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Lesson 37
Text A
Do You Know Who I Am?
Mr Smith is well known in Washington because of his many social blunders. He alwavs likes to attend the various social functions because he wants to expand his circle of friend. Whenever he is invited , he goes , unless he is ill.
Recently he received an invitation to a fashionable banquet. Although he did not know the hostess, he accepted the invitation. He was secretly very pleased, because he felt that his reputation as a desirable guest was growing.
When he arrived. at the banquet hall, he found that about one hundred people had been invited. He began to move around the hall. He spoke1 to other guests whether he knew them or not. He soon realized that he had never met any of the other people present, although they seemed to know each other.
At dinner, he was seated beside a very dignified2 woman. The woman tried to be friendly even though she had never met Mr Smith before. She spoke politely, whenever he spoke to her. Between the first and second course of the meal , she turned to Mr Smith and said, "Do you see that gray-haired man at the end of the table? The one with the glasses. "
"Ah, yes. Who is he?" asked Mr Smith.
"He's the Secretary of the Interior!" she replied.
Mr Smith said: "So that's the Secretary of the Interior! I'm afraid that I find very little to admire about him, although he is the Secretary. "
The woman stiffened3 and did not reply. Smith continued in spite of her coldness. "I really can't see how he received his appointment, unless he is perhaps a relative of the President. "
"It hardly matters whether you like the Secretary of not," she said. "He was chosen because the President thought he was the man for the job If he does the job well, you should have no complairit. "
"That's just it,"persisted Smith. "No one does the things he does , unless he is a complete fool ! "
"Sir! "said the woman in all her dignity. "Do you know who I am?"
"No," replied Smith.
"I am the Secretary's wife, "she said coldly. Mr Smith was flabbergasted, but he went on in spite of his embarrassment4. "Madam, do you know who I am?"
"No, I don't," the woman replied.
"Thank goodness! "exclaimed Mr Smith, as he quickly left the table.
Text B
Hands Up!
This was the conversation in the expensive shop in London. A man and a woman walked in and . . .
SALESMAN: Can I help you?
WOMAN: Yes , we're looking for a watch. It's for me.
SALESMAN: I see. What price are you interested in?
MAN: The price doesn't matter. But it must be a gold watch.
WOMAN: And automatic. I must have an automatic watch !
SALESMAN: Hmm... something like this, perhaps. It's one of our best watches. Made inSwitzerland. Fully5 automatic. With a calendar and...
MAN: It's nice .. . but haven't you got anything better?
SALESMAN: Better? Better than this? Well , we have some Orly de luxe watches...
probably the best watch in the world. But I'm afraid they're far moreexpensive than this one. They cost. . .
MAN: Would you show us one, please?
WOMAAN: Yes , could we see one of them . please?
SALESMAN: They're in the managcr's office. You sce, we don't. . .
MAN: Could you possibly get onc or two of them now?
SAI.EsMAN: Er. . . yes , of course. Would you wait here for a moment. Please?
(He goes to the manager'sd knocks on the door. )MANAGEK: Come in.
SALESMAN: Mr Crawford, I have two customers who..
WOMAN: All right ! Hands up ! Stand over there !
MANAGER/SALEsMAN: What in the world. . .
MAN: Shut up! And open that safe ! Come on! Open it !
MANAGER: I. . . I can't open it.
MAN: What do you mean? You must open it.
MANAGER: You told. me to. put my hands up. How can I open the safe with my hands up?
Question on Text B
7. Read the following passage once. Underline the key words while reading and retell the story to your partner.
Henry D. Penrose was a dog with a pedigree. He lived in a fine stone house with white marble steps and red velvet6 drapes on every window.
His owner, Professor Randolph Penrose, was quite rich. Each morning Henry was driven to Obedience7 School in a long black limousine8. "
Each afternoon he was fed two grilled9 lamb chops for lunch.
Each evening he fell asleep in his fur-lined basket in front of the fire- place.
On Saturdays he was groomed10 at Miss Fifi's Shop. And on Sundays he accompanied the professor to the park, where a classical orchestra played soothing11 music and the grass was cool and fragrant12.
Professor Penrose would stroke Henry's shiny coat and say, "You have the life, Henry my boy!"
And Henry certainly had to agree.
Then one day it all changed. Just. Like. That. professor Penrose received a telegram offering him a chance to dig for dinosaur13 bones in Idaho. For one entire year.
There was only one problem. The telegram stated quite firmly in the largest letters possible: NO PETS ALLOWED!
The cook, Mrs Washburn, agreed to take Henry to her home until the professor returned.
Professor Penrose hated to send Henry to live on the other side of the city. There were no marble steps or red velvet drapes on Mrs Washburn's property.
But Henry was buttoned into his red plaid coat and driven to the Washburn residence.
Henry stepped out of the limousine. He was so shocked that his ears stuck out like two car doors.
Such an untidy home he had never seen. It was all he could do to maintain a sense of dignity.
He was picking his way through the toys on the muddy front steps when a tumble of children spilled onto the porch, scooped14 him up, and before you could say"One-two"Henry was deposited in a sea of soap bubbles in the Washburn bathtub.
Each time he tried to jump out, little hands pushed him back in. "Don't be too rough, children," said Mrs Washburn. "Henry isn't used to such fun. "
Dinner that evening was a big steamy ham bone. Bits of cabbage fell from it as one of the children tossed it from the pot to Henry. What! thought Henry. No plate?
He wondered if he'd ever see a grilled lamb chop again.
By bedtime, Henry was exhausted15. His fur-lined basket had been left behind. Where would he sleep?
Just then two of the children carried him off to a room with three bunk16 beds.
"Henry's sleeping with me ! " announced one child , pulling him to one bunk.
"Oh no! Henry's sleeping with me!" protested another, yanking him toward another bunk.
A third child elbowed his way in, and Henry flopped17 to the floor.
Before he could crawl under one of the beds, a pillow fight broke out.
Thwack! A pillow smacked18 into Henry's face. He barked. Loud!
Mrs Washburn came scurrying19 down the hallway. The children scattered20 into their beds.
"Why, Henry!" scolded Mrs Washburn. "You never barked like that before! Quiet down, or the children will never get to sleep!"
On Sunday there was no park or classical orchestra. No cool and fragrant grass. Just the Washburn's backyard with its dandelion clumps21 and creaky swings and a fort made out of empty cardboard boxes.
The children wrestled22 with Henry. They scratched his ears and tied an old red Christmas ribbon around his neck. They tried to make him chase the cat next door. Baby Washburn even kissed him-a big, sloppy23, wet, strawberry-lollipop kiss , right on the nose.
Later, when Baby toppled over onto Henry's tail, they both cried: "
"Yeeeeooooooow !
Mrs Washburn poked24 her head out of the back door. "Don't hurt Baby, Henry. "
Days, weeks, months passed.
Henry learned to put up with pillow fights and strawberry kisses. He learned to ignore the neighbour's cat and to wriggle25 Christmas ribbons off
his neck. He even learned to eat steamy ham bones.
And then one day everything changed. Just. Like. That.
Professor Penrose returned. ,
The long black limousine came to take Henry back to the professor's fine stone house.
The Washburn children gathered on their front porch. Tears streamed down their cheeks. "Good-bye, Henry," they sniffled sadly. "Good-bye!"
That evening, after being groomed by Miss Fifi (who kept sighing over the tangles26 in his coat) and after being fed two plump, perfectly27 grilled lamb chops (in his own monogrammed dish), Henry climbed into his furlined basket in front of the fireplace.
He yawned. He laid his head on his front paws. He closed his eyes.
But he did not go to sleep.
Something was wrong. Everything was so quiet, so peaceful. Too quiet. Too peaceful.
Henry climbed out of his basket. He nudged open the front door and headed down the road to the Washburn house. At first he walked properly, as he had been taught. Then he ran.
When he arrived, he scratched at the door.
Mrs Washburn opened it. "Why, it's you, Henry. Welcome home!" Henry dashed up the stairs and into the children's bedroom. It was dark.
Thwack! A pillow smacked into his face.
Henry ducked under one of the beds. He smelled the faint scent28 of strawberry, and as he drifted off to sleep, he was thinking to himself; You have the life, Henry my boy. You have the life.
1 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 | |
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2 dignified | |
a.可敬的,高贵的 | |
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3 stiffened | |
加强的 | |
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4 embarrassment | |
n.尴尬;使人为难的人(事物);障碍;窘迫 | |
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5 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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6 velvet | |
n.丝绒,天鹅绒;adj.丝绒制的,柔软的 | |
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7 obedience | |
n.服从,顺从 | |
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8 limousine | |
n.豪华轿车 | |
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9 grilled | |
adj. 烤的, 炙过的, 有格子的 动词grill的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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10 groomed | |
v.照料或梳洗(马等)( groom的过去式和过去分词 );使做好准备;训练;(给动物)擦洗 | |
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11 soothing | |
adj.慰藉的;使人宽心的;镇静的 | |
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12 fragrant | |
adj.芬香的,馥郁的,愉快的 | |
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13 dinosaur | |
n.恐龙 | |
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14 scooped | |
v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 );(敏捷地)抱起;抢先获得;用铲[勺]等挖(洞等) | |
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15 exhausted | |
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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16 bunk | |
n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位;废话 | |
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17 flopped | |
v.(指书、戏剧等)彻底失败( flop的过去式和过去分词 );(因疲惫而)猛然坐下;(笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地)移动或落下;砸锅 | |
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18 smacked | |
拍,打,掴( smack的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19 scurrying | |
v.急匆匆地走( scurry的现在分词 ) | |
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20 scattered | |
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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21 clumps | |
n.(树、灌木、植物等的)丛、簇( clump的名词复数 );(土、泥等)团;块;笨重的脚步声v.(树、灌木、植物等的)丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 );(土、泥等)团;块;笨重的脚步声 | |
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22 wrestled | |
v.(与某人)搏斗( wrestle的过去式和过去分词 );扭成一团;扭打;(与…)摔跤 | |
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23 sloppy | |
adj.邋遢的,不整洁的 | |
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24 poked | |
v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 );戳出;拨弄;与(某人)性交 | |
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25 wriggle | |
v./n.蠕动,扭动;蜿蜒 | |
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26 tangles | |
(使)缠结, (使)乱作一团( tangle的第三人称单数 ) | |
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27 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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28 scent | |
n.气味,香味,香水,线索,嗅觉;v.嗅,发觉 | |
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