Batman Begins by Goyer David 词汇提示 1.Bhutan 不丹 2.crack 爆裂声 3.manor 庄园 4.thick 厚的 原文 Chapter I: The Blue Flower Bruce Wayne was in prison in Bhutan, a country far away from his home in Gotham City in America. One day, he was waiting for breakfast with all the other prisoners. They stood in lines. After a long time, Bruce got his plate of horrible food. He took the plate and walked to a table. A very big man stood in front of him. 'Give me your food,' said the man. 'No,' Bruce said. The man hit Bruce in the face. Bruce dropped his plate and fell to the floor. When he got up, there were seven big men in front of him. Two of them took Bruce by the arms. He used his legs - hard - and they fell. Then -CRRAAACCCCK! At the sound of the gun, all the prisoners quickly got down on the floor. A prison officer took Bruce's arm. 'You're coming with me,' he said. 'Why?' asked Bruce. 'So I'm safe?' 'No,' said the officer. 'So they're safe!' The officer pushed Bruce into a room and closed the door with a bang. It was very dark in the room, but Bruce saw that he was not alone. There was a man in the corner. He didn't look like a prisoner. He wore good clothes. 'My name is Ducard,' he said. 'I work for Ra's al Ghul. Do you know him?' 'Is he a criminal?' Bruce asked. 'He is not a criminal,' said Ducard. 'He is a great man with very clever ideas. He knows that you're in trouble, Mr. Wayne. He wants to help you.' Ducard walked to the door and shouted. The officer came and opened it. Ducard turned to Bruce. 'There is a very special flower,' he said. 'It grows on the mountain near here. It's blue. Find it and take it to the top of the mountain. There you will find the answer to your question.' 'And what is my question?' asked Bruce. "'Where am I going?"" said Ducard. And he left. 'Why is Ducard interested in me? How does he know about me?' Bruce asked himself. He sat on the hard bed and began to think about his life. He remembered that terrible day in Gotham many years ago. He is a little boy. He is playing with his friend, Rachel. They are running in the garden at his home, Wayne Manor. There is an old well in the garden. Bruce climbs onto the well and laughs. 'Look at me, Rachel, I'm-' Suddenly he isn't laughing. He's shouting. 'Help! Help! I'm falling-' And he falls down and down and down into the dark well. He hits the floor with a bang! 'Agh! My leg!' he cries. It feels terrible. Then he hears some strange sounds. He isn't alone in the well! Help! What is it? He looks up and sees a cloud of terrible black things. Bats! They are flying towards him and into him. Their teeth are like knives. He thinks he is going to die. He makes himself into a ball and shouts. 'Help! Help!' Then everything goes black. The next thing he remembers... he is in bed. The only person in the bedroom with him is Alfred. Alfred has always worked for the Wayne family. 'You had a very bad fall, Master Bruce,' says Alfred. 'But you're going to be OK.' Alfred waits for a moment, then he asks, 'Why do we fall, Master Bruce?' Bruce knows the answer, but he can't remember it. 'I can't remember,' says Bruce. 'Tell me.' 'We fall,' says Alfred with a smile, 'so that we can learn to get up again.' Bruce started to climb the mountain. He found the blue flower easily. He climbed higher. Up and up he went. It got colder and colder. Soon he was walking on ice. It started to snow heavily. Bruce was cold and unhappy. And very tired. 'I have to get to the top,' he thought, 'but I don't know if I can.' Then at last he saw a big building. He pushed open the heavy door and went in. Ra's al Ghul was sitting in a big chair. Ducard was next to him. And there was a line of Ninjas with swords in their hands...ready to fight. Bruce was frightened. He quickly showed them the blue flower in his hand. Ducard took the flower. 'Are you ready to start?' he asked. 'Ready? Oh no,' Bruce said, 'I'm so tired.' Ducard threw him to the floor. 'You must always be ready,' he said. 'Here we will teach you to be ready.' One day, Ducard said to Bruce, 'You're not frightened of me, are you, Bruce? What are you frightened of?' 'Bats,' answered Bruce, and he told Ducard about the bats in the well. 'My father told me something important about the bats in the well.' He said, "The bats flew at you because they were frightened of you. All things are frightened of something, even scary things like bats." I didn't know that. My father was very clever. I loved him very much. But soon after that, he died. A criminal killed both my parents. His name was Joe Chill.' It's the evening. They are at a play. Suddenly there are bats in the show. They fly around above the singers and dancers. Bruce is frightened, so they leave early. But in the street outside, there is a man with a gun. He wants money. He takes their money but he wants more. And then- BANG! - he fires his gun. Bruce's mother shouts. Bruce's father falls to the floor. BANG! He fires again. Bruce's mother falls to the floor. This is the worst moment of Bruce's life. And it is all his fault. 'It wasn't your fault, Bruce,' said Ducard.'You were very young.' He was giving Bruce a lesson on a river. It was thick ice. They were fighting with swords. 'You must always look very carefully at the things around you, Bruce,' said Ducard. Suddenly he hit the ice with his sword. CRRAAACCCCK! The ice broke and Bruce crashed into the black water below. Bruce had lessons with Ducard for many months. He learned to fight with his hands and his feet. He learned to fight with a sword and climb tall buildings quickly and quietly. He learned many things. But most of all he learned to use his ears and eyes, and he learned how to think quickly. 'It's time to test you,' said Ducard one day. 'Today you must fight all the Ninjas.' So Bruce fought all the Ninjas with his sword. It was a very long fight, but in the end he won. 'You fight very well now,' said Ducard. 'I think you are ready.'

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.obstacle 障碍物 原文 121. Whatever their financial background or their educational background, most people will have something in common with each other. 无论他们的经济背景或教育背景如何，大多数人都会有一些共同点。 122. Christine said "We will pay that to anyone who brings him home, as long as they are not responsible for his disappearance. 克里斯蒂娜说，“我们会把钱付给任何带它回家的人，只要狗狗的失踪不是由他们造成。 123. Drivers on their way to the Polish capital of Warsaw on Wednesday morning found the road blocked by an unusual obstacle. 周三上午，不少人在前往波兰首都华沙的途中发现自己被一种不同寻常的障碍物拦住了去路。 124. According to the official news agency, Russian authorities have recovered more than170 gold bars weighing 20 kilograms each. 据官方通讯社报道，俄罗斯当局已经追回了170多根金条，每根金条重达20公斤。 125. Learning to ride a bike is almost always more difficult as an adult, and this can take days and weeks, rather than hours. 对于成年人来说学习骑自行车一般相对困难，可能需要几天或几周的时间，而不是几个小时。

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。 原文 431. Sorry to be so direct, but how much did you pay for this? 不好意思这么直接，你花了多少钱买的这个？ 432. This medicine, properly used, will do you a lot of good. 这种药如果使用得当，会对你大有好处。 433. Just as food feeds the body, so reading feeds the mind. 正如食物滋养身体，阅读可以涵养思想。 434. That TV station is on the air 24 hours a day. 那个电视台24小时直播。 435. Students often find it very difficult to understand a lecture in a foreign language. 学生们经常发现很难听懂另外一种语言的讲座。 436. If you stop and relax, this will relieve the tension and stress in your shoulders. 你停下来放松一下，这会减轻你肩部的紧张和压力。 437. It should be stressed that we are often influenced by advertising without being aware of it. 应该强调的是，我们经常受到广告的影响而没有察觉。 438. That's the same story as I heard when I was a child. 这和我小時候听到的故事一样。 439. John studied hard at school, while at home he helped his mother with her work. 约翰在学校努力学习，在家里帮助母亲工作。 440. However fast you may walk, you can't catch up with him. 不管你走得多快，都赶不上他。

词汇提示 1.conquering 征服 2.veteran 老水兵 3.feat 壮举 4.currents 水流 5.lamprey eels 七鳃鳗 6.corn syrup 玉米糖浆 7.liniment 搽剂 原文 Conquering Lake Ontario In 490 B. C. the Greek runner Phidippides ran the 24 miles from Marathon to Athens to announce an Athenian victory. His endurance was so much admired that runners ever since have attempted to run similar long "Marathon" distances. In the twentieth century, however, long distance swimming has also attracted attention and admiration. To swim the English Channel or Juan de Fuca Strait between Vancouver Island and the mainland have become challenges for both male and female swimmers. In September 1954, some Canadian businessman from Toronto offered veteran Californian champion Florence Chadwick $10,000 if she could swim Lake Ontario. They felt sure that such a feat would attract large crowds. Chadwick had swum the English Channel in both directions. However, no one - neither man nor woman - had crossed Lake Ontario. It was a 32-mile swim through cold water and difficult currents. Two other women also decided to take up the challenge. One, Winnie Roach Leuszler, had also swum the English Channel. The other was a 16 year old girl named Marilyn Bell. The swimmers traveled to the mouth of the Niagara River on the south side of Lake Ontario. They would swim from Youngs town, in the U.S.A., and back to Toronto. Bad weather delayed the swim for several days. During the night of September 8th the weather cleared, and the swimmers entered the water before midnight. Guided by her coach's flashlight, Marilyn swam through the dark water and soon passed Chadwick, who was lifted from the water after swimming 12 miles. Leuszler made it further, but she too eventually had to give up. Marilyn not only had to overcome her fears of the dark, but she was attacked during the night by blood-sucking lamprey eels. She was able to knock these off with her fist. As dawn approached, the winds and waves increased, and Marilyn's weariness mounted. Her coach, Gus Ryder, passed her some corn syrup on a stick, and later gave her liniment for her tired legs. He wrote messages on a blackboard to encourage her to keep going. Sometimes, he tricked her into thinking that she was nearer to the shore than she was. Marilyn fell asleep in the water twice and had to be awakened. The second time, a friend of hers jumped into the water beside her, and swam with her for a distance. Because Marilyn's strength was declining, she was being pushed off course by the currents. Although the direct route was 32 miles, Marilyn swam a total of 45 miles. The last few miles were extremely difficult. Marilyn's family and the lifeguards felt that she should be taken out of the water. But her coach threatened to quit as her coach if the swimmer gave up. It was getting dark again, and the swimmer was barely conscious as she approached the shore. Thousands of people lined the shore hoping to touch her or get a picture of her. Marilyn's supporters had to push the crowds back so they wouldn't stop her from touching the shore. Finally, after 21 hours in the water, Marilyn reached land. The exhausted girl was rushed to an ambulance. She had lost about 20 pounds of her 120 pounds weight in the crossing. Finally she was able to sleep. Huge crowds came out to see her the next day,and two days later there was a parade in her honor through the streets of Toronto. Everyone admired the courage and endurance of the 16 year-old girl,who became the first person to swim across Lake Ontario. 翻译 征服安大略湖 公元前490年，希腊选手菲迪皮德斯从马拉松到雅典跑了24英里，宣布雅典获胜。 他的耐力是如此令人钦佩，以至于从那以后，跑步者们都尝试跑类似的“马拉松”长跑。 然而，在二十世纪，长距离游泳也引起了人们的关注和钦佩。 在温哥华岛和大陆之间的英吉利海峡或胡安·德富卡海峡游泳对男女游泳运动员来说都是挑战。 1954年9月，一位来自多伦多的加拿大商人向加州老牌冠军弗洛伦斯·查德威克（Florence Chadwick）提供了10000美元，如果她能游安大略湖的话。 他们确信这样的壮举会吸引大批观众。 查德威克在英吉利海峡上游了两个方向。 然而，没有人——无论男女——穿过安大略湖。 这是一次32英里的游泳，穿过冰冷的海水和湍急的水流。 另外两名女性也决定接受挑战。 其中一位，温妮·罗奇·卢斯勒（Winnie Roach Leuszler）也曾游过英吉利海峡。 另一个是一个名叫玛丽莲·贝尔的16岁女孩。 游泳者游到了安大略湖南侧的尼亚加拉河口。 他们将从美国的扬斯镇游回多伦多。 恶劣的天气使游泳推迟了好几天。 9月8日夜间，天气转晴，游泳运动员在午夜前下水。 在教练手电筒的指引下，玛丽莲在黑暗的水中游泳，很快就经过了查德威克，查德威克在游了12英里后被从水中抬了出来。 卢斯勒做得更进一步，但她最终也不得不放弃。 玛丽莲不仅要克服对黑暗的恐惧，而且在晚上还被吸血的七鳃鳗袭击。 她能用拳头把这些打下来。 随着黎明的临近，风浪越来越大，玛丽莲的疲惫感也越来越重。 她的教练古斯·莱德（Gus Ryder）在一根棍子上递给她一些玉米糖浆，后来给她涂了搽剂，以治疗她疲惫的腿。 他在黑板上留言鼓励她坚持下去。 有时，他欺骗她，使她认为自己比实际离海岸更近。 玛丽莲在水中睡着了两次，不得不被唤醒。 第二次，她的一个朋友跳到她身边的水里，和她一起游了一段距离。 因为玛丽莲的力量在下降，她被水流推离了航道。 虽然直接路线是32英里，但玛丽莲总共游了45英里。 最后几英里非常艰难。 玛丽莲的家人和救生员认为她应该被带出水面。 但她的教练威胁说，如果这位游泳运动员放弃，她将辞去教练的职务。 天又黑了，游泳运动员接近岸边时几乎没有知觉。 成千上万的人在岸边排队，希望能触摸她或拍到她的照片。 玛丽莲的支持者不得不把人群往后推，以免阻止她上岸。 最后，在水中21个小时后，玛丽莲到达了陆地。 筋疲力尽的女孩被紧急送往救护车。 她在穿越中减掉了120磅体重中的20磅。 她终于可以睡觉了。 第二天，大批群众出来看她，两天后，在多伦多街头举行了一场为她举行的游行。 每个人都钦佩这位16岁女孩的勇气和耐力，她成为第一个横渡安大略湖的人。

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 词汇提示 1.glorious 美妙的 原文 Chapter VI: 'A Merry Christmas, Mr. Scrooge!' The bed was his, the room was his, and best of all, he still had time to be a better man. He jumped out of bed. 'I will live with the spirits of the past, present and future in me!' he said, on his knees and with tears in his eyes. 'Thankyou. Jacob Marley! God bless Christmas!' Then he put on his clothes. 'My clothes are here: I am here. But the future is not here yet and I can change it!' he said, laughing and crying at the same time. 'What shall I do first? Oh, I feel as light as a feather! I'm as happy as an angel! A Merry Christmas to everybody! A Happy New Year to all the world!' He danced in the sitting-room and looked around. 'There's the door where Jacob Marley came in. There's the place where the Ghost of Christmas Present sat.There's the window where I saw the ghosts in the air. It's all right, it's all true, It all happened!' And he laughed and laughed. Then the church bells rang - ding, dong, ding, dong! It was a glorious sound! He opened the window and put out his head. No fog. It was a bright, sunny day and the air was cold and sweet. 'What's today?' Scrooge shouted to a boy in the street. 'Eh?' The boy looked very surprised. 'What's today, my boy?' 'It's Christmas Day.' 'Christmas Day!' Scrooge said happily to himself. 'So the Spirits did everything in one night. Hey, boy! Do you know the butcher's shop in the next street?' 'Of course!' 'You're an intelligent boy! Do you know if they've sold that big turkey in the window?' 'You mean the one as bigas me?' 'What a nice boy!' said Scrooge. 'Yes, that one.' 'No. It's still there.' 'Is it? Oh, good! Go and buy it for me, will you? Tell them to bring it here. If you come back in five minutes, I'll give you half-a-crown.' The boy ran as fast as possible to the shop. 'I'll send it to Bob Cratchit,' Scrooge said. 'Ha, ha! He won't know who sent it!' And he wrote Bob's address on a piece of paper. When the butcher's man arrived with the enormous turkey, Scrooge told him to call a cab. He paid for the turkey and the cab, and he gave the boy half-a-crown. He was laughing all the time. Then he put on his coat and walked along the street. He looked at all the people with a happy smile. 'Good morning!' people said to him. 'A Merry Christmas to you!' And Scrooge answered in the same way. 'Ah, there are the two gentlemen who were asking for money in my office yesterday,' he said. 'How do you do my dear sirs! A Merry Christmas to you!' 'Mr. Scrooge?' asked one of them. 'Yes. That's my name and perhaps you don't like me. Please excuse me for yesterday. Listen.….'Scrooge spoke quietly in the man's ear. 'Are you serious, Mr. Scrooge?' The man was very surprised. 'Of course. Can you do me that favor?' 'My dear Scrooge, that's very generous! I don't know what to say to thank you.' 'Don't say anything. Come and see me tomorrow. I'll give it to you then. All right?' Then Scrooge continued walking. He watched the people, he kissed little children, he played with some dogs, he looked at everything with love, and he felt very happy. In the afternoon he went to his nephew's house. Everybody was in the dining-room. 'Fred!' said Scrooge at the door. 'My God! Who's that?' cried Fred. 'It's your Uncle Scrooge. I have come to dinner. Can I come in, Fred?' 'Come in? Of course, uncle! You're very welcome.' Everybody was happy to see Scrooge and he was happy to see them. They ate a wonderful dinner, and then they played wonderful games and had a wonderful time! Scrooge was in his office early the next morning. He was waiting for Bob Cratchit. Of course, he knew Bob would be late. Nine o'clock and no Bob. A quarter past nine. No Bob. At nine-twenty Bob ran in. He went into his room immediately and started to work fast. 'Hallo!' Scrooge said in his old angry voice. 'You're late!' 'I'm very sorry, sir!' Bob answered. 'Are you? Come here, Cratchit.' 'It's only once a year, sir,' said poor Bob. 'It won't happen again.' 'Well, my friend, I hope not,' Scrooge said with a big smile. 'Because I'm going to give you a bigger salary!' Bob trembled. He couldn't believe his ears. 'A merry Christmas, Bob!' said Scrooge. 'This will be your happiest Christmas! Yes, I'm going to give you a lot more money and I'm going to help your poor family. Come on make a very big fire and let's have a drink. Bob Cratchit!' Scrooge gave Bob more money, helped his family and did much more. Tiny Tim did NOT die and Scrooge was a second father to him. He became a good friend, a good manager and a good man. A few people laughed at him, of course, but he knew that some people always laugh at anything new, strange, and good. He often laughed now and that was the most important thing to him. He didn't see the Spirits again, and he celebrated every Christmas with all his heart. And, like Tiny Tim he said, 'God bless everyone!' THE END

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.concept 概念 2.commitment 承诺 原文 116. Surprisingly, the Space Roaster concept-should it go ahead-will not be the first attempt to take coffee into space. 令人惊讶的是，太空烘焙机这一概念——如果能继续进行一一那将不会是第一次尝试将咖啡带到太空。 117. The three hours a day that used to spend on walking to and from English language lessons has been reduced to just one hour. 过去每天花在步行上英语课和放学上英语课上的三个小时已经减少到只有一个小时。 118. He went on to say that if love is defined as a long-term commitment, meaning dogs seek one another out when they're apart. 他接着说，如果爱被定义为一种长期的承诺，那就意味着狗在分开的时候会互相寻找。 119. They can also reduce sweets and provide healthier snacks in the office and healthier meals at the company canteen. 他们还可以减少办公室里甜食的供应，将其改换成更加健康的零食，同时让公司食堂提供的膳食更加健康。 120. Each March, this tiny village swells up in numbers because it is located in the middle of a race that takes place every year. 每年三月，这座小村庄会人满为患，因为其位于每年举行的比赛赛段的中间地点。

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.scholar 学者 2.dumb 笨的 3.periodical 期刊 原文 421. It will soon be possible for us to go direct to New York by air. 不久我们就可以直接乘飞机去纽约了。 422. Some of the students were from Asia and the others were from Europe. 有些学生來自亚洲，其余的来自欧洲。 423. Our rent is four times as much as it was ten years ago. 我们现在的房租是十年前的四倍。 424. According to some scholars, a major earthquake could occur at any moment now. 一些学者认为，现在随时都可能发生大地震。 425. These potato chips are good enough to make you want more. 这些薯片味道太好了，让你不禁还想再吃。 426. Arriving at the station, I found the train had already left. 到达车站时，我发现火车已经开走了。 427. I'm so dumb... I'm trying to explain things to you that I don't understand myself. 我太笨了……我在试着向你解释一些我自己都不明白的事情。 428. Excuse me but, would you kindly lift that box for me? 对不起，你能帮我抬起那个箱子吗？ 429. I want to buy this material fora new dress. How much does it cost? 我想买这料子做新衣服。多少钱? 430. There are a number of shops selling foreign books and periodicals. 有许多商店出售外文书刊。

词汇提示 1.comic strip 连环画 2.snagged 钩住 3.illustrates 表现出 4.insecurities 缺少安全感 5.wishy-washy 稀里糊涂 6.preoccupied 一门心思 7.tomboy 假小子 8.stuffed toys 毛绒玩具 原文 Charlie Brown On October 2, 1950, a new comic strip appeared in American newspapers. The "hero" of the strip was around-headed kid named Charlie Brown. In the very first cartoon, two young school mates watch Charlie Brown walking by, and one comments, "Well! Here comes ol' Charlie Brown. Yes, Sir! Good ol' Charlie Brown. How I hate him. This comic strip was to become one of the most popular in history. Its creator, Charles M. Schultz, drew the strip for 50 years until his death. But reruns of "Peanuts" still appear regularly in the newspaper. What are some of the characteristics of Charlie Brown and his friends that have made the cartoon popular? Charlie Brown is an unlikely hero. Other kids don't like being around him because the things he does never seem to work out properly. Kids want to be with someone who is good-looking, popular and successful, so that they can feel a part of his success. Charlie Brown is always worrying, hardly ever up-beat, afraid of failure, and always making mistakes. His kite gets snagged in a tree, he needs counseling from Lucy, his dog Snoopy is more popular than he is, and the little red-haired girl never notices him. In short, Charlie Brown is a "loser. Charlie Brown illustrates all the insecurities that kids have. Many of these anxieties carry over into adult life. Sometimes, they reflect problems in the life of the comic strip's Schulz. Schulz suffered from depression much of his life and had a difficult time in school. He was not very popular with his classmates. Humor and laughter are often a way of dealing with problems. And in the "Peanuts" strip, the world can laugh at all the silly little things that people do. Because of its honest way of dealing with problems,Charlie Brown and his friends are more interesting than the average comic strip characters. The characters represent adult personality types. Charlie Brown is "wishy-washy," and is afraid to do things for fear of failure. Lucy is a pushy over bearing female, who thinks she knows it all. Linus, her younger brother, is intellectual but insecure. He still clings to his baby blanket for security. Schroeder is preoccupied with Beethoven's music to the exclusion of everything else. Sally, Charlie Brown's younger sister, combines both a romantic attachment to Linus and a desire for material things. Peppermint Patty is a tomboy who loves baseball, but nonetheless has a romantic crush on Charlie Brown. Snoopy, the dog, represents a cool detached inventive in dividual who also relies on basic creature comforts. These characters add up to a "human comedy. In the comic strip, we can see ourselves and the people around us: making mistakes, getting second chances,but tending to do the same things over again. Behind the humor of "Peanuts" there is a serious message. Words can hurt. Relationships are important. Truth is difficult to find. Criticism is too common. Greed can easily overpower us. These messages are both timeless and timely. "Peanuts" has also been turned into television specials and several movies. Snoopy stuffed toys are popular all over the world. A huge industry has grown from a simple comic strip. Perhaps this means that, while we all secretly want to be "winners,"we really identify more closely with the Charlie Browns of this world! 翻译 查理·布朗 1950年10月2日，美国报纸上出现了一幅新的连环画。 这部电影的“英雄”是一个名叫查理·布朗的小男孩。 在第一幅漫画中，两位年轻的同学看着查理·布朗走过，其中一位同学评论道：“哦！老好人查理·布朗来了。是的，先生！查理·布朗，我真讨厌他。”。 这部连环画将成为历史上最受欢迎的连环画之一。 它的创造者查尔斯·M·舒尔茨（Charles M.Schultz）画了50年，直到他去世。 但《花生漫画》的重播仍然经常出现在报纸上。 查理·布朗（Charlie Brown）和他的朋友们的哪些特点使这部动画片大受欢迎？ 查理·布朗是个不太像的英雄。 其他孩子不喜欢和他在一起，因为他做的事情似乎永远都做不好。 孩子们希望和一个长得好看、受欢迎、成功的人在一起，这样他们就能感受到他的成功。 查理·布朗总是令人担忧，几乎乐观过，害怕失败，而且总是犯错误。 他的风筝被树钩住了，他需要露西的辅导，他的狗史努比比他更受欢迎，而红头发的小女孩从来没有注意到他。 简而言之，查理·布朗是个“失败者”。 查理·布朗展示了孩子们所有的不安全感。 这些焦虑中的许多都会延续到成年人的生活中。 有时，它们反映了漫画作者舒尔茨生活中的问题。 舒尔茨一生中大部分时间都患有抑郁症，在学校度过了一段艰难的时光。 他不太受同学欢迎。 幽默和笑声通常是处理问题的一种方式。 在花生地带，世界可以嘲笑人们做的所有愚蠢的小事。 由于其诚实的处理问题的方式，查理·布朗和他的朋友比一般的漫画人物更有趣。 这些字符代表成人的性格类型。 查理·布朗是个“一厢情愿的人”，害怕失败而不敢做事。 露西是一个容易冲动的女人，她认为自己无所不知。 她的弟弟莱纳斯很聪明，但缺乏安全感。 为了安全起见，他仍然紧紧抓住婴儿毯。 施罗德专注于贝多芬的音乐而忽略了其他一切。 查理·布朗的妹妹萨莉既对莱纳斯有着浪漫的依恋，又对物质的渴望。 薄荷派帕蒂是一个喜欢棒球的假小子，但却对查理·布朗有着浪漫的迷恋。 史努比，这只狗，代表了一个冷静、独立的个体，它也依赖于基本的生物舒适。 这些角色加起来就是“人类喜剧” 在漫画中，我们可以看到自己和周围的人在犯错误，获得第二次机会，但倾向于重复同样的事情。 在“花生”的幽默背后，有一个严肃的信息。 言语会伤人。 人际关系很重要。 真相很难找到。 批评太常见了。 贪婪很容易压倒我们。 这些信息既永恒又及时。 《花生》也被拍成了电视特辑和几部电影。 史努比毛绒玩具在全世界都很流行。 一个巨大的产业已经从一个简单的连环漫画发展而来。 也许这意味着，虽然我们都暗自想成为“赢家”，但我们真的更加认同这个世界上的查理·布朗！

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。