魔法英语新概念阅读（第1辑）

魔法英语新概念阅读（第1辑） Beijing Olympics in 2008 北京奥运会 还记得那辉煌的时刻吗,当萨马兰奇宣布中国“申奥”成功时，举国上下一片欢腾， 我们等了多少年，终于等来了这一天。2008年，奥运圣火将被传到北京，国际大赛的帷 幕就要在这里拉开。北京，你准备好了吗, Once every four years, the greatest athletes from all over the world gather together in one city to take part in the world sports meeting—the Olympic Games. The holy flame(圣火)is carried from one place to the next. In 2008, the holy flame will be carried to Beijing, the capital of China. When Beijing was chosen as the host city to hold the Olympic Games in 2008, all the Chinese people were very happy, excited and proud. They showed their excitement in different ways when they heard the news. Some people wept, some people laughed, some people jumped and shouted. In Beijing we will build a new Olympic village with hotels for athletes and stadiums(体育馆)for matches. The slogan of Olympics is “faster, higher, stronger”. It means every athlete should try his best to win an Olympic gold medal. Notes 1.athlete n.运动员 2.excited adj.激动的 3.proud adj.自豪的 4.slogan n.口号 5.gold adj.金的 Comprehension questions 1.The Olympic Games is held every years. A. five B. two C. three D. four 2.Beijing will hold the Olympic Games in . A. 2004 B. 2008 C. 2012 D. 2016 3.The athletes who win the first prize will be given . A. wooden medal B. silver medal C. gold medal D. much money 校园笑话 Teacher: You are late for school, Jim. Jim: It was late when I started from home. Teacher: Why didn’t you start earlier? Jim: It was too late already to start earlier. 绕口令 Badminton was able to beat Bill at billiards. Notes 1. badminton n.羽毛球 2. billiards n.弹子球 Keys D B C The Delicious Pizza 美味的馅饼 馅饼虽然是意大利的传统食品，但现在已经成为风靡世界的美味——中国人为之着 迷，美国人对它更是钟爱有加。那么，馅饼为何具有如此大的魅力呢,第一块馅饼又是 怎样制作出来的呢, When Italians talk about their cooking to most foreigners, they always think of pizza first. But today’s pizza is different from the old ones. In the past, it was hard to make pizza. As years went by, the cooks used a way to make pizza. Then it was easier to make pizza. A long time ago, there were several kingdoms in Italy. Later, they became one country. During this time, Italians got some new ideas on cooking. The most interesting idea was to make pizza. The first pizza was not so delicious and did not look nice. So the cooks in Italy tried to make it better. Then this kind of food began to look nice and taste delicious. Soon it became popular around the country. Most people liked it because it was cheap, nourishing, simple to make and nice to eat. Now Americans eat more pizza than Italians do every day. Maybe many people in China are enjoying pizza as a meal. Do you like it? Notes 1.Italian n.意大利人 2.nourishing adj.富有营养的 3.kingdom n.王国 Comprehension questions 1.Why did the cooks change the way of making pizza? A. Because they don’t like it at all. B. Because it was hard to make it in the old way. C. Because someone asked them to change it. D. Because other people didn’t like it. 2.Which kind of Americans like to eat pizza? A. They don’t like pizza. B. Only the old like pizza. C. Only the students like pizza. D. Most Americans like pizza very much. 3.Which one is not true? A. A long time ago, there were several kingdoms in Italy. B. Now it was easy for people to make pizza. C. Italians don’t like pizza. D. Now Americans eat much more pizza than Italians do every day. 校园笑话 Teacher: It’s a law of gravity that keeps us from falling off the earth. Student: What kept us from falling off before the law was passed? Note law n.法律;，定律 绕口令 Watch the children playing catch on the beach. Note catch n.接球 巧问妙答 Q: What is the best way to improve a long speech? A: Use shortening. Notes 1. improve a long speech改进长篇讲话 2. shortening n.缩写;使糕饼松脆的油 Keys B D C Thanks and Apologies 礼貌用语——致谢与道歉 “Please„”,“Excuse me„”和 “Thank you.” 是三句人人会说的英语礼貌用 语，但是，并非每个人都知道在什么场合使用它们最合适，因为英美国家的人和我们有 不同的文化习惯和表达方式。因此和美国人打交道时，这三句话可不要乱用一通哦～ America and China are two big countries in the world. They are different from each other in many ways. American people and Chinese people have different ideas of friendship. And their ideas of being polite are not the same. Let’s take the use of“please”,“excuse me”and“thank you”as an example. Both Chinese and Americans use“please”often on most occasions. But on some occasions Chinese people don’t use this word. For example, Chinese teachers don’t often say“please sit down”or“stand up please”when they ask their students to answer their questions. And the policemen in China don’t like to use this word when they are on duty. We say,“Please pass me the salt.”when we want to get it from someone in a restaurant or at home. It’s more polite than just saying,“Pass me the salt.” So don’t forget to say“please”when you want help from others. American people say“excuse me”more often and on more occasions than Chinese people. When an American wants to pass in front of someone, to leave a party or dinner table, he or she says,“Excuse me”. People also say“excuse me”when they are late for a meeting or an appointment and so on. “Thank you” means that you like what someone has done for you. Americans thank someone all day long for what is done for them, even very small and most common things. Notes 1. take„as an example以„„为例 2. occasion n.场合 3. appointment n.约会 4. polite adj.礼貌的 True or False 1.American people’s ideas of being polite are the same as those of Chinese people. 2.Chinese policemen like to use “please” very often. 3.Americans think they don’t need to say “excuse me” when they want to leave a party. 4.Americans usually thank people for what they have done for them. 校园幽默 Tom: What worries you the most? Peter: Money. Tom: Money? I didn’t know you have any. Peter: I haven’t. That’s what worries me! 巧问妙答 O: How can you leave a room with two legs and return with six legs? A: Sitting on a chair. Keys F F F T A Weather Report of China 中国城市天气预报 听听别人用英语预报中国的天气，挺新鲜吧～坚持听下去，你既可以了解天气动态， 又能够学点儿时髦英语，何乐而不为呢, Now the weather report for today and tomorrow. In the next twenty-four hours, most of North China will have a cold wet day, and there will be a strong north wind at night. In the Northeast and Northwest there will be snow. In some places of Northeast the snow will be very heavy. It’ll stop snowing and be cloudy tomorrow afternoon. Most of South China will be fine. Beijing will be cloudy. The temperature will be-4? to 2?. Tianjin will be rainy and the temperature will be -3? to 3?. Shanghai will be sunny and the temperature will be 3? to 9?. Weatherman asks you to pay attention to the change of weather. Have a good weekend! Notes 1.weather report天气预报 2.weatherman n.气象预报员 3.rainy adj.有雨的 Comprehension questions 1.What will the weather be like in most of North China? A. Cold and wet. B. Cold and cloudy. C. Sunny but cold. 2.When and where will there be a strong north wind? A. In most of the Northeast this afternoon. B. In most part of North China tonight. C. In most of the Northwest tomorrow afternoon. 3.What will the temperature be like in Beijing? A. -2? to 4? B. -3? to 3? C. -4? to 2? 英语笑话 A small boy in a department store was standing watching the escalator. “Something wrong, son?” asked a man. “No,” answered the boy,“just waiting for my chewing gum to come back.” Notes 1.escalator n.自动电梯 2. chewing gum口香糖 巧问妙答 Q: Why is doing nothing so tiring? A: Because you can’t stop and rest. Note rest v.休息 Keys A B C My Heart Will Go on 原音重现——泰坦尼克号 经典金曲——我心永恒(泰坦尼克号插曲) “ 有了你，我才会无所畏惧;有了你，我的生命才得以延续;你在我的心里，我们 永不分离～„„” 电影院里, 响彻着罗丝凄婉的歌声，银幕上，杰克正在慢慢沉入冰冷 的海水，即将永远告别他最亲爱的人儿。为了爱，杰克毅然选择了死亡，为了爱，他把 生的希望留给了罗丝。让我们再聆听一次这爱的旋律吧～ Every night in my dreams I see you, I feel you That is how I know you go on Far across the distance And spaces between us You have come to show you go on Near, far, wherever you are I believe that the heart does go on Once more you open the door And you’re here in my heart And my heart will go on and on Love can touch us one time And last for a lifetime And never let go till we’re gone Love was when I loved you One true time I hold to In my life we’ll always go on Near, far, wherever you are I believe that the heart does go on Once more you open the door And you are here in my heart And my heart will go on and on You’re here, there’s nothing I fear And I know that my heart will go on We’ll stay forever this way You’re safe in my heart And my heart will go on and on Notes 1.dream n.梦 2.distance n.距离 3.foreverad v.永远 4.whereverad v.无论何处 5.hold to忠实于;坚持 6.fear v.害怕 Comprehension questions 用文中的介词或副词填空 1.Every night my dreams I can see you. 2.There is a chair the two desks. 3.I see you, I feel you, that is how I know you go . 4.Love can touch us one time, but last a long time. 英语笑话 Jim: How did your mother know you didn’t wash your face? Tom: I forgot to wet my towel. Notes 1.wet v.把„„弄湿 2.towel n.毛巾 巧问妙答 Q: What rice is not rice? A: Price. Note price n.价格 Keys In between on for Pepper’s Wonderful Use 胡椒的妙用 胡椒味道辛辣，宜脾胃、通七窍，是调味之佳品。令人称奇的是，胡椒粉除了能做 调味品外，有时还有其他意想不到的妙用～邻居阿姨仅用一点点胡椒粉末就让小姑娘玛 丽免除了手术之痛,想知道这究竟是怎么回事吗, Mary was twelve years old. One day she put a small paper ball into her nose, but could not get it out. Three days passed, and the paper ball was still in Mary’s nose. Her mother became very worried because Mary’s nose began to have a bad smell. So Mary’s mother took her to a hospital to see a doctor. The doctor told them that Mary must have an operation to get the paper out the next day. Mary and her mother were not happy after they heard of the news. On their way home, they met Dianna, one of their neighbors. Dianna asked what was wrong with Mary, and Mary told her about the ball in her nose. Then Dianna said to Mary, “Don’t worry. Please follow me and it will be out soon.” Mary and her mother followed Dianna to her house. Dianna put a little black pepper into Mary’s nose. Mary sneezed and the paper ball flew out. So Mary didn’t have to go to the hospital for an operation. Notes 1. pepper n.胡椒 2. operation n.手术 3. neighbor n.邻居 4. sneeze v.打喷嚏 Comprehension questions 1.What’s wrong with Mary? A. She pushed a paper ball into her ear and couldn’t get it out. B. A mosquito flied into her nose. C. She pushed a paper ball into her nose and couldn’t get it out. D. A mosquito flied into her ear. 2.Dianna was . A. one of her neighbors B. one of her friends C. one of her classmates D. a doctor 3.How did Dianna help Mary to get the paper ball out? A. She asked Mary to jump up and down. B. She asked Mary to cough. C. She put a little pepper into Mary’s nose. D. She gave Mary an operation. 校园幽默 Q: How many feet are there in a yard? A: It depends on how many people are standing in it. Notes 1. foot (pl. feet) n.脚;英尺 2. yard n.三英尺; 院子 3. depend on取决于 巧问妙答 Q: What has no head but many tails (tales)? A: A book with many stories. Notes 1. tail n.尾巴 2. tale n. Keys C A C A Good Idea 一条妙计 希望在影院里展示帽子魅力的女性常常戴着帽子看电影，但视线被挡的观众怨声一 片，强烈要求影院经理采取果断而强硬的措施来解决这个问题。然而文中的经理却高人 一筹，他深谙拒绝的艺术，并不采纳观众过激的建议，而是另谋良策，仅用一条字幕就 让所有的女士把帽子迅速隐藏了起来。知道这条神奇的字幕是什么内容吗, Some women always feel happy when they see films with hats on the head. Their hats are sure to draw many men’s attention, but sometimes they also make men angry when they cannot see the screen. Many people were unhappy when they were seeing a film in Mike’s cinema. Later they said to the cinema manager,“Some ladies were seeing films with their hats on head, and we could not see the screen.”They asked the manager to put up a notice asking the ladies to take off their hats when they are seeing films. The manager said that it would be not polite to ask ladies to take off their hats. The ladies would be angry if they were asked to do so. They had their rights to see a film with their hats. But the next day, there came the following words on the screen before the film was on: The cinema welcomes old ladies to wear their hats when seeing films. All the ladies took off their hats quickly when they saw the words. Notes 1. manager n.经理 2. screen n.屏幕 3. notice n.通告 4. polite adj.礼貌的 5. right n.权利 Comprehension questions 1.Why were many people angry to the manager? A. The film tickets were not cheap. B. The cinema was too small. C. Some ladies wore their hats when seeing films. D. Some people talked when seeing films. 2.How did the manager make the ladies take off their hats? A. He did not let all the ladies with hats on head to go into the cinema. B. He thought of a good idea that made the ladies take off their hats. C. He asked all the ladies with hats to sit at the back of the cinema. D. He asked the people without hats to stand up when seeing films. 3.Why did the ladies take off their hats when seeing the words on the screen? A. They felt hot. B. They wanted to show their beautiful hair. C. They were not old. D. They didn’t want to be thought as old ladies. 校园笑话 Teacher: A noun is a name of a person or thing. Now, who can give me a noun? First boy: A cow. Teacher: Very good. Another noun? Second boy: Another cow. Note noun n.名词 绕口令 I’d drive five miles on Friday night to see a fight that I like. Keys C B D Fighting the Robber 勇斗持枪抢劫者 一位名叫布朗的店主在点钱时突遭一名持枪歹徒抢劫，孤立无援的他只好把钱交给 歹徒。歹徒得手后，转身就要溜走，这时，有一个人好似从天而降，突然挡住了他的去 路，于是一场惊心动魄的搏斗开始了。那么，半路杀出的这个人是谁呢,搏斗的最后结 局又如何呢, Mr. Brown, a shopkeeper, was going to count his money. The money was more than 300 pounds. When he was about to put them in bag, he heard a sound. A door at the back of the room was open. A voice shouted,“Don’t shout. I have a gun.”Mr. Brown stood still. The voice went on,“Drop the bag and the Notes on the floor. Go and stand in the corner beside the desk. Remember, I have a gun.” Mr. Brown was frightened. He did what the robber told him to do. The robber picked up the money and wanted to go out by the back door. It was 6?15 p.m. John Taylor arrived outside the same back door. He raised his hand and was about to knock. At that time the robber opened the door. He was frightened to see John there. He tried to run away. But John stood in his way. There was a fight. Mr. Brown heard the fight. He forgot his fear, turned round and took the robber’s gun by hand. At the same time John hit the robber’s head. The robber fell to the ground. The robber still held the money, but his gun fell on the floor and John quickly picked it up. All was now over. Soon the police arrived. Notes 1.be about to即将„„ 2.robber n.抢劫者 3.frightened adj.恐惧的 4.raise v.举起 Comprehension questions 从文中选出适当的介词或副词填空 1.His gun fell the floor. 2.Mary turned and saw nothing. 3.Don’t stand the corner. 4.The boy picked the wallet on the ground. 5.The robber tried run away. 校园笑话 Teacher: Jack, you copied from Jim’s paper, didn’t you? Jack: How did you find out, sir? Teacher:Jim’s paper says, “I don’t know.” And your paper says,“Me neither.” 巧问妙答 Q: If Fortune had a daughter, what would her name be? A: Misfortune(Miss Fortune). Notes 1.fortune n.运气 2. misfortune n.不幸(Miss Fortune运气小姐) Keys on round in up to Can Fish Hear Sounds? 鱼能听到声音吗, 我们都知道,鱼能听到声音。然而你 看到过鱼的耳朵吗,其实，科学家们一 直在研究海洋中的奇特现象，例如:鱼 的耳朵在哪里;声音在水里怎样传播; 鱼类的声音所传达的信息是什么等等。 那么在这些问题中，哪些已经了解清楚， 哪些还有待于进一步探索呢, People want to know how fish can hear sounds without ears. But fish do have ears. We cannot see the ears because they are inside their bodies, and they hear very well with them. Their listening is much better than man’s. Many water animals make noises while they are doing something. Sounds are real words of them. By sounds, they know where they are and which way to go. When they face danger or they find food, they always make sounds to tell others the good news. A new field in science is to learn the meanings of underwater sounds. People use the same skill that they have used in learning the secrets of birds’ calls. But this method is more difficult to use in the sea because many of the sea animals cannot be easily followed and studied. We have no any other better way to study the sounds in the sea. Perhaps the meaning of the calls of the sea animals will be known more clearly someday. It will be useful for us to learn the secrets of the sounds in the sea. Notes 1.bird’s calls鸟鸣 2.meaning n.意义 3.skill n.技能 True or False 1.Fish have ears outside their bodies. 2.Studying fish sounds is more difficult than that of birds. 3.Fish can make sounds to tell others the danger they meet. 4.We know only a little of fish noises up till now. 5.If you are clever, you will know the secrets of the sounds in the sea. 校园幽默 Teacher:What is the difference between the death rates a hundred years ago and today? Jack: No difference at all. It’s still one per person! Notes 1. death rate n.死亡率, Jack 把它误认为一个人的死亡次数 2. per person每人 绕口令 Mr. Black likes to keep that kind of clock on his old desk. Keys F T T T F The Forgetful Parents 一对健忘的父母 风华正茂的你当然没有健忘的毛病，即使偶尔一次丢三拉四，也是因为贪玩或者心 不在焉。可你的父母就不一样了，他们的健忘和年龄有关，或者是操劳过度造成的，你 可别笑话他们呀～看看这一对健忘的父母，他们每天都在上演丢东忘西的悲喜剧，今天 他们又忘记什么了, When people are getting old, they often forget things. Sometimes they even forget some important things they are doing or going to do. Mr. and Mrs. Brown often forget things. For example, Mr. Brown sometimes goes to work on Sunday morning, for he thinks it is Monday. And Mrs. Brown sometimes forgets to cook dinner for the family. One summer they plan to visit New York by plane. They go to the airport only ten minutes before the plane leaves. But suddenly Mrs. Brown says she must tell Linda, their daughter, not to forget to lock the front door when she leaves for school in the morning. As Linda is then at school, they can’t reach her on the phone. So they go to the post office in a hurry. Mr. Brown buys a stamp and an envelope, while Mrs. Brown writes a short Note. Soon the Note is ready. They quickly put the stamp on the envelope and drop it into the postbox. But suddenly Mrs. Brown began to cry. The short Note to their daughter is still in her hand. She has put their plane tickets in the envelope! Notes 1.airport n.飞机场 2.envelope n.信封 3. Note n.便条，字条 Comprehension questions 1.Where did Mrs. Brown write the Note to her daughter? A. At their own room. B. In the post office. C. At the airport. D. On their way to the airport. 2.What did Mrs. Brown write in the Note? A. Not to forget to get up on time in the morning. B. Not to forget to look after the cat. C. Not to forget to lock the front door when leaving for school. D. Not to forget to water the flowers. 3.What did Mrs. Brown put into the envelope? A. The key to their door. B. The Note to their daughter. C. Some paper money. D. Their plane tickets. 绕口令 A swallow can swallow a wasp whereas a wasp cannot swallow a swallow. Notes 1. swallow n.燕子; v.吞下，咽下 2. wasp n.黄蜂 Q: Why is writing called handwriting? A: If people wrote with their feet, we would have to call it footwriting. Keys B C D A Lion and Four Bulls 四头牛和一头狮子 团结就是力量～这个信念鼓舞我们战胜了“非典病魔”。然而，高傲无知的公牛们却 不知道什么是团结，眼看着同伴被一个个吃掉，他们也无动于衷，最后全部成了狮子的 美餐。你觉得这些公牛们的下场可悲吗, Hello, everyone. I’m glad to be given a chance to tell you a story. Now I’ll begin. Once there lived a lion in a forest. Every day，he went about to look for food. The small animals in the forest were all afraid of him. Not far from the forest there were four bulls. They were good friends, and often went out for grass together. The lion tried many times to catch them, but could not do so. Every time he came near, the four bulls stood together to fight him so he could do nothing to them. One day the bulls had a quarrel. After that, each went away and stayed alone. When the lion saw this, he was very happy. Then he caught one bull and ate him up. Then he caught another. One by one he caught all the four bulls and ate them up. Notes 1.forest n.森林 2.quarrel v.吵架 3.be afraid of害怕 Comprehension questions 1.Where was the lion living? A. Near a lake. B. In a forest. C. By a hill. 2.What would the lion do to the bulls at first? A. He would eat them up. B. He wanted to make friends with them. C. He wanted to help them. 3.How did the lion feel when the bulls had a quarrel? A. Happy.B. Angry.C. Frightened. 绕口令 Ten tortoises tried to talk to twenty toads. Notes 1.tortoise n.乌龟 2.toad n.癞蛤蟆 A: What is ice? B: Hard water. Keys B A A The Suffering Boy 苦命孩子 幸福的家庭是相似的，不幸的家庭各有各的不幸。杰克的母亲去世了，这个家从此 失去了往日的欢乐，父亲终日借酒消愁，杰克一日三餐也是东拼西凑，常常因为外出乞 讨而误了上课。一天下午，又该期末考试了，两顿饭粒米未进的杰克饿得眼前直冒金星， 这次他能考出好成绩吗, Jack was a clever boy. He lost his mother two years ago. His father felt sad and drank much. He often beat his son when he was unhappy. Nobody looked after the poor boy except his aunt. The woman had a big family and could not give him enough help. The boy was sometimes hungry and had to look for something to eat outside the school. In his school, Mr. Hunt was his new headmaster and he was very strict. He told Jack to come to school everyday and not to play outside the school. But he did not know what happened to the poor boy. The boy had to listen to his teacher and beg something in the street after school. Winter came and it was difficult for Jack to beg enough food. Sometimes he had to go hungry for one or two days. And one day they were having a math exam, but he did not have supper and breakfast. He was so hungry that he could not even see what was on the paper. As soon as he came out of the classroom, he fell to the ground. Of course he failed the exam. On his way home, he was afraid. He was sure his father would be angry if he knew about it. Suddenly he had an idea before he got home. “You have got a heart disease, daddy,”said Jack.“The doctor tells you not to be angry. Is that right?” “Yes.” “You’d better not be angry from now on.” “OK.” The boy showed his school report to his father at once. Notes 1. headmaster n.校长2. heart disease心脏病 3.school report学校成绩4.daddy n.爸爸(昵称) Comprehension questions 1.Father often beat his son . A. after he had got a heart disease B. after the boy went to school C. after his wife died D. when they had nothing to eat 2.His aunt couldn’t give Jack enough help because . A. she didn’t like the boy B. she only liked her own children C. she was not rich enough D. the boy could look after himself 3.Jack failed in the exams because. A. he was afraid of the exam B. there was something wrong with his pen C. he would not stay in the classroom D. he was too hungry to see the paper clearly 校园幽默 Two girls were talking. One said to the other,“Aren’t ants interesting little things? They work and never play.” “Oh, I don’t know about that,” replied the other girl,“ Every time I go on a picnic they’re always there.” Note picnic n.野餐 Keys C C D Looking for the Ring 三十八年的寻找 在西方人眼里，戒指是定情的信物、婚姻的见证，已婚的人会戴着它一直走到生命 的终点站。不幸的是，南希在田间干活时丢了她的结婚戒指，那时的她刚刚踏上婚姻的 旅程。于是，朋友们都来帮她寻找，可这一找就是三十八年。在这漫长的日子里，农场 虽然变换了主人，但没有变的是他们对南希的爱。最后这枚戒指找到了吗, One day newly-married Nancy lost her ring when they were busy working in their fields to plant potatoes. Friends were called to look for the ring in the fields, but they didn’t find it. Later, when the potatoes were harvested, everyone looked out for the ring, but still they didn’t find it. Another year came round and all the farmers working in the fields kept their eyes open. The following year was the same. And year after year, when people were in the fields, they always had Nancy’s ring in their mind. Then the farm changed hands—it went to her cousins. They kept the memory of the lost ring until thirty-eight years had passed. Then came a spring day when a man was plowing the field behind a pair of horses. Even after thirty-eight years he still looked out for the ring, and knew just which part of the field Nancy had lost it in. At this time, when he came there, he found it. He picked it up, put it carefully into his pocket, left his horses, and ran all the way down to the village and put it into Nancy’s hands. Notes 1.cousin n.堂兄弟;堂姐妹;表兄弟;表姐妹 2.memory n.记忆 3.plow(plough, plough) v.耕; 犁地 Comprehension questions 1.Nancy lost her ring while . A. planting potatoes in the fields B. watering the plants in the fields C. plowing in the fields D. harvesting potatoes in the fields 2.People kept looking for the ring even after the farm changed hands because . A. it was a very expensive ring B. they all wanted to know the secret C. they all loved Nancy D. everybody wanted to have the ring 3.Who found the lost ring? A. Nancy. B. Nancy’s husband. C. Nancy’s cousin. D. We don’t know. 校园幽默 Jim: If you have ten potatoes and must divide them equally between seven persons, how would you do it? Mark: I’d mash them. Notes 1. divide v.分 2. equallyad v.相同的 3. mash v.把„„捣成泥状 巧问妙答 Q: When is a house not on land nor on water? A: When it’s on fire. Note on fire着火 Keys A C D Michael JacksonMichael Jackson 天王歌星麦克尔?杰克逊 那荡气回肠的歌声，矫健潇洒的舞姿，配以梦幻般的舞美效果——杰克逊真是所向 披靡，唱到哪里都能让歌迷如醉如痴。你是否曾为他的歌曲而陶醉过呢,你想知道他的 来历吗, Michael Jackson is one of the America’s best singers. He is also known for his dancing. He started singing in 1965 and made his first record in 1970. Nobody knows how many records he has sold all over the world. One of his records sold well and people have bought more than seventeen and a half million copies. Michael was born in 1959. He has four brothers. The five of them used to sing in a group called“The Jackson Five”. They started singing in 1965. In 1970 the group made their first record. It was called“I want you back”. It was very popular in America and was Number 1. In Britain it was Number 2. They had three more best records in the same year. Jackson’s first record sold 8 million copies in the world. This was the beginning of his singing. In 1978 Michael acted in his first film. Michael doesn’t go out much. He is too well known and people will try to follow him when he goes out. He lives in a large house and keeps lots of animals. He never eats meat. Notes 1.record n.唱片 2.copy n.拷贝;张 3.million n.百万 Comprehension questions 1.Michael Jackson’s most successful record sold copies. A. 1,750,000 B. 17,500,000 C. 175,000,000 D. 750,000,000 2.The name of the group’s first record is “ ”. A. The Jackson Five B. Michael Jackson C. I want you back D. A well-known singer 3.According to the passage, Michael Jackson is . A. a singer B. a dancer C. an actor D. all above 巧问妙答 Q: Which country’s capital is most clean? A: Washington. Note Washington n.华盛顿(美国首都), 其中的washing是“正在洗”的意思。 绕口令 Sweet-scented soap soothes sore skin. Notes 1.sweet-scented adj.甜香味的 2. soothe v.减轻(疼痛) 3. sore skin疼痛的皮肤 Keys B C D A Calm Man 处险不惊的人 身临险境而面不改色心不跳，那是英雄本色，但很多人都做不到。Smith先生却觉得他已经修炼成了一个临危不惧的超人。因此，在生活中他总是以英雄的身份自居，经常对妻子炫耀自己的功力，并大谈冷静的意义。这一天，他又兴致勃勃地开始为妻子讲课了，然而一只小昆虫使他中断了演讲。知道是什么昆虫吗, Mr. Smith was a calm man. He did not get angry or excited when everybody else was angry or excited. He thought he was the calmest man in the world. One day, when Mr. Smith came home from work, he found his wife was very angry about something. Mr. Smith always thought that he was calmer than his wife, and he decided to teach her the importance of keeping calm. He said:“It’s not good for your health to get excited about such small things. Always keep calm, like me. Now, look at the fly that has just landed on my nose. Am I getting excited or angry? Am I shouting loudly? Am I moving my arms around? Am I jumping up and down? Am I like you? No, I’m not. I’m quite calm.” But Mr. Smith started shouting as soon as he finished his words. He jumped up and began to move his arms around quickly. He could not speak for some time, but at last he was able to tell his wife,“The thing on my nose was not a fly, but it was a bee.” Hearing this, Mrs. Smith laughed and then decided to teach her husband something too. Her words were only one sentence: “Actions speak louder than words!” Notes 1.calm adj.冷静的 2.excited adj.激动的 3.bee n.蜜蜂 4.Actions speak louder than words! 事实胜于雄辩～ True or False 1.Mrs. Smith was angry about something when her husband came home. 2.Mr. Smith always thought he was calmer than his wife. 3.Mr. Smith still kept calm after he knew a bee was standing on his nose. 4.Mr. Smith was really a calm person. 校园幽默 Teacher asked the class to write an essay “A Game of Cricket”. After two minutes Simon Steer handed his paper in and the teacher let him go home. His essay read: “ the rain stopped play.” Notes 1. cricket n.板球 2. essay n.文章 绕口令 An English fisherman wishes to get a foolish fish for a cold dish. Notes 1. foolish fish傻瓜鱼 2. cold dish凉菜 Keys T T F F