英语口语教程（Oral Workshop）--初级 Lesson 26

 

Lesson 26 

                                         Text A 

                                  What Are the Times of Meals?

    Mr and Mrs Williams had always spent their summer holidays in England in the past, in a small boarding-house at the seaside. One year, however, Mr Williams made a lot of money in his business , so they decided¹ to go to Rome and stay at a really good hotel while they went around and saw the sights of that famous city.

    They flew to Rome, and arrived at their hotel late one evening. They expected that they would have to go to bed hungry, because in the boarding-houses they had been used to in the past, no meals were served after seven o'clock in the evening. They were therefore surprised when the clerk who received them in the hall of the hotel asked them whether they would be taking dinner there that night.

    "Are you still serving dinner then?" asked Mrs Williams.

    "Yes, certainly, madam," answered the clerk. "We serve it until half-past nine. "

    "What are the times of meals then?" asked Mr Williams.

    "Well, sir," answered the clerk, "we serve breakfast from seven to half-past eleven in the morning, lunch from twelve to three in the afternoon, tea from four to five, and dinner from six to half-past nine. "

    "But that hardly leaves any time for us to see the sights of Rome ! " said Mrs Williams in a disappointed² voice. 

                                          Text B 

                                       The Food Is Bad 

    Lise, Nick and Bill had gone out walking for the day. Nick got back about six. 

    "Haven't Bill and Lise arrived yet?" he asked. "I thought they were ahead of me. . . "

    It was 7. 30 when Bill and Lise came in. The others were just finishing supper. " Where on earth have you been?" Nick asked.

    "We'll tell you all about it after supper," Bill said. "We'd better go and get our food. The warden³'s alreatly told us that we're late. . . "

    After supper, the group sat around talking.

STEVE:   Ugh ! The food here really is bad. My soup was cold. And the meat-huh! it was like leather! 

LtsE:   Yes, and they don't give you very much, either. I'm still hungry. Are hostels⁴ in England always as badas this? 

Anna:   I haven't stayed in one for ages. But I'm sure this one is especially bad. And the warden is so unpleasant⁵. . . 

MALC:   "Don't do this, don't do that. You mustn't do this, you can't do that. . . " 

STEVE:   Well, I'm going to write a letter of complaint⁶. To the Secretary of the Youth Hostels Association⁷! 

LIsE:   And we'll all help you. . . 　

    Questions on Text B 

7. Read the following dialogue once. Underline⁸ the key words while reading and retell to your partner the dialogue in your own words. 

A:   They don't really think you took it, do they? 

B:   1 don't know. I just know I've never been asked so many questions in my life. 

A:   How many of them were there? 

B:   Three-but there was one of them who kept asking really stupid questions. 

A:   Like what? 

B:   Oh, he wanted to know what time I got up this morning and if I bad a bath or a shower - you know, things like that. 

A:   What on earth has that got to do with some money disappearing? 

B:   I've no idea. Oh yes, and the most ridiculous⁹ thing. He asked me what I had for breakfast this morning. 

A:   Oh well, that's it. They obviously¹⁰ think you're a desperate¹¹ criminal¹² and you have to steal to eat. I should think you'll get thirty years. 

B:   Hmm. Thank you very much.

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 disappointed   

adj.失望的，不满意的，不如意的

参考例句：

• He seemed disappointed when the man refused his request.当那个人拒绝了他的要求时他看起来很失望。
• He was disappointed so often that he became hopeless.他屡次失望，以致变为了绝望。

3 warden   

n.监察员，监狱长，看守人，监护人

参考例句：

• He is the warden of an old people's home.他是一家养老院的管理员。
• The warden of the prison signed the release.监狱长签发释放令。

4 hostels   

n.旅舍，招待所( hostel的名词复数 )；青年宿舍

参考例句：

• The students were protesting at overcrowding in the university hostels. 学生们在抗议大学宿舍过于拥挤。 来自辞典例句
• Are there any cheap hostels in Nanjing for one person? 南京有没有便宜的旅店可以一个人住？ 来自互联网

5 unpleasant   

adj.使人不愉快的，使人厌恶的，煞风景的

参考例句：

• A very unpleasant thing has happened.一件令人很不愉快的事发生了。
• The kind advices are often unpleasant to the ear.好言常常不入耳。

6 complaint   

n.诉苦，抱怨，牢骚，委屈，疾病

参考例句：

• This is a cause of complaint.这是抱怨的原因。
• He has a heart complaint.他有心脏病。

7 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

8 underline   

n.下划线；加下划线；vt.在…下面划线；强调

参考例句：

• Underline all the sentences you do not know.在你不懂的所有句子下面划一条线。
• Please underline the noun clauses in the passage.请用线画出短文中的名词性从句。

9 ridiculous   

adj.荒谬的，可笑的；荒唐的

参考例句：

• It is simply ridiculous to attempt such a thing.试图干这种事，简直可笑。
• It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life.这是我有生以来听到的最为荒唐可笑的事。

10 obviously   

adv.显然；明白地

参考例句：

• Obviously they were putting him to a severe test.显然他们是在给他以严峻的考验。
• Obviously he was lying.显然他是在撒谎。

11 desperate   

adj.不顾死活的，危急的，令人绝望的，极渴望的

参考例句：

• They made a desperate attempt to save the company.他们为挽救公司作孤注一掷的努力。
• The city is suffering a desperate shortage of water.这个城市严重缺水。

12 criminal   

n.罪犯，犯人，刑事；adj.犯了罪的，罪的，有罪的

参考例句：

• He is a habitual criminal.他是一个惯犯。
• We captured the criminal.我们捕获了那个犯人。