开，劈开

参考例句：

• Who told you that Mary and I had split up?谁告诉你玛丽和我已经离婚了？
• The teacher split the class up into six groups.老师把班级分成6个小组。

10 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

11 liable   

adj.有...倾向的，有法律责任的

参考例句：

• We are all liable to make mistakes when we're tired.我们疲劳的时候都容易出错。
• He is liable for the fault of his son.他应该为他儿子的过失负责。

12 perfumes   

n.香气( perfume的名词复数 )；芳香；香味；馨

参考例句：

• Musk is used for perfumes and stimulant. 麝香被用作香料和兴奋剂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The odors pleasing to most human noses are used as perfumes. 这些使大多数人感到喜悦的气味，可用作香料。 来自辞典例句

13 clumsy   

adj.笨手笨脚；不圆滑的，缺乏技巧的

参考例句：

• He is clumsy with his hands.他的一双手很笨。
• Its body looks heavy and clumsy when it has eaten its fill.它步态蹒跚，吃饱了的身体更显得笨拙可笑。

14 idiot   

n.白痴，傻子，笨蛋

参考例句：

• Only an idiot would make such a thoughtless remark.只有草包才会说出这样没有头脑的话来。
• You are behaving like a perfect idiot.你表现得像个十足的白痴。

15 suspicious   

adj.可疑的，容易引起怀疑的，猜疑的，疑心的

参考例句：

• A man was hanging about the house in a suspicious manner.一个男人在房子周围可疑地荡来荡去。
• He's so suspicious he would distrust his own mother.他这个人疑心太重，连自己的母亲也不相信。

16 smuggler   

n.走私者

参考例句：

• The smuggler is in prison tonight, awaiting extradition to Britain. 这名走私犯今晚在监狱，等待引渡到英国。
• The smuggler was finally obliged to inform against his boss. 那个走私犯最后不得不告发他的首领。

17 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

18 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

19 luxury   

n.难得享受到的愉悦；奢侈，奢华的生活

参考例句：

• He invited me to his suite. The luxury takes your breath away.他请我到他的套房里去，那豪华的气派真会令你吃惊。
• The government has imposed strict reins on the import of luxury goods.政府对奢侈品的进口有严格的控制手段。

20 champagne   

n.香槟酒；微黄色

参考例句：

• There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。
• They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。

21 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

22 missing   

adj.遗失的，缺少的，失踪的

参考例句：

• Check the tools and see if anything is missing.检点一下工具，看有无丢失。
• All the others are here;he's the only one missing.别人都来了，就短他一个。

23 pub   

n.[英]旅馆，小店，酒馆

参考例句：

• He is the landlord of this pub.他是这家酒店的店主。
• They saw that four large men marched into the pub.他们看到四个彪形大汉走进了酒吧。