口语.docx

口语.docx

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口语

It’saself-reliantsortoflife.Wegrownearlyallofourfruitsandvegetables.Ourhenskeepusineggs,withseveraldozenleftovertoselleachweek.Ourbeesprovideuswithhoney,andwecutenoughwoodtojustaboutmakeitthroughtheheatingseason

SoonJim,16andEmily,13,theyoungestofourfourchildren,willhelpmemakesomelong-overdueimprovementsontheoutdoortoiletthatsupplementsourindoorplumbingwhenweareworkingoutside.Laterthismonth,we’llspraytheorchard,paintthebarn,plantthegardenandcleanthehenhousebeforethenewchicksarrive.

Noneofuswilleverforgetourfirstwinter.WewereburiedunderfivefeetofsnowfromDecemberthroughMarch.Whileonestormafteranotherblastedhugedriftsupagainstthehouseandbarn,wekeptwarminsideburningourownwood,eatingourownapplesandlovingeveryminuteofit.

Therehavebeenafewanxiousmomentssincethen,butonbalancethingshavegonemuchbetterthanwehadanyrighttoexpect.Forvariousstoriesofmine,I’vecrawledintoblack-beardensforSportsIllustrated,hitchedupdogsledracingteamsforSmithsonianmagazine,checkedouttheLakeChamplain“monster”forScienceDigest,andcanoedthroughtheBoundaryWaterswildernessareaofMinnesotaforDestinations.

We’vebeenabletomakeupthedifferenceinincomebycuttingbackwithoutappreciablyloweringourstandardofliving.Wecontinuetodineoutonceortwiceamonth,butnowwepatronizelocalrestaurantsinsteadofmoreexpensiveplacesinthecity.WestillattendtheoperaandballetinMilwaukeebutonlyafewtimesayear.Weeatlessmeat,drinkcheaperwineandseefewermovies.ExtravagantChristmasesareamemory,andwecombinevacationswithstoryassignments…

Theotherrequirementisenergy--alotofit.Thewaytomakeself-sufficiencyworkonasmallscaleistoresistthetemptationtobuyatractorandotherexpensivelaborsavingdevices.Instead,youdotheworkyourself.Theonlymachineryweown（notcountingthelawnmower）isalittlethree-horsepowerrotarycultivatoranda16-inchchainsaw.

Unit2

AgentlebreezeswepttheCanadianplainsasIsteppedoutsidethesmalltwo-storyhouse.Alongsidemewasaslenderwomaninablackdress,myguidebacktoatimewhenthesurroundingsettlementinDresden,Ontario,washometoaheroinAmericanhistory.Aswewalkedtowardaplaingraychurch,BarbaraCarterspokeproudlyofher

great-great-grandfather,JosiahHenson.“HewasconfidentthattheCreatorintendedallmentobecreatedequal.Andhenevergaveupstrugglingforthatfreedom.”

InOctober2000,PresidentClintonauthorized$16millionfortheNationalUndergroundRailroadFreedomCentertohonorthisfirstgreatcivil-rightsstruggleintheU.S.Thecenterisscheduledtoopenin2004inCincinnati.Andit’sabouttime.FortheheroesoftheUndergroundRailroadremaintoolittleremembered,theirexploitsstilllargelyunsung.Iwasintentontellingtheirstories.

JohnParkertensedwhenheheardthesoftknock.Peeringouthisdoorintothenight,herecognizedthefaceofatrustedneighbor.“There’sapartyofescapedslaveshidinginthewoodsinKentucky,twentymilesfromtheriver,”themanwhisperedurgently.Parkerdidn’thesitate.“I’llgo,”hesaid,pushingapairofpistolsintohispockets.

CrossingtheOhioRiveronthatchillynight,Parkerfoundtenfugitivesfrozenwithfear.“Getyourbundlesandfollowme,”hetoldthem,leadingtheeightmenandtwowomentowardtheriver.Theyhadalmostreachedshorewhenawatchmanspottedthemandracedofftospreadthenews.

Parkersawasmallboatand,withashout,pushedtheescapingslavesintoit.Therewasroomforallbuttwo.Astheboatslidacrosstheriver,Parkerwatchedhelplesslyasthepursuersclosedinaroundthemenhewasforcedtoleavebehind.

Manyslavestraveledundercoverofnight,theirfacessometimescakedwithwhitepowder.Quakersoftendressedtheir“passengers,”bothmaleandfemale,ingraydresses,deepbonnetsandfullveils.Ononeoccasion,LeviCoffinwastransportingsomanyrunawayslavesthathedisguisedthemasafuneralprocession.

Canadawastheprimarydestinationformanyfugitives.Slaveryhadbeenabolishedtherein1833,andCanadianauthoritiesencouragedtherunawaystosettletheirvastvirginland.AmongthemwasJosiahHenson.

“Ithrewmyselfontheground,rolledinthesandanddancedaround,till,intheeyesofseveralwhowerepresent,Ipassedforamadman.‘He’ssomecrazyfellow,’saidaColonelWarren.”

“‘Oh,no!

Don’tyouknow?

I’mfree!

’”

Unit3

InthehousewhereIgrewup,itwasourcustomtoleavethefrontdooronthelatchatnight.Idon’tknowifthatwasalocaltermorifitisuniversal;“onthelatch”meantthedoorwasclosedbutnotlocked.Noneofuscarriedkeys;thelastoneinfortheeveningwouldcloseup,andthatwasit.

Thosedaysareover.Inruralareasaswellasincities,doorsdonotstayunlocked,evenforpartofanevening.

Itisnotuncommon,inthemostpleasanthomes,toseepastedonthewindowssmallnoticesannouncingthatthepremisesareundersurveillancebythissecurityfurceorguardcompany.

ThelockofnewsymbolofAmerica.indeed,arecentpublic-serviceadvertisementbyalargeinsurncecompanyfeaturednotchartsshowinghowmuchatriskweare,butapictureofchild’sbicyclewiththenow-usualpadlockattachedtoit.

Whyarewehavingtobarricadeourselvesagainstourneighborsandfellowcitizens,andwhen,exactly,didthisstarttotakeoverourlives?

Andithastakenover.Ifyouworkforamedium-to-large-sizecompany,chancesarethatyoudon’tjustwanderinandoutofwork.Youprobablycarrysomekindofaccesscard,electronicorotherwise,thatallowsyouinandoutofyourplaceofwork.Maybethesecurityguardatthefrontdeskknowsyourfaceandwillwaveyouinmostdays,butthefactremainsthatthebusinessyouworkforfeelsthreatenedenoughtokeepoutsidersawayviathese“keys.”

Thatmaybethelegacywerememberbestwhenwelookbackonthisage:

Indealingwiththeunseenhorrorsamongus,webecameprisonersofourselves.Allofusprisoners,inthistimeofourtroubles.

Unit4

We’renevergoingtohavevisitorsfromspace.NoextraterrestrialswilleverlandonEarth--atleast,anymore.

I’mnotjustbeingapessimist.Asamatteroffact,extraterrestrialshavelanded.Iknowthat.Spaceshipsarecrisscrossingspaceamongamillionworlds,probably,buttheywillnevercomehere.Iknowthat,too.Allonaccountofaridiculouserror.

I’llexplain.

Soit’stoobadtheflyingsaucerlandedonApril14,1956.

Isawitland.Mychairwasbackedupagainstthewallinthesheriff’soffice,andIwaslookingatthestarsthroughthewindowsandwonderingifIoughttoknockoffandhitthesackorkeeponlisteningtoCameroncurserealsteadyashewentoverhiscolumnsoffiguresforthehundredtwenty-seventhtime.

Itlookedlikeashootingstaratfirst,butthenthetrackoflightbroadenedintotwothingsthatlookedlikerocketexhaustsandthethingcamedownwithoutasound.

ButCameronjustlookedupwhenthedooropenedandfrowned.Hesaid,“WhatcanIdoforyou,folks?

”andhetappedhishandontheformssoitwasobvioushehadn’tmuchtime.

Oneofthetwosteppedforward.Hesaid,“Wehavehadyourpeopleunderobservationalongtime.”Hepronouncedeachwordcarefullyandallbyitself.

Cameronsaid,“Mypeople?

AllIgot’sawife.What’sshebeendoing?

”

Thefellowinthesuitsaid,“Wehavechosenthislocalityforourfirstcontactbecauseitisisolatedandpeaceful.Weknowthatyouaretheleaderhere.”

“Itisnotourwaytoforceourselvesorourorganizationonpeoplewhodonotwishusorit.Wewillrespectyourprivacyandleave.Wewillnotreturn.Wewillputawarningaroundyourworldandnonewillenter.”

Cameronsaid,“Mister,I’mtiredofthisgarbage,soI’llcounttothree--”

Theyturnedandleft,andIjustknewthateverythingtheysaidwasso.Iwaslisteningtothem,yousee,whichCameronwasn’t,becausehewasbusythinkingofhisincometax,anditwasasthoughIcouldheartheirminds,knowwhatImean?

Iknewthattherewouldbeakindoffencearoundearth,keepingothersout.

Theyweregettingintotheflyingsaucer,thosetwomen,andthesaucersatthere,large,round,shinyandkindofpowerful,youknow.Thenittookoff.Itwentupeasyasafeatherandared-orangeglowshowedupononesideandgotbrighterastheshipgotsmallertillitwasashootingstaragain,slowlyfadingout.

AndIsaid,“Sheriff,why’dyousendthemaway?

TheyhadtoseethePresident.Nowthey’llnevercomeback.”

Cameronsaid,“Ithoughttheywereforeigners.Theysaidtheyhadtolearnourlanguage.Andtheytalkedfunny.”

少一张图

Unit5

Well,asanycookknows,it’salotofhardworktocookandserveabigmeal,andcleanupandputeverythingaway.Butfinally,aroundsundown,wefinishedatlast.

IdecidedfirsttogooutontheMurzim’safterdeckforabreathofopenair.Imademywayoutthere,breathingingreat,deepdraughtswhilewalkingslowlyabout,stillwearingmywhitecook’shat.

IgottothinkingaboutThanksgiving,ofthePilgrims,Indians,wildturkeys,pumpkins,cornonthecob,andtherest.

Yetmymindseemedtobeinquestofsomethingelse--somewaythatIcouldpersonallyapplytothecloseofThanksgiving.Itmusthavetakenmeahalfhourtosensethatmaybesomekeytoananswercouldresultfromreversingtheword“Thanksgiving”--atleastthatsuggestedaverbaldirection,“Givingthanks.”

Forinstance,somethinguppermostaboutmyfatherwashowhehadimpresseduponmefromboyhoodtolovebooksandreadi