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中小学教育资源及组卷应用平台
新概念英语3 第一单元（L1~20）课文挖空默写
Lesson 1 Pumas at large
Pumas are large, 1.________________ which are found in America. When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma 2._____________________ forty-five miles south of London, they were not taken seriously. However, as the 3. ______________________, experts from the Zoo 4.__________________investigate, for the descriptions given by people who 5._____________________________ the puma were extraordinarily similar.
The hunt for the puma began in a small village where a woman 6._________________________ saw 'a large cat' only five yards away from her. It immediately ran away when she saw it, and experts 7.________________ that a puma will not attack a human being unless it is cornered. The search proved difficult, for the puma was often 8.___________________ in the morning and at another place twenty miles away in the evening. Wherever it went, it left behind it 9.____________________ dead deer and small animals like rabbits. Paw prints were seen in 10.____________________ and puma fur was found 11.___________________________. Several people complained of "cat-like noises” at night and a businessman 12.___________________________ saw the puma up a tree. The experts were now 13.________________________________ the animal was a puma, but where had it come from As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the country, this one must have been 14.______________________________ a private collector and somehow managed to escape. The hunt went on for several weeks, but the puma was not caught. It is 15.________________________ that a dangerous wild animal is still at large in the quiet countryside.
Lesson 2 Thirteen equals one
Our vicar is always 1. for one cause or another, but he has never managed to get enough money to 2. . The big clock which 3.____________________day and night was damaged many years ago and 4. ever since.
One night, however, our vicar 5. : the clock was striking the hours! 6. , he saw that it was one o’clock, but the bell struck thirteen times before it stopped. 7. , the vicar went up into the clock tower to see 8. . In the torchlight, he 9. whom he immediately 10. Bill Wilkins, our local grocer.
‘Whatever are you doing up here Bill ’ asked the vicar in surprise.
‘I’m trying to repair the bell,’ answered Bill. ‘I 11. night after night for weeks now. You see, I was hoping to give you a surprise.’
‘You certainly did give me a surprise!’ said the vicar. ‘You’ve probably woken up everyone in the village as well. Still, I’m glad the bell is working again.’
‘That’s the trouble, vicar,’ answered Bill. ‘It’s 12. , but I’m afraid that at one o’clock it will strike thirteen times and there’s 13. about it.’
‘We’ll 14. that, Bill,’ said the vicar. ‘Thirteen is 15. one, but it’s better than nothing. Now let’s go downstairs and have a cup of tea.’
Lesson 3 An unknown goddess
Some time ago, and interesting discovery was made by 1.__________ on the Aegean island of Kea. An American team explored a temple which stands in an ancient city on the promontory of Ayia Irini. The city at one time must 2.___________________, for it enjoyed a high level of 3.___________. Houses -- often three stories high – were 4._____________. They had large rooms with beautifully decorated walls. The city was equipped with a 5._________________, for a great many clay pipes were found beneath the narrow streets.
The temple which the archaeologists 6.______________ was used as 7.________________from the fifteenth century B.C. until Roman times. In the most 8._______________of temple, clay 9._____________of fifteen statues were found. Each of these represented a goddess and had, at one time, been painted. The body of one statue was found among remains 10._______________ the fifteenth century B.C. Its missing head 11._____________be among remains of the fifth century B.C. This head must have been found in Classical times and 12.____________________. It was very old and precious even then. When the archaeologists 13.______________ the fragments, they 14.________________find that the goddess turned out to be a very modern-looking woman. She stood three feet high and her hands rested on her hips. She was wearing a 15. ______________ skirt which swept the ground. Despite her great age, she was very graceful indeed, but, so far, the archaeologists have been unable to discover her identity.
Lesson 4 The double life of Alfred Bloggs
These days, people who do 1._________________often receive 2.________________than people who work in offices. People who work in offices are frequently 3.______________as 'white-collar workers'for the simple reason that they usually wear a collar and tie to go to work. Such is 4.______________, that a great many people are often willing to 5.__________________________of becoming white-collar workers. This can 6._____________________, as it did 7.______________ of Alfred Bloggs who worked as a dustman for the Ellesmere Corporation.
When he got married, Alf was 8.______________say anything to his wife about his job. He simply told her that he worked for the Corporation. Every morning, he left home 9.____________a smart black suit. He then changed into overalls and spent the next eight hours as a dustman. Before returning home at night, he 10._______________and changed back into his suit. Alf did this for over two years and his fellow dustmen 11.______________. Alf's wife has never discovered that she married a dustman and 12.______________, for Alf has just found another job. He will soon be working in an office. He will be earning only 13._________________he used to, but he feels that 14. _____________________is well worth the loss of money. 15._______________, he will wear a suit all day and others will call him 'Mr. Bloggs', not 'Alf'.
Lesson 5 The Facts
Editors of newspapers and magazines often 1.______________ provide their readers with unimportant 2.______________. Last year a journalist 3. ____________ by a well-known magazine to write an article on the president's palace in a new 4_____________ When the article arrived, the editor read the first sentence and then refused to publish it. The article began: 'Hundreds of steps lead to the high wall which 5. __________ the president's palace. The editor at once sent the journalist a fax 6. __________ find out the exact number of steps and the height of the wall.
The journalist immediately 7. ____________ these important facts, but he took a long time to send them. 8. __________, the editor was getting impatient, for the magazine would soon 9. __________. He sent the journalist two more faxes, but 10. ______________. He sent yet another fax informing the journalist that if he did not reply soon 11. ______________ . When the journalist again failed to reply, the editor 12. ___________ the article as it had originally been written. A week later, the editor at last received a fax from the journalist. Not only had the poor man been arrested, but he had been sent to prison as well. However, he had at last been allowed to send a fax in which he 13. _____________ the editor that he had been arrested 14. _____________ the one thousand and eighty-four steps 15_____________ the 15-foot wall which surrounded the president's palace.
Lesson 6 Smash-and-grab
The expensive shops in 1. near Piccadilly were just opening. At this time of the morning, the arcade was almost empty. Mr. Taylor, the owner of a jewellery shop was 2. . Two of his assistants 3. since eight o'clock and had only just finished. Diamond necklaces and rings had been beautifully 4. of black velvet. After gazing at the display for several minutes, Mr. Taylor went back into his shop.
The silence was suddenly broken when a large car, with its 5. and its horn blaring, 6. the arcade. It 7. outside the jeweller's. One man stayed at the the wheel while two others 8. over their faces jumped out and 9. the window of the shop with 10. . While this was going on, Mr. Taylor was upstairs. He and his staff began throwing furniture out of the window. Chairs and tables went flying into the arcade. One of the thieves was struck by a heavy statue, but he was too busy 11.
to notice any pain. The raid was all over in three minutes, for the men 12.
back into the car and it moved off 13. . Just as it was leaving, Mr. Taylor rushed out and ran after it 14. and vases, but it was impossible to stop the thieves. They had 15. thousands of pounds worth of diamonds.
Lesson 7 Mutilated Ladies
Has it ever 1. you Have you ever put your trousers in the washing machine and then remembered there was a large 2. in your back pocket When you 3. your trousers, did you find the note was 4. People who live in Britain 5. when they made mistakes like this (and a lot of people do)! 6. , the Bank of England has a team called Mutilated Ladies which 7. from people who 8. a machine or to their dog. Dogs, it seems, love to 9. money!
A recent case 10. Jane Butlin whose fiancé, John, runs a successful furniture business. John had very good day and put his wallet 11. $3,000 into the microwave oven 12. . Then he and Jane went horse-riding. When they got home, Jane cooked their dinner in the microwave oven and 13. , cooked her fiancé's wallet as well. 14. when they found a beautifully-cooked wallet and notes turned to ash! John went to see his bank manager who sent the remains of wallet and the money to the special department of the Bank of England in Newcastle: the Mutilate Ladies! They examined the remains and John got all his money back. 'So long as there's something to 15. , we will give people their money back,' said a spokeswoman for the Bank. Last year, we paid $1.5m on 21,000 claims.
Lesson 8 A famous monastery
The Great St. Bernard Pass 1. ___________________ Italy. At 2,473 meters, it is the highest mountain pass in Europe. The 2. ___________________ of St. Bernard, which was founded in eleventh century, lies about a mile away. For hundreds of years, St. Bernard dogs have saved the lives of travelers crossing the 3. ___________________. These friendly dogs, which were first brought from Asia, were used as watchdogs even in Roman times. Now that a tunnel has been built through the mountains, the Pass is less dangerous, but each year, the dogs are still sent out into the snow whenever a traveler is 4. ___________________. 5. ___________________, there are still a few people who 6. ___________________ to cross the Pass on foot.
During the summer months, the monastery is very busy, for it is visited by thousands of people who cross the Pass in cars. As there are so many people about, the dogs have to be kept in 7. ___________________. In winter, however, life at the monastery is quite different. The temperature 8. ___________________ – 30°and very few people attempt to cross the Pass. The monks prefer winter to summer for they have 9. ___________________. The dogs have greater freedom, too, for they are 10. ___________________ outside their 11. ___________________. The only regular visitors to the monastery in winter are 12. ___________________ who go there at 13. ___________________. These young people, who love the 14. ___________________ always 15. ___________________ at St. Bernard's monastery.
Lesson 9 Flying cats
Cats never 1.___________________ human beings. They can be friendly and 2.___________________ humans, but they 3.________________________________ of their own as well. They never become 4.___________________like dogs and horses. As a result, humans have learned to respect feline independence. Most cats 5._________________________ humans all their lives. One of the things that fascinates us most about cats is the 6.___________________that they have nine lives. 7.___________________, there is a good deal of truth in this idea. A cat's ability to survive falls is based on fact.
Recently the New York Animal Medical Center made a study of 132 cats over a period of five months. All these cats had one experience in common: they had fallen off high buildings, yet only eight of them 8.___________________ or injuries. Of course, New York is the ideal place for such an interesting study, because there is 9.___________________tall buildings. There are plenty of high-rise windowsills to fall from! One cat, Sabrina, fell 32 storeys, yet only 10.___________________a broken tooth. 'Cats behave like 11. ___________________.' a doctor said. It seems that 12. ___________________ cats fall, the less they are likely to to injure themselves. In a long drop, they reach speeds of sixty miles an hour and more. At high speeds, falling cats have time to relax. They 13.___________________ their legs like flying squirrels. This increases their 14. ___________________ and reduces the shock of 15._______when they hit the ground.
Lesson 10 The loss of the Titanic
The great ship, Titanic, 1. New York from Southampton 2. . She was carrying 1316 passengers and 3. 89l. Even by 4. , the 46,000 ton Titanic was a 5. ship. At that time, however, she was not only the largest ship that had ever been built, but was 6. unsinkable, for she had sixteen water- tight compartments. Even if two of these were 7. , she would still 8. . The tragic sinking of this great liner will always be remembered, for she went down on her first voyage 9. life.
Four days after 10. , while the Titanic was sailing across the icy waters of the North Atlantic, a huge iceberg was suddenly 11. by a lookout. After the alarm had been given, the great ship turned sharply to 12. . The Titanic turned just in time, narrowly missing the immense wall of ice which rose over 100 feet beside her. Suddenly, there was 13. sound from below, and the captain went down to see what had happened. The noise had been so
that no one thought that the ship had been damaged. Below, the captain realized
that the Titanic was sinking rapidly, for five of her sixteen water-tight compartments had already been flooded ! The order to abandon ship was given and hundreds of people plunged into the icy water. As there were not enough lifeboats for everybody, 1500 lives were lost.
Lesson 11 Not Guilty
Customs Officers are quite 1.________ these days, but they can still stop you when you are 2.__________________________ and have nothing to declare. Even really honest people are often 3._____________________. The 4._______________________, on the other hand, is never _________ by such feelings, even if he has five hundred gold watches 5._________________. When I returned from abroad recently, a 6.__________________ young Customs Officer clearly regarded me as a smuggler.
'Have you anything to declare ' he asked, 7.____________________.
'No', I answered 8.____________.
Would you mind unlocking this suitcase please
'Not at all,' I answered.
The Officer 9._____________________ with great care. All the things I had packed so carefully were soon 10._____________. I felt sure I would never be able to close the case again. Suddenly, I saw the Officer's face 11.__________. He had spotted a tiny bottle at the bottom of my case and he 12.______________________.
'Perfume, eh ' he asked ____________.
You should have declared that. Perfume is not 13.________________________.
But it isn't perfume,' I said.
'It's hair gel.' Then I added with a smile,
'It's a strange mixture I make myself.'
14. __________________, he did not believe me.
'Try it!' I said encouragingly.
The officer unscrewed the cap and put the bottle to his nostrils. He was 15. __________________________ which convinced him that I was telling the truth. A few minutes later, I was able to hurry away with precious chalk marks on my baggage.
Lesson 12 Life on a desert island
Most of us have 1. _________________________ life on a 2. _________ island. We sometimes imagine a desert island to be a sort of 3. __________ where the sun always shines. Life there is simple and good. Ripe fruit falls from the trees and you never have to work. The other side of the picture is 4. ___________________. Life on a desert island is 5. _________. You either 6. __________________ or live like Robinson Crusoe, waiting for a boat which never comes. Perhaps there is 7. ________________ in both these pictures, but few of us have had the 8. ___________ to find out.
Two men who recently spent five days on 9. __________ wished they had stayed there longer. They were taking a badly damaged boat from the Virgin Islands to Miami to have it repaired. During the journey, their boat began to sink. They quickly 10. _______________________ with food, matches, and cans of beer and rowed for a few miles across the Caribbean until they arrived at a tiny coral island. There were hardly any trees on the island and there was no water, but this did not 11. ____________ a problem. The men collected rainwater in the rubber dinghy. As they had brought a 12. ____________ with them, they had plenty to eat. They caught 13. __________ and fish every day，and, as one of them put it 'ate like kings'. When a passing 14. ________ rescued them five days later, both men were 15. ___________ sorry that they had to leave.
Lesson 13 ‘ It’s only me’
After her husband had gone to work, Mrs. Richards 1. and went upstairs to her bedroom. She was too excited to do any housework that morning, for in the evening she would be going to 2. with her husband. She 3. dress up as a ghost and as she had made her costume the night before, she 4. try it on. Though the costume 5. only of a sheet, it was very 6. . After putting it on, Mrs. Richards went downstairs. She wanted to find out 7. .
Just as Mrs. Richards was entering the dining room, 8. . She knew that 9. the baker. She had told him to come straight in 10. she failed to open the door and to leave the bread on the kitchen table. 11. , Mrs. Richards quickly hid in the small storeroom under the stairs. She 12. and heavy footsteps in the hall. Suddenly the door of the storeroom was opened and a man entered. Mrs. Richards realized that it must be the man from the Electricity Board who had come to 13. . She tried to explain the situation, saying 'It's only me', but it was too late. The man 14. and jumped back several paces. When Mrs. Richards walked towards him, he fled, 15. .
Lesson 14 A Noble Gangster
1._____________ the owners of shops and businesses in Chicago had to pay large sums of money to gangsters 2.___________ 'protection.' If the money was not paid promptly, the gangsters would quickly 3.____________________ by destroying his shop. Obtaining 'protection money' is not a modern crime. 4.________________the fourteenth century, an Englishman, Sir John Hawkwood, made 5.___________________ that people would rather pay large sums of money than 6.________________________ by gangsters.
Six hundred years ago, Sir Johan Hawkwood arrived in Italy 7._____________and settled near Florence. He soon 8.______________ for himself and 9.________________to the Italians as Giovanni Acuto. Whenever the Italian city-states were 10._____________ each other, Hawkwood used to hire his soldiers to princes who 11.________________ pay the high price he demanded. 12.____________________, when business was bad, Hawkwood and his men would march into a city-state and, after burning down a few farms, would offer to go away if protection money was paid to them. Hawkwood made large sums of money in this way. In spite of this, the Italians 13.________________a sort of hero. When he died at the age of eighty, the Florentines gave him 14.________________ and had a pictured painted which 15._____________________of 'the most valiant soldier and most notable leader, Signor Giovanni Haukodue.'
Lesson 15 Fifty pence worth of trouble
Children always 1. small gifts of money. Mum or dad, of course, 2. of pocket money, but uncles and aunts are always 3. . With some children, small sums 4. . If fifty pence pieces are not 5. sweets, they rattle for months inside money boxes. Only very thrifty children manage to 6. a money box. For most of them, fifty pence is a small price to pay for a nice big bar of chocolate.
My nephew, George, has a money box but it is always empty. Very few of the fifty pence pieces and pound coins I have given him have 7. . I gave him fifty pence yesterday and advised him to save it. Instead he bought himself fifty pence 8. . On his way to the sweet shop, he dropped his fifty pence and it 9. the pavement and then disappeared down a drain. George took off his jacket, 10. his sleeves and pushed his right arm through the drain cover. He could not find his fifty pence piece anywhere, and 11. , he could not get his arm out. A crowd of people 12. and a lady rubbed his arm with soap and butter, but George 13. . The fire brigade was called and two fire fighters 14. George using a special type of grease. George was not too upset by his experience because the lady who owns the sweet shop heard about his troubles and 15. a large box of chocolates.
Lesson 16 Mary had a little lamb
Mary and her husband Dimitri lived in the tiny village of Perachora in southern Greece. One of Mary’s 1. was a little white lamb which her husband had given her. She
2. to a tree in a field during the day and went to fetch it every evening. One evening, however, the lamb was missing. The rope had been cut, so 3. the lamb had been stolen.
When Dimitri came in from the fields, his wife told him what had happened. Dimitri at once 4. find the thief. He knew it would not 5. in such a small village. 6. his friends about the theft, Dimitri found out that his neighbor, Aleko, had suddenly 7. a new lamb. Dimitri immediately went to Aleko’s house and angrily 8. the lamb. He told him he 9. it or he would call the police. Aleko 10. and led Dimitri into his backyard. It was true that he had just bought a lamb, he explained, but his lamb was black. 11. having acted so rashly, Dimitri 12. Aleko for 13. . While they were talking it began to rain and Dimitri stayed in Aleko’s house until the rain stopped. When he went outside half an hour later, he 14. find that the little black lamb was almost white. Its wool, which 15. , had been washed clean by the rain!
Lesson17 The longest suspension bridge in the world
Verrazano, an Italian1. , sailed into New York Harbor in 1524 and named it Angouleme.276. He described it as '2. located within two small hills 3. flowed a great river.' Though Verrazano is 4. considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably 5. , for on November 21st, 1964, 6. in the world was named after him.
The Verrazano Bridge, 7. by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island. It 8. of 4,260 feet. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth 9. by its designer. Two great towers support four huge cables. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms 10. . The platforms 11. over 100 feet under the sea. These alone took sixteen months to build. Above the surface of the water, the towers 12. nearly 700 feet. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended. Each of the four cables contains 13. lengths of wire. 14. that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge. 15. , it is both simple and elegant, fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
Lesson 18 Electric currents in modern art
Modern sculpture 1.____________usany more. The idea that modern art can only be seen in museums is 2. ____________. Even people who 3. ______________in art 4.____________to notice examples of modern sculpture 5. ______________in public places. Strange forms 6.______________in gardens, and outside buildings and shops. We have 7. ______________them. Some so-called 'modern' pieces have been on display for nearly eighty years. 8. ______________this, some people -- including myself -- were surprised by a recent exhibition of modern sculpture. The first thing I saw when I entered the art gallery was a notice which said: 'Do not touch the exhibits. Some of them are dangerous!' The objects on display were pieces of moving sculpture. 9.____________ forms that are suspended from the ceiling and move 10._____________ a gust of wind are quite familiar to everybody. These objects, however, were different. 11. ______________ the wall, there were long thin wires 12. ____________metal spheres. The spheres had been 13. ______________or repelled each other all the time. In the center of the hall, there were a number of tall structures which contained colored lights. These lights flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad. Sparks were 14. ______________ from small black boxes and red lamps flashed on and off angrily. It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment. These peculiar forms not only seemed designed to 15. ________________, but to give them electric shocks as well!
Lesson 19 A very dear cat
Kidnappers are 1.____________ interested in animals, but they recently 2. _______________ in Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay's cat. Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay, a very wealthy old lady, has 3. ______________her cat, Rastus, for a great many years. Rastus 4. ___________________. He usually takes a short walk in the evenings and is always home by seven o'clock. One evening, however, he 5. _______________ Mrs. Ramsay got very worried. She looked everywhere for him but could not find him.
Three days after Rastus' 6.________________, Mrs. Ramsay received 7._______________. The writer stated that Rastus was in safe hands and would be returned immediately if Mrs. Ramsay 8. _________________. Mrs. Ramsay was instructed to place the money in a cardboard box and to leave it outside her door. At first, she decided to go to the police, but 9. ____________that she would never see Rastus again – 10. _______________________- she changed her mind. She withdrew one thousand pounds from her bank and
_______________________. The next morning, the box had disappeared but Mrs. Ramsay was sure that 12. _______________________. Sure enough, Rastus 13. _________________ at seven o'clock that evening. He looked very well, though he was rather thirsty, for he drank half a bottle of milk. 14. _____________________ when Mrs. Ramsay told them what she had done. She explained that Rastus 15. ____________________. Considering the amount she paid, he was dear in more ways than one!
Lesson 20 Pioneer pilots
In 1908 Lord Northcliffe 1. ______________ of $1,000 to the first man who would fly across the English Channel. Over a year passed before 2. __________________ was made. On July 19th, 1909, in the early morning, Hubert Latham 3. _______________________ in his plane the 'Antoinette IV.' He had travelled only seven miles 4. __________________ when his engine failed and he was 5. ______________________. The 'Antoinette' 6. ______________________ until Latham was picked up by a ship.
Two days later, Louis Bleriot arrived near Calais with a plane called 'No. XI'. Bleriot 7. ___________________ planes since 1905 and this was his latest model. A week before, he 8. ______________ a successful overland flight during which he covered twenty-six miles. Latham, however, did not 9. __________________. He, too, arrived near Calais on the same day with a new 'Antoinette'. It 10. ______________ there would be an exciting race across the Channel. Both planes were going to 11. ___________ on July 25th, but Latham 12. ______________________ early enough. After making a short test flight at 4.15 a.m., Bleriot 13. _____________ half an hour later. His great flight lasted thirty-seven minutes. When he landed near Dover, 14. ____________________________ was a local policeman. Latham 15. _________________ a week later and got within half a mile of Dover, but he was unlucky again. His engine failed and he landed on the sea for the second time.
答案
Lesson 1 A Puma at Large
Pumas are large, cat - like animals which are found in America. When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty - five miles south of London, they were not taken seriously. However, as the evidence began to accumulate, experts from the Zoo felt obliged to investigate, for the descriptions given by people who claimed to have seen the puma were extraordinarily similar.The hunt for the puma began in a small village where a woman picking blackberries saw 'a large cat' only five yards away from her. It immediately ran away when she saw it, and experts confirmed that a puma will not attack a human being unless it is cornered. The search proved difficult, for the puma was often observed at one place in the morning and at another place twenty miles away in the evening. Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits. Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes. Several people complained of "cat - like noises" at night and a businessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree. The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was a puma, but where had it come from As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the country, this one must have been in the possession of a private collector and somehow managed to escape. The hunt went on for several weeks, but the puma was not caught. It is disturbing to think that a dangerous wild animal is still at large in the quiet countryside.
Lesson 2 Thirteen Equals One
Our vicar is always raising money for one cause or another, but he has never managed to get enough money to have the church clock repaired. The big clock which used to strike the hours day and night was damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since.One night, however, our vicar woke up with a start: the clock was striking the hours! Looking at his watch, he saw that it was one o'clock, but the bell struck thirteen times before it stopped. Armed with a torch, the vicar went up into the clock tower to see what was going on. In the torchlight, he caught sight of a figure whom he immediately recognized as Bill Wilkins, our local grocer."Whatever are you doing up here, Bill " asked the vicar in surprise."I'm trying to repair the bell," answered Bill. "I've been coming up here night after night for weeks now. You see, I was hoping to give you a surprise.""You certainly did give me a surprise!" said the vicar. "You've probably woken up everyone in the village as well. Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.""That's the trouble, vicar," answered Bill. "It's working all right, but I'm afraid that at one o'clock it will strike thirteen times and there's nothing I can do about it.""We'll get used to that, Bill," said the vicar. "Thirteen is not as good as one, but it's better than nothing. Now let's go downstairs and have a cup of tea."
Lesson 3 An Unknown Goddess
Some time ago, an interesting discovery was made by archaeologists on the Aegean island of Kea. An American team explored a temple which stands in an ancient city on the promontory of Ayia Irini. The city at one time must have been prosperous, for it enjoyed a high level of civilization. Houses - often three storeys high - were built of stone. They had large rooms with beautifully decorated walls. The city was even equipped with a drainage system, for a great many clay pipes were found beneath the narrow streets.The temple which the archaeologists explored was used as a place of worship from the fifteenth century B.C. until Roman times. In the most sacred room of the temple, clay fragments of fifteen statues were found. Each of these represented a goddess and had, at one time, been painted. The body of one statue was found among remains dating from the fifteenth century B.C. Its missing head happened to be among remains of the fifth century B.C. This head must have been found in Classical times and carefully preserved. It was very old and precious even then. When the archaeologists reconstructed the fragments, they were amazed to find that the goddess turned out to be a very modern - looking woman. She stood three feet high and her hands rested on her hips. She was wearing a full - length skirt which swept the ground. Despite her great age, she was very graceful indeed, but, so far, the archaeologists have been unable to discover her identity.
Lesson 4 The Double Life of Alfred Bloggs
These days, people who do manual work often receive far more money than clerks who work in offices. People who work in offices are frequently referred to as "white - collar workers" for the simple reason that they usually wear a collar and tie to go to work. Such is human nature, that a great many people are often willing to sacrifice higher pay for the privilege of becoming white - collar workers. This can give rise to curious situations, as it did in the case of Alfred Bloggs who worked as a dustman for the Ellesmere Corporation.When he got married, Alf was too embarrassed to say anything to his wife about his job. He simply told her that he worked for the Corporation. Every morning, he left home dressed in a smart black suit. He then changed into overalls and spent the next eight hours as a dustman. Before returning home at night, he took a shower and changed back into his suit. Alf's wife has never discovered that she married a dustman and she never will for Alf has just found another job. He will soon be working in an office. He will be earning only half as much as he used to, but he feels that his rise in status is well worth the loss of money. From now on, he will wear a suit all day and others will call him "Mr. Bloggs" instead of "Alf".
Lesson 5 The Facts
Editors of newspapers and magazines often go to extremes to provide their readers with unimportant facts and statistics. Last year a journalist had been instructed by a well - known magazine to write an article on the president's palace in a new African republic. When the article arrived, the editor read the first sentence and then refused to publish it. The article began: "Hundreds of steps lead to the high wall which surrounds the president's palace." The editor at once sent the journalist a telegram instructing him to find out the exact number of steps and the height of the wall.The journalist immediately set out to obtain these important facts, but he took a long time to send them to the editor. Meanwhile, the editor was getting impatient, for the magazine would soon go to press. He sent the journalist two more telegrams, but received no reply. He sent yet another telegram informing the journalist that if he did not reply soon he would be fired. When the journalist again failed to reply, the editor reluctantly published the article as it had originally been written. A week later, the editor at last received a telegram from the journalist. Not only had the poor man been arrested, but he had been sent to prison as well. However, he had at last been allowed to send a cable in which he informed the editor that he had been arrested while counting the 1,084 steps leading to the 15 - foot wall which surrounded the president's palace.
Lesson 6 Smash and Grab
The expensive shops in a famous arcade near Piccadilly were just opening. At this time of the morning, the arcade was almost empty. Mr. Taylor, the owner of a jewellery shop was admiring a new display. Two of his assistants had been working busily since eight o'clock and had only just finished. Diamond necklaces and rings had been beautifully arranged on a background of black velvet. After gazing at the display for several minutes, Mr. Taylor went back into his shop.The silence was suddenly broken when a large car, with its headlights on and its horn blaring, roared down the arcade. It came to a stop outside the jeweller's. One man stayed at the wheel while two others with black stockings over their faces jumped out and smashed the window of the shop with iron bars. While this was going on, Mr. Taylor was upstairs. He and his staff began throwing furniture out of the window. Chairs and tables went flying into the arcade. One of the thieves was struck by a heavy statue, but he was too busy helping himself to diamonds to notice any pain. The raid was all over in three minutes, for the men scrambled back into the car and it moved off at a fantastic speed. Just as it was leaving, Mr. Taylor rushed out and ran after it throwing ashtrays and vases, but it was impossible to stop the thieves. They had got away with thousands of pounds worth of diamonds.
Lesson 7 Mutilated Ladies
When a human being dies, he or she is buried. When a coin "dies", it is destroyed. The Bank of England destroys several million pounds worth of used banknotes each year. The first of these to go was a fifty - pound note which I got from my father. It had been in his possession for years and was in a bit of a state. Father said he had been meaning to cash it in, but had never got round to it. As I had no more use for it, I gave it to him. He said he would put it in his safe, but he forgot about it.One day, my father discovered that the note had been eaten by a mouse. He was extremely annoyed and went to the Bank of England to see if he could get a new one. The girl in the bank said that they had never had this happen before and that she would let me know the next day. The next day, she telephoned to say that the manager would like to see me. I went to see him and he told me that the Bank could not replace the money because the evidence showed that it had been eaten by a mouse. He said that the Bank had a policy of replacing banknotes that had been mutilated by other means, such as fire or water, but not by mice. I told him that I was very disappointed and that I would never do business with the Bank again. He smiled and said that he was sorry, but there was nothing he could do.I left the Bank feeling very angry. As I was walking out of the door, I heard someone calling me. I turned round and saw the girl who had served me. She said that she had spoken to the manager again and that he had changed his mind. He would give me a new fifty - pound note after all. I was very pleased and thanked her for her help. She said that it was no problem and that she was glad to be of service.
Lesson 8 A Famous Monastery
The Great St. Bernard Pass connects Switzerland to Italy. At 2,473 metres, it is the highest mountain pass in Europe. The famous monastery of St. Bernard, which was founded in the eleventh century, lies about a mile away. For hundreds of years, St. Bernard dogs have saved the lives of travellers crossing the dangerous Pass. These friendly dogs, which were first brought from Asia, were used as watch - dogs even in Roman times. Now that a tunnel has been built through the mountains, the Pass is less dangerous, but each year, the dogs are still sent out into the snow whenever a traveller is in difficulty.Despite the new tunnel, there are still a few people who rashly attempt to cross the Pass on foot. During the summer months, the monastery is very busy, for it is visited by thousands of people who cross the Pass in cars. As there are so many people about, the dogs have to be kept in a special enclosure. In winter, however, life at the monastery is quite different. The temperature drops to - 30°C and very few people attempt to cross the Pass. The monks prefer winter to summer for they have more privacy. The dogs have greater freedom, too, for they are allowed to wander outside their enclosure. The only regular visitors to the monastery in winter are parties of skiers who go there at Christmas and Easter. These young people, who love the peace of the mountains, always receive a warm welcome at St. Bernard's monastery.
Lesson 9 Flying Cats
Cats never fail to fascinate human beings. They can be friendly and affectionate towards humans, but they lead mysterious lives of their own as well. They never become submissive like dogs and horses. As a result, humans have learned to respect feline independence. Most cats remain suspicious of humans all their lives. One of the things that fascinates us most about cats is the popular belief that they have nine lives. Apparently, there is a good deal of truth in this idea. A cat's ability to survive falls is based on fact.Recently the New York Animal Medical Center made a study of 132 cats over a period of five months. All these cats had one experience in common: they had fallen off high buildings, yet only eight of them died from shock or injuries. Of course, New York is the ideal place for such an interesting study, because there is no shortage of tall buildings. There are plenty of high - rise windowsills to fall from! One cat, Sabrina, fell 32 storeys, yet only suffered from a broken tooth. 'Cats behave like well - trained paratroopers,' a doctor said. It seems that the further cats fall, the less they are likely to injure themselves. In a long drop, they reach speeds of 60 miles an hour and more. At high speeds, falling cats have time to relax. They stretch out their legs like flying squirrels. This increases their air - resistance and reduces the shock of impact when they hit the ground.
Lesson 10 The Loss of the Titanic
The great ship, Titanic, sailed for New York from Southampton on April 10th, 1912. She was carrying 1,316 passengers and a crew of 891. Even by modern standards, the 46,000 - ton Titanic was a colossal ship. At that time, however, she was not only the largest ship that had ever been built, but was regarded as unsinkable, for she had 16 watertight compartments. Even if two of these were flooded, she would still be able to float. The tragic sinking of this great liner will always be remembered, for she went down on her first voyage with heavy loss of life.Four days after setting out, while the Titanic was sailing across the icy waters of the North Atlantic, a huge iceberg was suddenly spotted by a lookout. After the alarm had been given, the great ship turned sharply to avoid a direct collision. The Titanic turned just in time, narrowly missing the immense wall of ice which rose over 100 feet out of the water beside her. Suddenly, there was a slight trembling sound from below, and the captain went down to see what had happened. The noise had been so faint that no one thought that the ship had been damaged. Below, the captain realized to his horror that the Titanic was sinking rapidly, for five of her sixteen watertight compartments had already been flooded! The order to abandon ship was given and hundreds of people plunged into the icy water. As there were not enough lifeboats for everybody, 1,500 lives were lost.
Lesson 11 Not Guilty
Going through the Customs is a tiresome business. The strangest thing about it is that really honest people are often made to feel guilty. The hardened professional smuggler, on the other hand, is never troubled by such feelings, even if he has five hundred gold watches hidden in his suitcase. When I returned from abroad recently, a particularly officious young Customs Officer clearly regarded me as a smuggler.'Have you anything to declare ' he asked, looking me in the eye.'No,' I answered confidently.'Would you mind unlocking this suitcase please ''Not at all,' I answered.The Officer went through the case with great care. All the things I had packed so carefully were soon in a dreadful mess. I felt sure I would never be able to close the case again. Suddenly, I saw the Officer's face light up. He had spotted a tiny bottle at the bottom of my case and he pounced on it with delight.'Perfume, eh ' he asked sarcastically. 'You should have declared that.' Perfume is not exempt from import duty.'But it isn't perfume,' I said. 'It's hair - oil.' Then I added with a smile, 'It's a strange mixture I make myself.' As I expected, he did not believe me.'Try it!' I said encouragingly.The Officer unscrewed the cap and put the bottle to his nostrils. He was greeted by an unpleasant smell which convinced him that I was telling the truth. A few minutes later, I was able to hurry away with precious chalk - marks on my baggage.
Lesson 12 Life on a Desert Island
Most of us have formed an unrealistic picture of life on a desert island. We sometimes imagine a desert island to be a sort of paradise where the sun always shines. Life there is simple and good. Ripe fruit falls from the trees and you never have to work. The other side of the picture is quite the opposite. Life on a desert island is wretched. You either starve to death or live like Robinson Crusoe, waiting for a boat which never comes. Perhaps there is an element of truth in both these pictures, but few of us have had the opportunity to find out.Two men who recently spent five days on a coral island wished they had stayed there longer. They were taking a badly damaged boat from the Virgin Islands to Miami to have it repaired. During the journey, their boat began to sink. They quickly loaded a small rubber dinghy with food, matches, and tins of beer and rowed for a few miles across the Caribbean until they arrived at a tiny coral island. There were hardly any trees on the island and there was no water, but this did not prove to be a problem. The men collected rain - water in the rubber dinghy. As they had brought a spear - gun with them, they had plenty to eat. They caught lobster and fish every day, and, as one of them put it 'ate like kings'. When a passing tanker rescued them five days later, both men were genuinely sorry that they had to leave.
Lesson 13 It's Only Me
After her husband had gone to work, Mrs. Richards sent her children to school and went upstairs to her bedroom. She was too excited to do any housework that morning, for in the evening she would be going to a fancy - dress party with her husband. She intended to dress up as a ghost and as she had made her costume the night before, she was impatient to try it on. Though the costume consisted only of a sheet, it was very effective. After putting it on, Mrs. Richards went downstairs. She wanted to find out whether it would be comfortable to wear.
Just as Mrs. Richards was entering the dining room, there was a knock on the front door. She knew that it must be the baker. She had told him to come straight in if ever she failed to open the door and to leave the bread on the kitchen table. Not wanting to frighten the poor man, Mrs. Richards quickly hid in the small store - room under the stairs. She heard the front door open and heavy footsteps in the hall. Suddenly the door of the store - room was opened and a man entered. Mrs. Richards realized that it must be the man from the Electricity Board who had come to read the meter. She tried to explain the situation, saying “It's only me”, but it was too late. The man let out a cry and jumped back several paces. When Mrs. Richards walked out of the store - room, the man had already gone. She heard the front door close and found the bread on the kitchen table.
Lesson 14 A Noble Gangster
There was a time when the owners of shops and businesses in Chicago had to pay large sums of money to gangsters in return for “protection”. If they refused to pay, they were not only threatened with violence, but their businesses were often destroyed. The most famous of these gangsters was Al Capone, who was eventually sent to prison for tax evasion.One day, a businessman who owned a small restaurant in Chicago received a visit from two gangsters. They demanded that he pay them $500 a week for “protection”. The businessman refused to pay, saying that he didn't have that kind of money. The gangsters threatened to burn down his restaurant if he didn't pay up. The businessman was very frightened, but he still refused to give in. The next day, the gangsters returned. This time, they brought a can of petrol with them. They poured petrol all over the restaurant floor and threatened to set it on fire. Just as one of the gangsters was about to light a match, the businessman's wife rushed out of the kitchen with a large frying pan in her hand. She hit one of the gangsters over the head with the pan, and the other gangster ran away. The businessman called the police, and the gangster who had been hit was arrested. The story soon spread, and the businessman became a local hero.
Lesson 15 Fifty Pence Worth of Trouble
Children always appreciate small gifts of money. Father, of course, provides a regular supply of pocket - money, but uncles and aunts are always a source of extra income. With some children, small sums go a long way. If fifty pence pieces are not exchanged for sweets, they rattle for months inside money boxes. Only very thrifty children manage to fill up a money box. For most of them, fifty pence is a small price to pay for a nice big bar of chocolate.My nephew, George, has a money box but it is always empty. Very few of the fifty pence pieces and pound coins I have given him have found their way there. I gave him fifty pence yesterday and advised him to save it. Instead, he bought himself fifty pence worth of trouble. On his way to the sweet shop, he dropped his fifty pence and it rolled along the pavement and then down a drain. George took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves and pushed his right arm through the drain cover. He could not find his fifty pence piece anywhere, and what is more, he could not get his arm out. A crowd of people gathered round him and a lady rubbed his arm with soap and butter, but George was firmly stuck. The fire brigade was called and two firemen freed George using a special type of grease. George was not too upset by his experience because a gentleman who owns a sweet shop heard about his trouble and gave him a large box of chocolates.
Lesson 16 Mary Had a Little Lamb
Mary and her husband Dimitri lived in the tiny village of Perachora in southern Greece. One of Mary's prize possessions was a little white lamb which her husband had given her. She kept it tied to a tree in a field during the day and went to fetch it every evening. One evening, however, the lamb was missing. The rope had been cut, so it was obvious that the lamb had been stolen.When Dimitri came in from the fields, his wife told him what had happened. Dimitri at once set out to find the thief. He knew it would not be difficult in such a small village. After telling several of his friends about the theft, Dimitri found out that his neighbour, Aleko, had suddenly acquired a new lamb. Dimitri immediately went to Aleko's house and angrily accused him of stealing the lamb. He told him he had better return it or he would call the police. Aleko denied taking it and led Dimitri into his backyard. It was true that he had just bought a lamb, he explained, but his lamb was black. Ashamed of having acted so hastily, Dimitri apologized to Aleko for having accused him. While they were talking, it began to rain and Dimitri stayed in Aleko's house until the rain stopped. When he went outside half an hour later, he was astonished to find that the little black lamb was almost white. Its wool, which had been dyed black, had been washed clean by the rain!
Lesson 17 The Longest Suspension Bridge in the World
Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angoulême. He described it as “a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river”. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal, for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island. It has a span of 4,260 feet. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer. Two great towers support four huge cables. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea. These alone took sixteen months to build. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire. It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant, fulfilling its designer's dream to create “an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible”.
Lesson 18 Electric Currents in Modern Art
Modern sculpture rarely surprises us any more. The idea that modern art can only be seen in museums is mistaken. Even people who take no interest in art cannot have failed to notice examples of modern sculpture on display in public places. Strange forms stand in gardens, and outside buildings and shops. We have got quite used to them. Some so - called “modern” pieces have been on display for nearly eighty years.In spite of this, some people — including myself — were surprised by a recent exhibition of modern sculpture. The first thing I saw when I entered the art gallery was a notice which said: “Do not touch the exhibits. Some of them are dangerous!” The objects on display were pieces of moving sculpture. Oddly shaped forms that are suspended from the ceiling and move in response to a gust of wind are quite familiar to everybody. These objects, however, were different. Lined up against the wall, there were long thin wires attached to metal spheres. The spheres had been magnetized and attracted or repelled each other all the time. In the centre of the hall, there were a number of tall structures which contained coloured lights. These lights flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad. Sparks were emitted from small black boxes and red lamps flashed on and off angrily. It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment. These peculiar forms not only seemed designed to shock people emotionally, but to give them electric shocks as well!
Lesson 19 A Very Dear Cat
Kidnappers are rarely interested in Animals, but they recently took considerable interest in Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay's cat. Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay, a very wealthy old lady, has shared a flat with her cat, Rastus, for a great many years. Rastus leads an orderly life. He usually takes a short walk in the evenings and is always home by seven o'clock. One evening, however, he failed to arrive. Mrs. Ramsay got very worried. She looked everywhere for him but could not find him.Three days after Rastus' disappearance, Mrs. Ramsay received an anonymous letter. The writer stated that Rastus was in safe hands and would be returned immediately if Mrs. Ramsay paid a ransom of 1,000. Mrs. Ramsay was instructed to place the money in a cardboard box and to leave it outside her door. At first, she decided to go to the police, but fearing that she would never see Rastus again — the letter had made that quite clear — she changed her mind. She drew 1,000 from her bank and followed the kidnapper's instructions. The next morning, the box had disappeared but Mrs. Ramsay was sure that the kidnapper would keep his word. Sure enough, Rastus arrived punctually at seven o'clock that evening. He looked very well, though he was rather thirsty, for he drank half a bottle of milk. The police were astounded when Mrs. Ramsay told them what she had done. She explained that Rastus was very dear to her. Considering the amount she paid, he was indeed dear in more ways than one!
Lesson 20 Pioneer Pilots
In 1908, Lord Northcliffe offered a prize of 1,000 to the first man who would fly across the English Channel. Over a year passed before the first attempt was made. On July 19th, 1909, in the early morning, Hubert Latham took off from Calais in his plane the “Antoinette IV”. He had travelled only seven miles across the Channel when his engine failed and he was forced to land on the sea. The “Antoinette” floated on the water until Latham was picked up by a ship.Two days later, Louis Bleriot arrived near Calais with a plane called “No. XI”. Bleriot had been making planes since 1905 and this was his latest model. A week before, he had completed a successful overland flight during which he covered twenty - six miles. Latham, however, did not give up easily. He, too, arrived near Calais on the same day with a new “Antoinette”. It looked as if there would be an exciting race across the Channel. Both planes were going to take off on July 25th, but Latham's plane developed engine trouble during the night and he was forced to postpone his flight. Bleriot took off at 4:15 a.m. It was not an easy flight because there was a strong wind. After thirty - seven minutes, he saw the English coast. Just then, his engine began to misfire. Bleriot looked anxiously at his fuel gauge. He had only enough fuel for a few more minutes. Fortunately, the engine soon began to work properly again. In twenty - eight minutes he was over the English Channel and landed near Dover, where a large crowd had gathered to welcome him. Bleriot became the first man to fly across the English Channel, and was awarded the prize of 1,000.

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