A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 词汇提示 1.phantom 幽灵 2.hood 兜帽 3.pipe 烟斗 4.rigid 僵硬 5.statues 雕塑 6.cemetery 墓地 原文 Chapter V: The Last of the Spirits Another phantom was coming towards him. It was tall and silent. Scrooge couldn't see its face or its body because it was wearing long, black clothes and a black hood. There was something mysterious about it. When it came near him, Scrooge was very frightened. It didn't speak or move. 'Are you the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come?' he asked. The Spirit didn't answer, but its long, white hand came out from the black clothes and pointed down. 'Are you going to show me things from the future?' Scrooge asked. His legs were trembling a lot and so he couldn't follow the Ghost when it moved away. It stopped and waited for him. He couldn't see its eyes but he felt that they were looking at him. This Ghost was the most frightening of the three. 'Ghost of the Future!' he cried. 'I'm very frightened of you! But I know that you want to help me so I'll go with you. Please speak to me!' It made no reply. Its long hand pointed ahead. 'All right, I'll come,' said Scrooge. So the Ghost carried him to the center of London. At a place called the Exchange he saw a lot of businessmen. Their pockets were full of money. They were walking around and talking to each other. They often jingled the money in their pockets and looked at their watches. Scrooge knew many of them. When the Ghost stopped near three men, he could hear their conversation. 'No, I don't know much,' said one very fat man. 'I only know he's dead.' 'When did he die?' another man asked. 'Last night, I think.' 'I thought he would never die. Was he very ill?' 'God knows.' 'What about his money?' asked a man with a very red face. 'I don't know,' replied the fat man. 'He hasn't left it to me.' Everybody laughed. 'The funeral will be very cheap because only a few people will go,' the fat man continued. 'I'll go if there's a big lunch,' the red-faced man said. Another laugh. And then the men went away. Scrooge looked at the Ghost. 'Who are they talking about?' he asked. But the Ghost said nothing. It went into the street and showed Scrooge two men. He knew them. They were rich and important businessmen. First they said hallo. Then one of them said: 'Well, he's finally dead.' 'Yes, I've heard,' answered his companion. 'Cold, isn't it?' 'Very cold. But it's the right weather for Christmas. Would you like to come ice-skating?' 'No. thank you. I'm too busy. Good morning.' That was the end of their conversation. Scrooge was surprised. Who were they talking about? He couldn't think of anybody. Old Marley died seven years ago and this Ghost was showing him the future. He decided to wait and see. He looked around but couldn't see himself anywhere. Wasn't he there in the future? Silent and black, the Ghost stood near him. He knew that it was watching him and he trembled. They went into a poor part of the city where the streets were dirty and narrow. There were dark shops and houses, and the people looked ugly and miserable. A lot of them were drunk. Rubbish was everywhere, and there were bad smells. The quarter was full of dangerous criminals. Scrooge followed the Ghost into a small, dark shop. It was full of dirty, old things - bottles, clothes, keys, chains. A man of about seventy with grey hair sat near a fire and smoked his pipe. Then a woman came in with a big, heavy box in her arms. She put it on the floor and sat down. 'Open it. Old Joe,' she said, 'and give me the money.' The man opened the box. 'What are these?' he said. 'Bed - curtains! Did you take them while he was in bed?' 'Yes. Why not? There was nobody with him. There are blankets too.' 'His blankets?' 'Of course! He won't need them where he's going. Here's a beautiful, expensive shirt too.He was wearing it for his funeral. I thought, "What a pity! This is a very fine shirt but nobody will wear it again." So I took it off him.' 'You did well, madam, 'laughed Old Joe. 'You're a clever woman and you'll make a fortune one day.' 'I must think of myself, like him. He was a selfish old miser. I cleaned his rooms and his clothes.I worked very hard for him but he never gave me anything. I wanted to take more things but his housekeeper took them before me.' Just then the housekeeper came in. She had a large bag full of sheets, towels, clothes, and shoes. 'Now look in my bag. Old Joe,' she said, 'and tell me how much you'll give me.' Old Joe counted up the money for each thing in the box and the bag and wrote some numbers on the wall. 'That's how much I'll give you,' he said. 'And no more. I always give too much and so I'm poor.' Then he opened a dirty bag and put the money on the floor. 'When he was alive, he frightened people and they hated him. So we get the profits now that he's dead. Ha, ha, ha!' Scrooge watched this in horror. 'Spirit! I see and I understand. This could happen to me. Oh God, what's this now?' The scene changed and he was near a bed. It had no blankets or curtains. There was only an old sheet with something under it - the body of a dead man. The Ghost pointed at the head, but Scrooge couldn't pull down the sheet and look at the dead man's face. He was shaking with terror. The body was cold, rigid, and alone in that dark room. 'How terrible!' thought Scrooge. 'Not a man, woman or child to say that he was kind to them in life and to remember him with love!' Then he heard the sound of rats behind the walls. Were they waiting, were they going to jump on the bed and...? 'Spirit!' he said. 'What a horrible place! I'll always remember this scene. Can we go now?' But the Ghost still pointed at the dead man's head. 'I understand,' Scrooge said. 'But I can't do it. I ask you to show me somebody who is sorry that this man is dead.' The Ghost took him to Bob Cratchit's house. The mother and children were sitting round the fire. They were quiet, very quiet. The little Cratchits sat like statues in a corner. Peter was reading. 'When is Father coming?' he asked. 'He's late. But I think he walks slower now.' 'I remember when he walked very fast with -with Tiny Tim on his shoulder,' said the mother. 'But Tiny Tim was very light - and his father loved him so much. Ah. there's your father at the door!' Bob came in. He drank some tea while the two little Cratchits put their faces close to his, saying, 'Don't be sad, Father!' So Bob tried to be cheerful; but suddenly he cried. 'My little child! My little boy!' He went to a room upstairs. It looked as bright and happy as Christmas. He sat on a chair next to the bed. There was a little child on it. It was Tiny Tim, and he wasn't sleeping. He was dead. Bob kissed the little face; then he went downstairs. 'I met Mr. Scrooge's nephew in the street.' he told the family. 'He asked me why I was so sad. When I told him, he said he was very sorry and wanted to help us. I think he's going to find a job for Peter.' 'He's a very good man,' said Mrs. Cratchit. 'Yes. Children, when you all leave home in a few years, you won't forget Tiny Tim, will you?' 'Never, Father!' they all cried. 'Thank you. I feel happier now,' Bob said. Scrooge said to the Ghost, 'Oh, please tell me who that dead man was!' The Ghost took him near his office, but it didn't stop. 'Wait!' said Scrooge. 'My officeis in that house. Let me go and see what I'll be in the future.' The Ghost continued walking. Scrooge ran to the window of his office and looked in. He saw an office, but it wasn't his. Everything was different, including the man at the desk. He followed the Ghost again. It stopped at the gate of a cemetery. 'Am I going to learn the dead man's name now?' asked Scrooge. The Spirit led him to a grave. He went near it, trembling. 'Before I look at the name,' he said, 'answer me one question. Is it really necessary for these things to happen or are they only possible?' The Ghost didn't answer. 'I mean, if men change their lives and become better, will the future change too? Is this what you want to tell me?' The Ghost was silent. Scrooge went slowly towards the grave, still trembling. He read the name on the gravestone: EBENEZER SCROOGE. He fell on his knees. 'I was the dead man in the bed! Oh, Spirit! Oh no, no! Listen, I've changed. I won't be the same man as before. Tell me there is still hope - please! Tell me that if I change my life, the things that you have shown me will be different!' The Spirit's hand trembled. 'I will celebrate Christmas with all my heart!' Scrooge continued. 'And I'll always try to have the Christmas spirit - every day of the year! I will live in the past, the present and the future. I will not forget the lessons that they teach. Oh, tell me that I can clean the name off this stone!' Scrooge held up his hands to the Ghost but suddenly it vanished. There was only a bed-curtain in front of his eyes.

提示 一、每期五个句子，均是从四六级听力真题中选取的长难句。 二、每个句子念三遍女声，一遍男声，再一遍女声。 三、如果觉得语速过快，可以在播放器上调慢语速，多听几遍。 词汇提示 1.region 地区 2.breeding 繁衍 3.entrepreneurs 企业家 原文 111. The plane was travelling from Yakutsk Airport in a major diamond-producing region to the city of Krasnoyarsk in Siberia. 这架飞机当时正从位于大型钻石产区的雅库茨克机场飞往西伯利亚的克拉斯诺亚尔斯克市。 112. Okay, Miss Bright. I finished calculating. I estimate you have between 210 and 240 square meters of walls and ceiling. 好了，布莱特小姐。我算完了。我估计你的墙壁和天花板面积在210至240平方米之间。 113. Eagles began breeding on the island and also feeding on a species of native fox. The foxes were almost wiped out completely. 鹰开始在岛上繁殖，它们也以一种本土狐狸为食。这导致狐狸几乎被彻底消灭。 114. The doctors' response to the question of whether or not dogs can fall in love like humans do was a straight "Of course!" 对于狗是否能像人类一样坠入爱河的问题，这位博士的回答直截了当，“狗当然可以了！” 115. A pair of entrepreneurs are planning to build and launch a spacecraft that would carry and roast coffee beans in outer space. 两位企业家正计划建造并发射一艘宇宙飞船，将咖啡豆送入太空并在太空烘烤。

听前提示 一、三遍英文，一遍中文，再一遍英文。 二、从听懂的词入手，理解句子含义。 三、根据中英文意思，听不懂的多听几遍。 词汇提示 1.granted that 假如 2.pajamas 睡衣 3.in engaged 从事 4.scandal 丑闻 原文 411. Granted that you are right, we still have to persuade him first. 即使你是对的，我们也要先说服他。 412. Brian, in his pajamas, is engaged in reading in the house in the morning. 早上，布莱恩穿着睡衣在屋里看书。 413. I don't want to rush you, but let's try to catch the next bus. 我不想催你，但我们还是想赶下一班公共汽车吧。 414. It has been raining on and off since the day before yesterday. 雨从前天起就断断续续地下。 415. The population of your city is about five times as large as that of my town. 你所在城市的人口大约是我所在城市人口的五倍。 416. Don't go too near the dog for fear it should bite you. 不要太靠近那只狗，怕它咬你。 417. I am very sorry, but I must cancel our appointment for February 27. 非常抱歉，我必须取消我们2月27日的约定。 418. That scandal will be known to everybody in the course of time. 随着时间的推移，那个丑闻会被大家知道的。 419. I went back to online chat to talk with a friend of mine. 我再次上线，和我的一个朋友聊天。 420. It has been raining since the day before yesterday, but it may clear up this afternoon. 从前天起就一直在下雨，但今天下午可能会转晴。

词汇提示 1.broking 经纪业 2.militia 民兵 3.brigadier general 准将 4.speculator 投机商 5.damp 潮湿 6.drafty 通风 7.outwardy 表面的 8.mediaeval 中世纪 9.bowling alleys 保龄球室 10.subdivision 细分 11.auction 拍卖 原文 Casa Loma Many people visit Europe and see the old castles left from the days of knighthood. Very few returns home with plans to build their own castle. Toronto businessman Henry Pellatt actually built such a castle - Casa Loma. Pellatt was born in Kingston, Ontario in1859, but the family soon moved to Toronto. His father opened Toronto's first stock broking firm in 1866. Pellatt Sr. became part of Toronto's financial elite. And Henry Pellatt eventually joined his father in business. The young Pellatt was especially attracted by the military and the British armed forces. When Henry was 18, he joined the Queen's Own Rifles, a militia unit. He was soon one of the soldiers sent to suppress a railway strike. At 21, he was made an officer, and gradually moved up through the ranks, eventually becoming brigadier general. Meanwhile, Henry was learning the stock broking business. He soon showed considerable ability at forming new companies. Electricity was a recent invention, and Pellatt hoped to be among the foremost developers. In 1883, he founded the Toronto Electric Light Company, and later was an owner of the Toronto Electric Railway. He also made money as a land speculator in the Canadian West. Unlike many businessmen of the time, however, Pellatt believed in community service. He sponsored many charitable organizations and supported various good causes. In spite of his business dealings, Pellatt found time to tour England and Europe regularly. He brought back ideas for a "castle on the hill. Pellatt's castle, however, would not be a damp, drafty castle of the Middle Ages. It would have all the latest technology. Construction of "Casa Loma" began in 1910 and was completed in 1914. Outwardly, it looked like a mediaeval castle, but inside it was comfortable and luxurious. There were 98 rooms, three bowling alleys, 30 bathrooms, 25 fireplaces and 5,000 electric lights. It had an electric elevator and an indoor swimming pool. There was a library of 100,000 books, a temperature-controlled wine cellar, a shooting gallery, and a large art collection. Pellatt ordered only the most expensive materials and employed the best craftsmen. The cost of all this was $3.5million, a huge sum in those days. Pellatt and his wife liked to entertain. They often opened up Casa Loma for special events. Sometimes, he would invite all 1,000 men from the Queen's Own Rifles over for the weekend. The Pellatts also held parties for the staff. Pellatt had hoped that Casa Loma would be the center of an extensive subdivision. He hoped that wealthy people would build grand homes nearby, and so he had bought up land near his castle. Unfortunately for Pellatt, most of the people coming to Toronto were poor immigrants who couldn't afford large houses. Pellatt was unable to sell his landholdings, and his income declined. In 1924, Pellatt turned Casa Loma over to the City of Toronto because he could not pay his property tax. All the contents of Casa Loma went on auction soon after. His $1.5 million collection of art and artifacts sold for only $250,000. Now Casa Loma is a leading Toronto tourist attraction. "The castle in the middle of the city"has 400,000 visitors each year. It is the closest thing in North America to a real European castle. 翻译 卡萨洛马 许多人游览欧洲，参观骑士时代留下的古老城堡。 很少有人回国计划建造自己的城堡。 多伦多商人亨利·佩拉特（Henry Pellatt）实际上建造了这样一座城堡——Casa Loma。 1859年，佩拉特出生在安大略省金斯敦，但很快全家搬到了多伦多。 他的父亲于1866年开办了多伦多第一家股票经纪公司。 老佩拉特成为多伦多金融精英的一员。 亨利·佩拉特最终加入了父亲的行列。 年轻的佩拉特特别被军队和英国武装部队所吸引。 当亨利18岁时，他加入了一个民兵组织“女王自己的步枪”。 他很快成为被派去镇压铁路罢工的士兵之一。 21岁时，他被任命为军官，并逐渐晋升为准将。 与此同时，亨利正在学习股票经纪业务。 他很快就表现出了组建新公司的能力。 电力是最近的发明，佩拉特希望成为最重要的开发商之一。 1883年，他创立了多伦多电灯公司，后来成为多伦多电气铁路的所有者。 他在加拿大西部做土地投机商人也赚了钱。 然而，与当时的许多商人不同，佩拉特相信社区服务。 他赞助了许多慈善组织，并支持各种慈善事业。 尽管有生意往来，佩拉特还是抽出时间定期到英国和欧洲旅行。 他带回了在山上建城堡的想法。 然而，佩拉特的城堡不会是中世纪潮湿通风的城堡。 它将拥有所有最新的技术。 “Casa Loma”的建造始于1910年，于1914年完工。 表面上，它看起来像一座中世纪的城堡，但内部却舒适而奢华。 有98个房间，三个保龄球馆，30个浴室，25个壁炉和5000盏电灯。 它有一部电动电梯和一个室内游泳池。 这里有一个藏书10万册的图书馆、一个温度控制的酒窖、一个射击馆和一个大型艺术收藏馆。 佩拉特只订购最昂贵的材料，并雇佣了最好的工匠。 这一切的成本是350万美元，在当时是一笔巨大的金额。 佩拉特和他的妻子喜欢娱乐。 他们经常为特别活动开放Casa Loma。 有时，他会邀请女王自己步枪队的所有1000名男子来度周末。 佩拉特夫妇还为工作人员举办了派对。 佩拉特曾希望洛马之家成为一个广泛细分的中心。 他希望富人能在附近建造豪宅，于是他买下了城堡附近的土地。 对佩拉特来说，不幸的是，大多数来多伦多的人都是穷移民，他们买不起大房子。 佩拉特无法出售他的土地，收入下降。 1924年，佩拉特将Casa Loma交给了多伦多市，因为他无法缴纳房产税。 不久之后，《卡萨络马》的所有内容都被拍卖了。 他价值150万美元的艺术品和文物藏品仅售25万美元。 现在，Casa Loma是多伦多主要的旅游景点。 “市中心城堡”每年有40万游客。 这是北美最接近真正的欧洲城堡的地方。

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 词汇提示 1.mistletoe 槲寄生 2.ivy 常春藤 3.sausage 腊肠 4.mince 肉馅 5.hot punch 热饮料 6.torch 火把 7.cripple 瘸子 8.crutch 拐杖 9.hurray 欢呼声 10.gravy 肉汁 11.brandy 白兰地 12.chestnuts 栗子 13.wicked 恶毒的 14.nephew 侄子，外甥 原文 Chapter IV: The Second Spirt Scrooge woke up, opened his bed-curtain and looked around. He was ready to see anything, but when one o'clock struck, nothing happened. After a while he saw a strong light in the next room. He got out of bed and went slowly to the door. 'Scrooge!' said a voice. 'Come in, Ebenezer!' The room was his room, but it was different. On the walls there was some green holly with red berries, and mistletoe and ivy. In the fireplace was a great fire. On the floor there was a lot of food: turkey, goose, chicken, rabbit, pork and sausages, as well as mince pies, puddings, fruit, cakes, and hot punch. And on the sofa sat a very large man – a giant - and he was holding up a torch. 'Come in!' said the Ghost. Scrooge went and stood in front of this giant, but he didn't look at it. He was too frightened. 'I am the Ghost of Christmas Present,' said the Spirit. 'Look at me!' So Scrooge looked. He saw that the Spirit was smiling. It had kind, gentle eyes. There was holly round its long dark hair. Its face was young and happy. 'You have never seen anybody like me before,' it said. 'Never.' 'And you have never met any of my brothers?' 'No. How many brothers have you got?' 'More than eighteen hundred. I am the youngest.' 'Spirit,' Scrooge said, 'take me where you want. I learnt a good lesson last night.' 'Touch my clothes!' When Scrooge did this, the room disappeared and he stood in the city streets on Christmas morning. There was a lot of snow. Some people were playing and throwing snowballs. Others were buying food in the shops. It was a busy, cheerful scene, and the bells were ringing. Then a lot of poor people came along the street with their Christmas dinners of goose or chicken. They were taking them to the baker's shops to be cooked in the oven. The spirit took Scrooge to one of these shops and touched some of the dinners with its torch. 'What are you doing? 'Scrooge asked. 'I am making these dinners extra good so the people will be happier,' it replied, smiling. After a while Scrooge followed the Ghost to the suburbs of the city. They went to the house of Bob Cratchit, his clerk. The kind Ghost touched the house with its torch. Then they went in. Mrs. Cratchit and her daughter Belinda were preparing the table for Christmas dinner. Young Peter Cratchit was helping them. Suddenly two little Cratchits ran in and shouted that the goose was ready at the baker's. Then the oldest daughter Martha arrived, and after her came Bob with his little son Tiny Tim on his shoulder. The child was a cripple and he walked around on a small crutch. Young Peter went to fetch the goose. When he came back, all the children in the family shouted 'Hurray!' because they didn't often eat goose. Belinda made some apple sauce; Mrs. Cratchit prepared the potatoes and the gravy; Martha put the hot plates on the table. Finally, everything was ready. When Mrs. Cratchit cut the goose, everybody cried 'Hurray!' again, and Tiny Tim hit the table with his knife. The goose was small, but they all said it was the best goose in the world and ate every bit of it. Then Mrs. Cratchit brought in the Christmas pudding with brandy onit. She lit the brandy with a match, and when they were all eating, they said, 'Oh, what a wonderful pudding!' Nobody said or thought that it was a very small pudding for a big family. After dinner the Cratchits sat round the fire. They ate apples and oranges, and hot chestnuts. Then Bob served some hot wine. 'A Merry Christmas to us all!' he said. 'A Merry Christmas!' the family shouted. 'And God bless everyone!' said Tiny Tim in his weak voice. He sat very near his father. Bob loved his son very much and be held Tiny Tim's thin little hand. 'Will Tiny Tim live, Spirit?' Scrooge asked. 'I see an empty chair,' replied the Ghost, 'and a small crutch. But not Tiny Tim. If the future does not change, the child will die.' 'No, no!' said Scrooge. 'Say he will live, kind Spirit!' 'If the future is not changed, he will not see another Christmas. But you think that's a good thing, don't you? You said there are too many people in the world.' Scrooge didn't answer and he didn't look in the Ghost's eyes. He felt very bad. 'Those were wicked words, Ebenezer Scrooge,' the Ghost continued. 'Do you think you can decide who will live or die? Are you better than this poor man's child, or millions like him? Perhaps you are worse in God's eyes!' Scrooge trembled and looked at the ground. Suddenly he heard his name. 'Mr. Scrooge! Let's drink to Mr. Scrooge!' It was Bob Cratchit and he was holding up his glass. 'Drink to Mr. Scrooge!' said Mrs. Cratchit angrily. 'Drink to that hard old miser! What are you saying, Robert Cratchit?' 'My dear - the children. It's Christmas Day.' 'I know that, but I would like to tell Mr. Scrooge what I think of him! You know how bad he is.' 'My dear, it's Christmas Day.' 'Well, I'll drink to him because it's Christmas. A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Mr. Scrooge! - But you won't be merry or happy, I know.' The children drank to Scrooge too, but his name was like a dark shadow in the room and for a few minutes they were silent. Then they told stories and sang songs, and they felt better. The Cratchits were poor and they looked poor. Their clothes were old; there were big holes in their shoes. Bob Cratchit's salary I was very small. He never had enough money and there was never much food in the house. But the family was contented now because it was Christmas. Scrooge watched them carefully. He listened to them well. And he looked at Tiny Tim very often before the family scene vanished. It was dark now, and snow was falling. Scrooge and the Ghost walked along the streets and saw great fires in the houses, where families and friends were enjoying Christmas together. The Ghost was happy to see the celebrations. It laughed, and where it passed, people laughed too. And then Scrooge heard a loud, happy laugh. It was his nephew's. He saw him in a bright, warm room. When his nephew laughed, the other people in the room laughed with him. 'He said that Christmas was a humbug!' the nephew laughed. 'And he believed it too!' 'He's stupid an bad, Fred,' said his wife. 'Well, he's a strange man, and he isn't very happy.' 'he's very rich, Fred.' 'Yes, my dear, but he doesn't do anything with his money. He doesn't help others, and he lives like a poor man.' 'Nobody likes him. I don't like him. He makes me angry.' 'I'm not angry with him. I feel sorry for him because he doesn't enjoy his life. He never laughs. He didn't want to eat with us today, but I'm going to ask him every year. I'll say, "How are you, Uncle Scrooge? Come and eat with us." Then they played some music and sang. After that, there were games. When they played twenty questions, Scrooge forgot that they couldn't hear him and he shouted his answers. Then his nephew thought of something and everybody asked him questions. 'Is it an animal?' 'Yes.' 'Does it live in the city?' 'Yes.' 'Is it a horse?' 'No.' It wasn't a dog, a cat or a pigeon. It made horrible noises, sometimes it talked, and nobody liked it. 'I know what it is!' shouted Fred's wife. 'It's your Uncle Scro-o-o-o-oge!' She was right. 'A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to the old man!' said Fred. Scrooge wanted to say this to Fred, but the scene vanished and he and the Ghost travelled again. Scrooge noticed that the Spirit looked older. Its hair was grey now. 'Is your life so short?' he asked. 'Very short. It ends tonight at midnight. It's eleven forty-five. I haven't got much time. Look - look down here!' The Spirit opened its coat and Scrooge saw two children on the ground, a boy and a girl. They were very thin. Their clothes were old and poor, and they were trembling with cold. They looked very hungry. Their eyes were sad. They looked older than children and they were ugly, like monsters. Scrooge was shocked. 'Are they yours?' he asked. 'No. They are Man's. They belong to humanity.' 'Haven't they got a house or a family?' 'Aren't there a lot of prisons?' the Spirit replied. 'And aren't there any workhouses?' 'Oh, no - no! Those are my words!' Scrooge cried. The church clock struck twelve. He looked around for the Ghost but it wasn't there. Then he remembered old Jacob Marley's words: 'The third Spirit will come at twelve midnight.'

提示 一、每期五个句子，均是从四六级听力真题中选取的长难句。 二、每个句子念三遍女声，一遍男声，再一遍女声。 三、如果觉得语速过快，可以在播放器上调慢语速，多听几遍。 词汇提示 1.fossil 化石 2.reunited 重聚 3.gravity 重力 原文 106. The researchers explained that many owners regard their pets as a family member and form close social bonds with them. 研究人员解释说，许多主人把他们的宠物视为家庭成员，并与它们形成了亲密的社会关系。 107. They hope to return to the site with geologists for an additional search as there could be more fossils near the site. 他们希望与地质学家一起回到遗址进行进一步的搜索，因为遗址附近可能有更多的化石。 108. They're happy when they're reunited, they protect one another, they feed one another, they raise their children together. 它们在团聚的时候会很高兴，它们会相互保护，互相喂食，它们会一起抚养孩子。 109. When there are several different assignments, make sure they begin with one they enjoy, so it seems easy to get started. 面临几项不同的作业时，要确保他们先从自己喜欢的作业开始，这样似乎更容易上手。 110. The 11th day of the experiment shows the mice are not just dealing with the gravity change but actually seem to be enjoying it. 实验的第11天表明，老鼠不仅能应对重力变化，而且似乎还乐在其中。

听前提示 一、三遍英文，一遍中文，再一遍英文。 二、从听懂的词入手，理解句子含义。 三、根据中英文意思，听不懂的多听几遍。 词汇提示 1.went up in smoke 以失败告终 原文 401. All hope of my promotion went up in smoke after my reorganization plan fell through. 自从我的重组计划失败后，我晋升的希望就破灭了。 402. Because of his great professional skill, the lawyer has a large number of clients. 由于高超的专业技能，这位律师拥有大量的客户。 403. Smith has spent years studying the effects of sleep and sleep loss on memory and learning. 史密斯花了数年时间研究睡眠和睡眠缺失对记忆和学习的影响。 404. I imagine that you are wondering when your new PC will arrive. 我猜你想知道你的新电脑什么时候会到。 405. You must be a good athlete to have run a mile in such a short time. 你在这么短的时间内跑完了一英里，一定是个优秀的运动员。 406. In a foreign country most of us go through culture shock. 在异国他乡，我们大多数人都会经历文化冲击。 407. It is true he is a learned man, but he lacks common sense. 他确实是个有学问的人，但他缺乏常识。 408. The more I studied computers, the more interesting I came to find it. 我对电脑学习得越多，就越发现它的有趣之处。 409. When I was in Australia, I had great difficulty (trouble) in speaking English. 我在澳大利亚的时候，我在说英语方面有很大的困难。 410. There are things in this world which simply cannot be expressed in the form of words. 世界上有些事情是无法用语言表达的。

词汇提示 1.conqueror 征服者 2.reluctant 不愿意 3.penal 刑罚 4.temporary 临时的 5.theft 偷盗 6.category 类别 7.exile 流放 8.sentence 宣判 9.convicts 囚犯 10.fleet 舰队 11.chained 被锁 12.aggravated 严重的 原文 Australian Origins In many countries, leading families proudly trace their ancestors back to some significant group of people. In the U..S.A., prominent families may boast that their family came over on the Mayflower in 1620 In England, ladies and gentlemen are happy to announce that their ancestors came to Britain with William the Conqueror in 1066. In Australia, however, many leading families are reluctant to talk about their origins. In fact, many years ago, one Australian city burned its early records, so that no one would know who their ancestors were. The reason for that is that Australia began its history as a British penal colony. In eighteenth century England, there was a large gap between the rich and the poor. To make matters worse, many farmers had been forced off their land by powerful landowners These homeless people wandered to the cities where employment was often hard to find. Frequent wars gave temporary employment to young men as soldiers and sailors,but when the war was over, they were no better off than before. As a result, theft was extremely common. To protect themselves, the upper classes made theft punishable by hanging. The problem with this was that juries were often reluctant to hang someone for stealing something small,and might declare the person "not guilty." For example, if a man or woman stole a loaf of bread to feed their children, the jury might just let them go. To prevent this, the courts came up with a new category of punishment - exile or "transportation" If the judge or jury was reluctant to sentence the accused to death,they would ship them far away from England across the seas. However, if the person was found back in England again, he or she would be hanged At first, England sent its convicts to America's Thirteen Colonies. However, when the United States declared its independence in 1776, this was no longer possible. England considered sending criminals to West Africa, but the land and climate were considered unsuitable. So finally Great Britain decided to use the huge, almost uninhabited, country of Australia. At this time, not a single European was living anywhere on the continent. In the fall of 1786, a fleet of English ships began to take convicts on board. This process continued till the sailing date of May 13, 1787. Many British jails had been cleared of both male and female prisoners. Since the convicts were technically under a sentence of death,there was little concern for making them comfortable. At first, the convicts were chained below decks but later some were released when well out to sea One man had been sentenced for the theft of a winter coat;another for stealing cucumbers from a garden; a third for carrying off a sheep. Among the women, one was guilty of stealing a large cheese; another of taking several yards of cloth. These ships known as "The First Fleet" carried1,442 convicts, sailors, marines and officers. The fleet finally arrived at Botany Bay on January 10, 1788. Later that month, they moved down to Sydney Harbour. No preparations whatsoever had been made. The forests came right up to the shore. Soon, the fleet members were cutting down trees and trying to put up tents. It was June 1790 before further supplies arrived from England. Meanwhile, many convicts suffered from sickness, aggravated by lack of good food. In conclusion, Australians need not be ashamed of their origins. In time, great things were achieved, in spite of the almost complete lack of help from the English government. Many ex-convicts became respectable settlers who began prosperous farms and businesses. The members of the First Fleet, whether convicts or not, deserve to be honored as the founders of Australia. 翻译 澳大利亚的起源 在许多国家，精英家庭自豪地将祖先追溯到一些重要的群体。 在美国美国，显赫的家族可能会吹嘘他们的家族是1620年乘五月花号来的 在英国，女士们和先生们很高兴地宣布，他们的祖先于1066年随征服者威廉来到英国。 然而，在澳大利亚，许多主要家庭不愿谈论他们的出身。 事实上，很多年前，澳大利亚的一座城市烧毁了它的早期记录，以至于没有人知道他们的祖先是谁。 其原因是澳大利亚开始其作为英国刑罚殖民地的历史。 在十八世纪的英国，贫富差距很大。 更糟糕的是，许多农民被强大的地主逼离了土地 这些无家可归的人流落到城市，那里往往很难找到工作。 频繁的战争给年轻人提供了士兵和水手的临时工作，但战争结束后，他们的境况并不比以前好。 因此，盗窃非常普遍。 为了保护自己，上层阶级将盗窃行为处以绞刑。 问题是陪审团通常不愿意因为偷了小东西而绞死某人，并可能宣布此人“无罪”。 例如，如果一个男人或女人偷了一块面包来喂他们的孩子，陪审团可能会让他们走。 为了防止这种情况，法院提出了一种新的惩罚类别——流放或“运输” 如果法官或陪审团不愿判处被告死刑，他们会将他们从英国远渡重洋。 然而，如果此人再次在英国被发现，他或她将被处以绞刑 起初，英国将囚犯送往美国的十三个殖民地。 然而，当美国于1776年宣布独立时，这已经不可能了。 英国曾考虑将罪犯送往西非，但认为那里的土地和气候不适宜。 因此，英国最终决定使用澳大利亚这个几乎无人居住的巨大国家。 此时，欧洲大陆上没有一个欧洲人住在任何地方。 1786年秋天，一支英国舰队开始将罪犯带上船。 这一过程一直持续到1787年5月13日的开航日期。 许多英国监狱已清除了男女囚犯。 由于从技术上讲，这些罪犯被判处死刑，因此人们很少担心让他们感到舒适。 起初，囚犯们被锁在甲板下，但后来一些人在出海时被释放 一名男子因盗窃冬衣被判刑；另一项罪名是从花园里偷黄瓜；第三个只带走一只羊。 在这些妇女中，有一人偷了一大块奶酪；另一种是拿几码布。 这些被称为“第一舰队”的船只载有1442名囚犯、水手、海军陆战队和军官。 舰队最终于1788年1月10日抵达植物学湾。 当月晚些时候，他们搬到了悉尼港。 没有做任何准备。 森林一直延伸到岸边。 很快，舰队成员开始砍伐树木并试图搭建帐篷。 1790年6月，更多的补给才从英国抵达。 与此同时，许多囚犯因缺乏好食物而患病。 总之，澳大利亚人不必为自己的出身感到羞愧。 尽管英国政府几乎完全没有帮助，但最终还是取得了巨大成就。 许多前科犯都成为了值得尊敬的定居者，开始了繁荣的农场和商业。 第一舰队的成员，无论是不是罪犯，都应该被尊为澳大利亚的缔造者。

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 词汇提示 1.holly 冬青 2.fetch 接 3.mince 绞碎 4.vanished 消失 5.financee 未婚妻 原文 Chapter III: The First Spirit When Scrooge woke up, it was very dark. The church clock struck twelve. 'Twelve!' said Scrooge, surprised. 'But it was after two o'clock when I went to bed. It's impossible! That clock is wrong.' He got out of bed and went to the window, but he couldn't see much. It was dark, foggy and very cold. He went back to bed and began to think. 'Was it all a dream? Was Marley's Ghost really here?' he said to himself. Suddenly he remembered the Ghost's words: 'The first Spirit will come at one o'clock tomorrow morning.' So he decided to wait and see. After a long time he heard the church clock. 'It's one o'clock!' said Scrooge. 'And there's nobody here!' At that moment there was a great light in the room and the curtains of his bod opened. Yes, a hand opened the curtain in front of his face! He sat up and saw a strange person. It was small, like a child, but it was also like an old man. Its long hair was white but its face looked young. It was wearing white clothes with summer flowers on them. There was a piece of green holly in its hand. 'Are you the first Spirit?' asked Scrooge. 'Yes, I am,' the visitor replied in a quiet voice. 'Who and what are you?' 'I am the Ghost of Christmas Past.' 'Whose past?' 'Your past.' 'Why are you here?' 'To help you.' 'I thank you,' Scrooge said. 'If you want to help me, let me sleep.' 'Get up and walk with me,' said the Spirit, and it took his arm. Scrooge wanted to say that it was late, the weather was very cold, and his bed was warm. But the Spirit took him to the window. 'No, I'll fall!' Scrooge said. The Spirit put its hand on his heart. 'If It ouch you here, you won't fall,' it said. Then they went through the wall, and suddenly they were standing on a road in the country. There was snow in the fields. 'Good Heavens!' Scrooge cried. This is where I was born! I was a boy here!' And here membered all his old feelings about the place. 'Your lips is trembling,' said the Ghost. Are you crying?' 'No. no...'answered Scrooge. But a tear fell from his eye. They walked along the road towards a little town with a bridge, a church and a river. Some boys came out of a school. They were laughing and singing because it was a holiday. They shouted 'Merry Christmas!' to each other. ' They are all in the past,' the Ghost said. 'They are only shadows.' Scrooge knew all of them and he felt suddenly happy. Why did his cold eyes and heart become warm with joy? What did merry Christmas mean to him? He didn't like Christmas! 'The school is not empty.' said the Spirit. 'One child is still there. He hasn't got any friends.' 'I know, I know,' Scrooge said. And there were big tears in his eyes. They went into the school, a big, old, dark place. Inside there was a long classroom. It looked sad and empty, with only a few desks and chairs in it. A little boy was sitting at one of the desks. He was reading a book by a small fire. Scrooge sat down on a chair and cried because he knew that the little boy was himself many years ago. 'That's me,' he said. 'I was left here one Christmas. Poor boy! Oh, I would like to.... but it's too late now!' 'What is it?' asked the Spirit. 'Nothing. You see, there was a poor boy outside my office last night. He was singing a Christmas carol. But I didn't give him anything and I told him to go away.' The Spirit smiled. 'Let's see another Christmas!' Then everything changed. The boy was bigger, and the room looked older and darker. Scrooge saw himself again. He was walking sadly up and down. Then the door opened and a little girl ran in. She was younger than the boy. 'Dear, dear brother!' she said happily. And she put her arms round his neck and kissed him. 'I've come to bring you home -home, home!' 'Home, Fanny?' the boy asked. 'Yes! Home for ever and ever!" the girl laughed. 'Father is kinder now and he wants you to come home. He sent me in a coach to fetch you. Oh, you'll never come back to this horrible school! And we'll be together for Christmas! I'm so happy!' She began to pull him towards the door. 'Bring Master Scrooge's luggage to the coach!' somebody shouted in a terrible voice. It was the teacher, and when he came in, the boy was very frightened. 'Goodbye, Master Scrooge!' said the teacher in his terrible voice. 'Goodbye, sir,' the boy answered, trembling. But when he got into the coach with his sister, he felt happy. 'Your sister had a very good heart,' said the Ghost. 'When she died, she left one child - your nephew.' 'Yes.' Scrooge remembered the conversation with his nephew in his office the afternoon before, and he felt bad about it. Suddenly they were standing at the door of an office in the city. It was Christmas again. 'I know this place very well! And there's old Mr Fezziwig - alive again! Oh, dear old Fezziwig!' Mr Fezziwig was a fat, happy man with a red face. He was working at a desk. 'Hey! Ebenezer! Dick! 'he shouted. 'Stop your work!' Scrooge, now a young man, came in with his friend Dick. 'It's Christmas Eve, boys! We must celebrate!' said Fezziwig. 'Let's stop work and close the office.' So they put away all the books and papers and made a big fire. Then a man came in and started to play the violin. Mrs Fezziwig and the three Miss Fezziwigs arrived, and then a lot of young people came, and everybody began to dance to the music. Then there were games and more dances; cake and hot wine and more dances. And there was lots of roast beef and beer, and mince pies too. It was a wonderful party. At eleven o'clock, every body said 'Merry Christmas!' and the party finished. While Scrooge was watching all this, he laughed and sang and wanted to dance. He remembered it all and enjoyed it very much. 'You and Dick and everybody loved Mr Fezziwig,' the Ghost said to him. 'But why? That party was a very small thing. It cost only three or four pounds. So why did you all love him so much?' 'A small thing!' answered Scrooge. 'No! ' Fezziwig was our manager, so he could make us happy or unhappy. He could make our work easy or hard. He gave us a lot of happiness - and that was like a fortune in money!' Then Scrooge looked sadly at the Ghost. 'What are you thinking about?' it asked. 'I... was thinking that I would like to speak to my clerk now...' 'Come, there isn't much time,' said the Ghost. 'We must be quick.' At that moment the scene vanished and they were standing in the open air. Scrooge saw a man of about forty. It was himself again, and his face showed the first signs of the problems of business and a passion for money. He was sitting next to a young girl dressed in black. It was his fiancee Belle. She was crying quietly. 'You love something more than me, Ebenezer,' she said. 'Oh? What?' 'Money. You are afraid of life, you are afraid of the world, and so you do only one thing: make money. Then you feel more secure. Money is your passion now.' 'No,' he said angrily. 'My feelings for you haven't changed, Belle!' 'But you have changed. When you promised to marry me, you were a different person.' 'I was a boy,' he said. 'And so my love is nothing to you now. You aren't happy with me and you don't want to marry me.' 'I've never said that.' 'Not in words, no - but I know it's true. I haven't got any money so you don't want me. Well, you're free to go. I hope you will be happy.' And Belle went sadly away. 'Spirit!' Scrooge cried. 'Don't show me anymore! Take me home!' 'There's one more scene.' 'No! No more! I don't want to see it!' But suddenly they were in a room where a beautiful young girl was sitting near a big fire. Next to her sat her mother. This was Belle, now older. The room was full of children and there was a lot of noise, But Belle and her daughter liked it, and the daughter began to play with the children. Then the father came in with a lot of Christmas presents. He gave them to the children and they laughed and shouted happily. Finally, they went to bed and the house was quiet. The father sat by the fire with his wife and daughter. Scrooge looked at them and thought: 'How sad that don't have a wife and daughter!' 'Belle,' said the husband to his wife. 'I saw your old friend this afternoon.' 'Who was it? Mr Scrooge?' 'Yes. I passed his office window and he was there. He hasn't got a friend in the world. His old partner Marley is dying.' 'Spirit, take me away!' said Scrooge. 'These things happened,' the Ghost answered, 'and they cannot be changed.' 'Please take me back! I can't watch this anymore!' At that moment the Spirit disappeared and Scrooge was in his bedroom again. He felt very tired, so he got into bed and fell asleep.

提示 一、每期五个句子，均是从四六级听力真题中选取的长难句。 二、每个句子念三遍女声，一遍男声，再一遍女声。 三、如果觉得语速过快，可以在播放器上调慢语速，多听几遍。 词汇提示 1.shrinking 减少 原文 101. They can also harm other wild species through indirect competition rather than eating them or shrinking their food supply. 它们也可以通过间接竞争而不是吃掉或减少食物供应来伤害其他野生物种。 102. I think that's a bit too formal. It's better to let people walk around and talk to each other or sit where they like. 我觉得这有点太正式了。最好让人们四处走动，互相交谈，或者坐在他们喜欢的地方。 103. With the bone finally removed from her lung, the woman is very happy that she no longer suffers from that annoying cough. 骨头终于从她的肺中取出，该女子非常高兴，她再也不用被烦人的咳嗽折磨了。 104. How about inviting people to come at 6:00 PM, then we'll have the afternoon to prepare food and drink and stuff like that? 不如邀请大家下午6点来，这样我们可以在下午准备食物、饮料之类的东西？ 105. I think I might try that big new supermarket on the other side of town, see what they have. I've not been there before. 我想我可以去镇上另一边新开的大超市，看看他们有什么。我以前没去过那家超市。

听前提示 一、三遍英文，一遍中文，再一遍英文。 二、从听懂的词入手，理解句子含义。 三、根据中英文意思，听不懂的多听几遍。 词汇提示 1.jealous 嫉妒 2.jockeys 骑手 3.grip 紧握 原文 391. In the absence of a better idea I had to choose this method. 由于没有更好的主意，我只好选择这种方法。 392. To be an interesting person you have to feed and exercise your mind. 要想成为一个有趣的人，你必须要充实大脑，锻炼思维。 393. The influence of the strong dollars on the US economy has become very serious. 强势美元对美国经济的影响已经变得非常严重。 394. The train was just on the point of starting when I got to the station. 我到车站时，火车正要开。 395. If you hear from Jenny, could you tell her I would like to see her? 如果你接到珍妮的电话，能告诉她我想见她吗? 396. Paul makes it a rule not to be late for his appointments. 保罗定下了约会不迟到的规矩。 397. In UK they have much rain at this time of the year. 英国每年这个时候雨水很多。 398. It will not make much difference whether you go today or tomorrow. 你今天去还是明天去都没有多大关系。 399. The other girls are jealous of Lily because she is extremely pretty. 其他女孩都嫉妒莉莉，因为她非常漂亮。 400. Before the horse race begins, the jockeys grip there ins tightly to restrain the impatient horses. 赛马开始前，骑手们紧紧地抓住缰绳，约束住那些性急的马儿。

词汇提示 1.monarchies 君主制 2.Tsars 沙皇 3.herit 继承 4.hemophilia 血友病 5.existence 生活 6.peasant 农民 7.slum 贫民窟 8.deposed 罢免 原文 Anastasia and the Russian Revolution The twentieth century brought many changes to traditional cultures around the world. Some of the most radical changes occurred in the Russian Empire, which had one of the oldest monarchies in Europe. In 1917-18 the rule of the Tsars was replaced by the world's first communist government led by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. No one was more affected by these changes than Anastasia, the Tsar's youngest daughter. Between 1895 and 1901, Tsar Nicholas Il and his wife Alexandra, became the parents of four beautiful and healthy daughters - Olga, Tatiana, Marie and Anastasia. However, since a girl could not in herit the throne of Russia, it was important for Alexandra to give birth to a son. Finally, in 1904, the Tsar and Tsarina had a son, Aleksei. This event, which should have made the whole family very happy, proved to be a source of great sorrow. Aleksei was soon found to have an incurable disease. This disease, hemophilia, meant that Aleksei regularly suffered from uncontrollable internal and external bleedingwhich left him very weak. The Tsar and Tsarina loved their children. The girls, who didn't have to worry about becoming rulers, led a fairly carefree existence. Anastasia and her sisters lived in a palace with hundreds of servants. They attended many society parties with their parents. The most elaborate parties were the grand balls,where everyone dressed in their finest clothes and danced all through the night. The absolute rule of the Tsar was not popular with everybody. The majority of the population was poor peasant farmers who could barely keep themselves and their families alive. If they moved into the city to get jobs in the factories, they had to work long hours for very low wages,and live in slum conditions. Popular opposition forced the Tsar in 1905 to give up some of his power to an elected parliament. They all lived a happy life together. They moved from palace to palace, attended by their private tutors, visiting the beach, and sailing on the royal yacht. Anastasia was the clown of the family. Many of her photos of the royal family in happy times survive. The Empress Alexandra worried about her son and became ill. War with Germany broke out in 1914, and the Russians suffered many defeats and losses. In March 1917, there was popular revolution, and the Tsar was deposed. From that time on, the royal family was prisoners. At first, they were treated kindly, but in November, the Bolsheviks or communists gained control of the revolution. Lenin and his followers hated the Tsar. Because of fears that they might escape, they were brought back to Ekaterinburg in the Ural region. Here, after midnight on June 19, 1918, the entire royal family was shot by the Bolsheviks. To some, this news was too dreadful to be believed. The thought that the Tsar's lively and beautiful daughters had been killed was too hard to bear. Within a couple of years, a woman who went by the name of Anna Anderson appeared in western Europe. She claimed to be Anastasia. With the fall of the Soviet Union, it was possible to investigate the murder of the royal family. It was also possible to prove that Anna Anderson was not the real Anastasia. After a long search, the bodies of Anastasia and Aleksei were found. They had died with the rest of the family. 翻译 阿纳斯塔西娅与俄国革命 二十世纪给世界各地的传统文化带来了许多变化。 一些最激进的变化发生在俄罗斯帝国，该帝国拥有欧洲最古老的君主国之一。 1917-18年，沙皇的统治被弗拉基米尔·伊里奇·列宁领导的世界上第一个共产主义政府所取代。 没有人比沙皇的小女儿阿纳斯塔西娅更受这些变化的影响。 1895年至1901年间，沙皇尼古拉二世和他的妻子亚历山德拉育有四个美丽健康的女儿——奥尔加、塔蒂亚娜、玛丽和阿纳斯塔西娅。 然而，由于女孩不能继承俄罗斯的王位，亚历山德拉生下一个儿子很重要。 最后，1904年，沙皇和沙皇有了一个儿子，阿列克谢。 这件本来应该让全家人都很高兴的事，却被证明是一件令人悲痛的事。 阿列克谢很快被发现患有不治之症。 这种疾病，血友病，意味着阿列克谢经常遭受无法控制的内外出血，这使他非常虚弱。 沙皇和沙皇爱他们的孩子。 这些女孩不必担心成为统治者，过着相当无忧无虑的生活。 阿纳斯塔西娅和她的姐妹们住在一座有数百名仆人的宫殿里。 他们和父母一起参加了许多社交聚会。 最精致的派对是盛大的舞会，每个人都穿着最好的衣服，彻夜跳舞。 沙皇的绝对统治并不是每个人都喜欢的。 大多数人口是贫穷的农民，他们几乎无法维持自己和家人的生活。 如果他们进城在工厂里找工作，他们就必须工作很长时间，工资很低，生活在贫民窟。 1905年，民众的反对迫使沙皇将部分权力交给民选议会。 他们都过着幸福的生活。 他们从一座宫殿搬到另一座宫殿，由私人导师陪同，参观海滩，并乘坐皇家游艇航行。 阿纳斯塔西娅是家里的小丑。 她在幸福时光中拍摄的许多王室照片都保存了下来。 皇后亚历山德拉担心她的儿子，病了。 1914年与德国爆发战争，俄罗斯人遭受了多次失败和损失。 1917年3月，发生了人民革命，沙皇被废黜。 从那时起，王室就成了囚犯。 起初，他们受到了善待，但在11月，布尔什维克或共产主义者控制了革命。 列宁及其追随者憎恨沙皇。 由于担心他们会逃跑，他们被带回乌拉尔地区的叶卡捷琳堡。 1918年6月19日午夜过后，整个王室被布尔什维克枪杀。 对一些人来说，这个消息太可怕了，令人难以置信。 一想到沙皇活泼美丽的女儿被杀，就难以忍受。 几年内，一位名叫安娜·安德森的女士出现在西欧。 她自称是阿纳斯塔西娅。 随着苏联解体，调查王室谋杀案成为可能。 也有可能证明安娜·安德森不是真正的阿纳斯塔西娅。 经过长时间的搜索，阿纳斯塔西娅和阿列克谢的尸体被找到了。 他们和家人一起去世了。