英语口语教程（Oral Workshop）--初级 Lesson 28

 

Lesson 28 

                                             Text A 

                               Where to Find a Listener

    Mr Adamson enjoys playing the violin in his leisure¹ time. He is often carried away by his music. But it is a terrible time for his neighbours when Mr Adamson plays as he does so badly.

   One day Mr Adamson sat by a window and began te play the violin as usual. Mr Adamson seems to be making noises instead of music. However, Mr Adamson was absorbed. Just then, some stones were thrown out of the window under which Mr Adamson was sitting, but he did not pay attention to it. The "music" continued. After a little while, an empty bottle and a worn-out shoe were thrown out of the window too. Mr Adamson knew that this was not the place for him. The neighbours did not like his "music ". Mr Adamson was very sad. He was badly hurt. "Perhaps no living people can understand my music.I should go to a place where people may appreciate my works². " So he decided³ to go to a graveyard⁵. 

    He came to a graveyard where there was no other sound except the church tolled⁶. The yard was a Heaven where dead people rest. Mr Adamson sat at a grave⁴'s and thought a lot, "I must do my best to show that my music is outstanding. " He was inspired and began to play his violin. Suddenly a bare foot stretched out from the grave and gave Mr Adamson a kick which sent him flying. His treasured violin also dropped from his hand. Mr Adamson felt very sad because his works was not accepted by anyone , not even the dead. 

                                        Text B 

                                Don't Throw Paper on the Floor 

    Bill Davidson is throwing some paper on the floor. Miss Mead⁷, his teacher, is looking at the paper. 

MlSS MEAD:   Don't throw paper on the floor, Bill. 

BILL:   Where shall I put it, miss? 

MISS MEAD   Put it in the waste-paper basket, please. 

BILL:   But Peter and Tony put all their paper in the basket a few moments ago.  Now it's full. 

MISS MEAD:   In that case, take the basket outside and empty it. 

BILL:   Yes , miss. (He takes the basket out of the room and returns with it a few moments later. ) 

MIss MEAD:   Where did you empty the basket, Bill? 

BILL:   In the playground, miss. 

MISS MEAD:   Silly boys ! The dustbin is at the back of the school. Now pick up the paper and put it in the dustbin. 

Question on Text B 

7. Read the following passage once. Underline the key words while reading and retell the story to your partner. 

    An Englishman⁸, a Scotsman and an Irishman each owed a friend of theirs a pound. The man died. They agreed that their debts were debts of honour and must be paid, and that each one should go to the dead man's house, leave a pound and ask that it should be buried with him, as he had no relatives. The Englishman went and left a pound; so did the Irishman. The Scotsman went to the house, took the two pounds, wrote a cheque for three pounds and asked that it should be buried with the dead man.

    But the undertaker (the man who arranges funerals) was a Welshman. He found the cheque, cashed it and kept the money. 

1 leisure   

n.空闲时间，空暇；悠闲，安逸

参考例句：

• I am seldom at leisure.我很少有空。
• He read books at his leisure.他在空闲时读一些书。

2 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

3 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。

4 grave   

n.墓穴，坟墓，雕刻工，抑音；adj.庄重的，严肃的，重大的，低沉的；vt.雕刻

参考例句：

• Marriage is the grave of love.婚姻是爱情的坟墓。
• This is a very grave matter indeed.这问题的确非常严重。

5 graveyard   

n.坟场

参考例句：

• All the town was drifting toward the graveyard.全镇的人都象流水似地向那坟场涌过去。
• Living next to a graveyard would give me the creeps.居住在墓地旁边会使我毛骨悚然。

6 tolled   

鸣钟（toll的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Bells were tolled all over the country at the King's death. 全国为国王之死而鸣钟。
• The church bell tolled the hour. 教堂的钟声报时。

7 mead   

n.蜂蜜酒

参考例句：

• He gave me a cup of mead.他给我倒了杯蜂蜜酒。
• He drank some mead at supper.晚饭时他喝了一些蜂蜜酒。

8 Englishman   

n.(pl.Englishmen)英国人；英国男人

参考例句：

• I was astonished that he was not an Englishman.我很惊讶,他竟不是英国人。
• She stared thoughtfully at the Englishman across the table.她若有所思地盯着桌子对面的那个英国人。