新概念英语第二册Lesson 91 Three men in a basket

Lesson 91 Three men in a basket 三人同篮

First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Where was the station's Commanding Officer?
   
A pilot noticed a balloon which seemed to be making for a Royal Air Force Station nearby. He informed the station at once, but no one there was able to explain the mystery. The officer in the control tower was very angry when he heard the news, because balloons can be a great danger to aircraft¹. He said that someone might be spying³ on the station and the pilot was ordered to keep track⁴ of the strange object. The pilot managed to circle the balloon for some time. He could make out three men in a basket under it and one of them was holding a pair of binoculars⁵. When the balloon was over the station, the pilot saw one of the men taking photographs. Soon afterwards, the balloon began to descend⁶ and it landed near an airfield⁷. The police were called in, but they could not arrest anyone, for the basket contained two Members of Parliament⁸ and the Commanding Officer of the station! As the Commanding Officer explained later, one half of the station did not know what the other half was doing!

New words and expressions 生词和短语 

balloon n. 气球
royal adj. 皇家
spy² v. 侦察
track n. 轨迹，踪迹
binoculars n. 望远镱

参考译文 

一个飞行员发现了一只气球，它像是正飞往附近的一个皇家空军基地。他马上把情况报告了该基地，但那里的人没有一个能解释这到底是怎么回事。控制塔上的官员得知这一消息后，非常气愤，因为气球有可能给飞机造成极大的危险。他说可能有人正对基地进行侦察，因此命令那个飞行员跟踪那个奇怪的飞行物。飞行员设法绕着气球飞了一阵。他看清了气球下面有3个人呆在一只筐里，其中一个举着望远镜。当气球飞临基地上空时，飞行员看见有一个人在拍照。不久，气球开始降落，在一个停机坪附近着了陆。警察被召来了，但他们却不能逮捕任何人，因为筐里是两名国会议员和一名基地的指挥官！正如指挥官后来解释的那样，基地的这半边不知道那半边正在干什么！

 

　　自学导读
课文详注 Further notes on the text
1．A pilot noticed a balloon which seemed to be making for a Royal Air Force Station nearby. 一个飞行员发现了一只气球，它像是正飞往附近的一个皇家空军基地。
（1）to be making for为不定式的进行式，表示正在进行的动作：
They seem to be talking about something important.
他们似乎正在谈论某件重要的事情。
She seems to be looking for somebody/something.
她似乎正在找人/什么东西。
（2）make for为固定短语，其含义之一为“（匆匆）走向”、“向……前进”：
While the thief was making for his car, a policeman stopped him.
当小偷匆勿走向他的汽车时，一位警察拦住了他。
After leaving Calais, the ship made for Dover.
离开加来后，那艘船便驶往多佛。
2．He said that someone might be spying on the station and the pilot was ordered to keep track of the strange object. 他说有可能有人正对基地进行侦察，因此命令那个飞行员跟踪那个奇怪的飞行物。
（1）might be doing sth．表示对正在进行的动作的推测（cf．第19课语法）：
（2）keep track of 为固定短语，表示“追踪”、“保持联系”、“记录”等（其反义词为 lose track of）：
Keep track of the man wearing a grey hat. He looks suspicious⁹ to me.
跟踪那个戴顶灰帽子的人。我觉得他看上去可疑。
She managed to keep track of her friends.
她设法保持了与朋友们的联系。
3．He could make out three men in a basket under it…
他看清了气球下面有3个人呆在一只筐里……
make out是固定短语，它在这里的含义是“（勉强）看出”、“辨认出”、“听出”：
In the darkness of night, he could just make out three men coming toward¹⁰ them.
在黑夜中，他只能看出有3个人在向他们走来。
Can you make out what they are talking about?
你能听清他们在谈什么吗？
I can't make out the boss's handwriting.
我辨不出老板的字迹。
4．The police were called in…
警察被召来了……
call in 在这里表示“召来”：
Sam has a temperature. We'd better call in a doctor.
萨姆发烧了。我们最好请医生来。
When he discovered that some important things were missing¹¹ in his room, he called the police in.
当他发现屋子里少了一些重要东西之后，他便把警察召来了。

　　词汇学习 Word study
1．spy
（1）vi．暗中监视；侦察（通常与 on，upon连用）：
Someone is spying on the station.
有人正在对基地进行侦察。
I noticed some policemen spying on the foreign tourists.
我注意到一些警察在暗中监视那些外国游客。
（2）vt．发现，看见：
He spied¹² a stranger in his garden.
他在花园里发现了一位陌生人。
She spied a cloud of smoke in the distance.
她发现远处有一团烟。
（3）n．间谍，密探：
He was once a spy for the police / British government.
他曾是警方／英国政府的密探。
They have arrested three spies¹³.
他们逮捕了3名间谍。
2．动词 make 的一些固定短语
make 可以与许多介词或副词连用，产生新的含义。课文中出现了 make for和 make out。较常用的还有 make up与 make up for等。
（1）make out 除了表示“辨出”、“听出”的含义外，还可以表示“理解”、“弄清”：
I can't make out what this picture is about.
我看不出这幅画的意思。
Can you make out what the child wants?
你能弄清那孩子想要什么吗？
Jane is angry again. Sometimes I can't make her out at all. Her moods change quickly.
简又生气了。有时候我根本不能理解她。她情绪变化很快。
make out 的另一个含义是“写出”、“填写”（相当于 write out）：
He made out a long list of all the foods which were forbidden.
他写了一张长长的单子，上面列了所有禁吃的食物。
He made out a cheque of 1, 000 dollars and gave it to the secretary.
他开出一张1, 000美元的支票并将其给了秘书。
（2）make up 的含义之一是“编造”、“捏造”、“虚构”：
Every time he played truant¹⁴, Tom would make up an excuse.
汤姆每次逃学都编个借口。
Jane made up a story about a child and a monster.
简编造了一个有关一个孩子和一个妖怪的故事。
make up 也可以表示“（给……）化妆／化装”：
She always makes herself up / makes up her face before going out.
她出门前总要化妆。
Making up takes up a lot of her time.
化妆占了她很多时间。
She was made up as a boy.
她被化装成一个小男孩。
（3）make up for 的含义是“补偿”、“弥补”：
I had to walk faster to make up for lost time.
为了补回失去的时间，我不得不加快走路的速度。
She managed to make up for her mistake.
她设法补救了她的过错。

　　练习答案 Key to written exercises
1．关键句型练习答案
A was able to explain (1.3); can be a great danger (1.5);managed to circle (1.7); could make out (1.8); could not arrest (1.11)
C 1 Can / Could  2 could / was (soon) able to  3 were able to  4 can
2．难点练习答案
1 out  2 out  3 for  4 up  5 up for
3．多项选择题答案
1 d  2b  3c  4b  5c  6d
7b  8b  9c  10 b  11c  12b

1 aircraft   

n.飞机 (单复数同)

参考例句：

• Your seat is in the fore part of the aircraft.你的座位在飞机的前部。
• They have placed an order with us for three new aircraft.他们向我们订购了三架新飞机。

2 spy   

n.间谍，侦探，侦察；vt.侦察，找出，发现；vi.做密探，侦查

参考例句：

• I'm sure my neighbours spy on me.我肯定邻居暗中监视我。
• The spy never told his family about his underground activities.那个间谍从来不把他的地下活动告诉他的家人。

3 spying   

v.看见，发现( spy的现在分词 )；当间谍；从事间谍活动；搜集情报

参考例句：

• He used his job as a screen for his spying activities. 他利用他的工作作掩护进行间谍活动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was accused of spying and was declared non grata. 他被指控从事间谍活动而被宣布为不受欢迎。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 track   

n.轨道；足迹；痕迹；磁轨；途径；vt.循路而行；追踪；通过；用纤拉；vi.追踪

参考例句：

• The new race track is nearly six miles in extent.这条新跑道将近六英里长。
• The police are on his track.警察在跟踪他。

5 binoculars   

n.双筒望远镜

参考例句：

• He watched the play through his binoculars.他用双筒望远镜看戏。
• If I had binoculars,I could see that comet clearly.如果我有望远镜，我就可以清楚地看见那颗彗星。

6 descend   

vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降

参考例句：

• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。
• We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。

7 airfield   

n.飞机场

参考例句：

• The foreign guests were motored from the airfield to the hotel.用车把外宾从机场送到旅馆。
• The airfield was seized by enemy troops.机场被敌军占领。

8 Parliament   

n.议会，国会

参考例句：

• She won a seat in Parliament at the election.她在选举中赢得了议会中的席位。
• The drug was banned by an act of parliament.议会的法案明令禁止该药品。

9 suspicious   

adj.可疑的，容易引起怀疑的，猜疑的，疑心的

参考例句：

• A man was hanging about the house in a suspicious manner.一个男人在房子周围可疑地荡来荡去。
• He's so suspicious he would distrust his own mother.他这个人疑心太重，连自己的母亲也不相信。

10 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。

11 missing   

adj.遗失的，缺少的，失踪的

参考例句：

• Check the tools and see if anything is missing.检点一下工具，看有无丢失。
• All the others are here;he's the only one missing.别人都来了，就短他一个。

12 spied   

pt.,pp.of spyv.看见，发现( spy的过去式和过去分词 )；当间谍；从事间谍活动；搜集情报

参考例句：

• German ferrets constantly spied on the Allied prisoners of war. 德国侦探经常监视着盟军的战俘。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We spied three figures in the distance. 我们望见远处有三个人影儿。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 spies   

n.间谍( spy的名词复数 )；秘密侦察他人行动者，密探v.看见，发现( spy的第三人称单数 )；当间谍；从事间谍活动；搜集情报

参考例句：

• The headquarters had been infiltrated by enemy spies. 总部混入了敌方特务。
• This is a plan to round up the enemy spies. 这是个围歼敌特的计划。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 truant   

n.懒惰鬼，旷课者；adj.偷懒的，旷课的，游荡的；v.偷懒，旷课

参考例句：

• I found the truant throwing stones in the river.我发现那个逃课的学生在往河里扔石子。
• Children who play truant from school are unimaginative.逃学的孩子们都缺乏想像力。