A Welcome Surprise

Lesson 15

Text A

                                 A Welcome Surprise

     Let's now visit Mary Miller¹. Mary and her mother are happy today. The postman has brought a letter from Mrs Miller's brother. He's coming to visit the Millers² with his family. Mary and Mrs Miller have to plan meals and festivities. Mary offers to go shopping to help her mother.

　　MRs McLLER:   Mary, please go to the door. I hear the bell.
MARY:   It's the mailman, Mother. Here's a letter from Uncle George.
MRS MILLER:   Give it to me ... How wonderful! He's coming to visit us.
MARY:   When's he coming?
MRS MILLER:   He's coming by car on the twenty-fourth. He's staying from thetwenty-fourth to the twenty-sixth.
MARY:   Let me look at the calendar. Good! The twenty-fourth is a Saturday. Is hecoming  alone?
MRS MILLER:   No, he's coming with Aunt Cynthia and the girls.
MARY:   Mother, I don't remember the girls. How old are they?
MRs MILLER:   Your cousin Fay is fifteen. Rosemary is older than Fay. She's seventeen.
MARY:   Are they going to stay here with us?
MRS MILLER:   Of course. The girls can stay in your room with you.
MARY:   Mother, may we have a party?
MRs MILLER:   If you like, but now we have to think about meals and many other things.
MARY:   Prepare the list, Mother. I can go shopping. I can go to the small stores.
Everyone knows me there.

　
 
Text B

I'll Start in Three Months' Time

    Rose left school when she was seventeen and went to a college for a year to learn to type. She passed her examinations³ quite well and then went to look for work. She was still living with her parents.
    A lot of people were looking for typists at that time, so it was not difficult to find interesting work. Rose went to several offices, and then chose one of them. It was near her parents' house. She thought, "I'll walk there every morning. I won't need to go by bus. "
    She went to the office again and said to the manager, "I want to work here, but what will you pay me?"
    "We'll pay you 27 pounds now," the manager answered, "and 30 pounds after three months."
    Rose thought for a few seconds before she answered. Then she said, "All right, then I'll start in three months' time. "

                                       Questions on Text B

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

                                     What a Language!

    First Frenchman: I once heard someone shout, "Look out." I put my head out of a window and a bucketful of water fsll on me. It seems that "look out" may mean "don't look out. "
Second F: I was once on a ship and heard the captain shout, "All hands on deck⁴. " I put my hands on the deck and someone walked on them. .
    Third F: I once called early on an English friend and the maid who came to the door said, "He's not up yet. Come back in half an hour. " When I went again for him, she said, "He's not down yet. " I said , "If he's not up and he's not down, where is he?" She said, "He's still in bed. When I say 'He's not up' I mean he has not yet got np,so he has not yet come downstairs."
    What do these phrases mean in their respective⁵ contexts⁶?
 
 

1 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

2 millers   

n.（尤指面粉厂的）厂主( miller的名词复数 )；磨房主；碾磨工；铣工

参考例句：

• Millers and bakers sought low grain prices. 磨粉厂主和面包师寻求低廉的谷物价格。 来自辞典例句
• He told me he already been acquainted with the Millers. 他跟我说他同米勒一家已经很熟。 来自互联网

3 examinations   

n.检查( examination的名词复数 )；考试；考查；试题

参考例句：

• He had been forced to incriminate himself in cross-examinations. 他在盘问中被迫受到牵连。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Examinations are hanging over her head—that's why she can't sleep at nights. 她大脑里想的都是考试，所以晚上无法入睡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 deck   

n.甲板；公共汽车一层的车厢；纸牌；vt.装饰

参考例句：

• Let's have a walk round the deck.我们去甲板上散步吧。
• The sea wind swept over the deck.海风席卷过甲板。

5 respective   

adj.各自的，各个的

参考例句：

• He and I are each going to visit our respective teachers.我和他分别要去拜访各自的老师。
• All men have their respective duties.各人有各人的职责。

6 contexts   

上下文( context的名词复数 )； 背景； 投资环境； 设备场境

参考例句：

• Even seemingly innocuous words are offensive in certain contexts. 甚至看似毫无恶意的言辞在某些语境下都会引起冒犯。
• Handheld devices are used in a variety of specific contexts. 手持设备会用在各种各样的具体情境下。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓