Lesson 84
On strike罷工
First listen and then answer the question.聽錄音,然后回答以下問題.
Who will be driving the buses next week?
Busmen have decided to go on strike next week. The strike is due to begin on Tuesday. No one knows how long it will last. The busmen have stated that the strike will continue until general agreement is reached about pay and working conditions. Most people believe that the strike will last for at least a week. Many owners of private cars are going to offer 'free rides' to people on their way to work. This will relieve pressure on the trains to some extent. Meanwhile, a number of university students have volunteered to drive buses while the strike lasts. All the students are expert drivers, but before they drive any of the buses, they will have to pass a special test. The students are going to take the test in two days' time. Even so, people are going to find it difficult to get to work. But so far, the public has expressed its gratitude to the students in letters to the Press. Only one or two people have objected that the students will drive too fast!
New words and expressions 生詞和短語
striken. 罷工busmann. 公共汽車司機(jī)statev. 正式提出,宣布agreementn. 協(xié)議relievev. 減輕pressuren. 壓力,麻煩extentn. 程度volunteerv. 自動提出,自愿gratituden. 感激Pressn. 新聞界objectv. 不贊成,反對
參考譯文
公共汽車司機(jī)決定下星期罷工.罷工定于星期二開始,誰也不知道會持續(xù)多久.司機(jī)們聲稱此次罷工將一直持續(xù)到就工資和工作條件問題達(dá)成全面協(xié)議的時候為止.多數(shù)人認(rèn)為此次罷工至少會持續(xù)一個星期.很多私人汽車的車主正準(zhǔn)備為乘車上班的人們提供“免費(fèi)乘車”的服務(wù),這將在某種程度上減輕對火車的壓力.與此同時,有一部分大學(xué)生自愿在罷工期間駕駛公共汽車.所有的學(xué)生都是開車的能手,但在駕駛公共汽車之前,他們必須通過一項專門測驗.學(xué)生們準(zhǔn)備在兩天后就接受測驗.即使這樣,人們?nèi)詴械缴习嘤欣щy.但到目前為止,公眾已經(jīng)向新聞界寫信表達(dá)他們對學(xué)生們的感激之情了.只有一兩個人提出反對意見,說學(xué)生們會把車開得太快!
Lesson 85
Never too old to learn活到老學(xué)到老
First listen and then answer the question.聽錄音,然后回答以下問題.
How long has Mr. Page been teaching?
I have just received a letter from my old school, informing me that my former headmaster, Mr. Stuart Page, will be retiring next week. Pupils of the school, old and new, will be sending him a present to mark the occasion. All those who have contributed towards the gift will sign their names in a large album which will be sent to the headmaster's home. We shall all remember Mr. Page for his patience and understanding and for the kindly encouragement he gave us when we went so unwillingly to school. A great many former pupils will be attending a farewell dinner in his honour next Thursday. It is a curious coincidence that the day before his retirement, Mr. Page will have been teaching for a total of forty years. After he has retired, he will devote himself to gardening. For him, this will be an entirely new hobby. But this does not matter, for, as he has often remarked, one is never too old to learn.
New words and expressions 生詞和短語
informv. 告訴,通知headmastern. 校長contributev. 捐助,援助giftn. 禮物,贈品albumn. 簽名簿,相冊patiencen. 耐心encouragementn. 鼓勵farewelln. 告別honourn. 敬意coincidencen. 巧合totaln. 總數(shù)devotev. 致力于gardeningn. 園藝hobbyn. 愛好,嗜好
參考譯文
我剛剛收到母校的一封信,通知我說以前的校長斯圖亞特.佩奇先生下星期就退休了.為了紀(jì)念這個日子,學(xué)校的學(xué)生——無論老同學(xué)還是新同學(xué)——將送他一件禮物.所有湊錢買此禮品的人都將自己的名字簽在一本大簽名簿上,簽名簿將被送到校長的家里.我們不會忘記佩奇先生對我們既有耐心又充滿理解,也不會忘記在我們不愿去上學(xué)時他給予我們的親切鼓勵.很多老同學(xué)都準(zhǔn)備參加下星期四為他舉行的告別宴會.佩奇先生退休的前一天正好是他執(zhí)教滿40年的日子,這真是奇妙的巧合.他退休后,將致力于園藝.對于他來說,這將是一種全新的愛好.但這沒有關(guān)系,因為正如他常說的那樣,人要活到老學(xué)到老.

Lesson 86
Out of control失控
First listen and then answer the question.聽錄音,然后回答以下問題.
What was the danger?
As the man tried to swing the speedboat round, the steering wheel came away in his hands. He waved desperately to his companion, who had been water skiing for the last fifteen minutes. Both men had hardly had time to realize what was happening when they were thrown violently into the sea. The speedboat had struck a buoy, but it continued to move very quickly across the water. Both men had just begun to swim towards the shore, when they noticed with dismay that the speedboat was moving in a circle. It now came straight towards them at tremendous speed. In less than a minute, it roared past them only a few feet away. After it had passed, they swam on as quickly as they could because they knew that the boat would soon return. They had just had enough time to swim out of danger when the boat again completed a circle. On this occasion, however, it had slowed down considerably. The petrol had nearly all been used up. Before long, the noise dropped completely and the boat began to drift gently across the water.
New words and expressions 生詞和短語
swingv. 轉(zhuǎn)向speedboatn. 快艇desperatelyadv. 絕望地companionn. 同伙,伙伴water ski（由快艇牽引水橇）滑水buoyn. 浮標(biāo)dismayn. 沮喪tremendousadj. 巨大的petroln. 汽油driftv. 漂動,漂流gentlyadv. 緩慢地,輕輕地
參考譯文
當(dāng)那人試圖讓快艇轉(zhuǎn)彎時,方向盤脫手了.他絕望地向他的伙伴揮手,他的伙伴在過去的15分鐘里一直在滑水.他們兩個還沒來得及意識到究竟發(fā)生了什么事情,就被猛地拋入了海里.快艇撞上了一個浮標(biāo),但它仍在水面上快速行駛著.兩個人剛開始向岸邊游去,就突然驚愕地發(fā)現(xiàn)快艇正在轉(zhuǎn)著圈行駛,它現(xiàn)在正以驚人的速度直沖他們駛來.不到1分鐘的工夫,它從離他們只有幾英尺遠(yuǎn)的地方呼嘯著駛了過去.快艇過去之后,他們以最快的速度向前游去,因為他們知道快艇馬上就要轉(zhuǎn)回來.他們剛剛來得及游出危險區(qū),快艇就又轉(zhuǎn)完了一圈.然而這一次它的速度慢多了.汽油幾乎已經(jīng)用光.沒過多久,噪音便徹底消失,快艇開始在水面上慢悠悠地漂流.
Lesson 87
A perfect alibi極好的不在犯罪現(xiàn)場的證據(jù)
First listen and then answer the question.聽錄音,然后回答以下問題.
What was wrong with the man's story?
'At the time the murder was committed, I was travelling on the 8 o'clock train to London,' said the man.
'Do you always catch such an early train?' asked the inspector.
'Of course I do,' answered the man. 'I must be at work at 10 o'clock. My employer will confirm that I was there on time.'
'Would a later train get you to work on time?' asked the inspector.
'I suppose it would, but I never catch a later train.'
'At what time did you arrive at the station?'
'At ten to eight. I bought a paper and waited for the train.'
'And you didn't notice anything unusual?'
'Of course not.'
'I suggest,' said the inspector, 'that you are not telling the truth. I suggest that you did not catch the 8 o'clock train, but that you caught the 8.25 which would still get you to work on time. You see, on the morning of the murder, the 8 o'clock train did not run at all. It broke down at Ferngreen station and was taken off the line.'
New words and expressions 生詞和短語
alibin. 不在犯罪現(xiàn)場
commitv. 犯（罪、錯）
inspectorn. 探長
employern. 雇主
confirmv. 確認(rèn),證實
suggestv. 提醒
truthn. 真相
參考譯文
“在兇殺發(fā)生的時候,我正坐在8點鐘開往倫敦的火車上.”那人說.
“您總是趕這樣早的火車?”探長問.
“當(dāng)然是的,”那人回答.“我必須在10點鐘上班,我的雇主會證明我是按時到了那兒的.”
“晚一點兒的車也能送您按時上班嗎?”
“我認(rèn)為可以,但我從來不乘晚一點兒的車.”
“您幾點鐘到的火車站?”
“7點50分.我買了張報紙,等著車來.”
“您沒有注意到有什么異常情況發(fā)生嗎?”
“當(dāng)然沒有.”
“我提醒您,”探長說,“您講的不是實話.您乘的不是8點鐘的火車,而是8點25分的,這次車同樣能使您按時上班.您看,在兇殺發(fā)生的那天早晨,8點鐘的那次車根本沒有發(fā).它在芬格林車站出了故障而被取消了.”
Lesson 88
Trapped in a mine困在礦井里
First listen and then answer the question.聽錄音,然后回答以下問題.
Why is the rescue taking so long?
Six men have been trapped in a mine for seventeen hours. If they are not brought to the surface soon they may lose their lives. However, rescue operations are proving difficult. If explosives are used, vibrations will cause the roof of the mine to collapse. Rescue workers are therefore drilling a hole on the north side of the mine. They intend to bring the men up in a special capsule. If there had not been a hard layer of rock beneath the soil, they would have completed the job in a few hours. As it is, they have been drilling for sixteen hours and they still have a long way to go. Meanwhile, a microphone, which was lowered into the mine two hours ago, has enabled the men to keep in touch with their closest relatives. Though they are running out of food and drink, the men are cheerful and confident that they will get out soon. They have been told that rescue operations are progressing smoothly. If they knew how difficult it was to drill through the hard rock, they would lose heart.
New words and expressions 生詞和短語
trapv. 陷入,使陷于困境
surfacen. 地面,表面
explosiven. 炸藥
vibrationn. 震動
collapsev. 坍塌
drillv. 鉆孔
capsulen. 容器
layern. 層
beneathprep. 在……之下
lowerv. 放下,降低
progressv. 進(jìn)展,進(jìn)行
smoothlyadv. 順利地
參考譯文
6個人被困在礦井里已有17個小時了.如果不把他們盡快救到地面上來,他們就有可能喪生.然而,事實證明營救工作非常困難.如果用炸藥爆破,震動會引起礦頂塌落.因此,營救人員在礦井的北側(cè)鉆了一個洞.他們準(zhǔn)備用一種特制的容器把這6個人救上來.如果不是因為土壤下面有一層堅硬的巖石,他們的營救工作僅用幾個小時就可以完成了.實際情況是,他們已連續(xù)鉆了16個小時了,但離鉆透還早著呢.與此同時,兩個小時以前放下井去的一只麥克風(fēng)使井下的人可以與其親屬保持聯(lián)系.雖然他們的食物和飲料都快消耗盡了,但這些人的心情很好,堅信他們很快就會出去.他們一直被告知營救工作進(jìn)行得非常順利.如果他們知道了鉆透那堅硬的巖石有多么困難,他們會喪失信心的