The Curse of the Black Pear by Irene Trimble 原文 Chapter XI: The Blood of a Pirate Will and Elizabeth arrived at the Interceptor. "Where's Jack?" asked Gibbs. "Yes, where's Jack?" asked Ana Maria. "Jack? Jack Sparrow? "Elizabeth wasn't happy. She didn't want the help of a pirate. "He'son the island, "Will told them. "We have to go - now." "OK,"said Gibbs. "Get ready!" he shouted to the other sailors. Will and Elizabeth went to the back of the boat. Will looked into Elizabeth's eyes. He moved nearer but Elizabeth stopped him. "This is yours," she said. She gave him the gold medallion. "What's this?" he asked. "Don't you remember? You had it when I found you." "Oh yes," said Will. He looked at the medallion. "It was my father's." And then he understood. "They have to have my blood - not yours. My father's blood. The blood of a pirate!" Jack and Barbossa sat at a table on the Black Pearl. "Ah,my ship," Jack said. "It isn't your ship now," Barbossa said angrily. " You give me my ship," Jack said, "and I'll give you a name. You'll have your blood. And I want to say thank you." "Why?" "You left me on that island," Jack said. "You took the gold, and the curse went with it. But the curse isn't on me. So thank you!" A pirate came in. "We can see the Interceptor," he said. "Get the guns ready," shouted Barbossa. "Why don't I go onto the ship and talk to them?" Jack said. "I'll get your medallion." "No,you won't." Barbossa turned to his sailors. "Take him downstairs - and watch him!" The Black Pearl moved faster and faster. The sailors on the Interceptor watched the pirate ship. "It's too fast," Gibbs shouted. "We're too heavy," said Ana Maria. They threw everything into the water: boxes, bottles, food. But the Black Pearl was very near them now. Then it was at their side. The fight was short, and Barbossa's pirates quickly won. They took Elizabeth and Jack's sailors onto the Black Pearl. Barbossa had the medallion in his hand. Suddenly,Will was there in front of him! He had a gun. "She goes free!" he said. "Elizabeth goes free." "No,she doesn't, boy," said Barbossa. "Put down that gun. You can't kill me. We're ghosts. We can't die." "You can't. But I can." Will put the gun to his head. "My name is Will Turner. My father was Bill Turner. His blood is my blood!" The pirates looked at Will. They didn't move. "Without my blood," said Will, "the curse will always be with you." He was right. The pirates knew it. "OK,Mr. Turner," said Barbossa. "What do you want?" "Elizabeth goes free." "Yes.We know that. And?" Will thought hard. This game was new to him. "And...and the sailors of the Interceptor." "OK,"said Barbossa. Will put down his gun. Barbossa took it and smiled. "Jack and the girl will go to that island," he said. He showed them a very small island near the boat. "But they won't be free!" shouted Will. "You said..." "They will be free. But they'll be free on that island."

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 291. I can't put up with that noise any longer. 我无法再忍受那噪音了。 292. You may as well tell me all about it. 你不妨告诉我一切。 293. A good cook doesn't throw out yesterday's soup. 一个好的厨师不会丢掉昨天的汤。 294. I couldn't enter because the door was closed. 我因为门关着进不去。 295. For some reason the microphone didn't work earlier. 不知为什么，刚才我的麦克风没声音。 296. The weather was so cold that the lake froze over. 天冷得湖面都结冰了。 297. How come you know so much about Japanese history? 你为什么知道这么多的日本历史？ 298. The coral reef is the region's prime attraction. 珊瑚礁是这个地区的主要景点。 299. Their contract is to run out at the end of this month. 他们的合同在这个月底到期。 300. Some people like red wine and some people like white wine. 有人喜欢红酒，有人喜欢白酒。

听前提示 一、每期提供10个单词，每个单词都会有2-3个例句，方便理解记忆。 二、每个单词和句子都会重复5遍，其中第2遍为慢速，有助于识别。 三、本材料的整体难度较低，可以用来听力磨耳朵和单词查漏补缺。 Day 21 201. Badly adv.严重地；拙劣地；非常；不友好地，恶劣地；不利地，负面地 The crops were badly damaged by the storm. 农作物受到暴风雨的严重破坏。 I'm bleeding badly. 我流血得很厉害。 He was badly injured in the accident, but now he's fully restored. 他在事故中受了重伤，但现在他已经完全康复了。 202. Bag n.袋，包；v.把.....装进袋子 Where is your bag? 你的包在哪里？ There's something wrong here, it's not my bag. 这里出了点问题，不是我的包。 Don't put that damp towel into the bag. 不要把那条湿毛巾放进袋子里。 203. Baggage n.行李；思想包袱，成见 Where can I pick up my baggage? 我可以在哪里领取行李？ Please help me with this heavy baggage. 请帮我处理这个沉重的行李。 Where can l get my baggage? 我在哪里可以拿到行李？ 204. Bake v.炎热，灼热；烤，烘，焙；炙烤，受晒n.烤制食品 Do you fry it or bake it? 你油炸还是烤？ 205. Balance n.平衡，均衡；账户余额；天平；v.保持平衡；使收支平衡； Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving. 生活就像骑自行车一样。为了保持平衡，你必须继续前进。 He lost his balance and fell off the ladder. 他失去了平衡，从梯子上掉下来了。 She's trying to balance her work and home lives. 她正在努力平衡自己的工作和家庭生活。 206. Ball n.球，球状物；球类运动；舞会 Let'sget the ball rolling. 让我们开始滚球吧。 The ball rolled down the hill. 球从山上滚下来。 He kicked the ball into the goal. 他把球踢进了球门。 207. Bandage n.绷带v.用绷带包扎 He had a bandage on his arm. 他的手臂上有绷带。 208. Bank n.银行；储蓄罐；库存，库；v.把（钱）存入银行，把….…储存入库； The bank loaned her 500 dollars. 银行借了她500美元。 How can I transfer money from my bank account to his? 我怎样才能将钱从我的银行账户转到他的？ Previously,I worked at a bank. 以前，我在一家银行工作。 209. Bar n.酒吧；吧台；小吃店；v.阻止，禁止 prep.除了……以外 The bar is closed until further notice. 酒吧关闭，直至另行通知。 Celebrate what you've accomplished, but raise the bar a little higher each time you succeed. 庆祝你所取得的成就，但每次成功时都会把门槛提高一点。 He bought an orange and a bar of chocolate. 他买了一个橙子和一块巧克力。 210. Bargain n.便宜货，减价品；协议，交易v.讨价还价，谈判 That was a bargain indeed. 这确实很划算。 Have you forgotten our bargain? 你忘记我们的讨价还价了吗？

词汇提示 1.garage 车库 2.lawn 草坪 3.dealer 经销商 4.antique 古董 5.flea 跳蚤 6.motto 座右铭 7.boast 夸耀 8.catalogues 目录 9.attic 阁楼 原文 Garage Sales and Yard Sales Every Saturday morning in our part of the world - except in winter - many people drive around the city looking for yard sales. Yard sales, or garage sales, often take place in the driveway of someone's home, or perhaps on the front lawn. The homeowners take out all the stuff they don't want and arrange it in front of their house. Usually,they put a price tag on items. People driving by will stop to see if there is anything they want. Many people spend every Saturday morning shopping at yard sales. If they find that they have bought too many things, then they have a yard sale of their own. Some of the shoppers are dealers who buy things for resale. Sometimes they resell them at their own yard sales. But some dealers are professionals who run antique stores, used bookshops, flea markets or used furniture and appliance stores. Usually the dealers will try to get to the yard sale before anyone else. That way they have the best selection. Often they will try to buy items for less than the price tag says. The cheaper they can buy the item, the more profit they can make when they resell it. Their motto is, "Buy low. Sell high." Sometimes a merchant will boast that he paid one dollar for a glass or china cup at a yard sale, and sold it for $100 at his store, or on the Internet. By having catalogues that show the value of "collectibles," dealers can sometimes make large profits. Now,however, many of the people having yard sales will try to check the value of the things they are selling first. So it is getting harder to get a real bargain. One reason for yard sales is that North Americans often live in big houses, which fill up with things. People may use the basement, the attic, the spare room and the garage to store things that they are not using. If they store things in their garage, all they have to do is open the garage door to have a garage sale. When children grow up and move away, the parents will often sell the children's old clothes, toys and furniture. Another reason for yard sales is that there are a lot of things that people might like,but don't want to pay full price for. For example, if someone likes to read novels, they may be happy to pay one dollar for a book at a yard sale,rather than 20 or 30 dollars at a retail store. What sorts of things are sold at yard sales? Just about anything that you might find in a house or a yard. There are ornaments, china, home decorations, sports equipment, bicycles, games, dolls,toys, tables and chairs,lamps, appliances, books, records,paintings, clothes, record players, and much more. Some items are things that were popular a few years ago but have now gone out of fashion. This might include many toys, books and games that relate to an old television show that is no longer being shown. While a lot of older people go to yard sales, so do a lot of students. Students and young people may need cheap furniture for their apartment or a bicycle to get to school or work. They may not be able to pay full price. If you are lucky, you can find almost anything at a yard sale. The trick is to get there early. Most yard sales are advertised to start at 9:00 am, but dealers may arrive as early as 7:30 am. By 10:00 am the busiest part is already over, although most yard sales go on into the afternoon. Yard sales tend to prove the common saying that "one person's trash is another person's treasure. 翻译 车库售卖和庭院售卖 在我们这片土地上，除了冬天，每个星期六的早晨，都会有许多人开车在城市里转来转去，寻找旧货出售。 庭院销售或车库销售通常发生在某人家的车道上，或者可能在前面的草坪上。 房主把所有他们不想要的东西都拿出来，放在他们的房子前面。 通常，他们会在商品上贴上价格标签。 开车经过的人会停下来看看是否有他们想要的东西。 许多人在每周六上午在庭院大甩卖中购物。 如果他们发现他们买了太多的东西，那么他们有一个自己的庭院出售。 有些购物者是买东西转售的经销商。 有时他们会在自己的庭院拍卖会上转卖。 但有些经销商是经营古董店、二手书店、跳蚤市场或二手家具和电器店的专业人士。 通常经销商会比其他人先到旧货市场。 这样他们就有了最好的选择。 他们通常会尝试以低于标价的价格购买商品。 他们买的东西越便宜，他们转售时能赚的利润就越多。 他们的座右铭是“低价购买”。高卖。” 有时，一个商人会吹嘘他在庭院拍卖中花了一美元买了一个玻璃杯或瓷杯，而在他的商店或互联网上以100美元的价格出售。 通过拥有显示“收藏品”价值的目录，交易商有时可以赚取巨额利润。 然而，现在，许多进行庭院销售的人会先检查他们出售的东西的价值。 因此，想要买到真正的便宜货越来越难了。 庭院销售的一个原因是北美人通常住在大房子里，房子里堆满了东西。 人们可能会用地下室、阁楼、空房间和车库来存放他们不用的东西。 如果他们把东西存放在车库里，他们所要做的就是打开车库门进行车库甩卖。 当孩子们长大搬走后，父母通常会卖掉孩子们的旧衣服、玩具和家具。 庭院拍卖的另一个原因是，有很多东西人们可能喜欢，但不想付全价。 例如，如果有人喜欢读小说，他们可能会乐意在庭院拍卖中花一美元买一本书，而不是在零售店花二三十美元买一本书。 庭院旧货拍卖会上卖什么东西? 你可以在房子里或院子里找到任何东西。 有装饰品、瓷器、家庭装饰品、运动器材、自行车、游戏、娃娃、玩具、桌椅、灯具、电器、书籍、唱片、绘画、衣服、唱机等等。 有些东西几年前很流行，但现在已经过时了。 这可能包括许多与不再播放的旧电视节目有关的玩具、书籍和游戏。 虽然很多老年人会去旧货拍卖，但很多学生也会去。 学生和年轻人可能需要便宜的家具来装饰他们的公寓，或者需要一辆自行车去上学或上班。 他们可能无法支付全价。 如果幸运的话，你几乎可以在庭院拍卖中找到任何东西。 关键是要早到。 大多数庭院甩卖广告都是早上9点开始，但经销商可能早在早上7点半就到。 到上午10点，最忙的时候已经过去了，尽管大多数庭院甩卖一直持续到下午。 庭院甩卖往往证明了一句老话:“一个人的垃圾是另一个人的宝藏。”

The Curse of the Black Pear by Irene Trimble 原文 Chapter X: Gold. A short time later, Will and Jack and their men arrived at the Isla de Muerta,too. Through the fog, they could see ships – old ships under the water. Jack turned to Gibbs. "Stay here with the men," he said. Jack and Will got into a smaller boat and started to go to the island. "Do you see that?" said Will. "There! A cave, I think." The boat moved slowly into the cave. It was very dark, and the walls were wet. Jack and Will didn't speak. On their left, they saw a light, and next to it was a skeleton. It had a sword in its back. They stopped the boat and jumped out. Then Will followed Jack, and they climbed for a short time. Suddenly, they saw some lights. In front of them was a second, bigger cave. They saw gold boxes, gold cups, gold plates, and gold swords. And a lot of money. The cave was full of gold! In the middle of the cave, in the middle of the gold, Elizabeth stood next to an old Aztec box. She couldn't move because Barbossa had his hands on her. Will wanted to go to her, but Jack stopped him. "No!"he said. "We have to wait." Will didn't want to wait. Elizabeth's life was too important to him. "I'm sorry, Jack," he said, and he hit Jack hard. Jack fell to the ground. He didn't move. Will looked around the cave and listened. "Do you know my plan?" Captain Barbossa said to his men. "When this curse ends, I'm going to eat fruit. A lot of fruit!" The other pirates laughed. Barbossa looked at Elizabeth. He took her hand and cut it with a knife. Then he put the medallion on her hand and closed her hand around it. "Blood,"he said. "Turner's blood. The curse started with blood and it ends with blood." He took the bloody medallion from Elizabeth and put it into the box on to the gold. The pirates waited. "I don't feel different,"Ragetti said. "Is that really the end of the curse?" "How will we know?" Pintel asked. Barbossa thought about that. Then he took out his gun and shot Pintel. Pintel stayed on his feet. The pirates were very unhappy. "Oh,it didn't work!" they shouted. Barbossa didn't understand. "You!"he said to Elizabeth. "Was your father William Turner? Bill Turner?" "No,"she said. The pirates shouted again. "She's not Turner's child!" "She's the wrong person!" "But she had the medallion!" "She's the right age." They called to Barbossa. "You killed Bill." "You started this!" Nobody looked at Elizabeth. Suddenly,she felt a hand on her arm. It was Will. "Come with me," he said quietly. "Quickly. Now." Elizabeth started to move. But first, she took the medallion. They ran to the boat. "Look,the girl! She has the medallion! Get them!" The pirates ran to their boats. Then they saw Jack. "Jack Sparrow!" said Barbossa. "Aren't you dead?" "No,I'm not dead." "But you will be..." Barbossa took out his gun. "Wait,wait," said Jack. "The girl's blood didn't work." "How do you know?" "I know. You don't want her blood. I can help you."

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 281. You should try to form the habit of using your dictionaries. 你们该养成使用字典的习惯。 282. Prices are double what they were ten years ago. 价钱是10年前的2倍。 283. The dolphin and trainer communicated much better than we expected. 海豚和驯养员交流得比我们所期望的好得多。 284. She was at a loss for words to express her feeling. 她已经无法用言语表达她的感觉了。 285. I've been waiting for you since two o'clock. 我从两点开始一直等你。 286. I wouldn't be too surprised if this song became a hit. 如果这歌成名，我不会太惊讶。 287. I felt a drop of rain on my head. 我感觉有滴雨落在头上。 288. You should not have lent the money to such a person. 你不应该借钱给这样的人。 289. I've done bad things that I should be punished for. 我做了该受罚的坏事。 290. I can't go with you because I'm very busy. 我不能和你们一起去，因为我很忙。

听前提示 一、每期提供10个单词，每个单词都会有2-3个例句，方便理解记忆。 二、每个单词和句子都会重复5遍，其中第2遍为慢速，有助于识别。 三、本材料的整体难度较低，可以用来听力磨耳朵和单词查漏补缺。 Day 20 191. Aware adj.知道的，明白的；察觉到的，意识到的 He is fully aware of the problem. 他完全意识到这个问题。 I was not fully aware of the danger. 我还没完全意识到这种危险。 I'm aware of its importance. 我知道它的重要性。 192. Away adv.距离….….有多远，距离……有多久；离开 The station is 100 meters away. 离这个地铁站的距离有100米。 Do you want me to throw it away? 你想让我把它扔掉吗? He passed away yesterday. 他昨天去世了。 193. Awful adj.让人讨厌的，糟糕的；可怕的；adv.非常 The music was awful. 音乐太糟糕了。 They lost an awful lot of money. 他们损失了很多钱。 An awful accident will happen inevitably if you drive at 140 km per hour. 如果你以每小时140公里的速度行驶，不可避免地会发生可怕的事故。 194. Awfully adv.可怕地；十分；非常；很 It turned out to be awfully difficult. 事实证明这非常困难。 It's awfully cold today. 今天天气太冷了。 That name sounds awfully familiar. 这个名字听起来非常熟悉。 195. Awkward adj.令人尴尬的，使人难堪的；难对付的，难处理的；不舒适的 I usually feel awkward around strangers. 我通常对陌生人感到尴尬。 He asked me an awkward question. 他问了我一个尴尬的问题。 196. Awkwardly adv.笨拙地；无技巧地 She fell awkwardly and broke her ankle. 她笨拙地摔倒了脚踝。 "I'm sorry", he said awkwardly. “对不起”，他笨拙地说。 197. Back n.后部，末尾；背部，腰背 I glued the pieces of the broken cup back together. 我把破碎的杯子的碎片粘在一起。 I will wait until you comeback. 我会等你回来的。 When will you come back? 你什么时候回来？ 198. Background n.出身背景，学历，经历；背景adj.背景的v.作……的背景 He is working as an administrator, but his background is in law. 他是一名管理员，但他的背景是法律。 The word is written in white on a red background. 这个词用白色写在红色背景上。 Programs can be left running in the background. 程序可以在后台运行。 199. Backwards adv.向后；倒转，相反；回溯；倒退 "I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards." “我是一个慢行者，但我从不向后走。” Look forward with hope, not backwards with regret. 满怀希望地向前看，而不是遗憾地向后看。 I started stepping backwards in the direction of the doors. 我开始朝门的方向向后退。 200. Bad adj.坏的，不好的，粗鲁的；难过的n.坏人，坏事 The flight was canceled due to bad weather. 由于天气恶劣，航班被取消。 Smoking is a bad habit. 吸烟是个坏习惯。 It's neither good nor bad. 既不好也不坏。

词汇提示 1.invincible 不可战胜的 2.evergreen 常青树 3.mistletoe 槲寄生 4.ceiling 天花板 5.dowries 嫁妆 6.chimney 烟囱 7.reindeer 驯鹿 8.carols 圣诞颂歌 原文 Christmas Holidays In many ways, Christmas is the most important holiday in North America. It is the most important commercial festival. Most retail stores do half of their annual business in the six weeks or so before Christmas. Christmas is an important holiday from work and school. Many workers take the whole week off between Christmas and New Year's Day. It is the biggest time of the year for parties gift-giving, home decorations and visiting. Many homeowners compete to see who can have the best display of lights. It is also an important time for the entertainment industry. Many Christmas movies, TV shows, recordings, concerts and plays are produced every year for the Christmas season. It is also the time of year when the largest number of people attend church, because Christmas is a religious festival too. It celebrates the birthday of Jesus. How all these different things came together to become Christmas is a long story. Why,for example, is Jesus' birthday celebrated on December 25th? No one knows the exact day that Jesus was born. But,Jesus was born during the Roman Empire and, for the Romans, December 25th was a very important day. The Romans had many gods and many religions. Two religions, both of which had one main god, were the worship of the Invincible Sun and of Mithras. These gods were both honored on December 25th. Because December 25th was just after the shortest day of the year, it was a natural time to worship the sun. December was also a time to celebrate the end of the agriculture year. The Romans held one of their main festivals, the Saturnalia, beginning on December 17th. It lasted for a week. The Romans also began the custom of celebrating New Year's Day on January 1st. So the last half of December and the beginning of January was a wonderful time for partying and games. The early Christians didn't know what day Jesus was born. At first, they celebrated his birthday on January 6th. However,as most of the people in the Roman Empire were becoming Christians, it was decided to move the date to December 25th. The celebration lasted twelve days until January 6th, and took the place of all other festivals. That way, people who were used to celebrating on December 25th would feel more comfortable. As different peoples became Christian, they brought their own customs to be part of Christmas. The people of northern Europe used evergreen trees and mistletoe as symbols of spring and eternal life. The evergreen tree became the Christmas tree. The mistletoe is hung from the ceiling at Christmas for couples to kiss under it. It was also in northern Europe where the idea of Santa Claus, or Father Christmas,began. In Roman times, there was a man who became known as Saint Nicholas. He is said to have given gifts to the poor and provided dowries for poor girls who wouldn't otherwise be able to marry. The idea of the gift-giving Saint became joined with the northern idea of Spirit of Christmas festivities. It was a poem written in 1831 by the American writer, Clement Moore,which popularized Santa Claus throughout the world. "Twas the night before Christmas..."told the story of how Santa visits every house in the world on Christmas Eve and brings toys for good girls and boys. Since that time, parents have secretly bought toys for their children at Christmas. When the children awake on Christmas Day, they find toys by the chimney, or under the Christmas tree. They are told that Santa Claus and his reindeer brought them. Adults also give gifts to each other at Christmas time. No wonder that the stores sell so many things then! It is often said that Christmas is becoming too commercialized. In the rush to get everything ready--to buy the gifts, decorate the house and tree, give parties, visit family and friends, and attend special Christmas events the original reason for celebrating is sometimes forgotten. Only when people go to church, or sing Christmas carols, or attend musical performances about Jesus' birth,do they remember that Christmas is the birthday of Christ. 翻译 圣诞假期 在许多方面，圣诞节是北美最重要的节日。 它是最重要的商业节日。 大多数零售商店在圣诞节前的六周左右完成了一半的年度业务。 圣诞节是一个远离工作和学校的重要节日。 许多工人在圣诞节和新年之间休整整一周的假。 这是一年中聚会、赠送礼物、装饰家庭和参观的最大时刻。 许多房主竞相看谁能拥有最好的灯光。 对于娱乐业来说，这也是一个重要的时期。 每年都会为圣诞节制作许多圣诞电影、电视节目、唱片、音乐会和戏剧。 这也是一年中去教堂的人最多的时候，因为圣诞节也是一个宗教节日。 它庆祝耶稣的生日。 所有这些不同的东西是如何结合在一起成为圣诞节的，这是一个很长的故事。 例如，为什么耶稣的生日是在12月25日? 没有人知道耶稣出生的确切日期。 但是，耶稣出生在罗马帝国时期，对罗马人来说，12月25日是一个非常重要的日子。 罗马人有许多神和许多宗教。 两种宗教，都有一个主神，是对无敌太阳和密特拉的崇拜。 这些神都在12月25日受到尊崇。 因为12月25日是一年中白天最短的一天，所以这是一个崇拜太阳的自然时间。 12月也是庆祝农业年结束的时候。 罗马人从12月17日开始举行他们的主要节日之一农神节。 它持续了一个星期。 罗马人还开始了在1月1日庆祝新年的习俗。 因此，12月的下半月和1月初是聚会和游戏的美好时光。 早期的基督徒不知道耶稣是哪一天出生的。 起初，他们在1月6日庆祝他的生日。 然而，由于罗马帝国的大多数人都成为基督徒，于是决定将日期改为12月25日。 庆祝活动持续了12天，直到1月6日，并取代了所有其他节日。 这样，习惯在12月25日庆祝的人们会感觉更舒服。 随着不同的民族成为基督徒，他们带来了自己的习俗，成为圣诞节的一部分。 北欧人用常青树和槲寄生作为春天和永恒生命的象征。 常青树变成了圣诞树。 圣诞节时，人们会把槲寄生挂在天花板上，让情侣们在它下面接吻。 圣诞老人或圣诞老人的想法也是在北欧开始的。 在罗马时代，有一个人被称为圣尼古拉斯。 据说他给穷人送礼物，并为那些无法结婚的贫穷女孩提供嫁妆。 送礼物的圣人的想法与北方的圣诞节庆祝活动的精神结合在一起。 1831年，美国作家克莱门特·摩尔写了一首诗，这首诗使圣诞老人在全世界家喻户晓。 “这是圣诞节的前一夜……”讲述了圣诞老人如何在圣诞夜拜访世界上的每户人家，并为乖孩子们带来玩具的故事。 从那时起，父母们就会在圣诞节偷偷地给孩子们买玩具。 当孩子们在圣诞节醒来时，他们在烟囱旁或圣诞树下找到玩具。 他们被告知是圣诞老人和他的驯鹿带来的。 成年人也会在圣诞节互赠礼物。 难怪商店那时卖这么多东西!人们常说圣诞节变得太商业化了。 在匆忙准备一切的时候——买礼物，装饰房子和圣诞树，举办聚会，拜访家人和朋友，参加特别的圣诞活动——庆祝的最初原因有时被遗忘了。 只有当人们去教堂，或唱圣诞颂歌，或参加有关耶稣诞生的音乐表演时，他们才会记得圣诞节是基督的生日。

The Curse of the Black Pear by Irene Trimble 原文 Chapter IX: The Island of Tortuga Will helped Jack on the Interceptor. The weather was good, and the wind was strong. "You're not a sailor," said Jack. "You're a blacksmith. Where did you learn about sailing?" "I worked on a ship when I was a boy," said Will. "I came from England. I wanted to find my father - Bill Turner." "Is that right?" "You knew my father," said Will. "I asked for your help when you were in the cell. You weren't interested. But when you heard my name, you said yes." "Oh,I knew him," said Jack. "Everybody knew Bill. He was a good man. He was... a good pirate." "No!"shouted Will. "You're wrong. My father wasn't a pirate." He pulled out his sword. "Put that away," Jack told him. "Why are you getting excited? Your father was a pirate, Mr. Turner. A good man, but a pirate. Now help me with this ship." They arrived at the island of Tortuga. Tortuga was a small, dirty place. It had a harbor, some houses, an old store, and four bars. Badmen and pirates went there. They wanted to drink and to find women. "Come with me," Jack said to Will. "We have to find some sailors for our ship." They went into a bar and found an old man. His name was Joshaemee Gibbs. He was asleep, and he had a bottle in his hand. Jack kicked him. "Wake up, Mr. Gibbs. We have work for you." Slowly,Gibbs opened his eyes. "Oh,it's you. What do you want?" Jack move dnear to the old man. He didn't want Will to hear their conversation. "We're looking for a ship," he said. "The Black Pearl." "The Black Pearl?" The old man sat up. "That's not smart, Jack Sparrow.You know the stories about the Black Pearl. Do you think Barbossa is going to give you his ship?" Jack laughed. "Oh, I think he will," he answered. He looked at Will, and the old man's eyes followed his. "I have the boy and they want him." "That boy?" "The child of Bill Turner. His only child." Joshaemee Gibbs didn't speak. He thought about Jack's words. And then he smiled. "Ah,I understand," he said. "His only child. I think I can find some sailors for you now." Gibbs did his job well. Some of the sailors were small; some were tall. Some were fat; some were thin. Some were smart; some were stupid. But they were all good sailors. They stood in front of their captain. Jack looked at them. Then he showed them the ship. "There's my ship, the Interceptor," he said. "It is a fine ship, a fast ship.Sail with me, and at the end you can have it! What do you say?" The sailors shouted, "Yes!" Jack stopped in front of a sailor in a very big hat. Suddenly a hand came out from under the hat and hit him. Jack fell to the ground. The hat fell, too - and showed a woman's face. Jack stood up. "Hello, Ana Maria," he said. "You took my boat!" she shouted. "Ah..."said Jack slowly. "And where is it now? Do you have it?" "No,I don't. But this ship is better." He turned to the men. "Get ready!" he said. "We're going to sail. And Ana Maria will give you your work." The sailors ran onto the ship, and the Interceptor left Tortuga. Gibbs and Will sat and looked out at the ocean. "Do you know Captain Sparrow well?" Will asked. "Oh yes," said Gibbs. "I knew him when he was captain of the Black Pearl." "What?Captain of the Black Pearl? But how..?" "Listen to the story," said Gibbs. "Jack Sparrow was a pirate, but he was a good man. He found the Isla de Muerta -and there was gold for every sailor on his ship.But his sailors didn't want Jack Sparrow. They wanted the gold. So they left him on an island with no food and no water – only his gun." "They left him?" "They left him -but he got away. And now he wants to find those pirates, and he wants to use that gun. He wants to shoot their captain, Barbossa!" The Black Pearl was at the Isla de Muerta. "It's time, my dear,'" said Ragetti. He smiled at her, but his one good eye watched her carefully. They put her in a small boat and left the Black Pearl. The fog got thinner. Elizabeth could see a big, black cave. "Are we going in there?" she asked. "Yes,my dear," said Pintel.

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 271. I don't think I can help you very much. 我不认为我能帮你很多。 272. I got up early enough to catch the first train. 我起了个大早为了赶第一班火车。 273. I didn't expect to see you at a place like this. 我没想到会在这里碰见你。 274. He has three times as many books as I have. 他的藏书是我的三倍。 275. I can't believe your parents let you come here by yourself. 我不敢相信你父母会让你自己一个人过来。 276. Did you forget to lock the door last night? 你昨天晚上忘了锁门吗？ 277. I always take a bath before going to bed. 我睡觉前总要洗个澡。 278. She got all dolled up for her big date. 为了她的重要约会，她精心打扮了一下。 279. Plastics have taken the place of many conventional materials. 塑料代替了许多传统的原料。 280. What time does the train for New York depart? 去纽约的火车几点出发?

听前提示 一、每期提供10个单词，每个单词都会有2-3个例句，方便理解记忆。 二、每个单词和句子都会重复5遍，其中第2遍为慢速，有助于识别。 三、本材料的整体难度较低，可以用来听力磨耳朵和单词查漏补缺。 Day 19 181. Attractive adj.吸引人的，有吸引力的；迷人的，有魅力的 She is very attractive. 她非常有吸引力。 I don't find him physically attractive. 我觉得他在身体上没什么吸引力。 Your offer is very attractive, but I will have to think about it a bit. 您的报价非常有吸引力，但我必须考虑一下。 182. Audience n.观众，听众；读者；觐见，拜见；拥护者 The audience exploded with laughter. 观众大笑起来。 The audience clapped loudly after his speech. 演讲结束后，观众大声鼓掌。 183. Authority n.专家；权利，权限；权威；授权；官方 He is a leading authority in his field. 他是该领域的领导权威。 He abuses his authority. 他滥用权力。 Are you challenging my authority? 你在挑战我的权威吗? 184. Automatic adj.自动的；必然的；无意识的n.自动挡汽车；自动武器 This is an automatic door. 这是自动门。 Breathing is an automatic function of the body. 呼吸是身体的自动功能。 185. Automatically adv.自然地，必然地；不假思索地，无意识地；自动地 Wisdom does not automatically come with age. 智慧不会随着年龄的增长而自动出现。 The door will lock automatically when you go out. 当你外出时，门会自动锁定。 186. Available adj.可用的，可获得的；有空的，有闲暇的；未婚的，单身的 This channel is only available on cable. 此频道仅在有线电视上可用。 This is the only room available. 这是唯一可用的房间。 Are you available at 9 p.m? 晚上9点有空吗？ 187. Average n.平均水平；平均值;adj.平常的；平均的；中等的v.平均为 The average person must drink at least a liter of water every day. 普通人每天必须至少喝一升水。 What's the average temperature here? 这里的平均温度是多少？ I sleep six hours a day on average. 我平均每天睡六个小时。 188. Avoid v.避免，防止；回避，避开；撤销，使无效 Don't avoid my question. 不要回避我的问题。 To avoid confusion, the teams wore different colors. 为了避免混淆，球队穿着不同的颜色。 You must avoid making such mistakes. 你必须避免犯这样的错误。 189. Awake adj.醒着的v.(使)醒来，唤醒；唤起，激发起；意识到 Are you still awake? 你还醒着吗？ "Are you asleep? "No, I'm awake." “你睡着了吗？” “不，我醒了。” 190. Award n.奖，奖品；(收入的）增加；授予；奖学金v.颁发；判给 He certainly deserves the award. 他当然应该得到这个奖项。

词汇提示 1.impresario 剧院经理 2.nightingales 夜莺 3.heritage 文化传承 4.infant 婴儿 5.Catholic 天主教信徒 6.Pope 教皇 7.assembly 立法院 8.spoiled 宠坏 9.brash 盛气凌人的 原文 Charlotte Church Many years ago, a German opera impresario was asked why so many of his leading ladies were physically unattractive. He replied, "The ones who look like horses, sing like nightingales, and vice versa." Certainly,a good voice doesn't always go with an attractive appearance. But in our day of media images, good looks seem very important. Charlotte Church recorded her first album when she was 12 years old. It was called, "Voice of an Angel." Everyone agreed that the little girl has a very big voice. And they were delighted that Charlotte not only sounded like an angel, she also looked like one. Her sweet schoolgirl appearance and winning smile are part of her success. Charlotte Church was born in Cardiff, Wales in February, 1986. Music and singing are very important in Welsh culture, and all of Charlotte's family were musical. Although Wales is part of Great Britain, the Welsh people are very proud of their own language, history and heritage. Now that Wales has its own parliament at Cardiff, Welsh culture is promoted even more strongly. Charlotte sings some of her songs in the Welsh language. Charlotte began singing along with the radio as an infant, and by the age of three she could sing a number of popular songs. She began singing lessons when she was nine Charlotte first appeared on television early in 1997. This led to a number of other TV and concert appearances. In 1998, she signed a contract with Sony to record five albums. Since Charlotte's first album appeared, she has spent a lot of time doing promotional tours. Since she is a schoolgirl, her two tutors travel along with her. "Voice of an Angel" was recorded in five days in Cardiff, Wales. All the songs were ones that Charlotte already knew and liked. These included "Pie Jesus," "The Lord's Prayer,""Jerusalem," and "Danny Boy." The album came out on November 9,1998, and within a couple of weeks was number four on the popular music charts. She recorded her second album, "Charlotte Church," in 1999. Travelling involves doing "showcases" for people in the music industry and the media. This is to encourage people to promote your music. Charlotte also appeared on various U.S. talk shows, including David Letterman and Jay Leno. She finds that she gets asked the same questions over and over again. Besides media celebrities, Charlotte has met many leading public figures. Since she is Roman Catholic, Charlotte was especially excited to meet the Pope. This was after she had been invited to sing at a Christmas concert at the Vatican. She was also asked to sing at Prince Charles' fiftieth birthday party in 1998. She saw the Prince again in 1999, when she sang at the official opening of the Welsh National Assembly. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip talked to her too. Later that year, she sang for Bill and Hilary Clinton at the Ford Theater in Washington. Something that people like about Charlotte Church is that she hasn't been spoiled by fame. Many show business kids are loud, brash, noisy and rude. But when she is away from the stage, the young singer leads a normal life with her family and friends. Even when she is on TV, she comes across as an ordinary teenager, but a very nice one. Charlotte's voice always gets comments. It seems like such a big voice for a little girl. Very few teenagers have a powerful operatic voice like hers. Some people have found it hard to believe that it is actually Charlotte singing. For the most part, she enjoys her success. She likes to travel and meet new people. Los Angeles is her favorite city, and she likes the United States and Canada. But she is always glad to get home to Wales and be with her friends. At the moment, she goes to an all-girl school, so she doesn't see boys very often. But,at age fifteen, an interest in boys is likely to become a factor in her life. Charlotte now has recorded three albums and we can expect a fourth in 2001. She has also written an account of her life for all her fans. It is entitled, "Voice of an Angel: My Life (So Far). " 翻译 夏洛特·丘奇 许多年前，有人问一位德国歌剧经理，为什么他的许多女主角都长得不好看。 他回答说:“长得像马的人唱得像夜莺，反之亦然。” 当然，好嗓子不一定配得上漂亮的外表。 但在我们这个媒体形象盛行的时代，美貌似乎非常重要。 夏洛特·丘奇12岁时录制了她的第一张专辑。 歌名是《天使之声》 每个人都认为这个小女孩有一个非常大的声音。 他们很高兴夏洛不仅听起来像个天使，而且看起来也像个天使。 她甜美的学生模样和迷人的微笑是她成功的部分原因。 1986年2月，夏洛特·丘奇出生于威尔士的卡迪夫。 音乐和歌唱在威尔士文化中非常重要，夏洛特一家都喜欢音乐。 虽然威尔士是英国的一部分，但威尔士人对自己的语言、历史和传统感到非常自豪。 现在威尔士在卡迪夫有了自己的议会，威尔士文化得到了更有力的推广。 夏洛特用威尔士语演唱她的一些歌曲。 夏洛特在婴儿时期就开始跟着收音机唱歌，到三岁时，她已经能唱一些流行歌曲了。 她九岁时开始上歌唱课 夏洛特于1997年初首次出现在电视上。 这导致了许多其他的电视和音乐会的亮相。 1998年，她与索尼公司签约录制五张专辑。 自从夏洛特的第一张专辑发行以来，她花了很多时间进行巡回宣传。 因为她是一名女学生，所以她的两位家庭教师和她一起旅行。 《天使之声》是在威尔士卡迪夫用五天时间录制的。 所有的歌都是夏洛特已经知道和喜欢的。 其中包括“派耶稣”、“主祷文”、“耶路撒冷”和“丹尼男孩”。 这张专辑于1998年11月9日发行，几周内就登上了流行音乐排行榜的第四位。 1999年，她录制了第二张专辑《夏洛特教堂》(Charlotte Church)。 旅行包括为音乐行业和媒体人士做“展示”。 这是为了鼓励人们推广你的音乐。 夏洛特还参加了包括大卫·莱特曼和杰·雷诺在内的许多美国脱口秀节目。 她发现自己一遍又一遍地被问到同样的问题。 除了媒体名人，夏洛特还见过许多重要的公众人物。 因为夏洛特是罗马天主教徒，所以见到教皇特别兴奋。 这是在她受邀在梵蒂冈的圣诞音乐会上演唱之后发生的。 1998年，她还受邀在查尔斯王子50岁生日派对上演唱。 1999年，当她在威尔士国民议会的正式开幕式上唱歌时，她再次见到了王子。 伊丽莎白女王和菲利普亲王也和她交谈过。 那年晚些时候，她在华盛顿的福特剧院为比尔·克林顿和希拉里·克林顿演唱。 人们喜欢夏洛特·丘奇的一点是她没有被名声宠坏。 许多演艺圈的孩子大声、傲慢、吵闹、粗鲁。 但是当她离开舞台时，这位年轻的歌手和她的家人和朋友过着正常的生活。 即使在电视上，她给人的印象也是一个普通的青少年，但却非常好。 夏洛特的声音总是得到评论。 对一个小女孩来说，声音太大了。 很少有青少年像她那样有一副强有力的歌剧嗓音。 有些人很难相信这真的是夏洛特在唱歌。 在很大程度上，她喜欢她的成功。 她喜欢旅行和结识新朋友。 洛杉矶是她最喜欢的城市，她喜欢美国和加拿大。 但她总是很高兴回到威尔士的家，和朋友们在一起。 目前，她在一所女子学校上学，所以她不经常见到男孩。 但是，在15岁的时候，对男孩的兴趣很可能成为她生活中的一个因素。 夏洛特现在已经录制了三张专辑，我们预计在2001年将会有第四张专辑。 她还为她所有的粉丝写了一篇关于她生活的文章。 它的标题是“天使的声音:我的生活(到目前为止)”。