Lesson 1 A puma at larg1.docx
《Lesson 1 A puma at larg1.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《Lesson 1 A puma at larg1.docx(52页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
Lesson1Apumaatlarg1
Lesson1Apumaatlarge
Wheremustthepumahavecomefrom?
Pumasarelarge,cat-likeanimalswhicharefoundinAmerica.WhenreportscameintoLondonZoothatawildpumahadbeenspottedforty-fivemilessouthofLondon,theywerenottakenseriously.However,astheevidencebegantoaccumulate,expertsfromtheZoofeltobligedtoinvestigate,forthedescriptionsgivenbypeoplewhoclaimedtohaveseenthepumawereextraordinarilysimilar,
Thehuntforthepumabeganinasmallvillagewhereawomanpickingblackberriessaw‘alargecat’onlyfiveyardsawayfromher.Itimmediatelyranawaywhenshesawit,andexpertsconfirmedthatapumawillnotattackahumanbeingunlessitiscornered.Thesearchproveddifficult,forthepumawasoftenobservedatoneplaceinthemorningandatanotherplacetwentymilesawayintheevening.Whereveritwent,itleftbehinditatrailofdeaddeerandsmallanimalslikerabbits.Pawprintswereseeninanumberofplacesandpumafurwasfoundclingingtobushes.Severalpeoplecomplainedof‘cat-likenoises’atnightandabusinessmanonafishingtripsawthepumaupatree.Theexpertswerenowfullyconvincedthattheanimalwasapuma,butwherehaditcomefrom?
Asnopumashadbeenreportedmissingfromanyzoointhecountry,thisonemusthavebeeninthepossessionofprivatecollectorandsomehowmanagedtoescape.Thehuntwentonforseveralweeks,butthepumawasnotcaught.Itisdisturbingtothinkthatadangerouswildanimalisstillatlargeinthequietcountryside.
Lesson2Thirteenequalsone
Wasthevicarpleasedthattheclockwasstriking?
Why?
Ourvicarisalwaysraisingmoneyforonecauseoranother,buthehasnevermanagedtogetenoughmoneytoohavethechurchclockrepaired.Thebigclockwhichusedtostrikethehoursdayandnightwasdamagedmanyyearsagoandhasbeensilenteversince
Onenight,however,ourvicarwokeupwithastart;theclockwasstrikingthehours!
Lookingathiswatch,hesawthatitwasoneo’clock,butthebellstruckthirteentimesbeforeitstopped.Armedwithatorch,thevicarwentupintotheclocktowertoseewhatwasgoingon.Inthetorchlight,hecaughtsightofafigurewhomheimmediatelyrecognizedasBillWilkins,ourlocalgrocer.
‘WhateverareyoudoinguphereBill?
’askedthevicarinsurprise.
‘I’mtryingtorepairthebell,’answeredBill.‘I’vebeencomingupherenightafterforweeksnow.Yousee,Iwashoppingtogiveyouasurprise.’
‘Youcertainlydidgivemeasurprise!
’saidthevicar.‘You’veprobablywokenupeveryoneinthevillageaswell.Still,I’mgladthebellisworkingagain.’
‘That’sthetrouble,vicar,’answeredBill.‘It’sworkingallright,butI’mafraidthatatoneo’clockitwillstrikethirteentimesandthere’snothingIcandoaboutit.’
‘We’llgetusedtothat,Bill,’saidthevicar.‘Thirteenisnotasgoodasone,butit’sbetterthannothingNowlet’sgodownstairsandhaveacupoftea.’
Lesson3Anunknowngoddess
Howdidthearchaeologistsknowthatthestatuewasagoddess?
Sometimeago,aninterestingdiscoverywasmadebyarchaeologistsontheAegeanislandofKea.AnAmericanteamexploredatemplewhichstandsinanancientcityonthepromontoryofAyiaIrini.Thecityatonetimemusthavebeenprosperous,foritenjoyedahighlevelofcivilization.Houses-oftenthreestoreyshigh-werebuiltofstone.Theyhadlargeroomswithbeautifullydecoratedwalls.Thecitywasevenequippedwithadrainagesystem,foragreatmanyclaypipeswerefoundbeneaththenarrowstreets.
ThetemplewhichthearchaeologistsexploredwasusedasaplaceofworshipfromthefifteenthcenturyB.CuntilRomantimes.Inthemostsacredroomofthetemple,clayfragmentsoffifteenstatueswerefoundeachoftheserepresentedagoddessandhad,atonetime,beenpainted.Thebodyofonestatuewasfoundeachoftheserepresentedagoddessandhad,atonetime,beenpainted.ThebodyofonestatuewasfoundamongremainsdatingfromthefifteenthcenturyB.C.ItsmissingheadhappenedtobeamongremainsofthefifthcenturyB.C.ThisheadmusthavebeenfoundinClassicaltimesandcarefullypreserved.Itwasveryoldandpreciouseventhen.Whenthearchaeologistsreconstructedthefragments,theywereamazedtofindthatthegoddessturnedouttobeaverymodern-lookingwoman.Shestoodthreefeethighandherhandsrestedonherhips.Shewaswearingafull-lengthskirtwhichswepttheground.Despitehergreatage,shewasverygracefulindeed,but,sofar,thearchaeologistshavebeenunabletodiscoverheridentity
Lesson4ThedoublelifeofAlfredBloggs
WhydidAlfwantawhite-collarjob?
Thesedays,peoplewhodomanualworkoftenreceivefarmoremoneythanpeoplewhoworkinoffices.Peoplewhoworkinofficesarefrequentlyreferredtoas‘white-collarandtietogotowork.Suchishumannature,thatagreatmanypeopleareoftenwillingtosacrificehigherpayfortheprivilegeofbecomingwhite-collarworkers.Thiscangiverisetocurioussituations,asitdidinthecaseofAlfredBloggswhoworkedasadustmanfortheEllesmereCorporation.
Whenhegotmarried,Alfwastooembarrassedtosayanythingtohiswifeabouthisjob.HesimplytoldherthatworkedfortheCorporation.Everymorning,helefthomedressedinasmartblacksuit.Hethenchangedintooverallsandspentthenexteighthoursasadustman.Beforereturninghomeatnight,hetookashowerandchangedbackintohissuit,AlfdidthisforovertwoyearsandhisfellowdustmenkepthissecretAlf’swifehasneverdiscoveredthatshemarriedadustmanandsheneverwill,forAlfhasjustfoundanotherjob.Hewillsoonbeworkinginanoffice.Hewillbeearningonlyhalfasmuchasheusedto,buthefeelsthathisriseinstatusiswellworththelossofmoney.Fromnowon,hewillwearasuitalldayandotherswillcallhim‘Mr.Bloggs’,nit‘Alf’.
Lesson5Thefacts
Whatwastheconsequenceoftheeditor’sinsistenceonfactsandstatistics?
Editorsofnewspapersandmagazinesoftengotoextremestoprovidetheirreaderswithunimportantfactsandstatistics.Lastyearajournalisthadbeeninstructedbyawell-knownmagazinetowriteanarticleonthepresident’palaceinanewAfricanrepublic.Whenthearticlearrived,theeditorreadthefirstsentenceandthenrefusedtopublishit.Thearticlebegan:
‘Hundredsofstepsleadtothehighwallwhichsurroundsthepresident’spalace.’Theeditoratoncesentthejournalistafaxinstructinghimtofindouttheexactnumberofstepsandtheheightofthewall.
Thejournalistimmediatelysetouttoobtaintheseimportantfacts,buthetookalongtimetosendthemmeanwhile,theeditorwasgettingimpatient,forthemagazinewouldsoongotopress.Hesentthejournalisttwomorefaxes,butreceivednoreply.Hesentyetanotherfaxinformingthejournalistthatifhedidnotreplysoonhewouldbefired.Whenthejournalistagainfailedtoreply,theeditorreluctantlypublishedthearticleasithadoriginallybeenwritten.Aweeklater,theeditoratlastreceivedafaxfromthejournalist.Notonlyhadthepoormanbeenarrested,buthehadbeensenttoprisonaswell.Howeverhehadatlastbeenstepsleadingtothefifteen-footwallwhichsurroundedthepresident’spalace
Lesson6Smash-and-grab
HowdidMr.Taylortrytostopthethieves?
TheexpensiveshopsinafamousarcadenearPiccadillywerejustopening.Atthistimeofthemorning,thearcadewasalmostempty.Mr.Taylor,theownerofajewelleryshopwasadmiringanewwindowdisplay.Twoofhisassistantshadbeenworkingbusilysinceeighto’clockandhadonlyjustfinished.Diamondnecklacesandringshadbeenbeautifullyarrangedonabackgroundofblackvelvet.Aftergazingatthedisplayforseveralminutes,Mr.Taylorwentbackintohisshop.
Thesilencewassuddenlybrokenwhenalargecar,withitsheadlightsonanditshornblaringroareddownthearcade.Itcametoastopoutsidethejeweller’s.Onemanstayedatthewheelwhiletwootherswithblackstockingsovertheirfacesjumpedoutandsmashedthewindowoftheshopwithironbars.Whilethiswasgoingon,Mr.Taylorwasupstairs.Heandhisstaffbeganthrowingfurnitureoutofthewindow.Chairsandtableswentflyingintothearcade.Oneofthethieveswasstruckbyaheavystatue,buthewastoobusyhelpinghimselftodiamondstonoticeanypain.Theraidwasalloverinthreeminutes,forthemenscrambledbackintothecaranditmovedoffatafantasticspeed.Justasitwasleaving,Mr.Taylorrushedoutandranafteritthrowingashtraysandvases,butitwasimpossibletostopthethieves.Theyhadgotawaywiththousandsofpoundsworthofdiamonds.
Lesson7Mutilatedladies
WhydidJanecookJohn’swallet?
Hasiteverhappenedtoyou?
Haveyoueverputyoutrousersinthewashingmachineandthenrememberedtherewasalargebanknoteinyourbackpocket?
Whenyourescuedyourtrousers,didyoufindthenotewaswhiterthanwhite?
PeoplewholiveinBritainneedn’tdespairwhentheymakemistakeslikethis(andalotofpeopledo)!
FortunatelyforthemtheBankofEnglandhasateamcalledMutilatedLadieswhichdealswithclaimsfrompeoplewhofedtheirmoneytoamachineortotheirdog.Dogs,itseems,lovetochewupmoney!
ArecentcaseconcernsJaneButlinwhosefinance,john,runsasuccessfulfurniturebusiness.Johnhadaverygooddayandputhiswalletcontaining$3000intothemicrowaveovenforsafekeeping.ThenheandJanewenthorse-riding.Whentheygothome,Janecookedtheirdinnerinthemicrowaveovenandwithoutrealizingit,cookedherfinance’swalletaswell.Imaginetheirdismaywhentheyfoundabeautifully-cookedwalletandnoteturnedtoash!
Johnwenttoseehisbankma