Christmas Cards

Lesson 18

                                            Text A

                                       Christmas Cards
    It mas two weeks before Christmas. and Mrs Smith was very busy. She bought a lot of Christmas cards to send to her friends and to her husband's friends, and put them on the table in the living-room¹. Then, when her husband came home from work, she said to him, "Here are the Christmas cards for our friends, and here are some stamps, a pen and our book of addresses.

WiII you please write the cards while I am cooking the dinner?"
   Mr Smith did not say anything , but walked out of the Iiving-room and went to his studys. Mrs Smith was very angry with hims , but did not say anything either.
   Then a minute later he came back with a box full of Christmas cards. All of them had addresses and stamps on them.
   "These are from last year," he said, "I forgot to post them. "

　
 
Text B

New Year Resolutions²

    Peter and John are admiring the Christmas decorations³ on the houses. Peter invites John to see the tree at his house, but , John can't go. He has to buy a present for his mother. Later the boys and Mary talk about New Year resolutions. Peter tells Mary about one she should make. Mary, as you will see, has a good answer for him.

 PETER:
   I'm glad we live in a small town.
 
JOHN:
   Why?
 
PETER:
   Because the houses look so nice at Christmas time.
 
JoHN:
   Yes , they do. Do you have a Christmas tree this year?
 
PETER:
   Yes , we have a big tree this year. I bought the decorations at the five-and-ten-centstorel?yesterday. Do you want to come and see it?
JoHN :
   I can't now because I have to buy a present for my mother.
 
PTEER:
   When can you come?
 
JoHN:
   I don't know when I can come. I'll let you know later.
 
 *    *     *
 
MARY:
   Hi, boys. Are you going to make any New Year resolutions this year?
 
PETER:
   No, I never make any.
 
JOHN:
   I make them, but I break them the next day. Are you making any, Mary?
 
MARY:
   Yes, but I can't tell you what they are.
 
PETER:
   You'd better make Qne about losing 20 or 30 pounds.
 
MARY:
   Meanie! You'd better make one about saying nice things to girls.
 

 

 

                                 Question on Text B

7. Read the following dialogue once. Underline⁴ the key words while reading⁵ and retell to your partner the dialogue in your own words.

    Frank⁶ is very busy. He is talking to Jimmy, his best friend.
Jimmy: Did you play football yesterday?
Frank: Yes , I played with Tony and John.
Jimmy: What did you do after you'd played football?
Frank: We all went swimming.
Jimmy: Are you going swimming again this afternoon?
Frank: No , we aren't. We're going to help Mr Smith to plant some flowers.
Jimmy: Are you helping⁷ him all afternoon?
Frank: Yes, we are. We can neither play football nor do our homework today.
Jimmy: You're,going to be very busy.
Frank: Yes, we certainly are. But Mr Smith is going to pay us for all the work we'll do.
 
 

1 living-room   

n.起居室，客厅

参考例句：

• He keeps a parrot in a birdcage in his living-room.他在客厅的鸟笼里养了一只鹦鹉。
• The living-room connects with the toilet.客厅与卫生间相连。

2 resolutions   

n.决心( resolution的名词复数 )；解决；坚决；分解

参考例句：

• He's always making good resolutions but he never carries them out. 他决心经常下得很大，但从不实行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• If she did all these things, maybe-maybe-Elizabeth's resolutions merged into fantasies. 她如果真按照这些做了，也许--也许--伊丽莎白的决心都溶在幻想之中。 来自辞典例句

3 decorations   

n.装饰( decoration的名词复数 )；装饰品；装饰图案；装饰风格

参考例句：

• We put up the decorations and the tree and started to feel Christmassy at last. 我们布置好了装饰品和圣诞树，这才开始感受到圣诞节的气氛。
• Decorations are hanging up everywhere in the city on Spring Festival. 春节期间城里到处张灯结彩。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 underline   

n.下划线；加下划线；vt.在…下面划线；强调

参考例句：

• Underline all the sentences you do not know.在你不懂的所有句子下面划一条线。
• Please underline the noun clauses in the passage.请用线画出短文中的名词性从句。

5 reading   

n.阅读，知识，读物，表演，对法律条文的解释；adj.阅读的

参考例句：

• Children learn reading and writing at school.孩子们在学校学习阅读和写作。
• He finds pleasure in reading.他从阅读中得到乐趣。

6 frank   

adj.坦白的，直率的，真诚的

参考例句：

• A frank discussion can help to clear the air.坦率的谈论有助于消除隔阂。
• She is frank and outgoing.她很爽朗。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。