经典教程

成长的烦恼

闭着眼睛飘单词

大学四级对话理解

新四级听力听写练习

淘金式英语词汇四六级

最新精选

士师记

英文儿歌

英语动画影集

VOA标准英语2008年三月

VOA常速英语2008年（二月）

原版英文书籍,您英语学习的好帮手!

　　This year at the Academy Awards the most of the attention got not the winners, but the actress being pregnant. There was even a nominee to who goes the baby.

　　The pregnant celebrities at the Oscar were Nicole Kidman, Jessica Alba and most noticeably Cate Blanchett who all brought baby bumps to the Academy Awards. And though Angelina Jolie was nowhere to be found, hers got a big shout-out from host Jon Stewart, who noted the number of actresses who are expecting for several times.

　　"This is so exciting. The baby goes to ... Angelina Jolie," Jon Stewart said, opening a fake envelope as photos of Blanchett, Alba and Kidman flashed on the screen. "Angelina couldn't be with us tonight. It's tough to get 17 babysitters on Oscar night. I'll accept this baby on her behalf."

　　Nicole Kidman arrives at the show with Keith Urban with whom she is expecting her first child.

　　Pregnant in purple Cate Blanchett，nominee for best actress for "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" and for best supporting actress for "I'm Not There", is closest to term for what will be a third child with playwright husband Andrew Upton. She presents the Oscar for best art direction during the 80th annual Academy Awards in Hollywood.

　　Alba, with fiancee Cash Warren at her side, was serene in a deep purple strapless gown with purple feathers decorating her bodice. She cleared the air over recent reports that she's expecting twins! "That would be a surprise to me," Alba joked to Mark and Dayna on the Oscars red carpet.

　　"I'm not really terribly nervous," she said before the show. "Being pregnant is like taking a sedative."

　　During one of his monologues, host Jon Stewart poked fun of pregnant Angelina Jolie.

　　He said, "Earlier, I mentioned there were two very famous quite pregnant actresses here tonight. Actually, I was incorrect. I've become aware that there's a third. Jessica Alba is pregnant, Cate Blanchett is pregnant and Nicole Kidman is pregnant."

　　Continuing his joke, Jon gave out an imaginary Oscar: "The baby goes to…. (drumroll) Angelina Jolie. "

　　Jolie and partner Brad Pitt are expecting their second child together. They are the parents of 1-year-old Shiloh, and three children adopted from Cambodia, Ethiopia and Vietnam. Their adopted children are Maddox, 6; Pax, 4; and Zahara, 3.

　　在今年的奥斯卡颁奖典礼上，最引人注目的不是那些获奖嘉宾，而是几位怀孕女星。甚至有一位提名者获得了宝宝大奖。

　　亮相本届奥斯卡的"孕味"女星包括妮可?基德曼、杰西卡?阿尔芭，和最"突出"的凯特?布兰切特，她们都"大腹便便"地出现在颁奖典礼现场。尽管颁奖礼上未见安吉莉娜?茱丽的身影，但几次提及怀孕女星的主持人乔恩?斯图尔特"颁给"她一个宝宝大奖。

　　当布兰切特、阿尔芭和基德曼的照片闪现在大屏幕上时，乔恩?斯图尔特一边打开一个假信封，一边说："这太让人激动了。这个宝宝属于……安吉莉娜?茱丽。不过茱丽今晚未能到场，因为在奥斯卡之夜找到17个保姆实在是太困难了。我就替她来领这个宝贝吧。"

　　妮可?基德曼与丈夫凯斯?厄本一同现身红地毯，妮可正孕育着他们的第一个孩子。

　　身着紫色礼服的凯特?布兰切特孕味十足，她凭借影片《伊丽莎白：黄金时代》和《我不在场》分别获得本届奥斯卡的最佳女主角和最佳女配角两项提名。布兰切特是几位怀孕女星中离预产期最近的一位，这是她与丈夫、剧作家安德鲁?阿普顿的第三个孩子。此外，在好莱坞举行的第80届奥斯卡颁奖典礼上，布兰切特还登台颁发了"最佳艺术指导奖"。

　　在未婚夫凯西?华伦陪伴下的杰西卡?阿尔巴身着深紫色羽毛饰抹胸长礼服，显得宁静端庄。她澄清了最近有关她身怀双胞胎的消息。阿尔芭在红毯秀上与马克和黛娜开玩笑说："如果能生对双胞胎，那可是个意外的惊喜。"

　　在红毯秀开始前，她说："我并没有那么紧张，其实怀孕的感觉就像打了镇静剂一样。"

　　主持人乔恩?斯图尔在他的一段说词中还拿准妈妈安吉莉娜?茱丽开起了玩笑。

　　他说："刚才我提到，今晚这里有两位非常著名的怀孕女星。其实我错了。我发现还有第三位。除了杰西卡?阿尔芭、凯特?布兰切特，还有妮可?基德曼。"

　　乔恩继续开玩笑，他竟然颁出了一项假奥斯卡奖。"该宝宝属于……（击鼓声）安吉莉娜?茱丽。"

　　茱丽和布拉德?皮特将迎来他们的第二个孩子。目前，除了已满周岁的生女夏洛伊外，茱丽和皮特还从柬埔寨、埃塞俄比亚和越南收养了三个孩子，他们是六岁的马德克斯，四岁的帕克斯，和三岁的扎哈拉。

Vocabulary:

shout-out:a greeting or acknowledgment of a person, group, or organization of significance（承认；认可）

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　更多内容

　　Can it really be sixty-two years ago that I first saw you?

　　It is truly a lifetime, I know. But as I gaze into your eyes now, it seems like only yesterday that I first saw you, in that small café in Hanover Square.

　　From the moment I saw you smile, as you opened the door for that young mother and her newborn baby. I knew. I knew that I wanted to share the rest of my life with you.

　　I still think of how foolish I must have looked, as I gazed at you, that first time. I remember watching you intently, as you took off your hat and loosely shook your short dark hair with your fingers. I felt myself becoming immersed in your every detail, as you placed your hat on the table and cupped your hands around the hot cup of tea, gently blowing the steam away with your pouted lips.

　　From that moment, everything seemed to make perfect sense to me. The people in the café and the busy street outside all disappeared into a hazy blur. All I could see was you.

　　All through my life I have relived that very first day. Many, many times I have sat and thought about that the first day, and how for a few fleeting moments I am there, feeling again what is like to know true love for the very first time. It pleases me that I can still have those feelings now after all those years, and I know I will always have them to comfort me.

　　Not even as I shook and trembled uncontrollably in the trenches, did I forget your face. I would sit huddled into the wet mud, terrified, as the hails of bullets and mortars crashed down around me. I would clutch my rifle tightly to my heart, and think again of that very first day we met. I would cry out in fear, as the noise of war beat down around me. But, as I thought of you and saw you smiling back at me, everything around me would be become silent, and I would be with you again for a few precious moments, far from the death and destruction. It would not be until I opened my eyes once again, that I would see and hear the carnage of the war around me.

　　I cannot tell you how strong my love for you was back then, when I returned to you on leave in the September, feeling battered, bruised and fragile. We held each other so tight I thought we would burst. I asked you to marry me the very same day and I whooped with joy when you looked deep into my eyes and said "yes" to being my bride.

　　I'm looking at our wedding photo now, the one on our dressing table, next to your jewellery box. I think of how young and innocent we were back then. I remember being on the church steps grinning like a Cheshire cat, when you said how dashing and handsome I looked in my uniform. The photo is old and faded now, but when I look at it, I only see the bright vibrant colors of our youth. I can still remember every detail of the pretty wedding dress your mother made for you, with its fine delicate lace and pretty pearls. If I concentrate hard enough, I can smell the sweetness of your wedding bouquet as you held it so proudly for everyone to see.

　　I remember being so over enjoyed, when a year later, you gently held my hand to your waist and whispered in my ear that we were going to be a family.

　　I know both our children love you dearly; they are outside the door now, waiting.

　　Do you remember how I panicked like a mad man when Jonathon was born? I can still picture you laughing and smiling at me now, as I clumsily held him for the very first time in my arms. I watched as your laughter faded into tears, as I stared at him and cried my own tears of joy.

　　Sarah and Tom arrived this morning with little Tessie. Can you remember how we both hugged each other tightly when we saw our tiny granddaughter for the first time? I can't believe she will be eight next month. I am trying not to cry, my love, as I tell you how beautiful she looks today in her pretty dress and red shiny shoes, she reminds me so much of you that first day we met. She has her hair cut short now, just like yours was all those years ago. When I met her at the door her smile wrapped around me like a warm glove, just like yours used to do, my darling.

　　I know you are tired, my dear, and I must let you go. But I love you so much it hurts to do so.

　　As we grew old together, I would tease you that you had not changed since we first met. But it is true, my darling. I do not see the wrinkles and grey hair that other people see. When I look at you now, I only see your sweet tender lips and youthful sparkling eyes as we sat and had our first picnic next to that small stream, and chased each other around that big old oak tree. I remember wishing those first few days together would last forever. Do you remember how exciting and wonderful those days were?

　　I must go now, my darling. Our children are waiting outside. They want to say goodbye to you.

　　I wipe the tears away from my eyes and bend my frail old legs down to the floor, so that I can kneel beside you. I lean close to you and take hold of your hand and kiss your tender lips for the very last time.

　　Sleep peacefully my dear.

　　I am sad that you had to leave me, but please don't worry. I am content, knowing I will be with you soon. I am too old and too empty now to live much longer without you.

　　I know it won't be long before we meet again in that small café in Hanover Square.

　　Goodbye, my darling wife.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　更多内容

　　A woman got a dent in her car and took it in to the repair shop.

　　The repairman decided to have a wee bit of fun. So he told her all she had to do was to take it home and blow in the tailpipe until the dent popped itself out.

　　After 15 minutes of this, a lady－one of the woman's friends came over and asked what she was doing.

　　"I'm trying to pop out this dent, but it's not really working."

　　"Duh you have to roll up the windows first!"

　　一位女士把车撞了一个坑,于是就去修车。

　　修理工决定幽她一默。他告诉她,她只需把车开回家,然后从排气管里往车里吹气,直到凹陷处自己鼓起来。

　　这位女士如法操作了15分钟。这时,她的一位女性朋友来拜访她,并问她在做什么。

　　"我正在试着让那个坑鼓起来,但这个办法似乎并不管用。"

　　"嗯……你必须先把车窗摇上去！"

　　 更多内容

　　HIGH up in the clear, pure air flew an angel, with a flower plucked from the garden of heaven. As he was kissing the flower a very little leaf fell from it and sunk down into the soft earth in the middle of a wood. It immediately took root, sprouted, and sent out shoots among the other plants. "What a ridiculous little shoot!" said one. "No one will recognize it; not even the thistle nor the stinging-nettle." "It must be a kind of garden plant," said another; and so they sneered and despised the plant as a thing from a garden. "Where are you coming?" said the tall thistles whose leaves were all armed with thorns. "It is stupid nonsense to allow yourself to shoot out in this way; we are not here to support you."

　　Winter came, and the plant was covered with snow, but the snow glittered over it as if it had sunshine beneath as well as above.When spring came, the plant appeared in full bloom: a more beautiful object than any other plant in the forest. And now the professor of botany presented himself, one who could explain his knowledge in black and white. He examined and tested the plant, but it did not belong to his system of botany, nor could he possibly find out to what class it did belong. "It must be some degenerate species,"said he; "I do not know it, and it is not mentioned in any system.""Not known in any system!" repeated the thistles and the nettles.

　　The large trees which grew round it saw the plant and heard the remarks, but they said not a word either good or bad, which is the wisest plan for those who are ignorant.

　　There passed through the forest a poor innocent girl; her heart was pure, and her understanding increased by her faith. Her chief inheritance had been an old Bible, which she read and valued. From its pages she heard the voice of God speaking to her, and telling her to remember what was said of Joseph's brethren when persons wished to injure her. "They imagined evil in their hearts, but God turned it to good." If we suffer wrongfully, if we are misunderstood or despised, we must think of Him who was pure and holy, and who prayed for those who nailed Him to the cross, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

　　The girl stood still before the wonderful plant, for the green leaves exhaled a sweet and refreshing fragrance, and the flowers glittered and sparkled in the sunshine like colored flames, and the harmony of sweet sounds lingered round them as if each concealed within itself a deep fount of melody, which thousands of years could not exhaust. With pious gratitude the girl looked upon this glorious

work of God, and bent down over one of the branches, that she might examine the flower and inhale the sweet perfume. Then a light broke in on her mind, and her heart expanded. Gladly would she have plucked a flower, but she could not overcome her reluctance to break one off.

　　She knew it would so soon fade; so she took only a single green leaf, carried it home, and laid it in her Bible, where it remained ever green, fresh, and unfading. Between the pages of the Bible it still lay when, a few weeks afterwards, that Bible was laid under the young girl's head in her coffin. A holy calm rested on her face,

as if the earthly remains bore the impress of the truth that she now stood in the presence of God.

　　In the forest the wonderful plant still continued to bloom till it grew and became almost a tree, and all the birds of passage bowed themselves before it.

　　"That plant is a foreigner, no doubt," said the thistles and the burdocks. "We can never conduct ourselves like that in this country." And the black forest snails actually spat at the flower.

Then came the swineherd; he was collecting thistles and shrubs to burn them for the ashes. He pulled up the wonderful plant, roots and all, and placed it in his bundle. "This will be as useful as any,"he said; so the plant was carried away.

　　Not long after, the king of the country suffered from the deepest melancholy. He was diligent and industrious, but employment did him no good. They read deep and learned books to him, and then the lightest and most trifling that could be found, but all to no purpose.

　　Then they applied for advice to one of the wise men of the world,and he sent them a message to say that there was one remedy which would relieve and cure him, and that it was a plant of heavenly origin which grew in the forest in the king's own dominions. The messenger described the flower so that is appearance could not be mistaken.Then said the swineherd, "I am afraid I carried this plant away from the forest in my bundle, and it has been burnt to ashes long ago.But I did not know any better."

　　"You did not know, any better! Ignorance upon ignorance indeed!"The poor swineherd took these words to heart, for they were addressed to him; he knew not that there were others who were equally ignorant. Not even a leaf of the plant could be found. There was one, but it lay in the coffin of the dead; no one knew anything about it.

　　Then the king, in his melancholy, wandered out to the spot in the wood. "Here is where the plant stood," he said; "it is a sacred place." Then he ordered that the place should be surrounded with a golden railing, and a sentry stationed near it.

　　The botanical professor wrote a long treatise about the heavenly plant, and for this he was loaded with gold, which improved the position of himself and his family.

　　And this part is really the most pleasant part of the story. For the plant had disappeared, and the king remained as melancholy and sad as ever, but the sentry said he had always been so.

THE END

LastIndexNext

Written By Anderson

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　更多内容

Heartlight　　　　　　　Neil Diamond

(Neil Diamond, Burt Bacharach & Carole Bayer Sager)

Come back again

I want you to stay next time

'Cause sometimes the world ain't kind

When people get lost like you and me

I just made a friend

A friend is someone you need

But now that he had to go away

I still feel the words that he might say

*Turn on your heartlight

Let it shine wherever you go

Let it make a happy glow

For all the world to see

Turn on your heartlight

In the middle of a young boy's dream

Don't wake me up too soon

Gonna take a ride across the moon

You and me

He's looking for home

'Cause everyone needs a place

And home's the most excellent place of all

And I'll be right here if you should call me (*)

Turn on you heartlight now

Turn on you heartlight now

心　灯　　　　　　　　　　尼尔戴门

回来吧！

下一次，我要你留下来

因为，这世界有时并不仁慈

当人们如你我一样迷失

我才刚刚交到一个朋友

朋友是每个人都需要的

但此刻，他必须走了

我依然感觉到他可能会说的话

点亮你的心灯

不论你在何方，让它照耀

让它发出欢乐的光芒

让全世界都看见

点亮你的心灯

在年轻男孩的梦中

别太早叫醒我

我想驰骋飞过月球

只有你和我

他在寻找一个家

每个人都需要一个容身之地

家，是最好的一个地方

只要你呼唤我，我就在你身旁

现在，点亮你的心灯吧！

现在，点亮你的心灯吧！

　 一九七七年，史蒂芬史匹柏的科幻经典"第三类接触"描述友善和平的外星人尝试和地球人接触，在票房和评论都获得了相当的成功。于是他再接再厉，在一九八二年拍出了他的童年梦想："E.T.外星人"，描述天真善良但外貌怪异的外星人因为意外而滞留在美国某个小镇的郊区，因而结识了一位地球小男孩的感人故事。

　 电影推出之后，感动了全世界的大人和小孩，票房纪录高居影史前十名十多年，2002年还在全美戏院重新上映廿周年的纪念版。片尾外星人和小男孩道别时，心像灯一样亮了起来，这幅动人的画面给了美国歌手尼尔戴门一个灵感，写出了这首"Heartlight"。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 更多内容

A, the first letter of the English and most other alphabets, is frequently used as an abbreviation, (q. v.) and also in the marks of schedules or papers, as schedule A, B, C, &c. Among the Romans this letter was used in criminal trials. The judges were furnished with small tables covered with wax, and each one inscribed on it the initial letter of his vote; A, when he voted to absolve the party on trial; C, when he was for condemnation; and N L, (non liquet) when the matter did not appear clearly, and be desired a new argument.

A MENSA ET THORO, from bed and board. A divorce a mensa et thoro, is rather a separation of the parties by act of law, than a dissolution of the marriage. It may be granted for the causes of extreme cruelty or desertion of the wife by the hushand. 2 Eccl. Rep. 208. This kind of divorce does not affect the legitimacy of children, nor authorize a second marriage. V. A vinculo matrimonii; Cruelty Divorce.

A PRENDRE, French, to take, to seize, in contracts, as profits a prendre. Ham. N. P. 184; or a right to take something out of the soil. 5 Ad. & Ell. 764; 1 N. & P. 172 it differs from a right of way, which is simply an easement or interest which confers no interest in the land. 5 B. & C. 221.

A QUO, A Latin phrases which signifies from which; example, in the computation of time, the day a quo is not to be counted, but the day ad quem is always included. 13 Toull. n. 52 ; 2 Duv. n. 22. A court a quo, the court from which an appeal has been taken; a judge a quo is a judge of a court below. 6 Mart. Lo. R. 520; 1 Har. Cond. L. R. 501. See Ad quem.

A RENDRE, French, to render, to yield, contracts. Profits a rendre; under this term are comprehended rents and services. Ham N. P. 192.

A VINCULO MATRIMONII, from the bond of marriage. A marriage may be dissolved a vinculo, in many states, as in Pennsylvania, on the ground of canonical disabilities before marriage, as that one of the parties was legally married to a person who was then living; impotence, (q. v.,) and the like adultery cruelty and malicious desertion for two years or more. In New York a sentence of imprisonment for life is also a ground for a divorce a vinculo. When the marriage is dissolved a vinculo, the parties may marry again but when the cause is adultery, the guilty party cannot marry his or her paramour.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　更多内容

西施咏

王维

艳色天下重，西施宁久微。

朝为越溪女，暮作吴宫妃。

贱日岂殊众，贵来方悟稀。

邀人傅脂粉，不自著罗衣。

君宠益娇态，君怜无是非。

当时浣纱伴，莫得同车归。

持谢邻家子，效颦安可希。

THE BEAUTIFUL XI SHI

Wang Wei

Since beauty is honoured all over the Empire,

How could Xi Shi remain humbly at home? --

Washing clothes at dawn by a southern lake --

And that evening a great lady in a palace of the north:

Lowly one day, no different from the others,

The next day exalted, everyone praising her.

No more would her own hands powder her face

Or arrange on her shoulders a silken robe.

And the more the King loved her, the lovelier she looked,

Blinding him away from wisdom.

…Girls who had once washed silk beside her

Were kept at a distance from her chariot.

And none of the girls in her neighbours' houses

By pursing their brows could copy her beauty.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 更多内容

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Today, my Administration is releasing our 2008 National Drug Control Strategy. This report lays out the methods we are using to combat drug abuse in America. And it highlights the hopeful progress we're making in the fight against addiction.

When I took office in 2001, our country was facing a troubling rate of drug abuse, particularly among young people. Throughout America, young men and women saw their dreams disrupted by the destructive cycle of addiction. So I committed our Nation to an ambitious goal: In 2002, we began efforts to cut drug use among young people by 25 percent over five years.

Our strategy has three key elements. First, we are working to disrupt the supply of drugs by strengthening law enforcement and partnering with other countries to keep drugs out of the United States. Second, we're working to reduce the demand for drugs through prevention and education programs. And third, we're providing treatment options for those who've fallen prey to addiction.

These efforts have produced measurable results. Since 2001, the rate of youth drug abuse has dropped by 24 percent. Young people's use of marijuana is down by 25 percent. Their use of Ecstasy has dropped by more than 50 percent. And their use of methamphetamine has declined by 64 percent. Overall, an estimated 860,000 fewer young people in America are using drugs today than when we began these efforts.

Our drug control strategy will continue all three elements of this successful approach. It will also target a growing problem -- the abuse of prescription drugs by youth. Unfortunately, many young Americans do not understand how dangerous abusing medication can be. And in recent years, the number of Americans who have died from prescription drug overdoses has increased.

One of the factors behind this trend is the growing availability of highly addictive prescription drugs online. The Internet has brought about tremendous benefits for those who cannot easily get to a pharmacy in person. However, it has also created an opportunity for unscrupulous doctors and pharmacists to profit from addiction.

One victim of such a doctor was Ryan Haight. The young man from California was only 18 when he overdosed on pain killers that were illegally prescribed over the Internet. With only a few clicks of the mouse, Ryan was able to get a prescription from a doctor he had never met and have the pills sent to his front door. The doctor who wrote Ryan's prescription had previously served time in prison for illegally dispensing controlled substances.

We need to prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future. So I'm asking Congress to work with my Administration to put an end to the illegal sale of highly addictive prescription drugs on the Internet. By working together to meet this goal, we can ensure a safer future for our children.

Government action is only one part of the solution to the problem of drug abuse. Others in our society have an important role to play as well. People in the entertainment and sports industries serve as role models to millions of young Americans, and that comes with the responsibility to dispel the notion that drug abuse is glamorous and free of consequences. Teachers, pastors, and parents also have an obligation to help young people develop the character and self-respect to resist drugs. The Federal Government will continue to do its part to keep our young people safe, and I urge all Americans to do the same. Our children deserve nothing less.

Thank you for listening.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　更多内容

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 第五天：BOOKS 书籍

　　As is well known, books teach us to learn life, truth, science and many other useful things. They increase our knowledge, broaden our minds and strengthen our character. In other words, they are our good teachers and wise friends. This is the reason why our parents always encourage us to read more books.

　　Reading is a good thing, but we must pay great attention to the choice of books. It is true that we can derive benefits from good books. However, bad books will do us more harm than good.

　　如众所周知，书籍教我们学习人生，真理，科学以及其它许多有用的东西。它们增加我们的知识，扩大我们的心胸并加强我们的品格。换句话说，它们是我们的良师益友。这是为什么我们的父母终是鼓励我们要多读书的理由。

　　读书是一好事，但我们必须多加注意书的选择。不错，我们能从好书中获得益处。然而，坏书却对我们有害无益。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 更多内容