新概念英语第二册.pdf

1.A Private ConversationLast week I went to the theatre.I had a very good seat.The playwas very interesting.I did not enjoy it.A young man and a youngwoman were sitting behind me.They were talking loudly.I got veryangry.I could not hear the actors.I turned round.I looked at themangrily.They did not pay any attention.In the end,I could not bearit.I turned round again.ll cant hear a word!I said angrily.Itsnone of your business,the young man said rudely.This is a privateconversation!2.Breakfast or Lunch?It was Sunday.I never get up early on Sundays.I sometimes stay inbed until lunch time.Last Sunday I got up very late.I looked out ofthe window.It was dark outside.What a day!I thought.Itsraining again.Just then,the telephone rang.It was my aunt Lucy.Tve just arrived by train,she said.Tm coming to see you.But Imstill having breakfast,I said.What are you doing?she asked.Tmhaving breakfast,I repeated.Dear me!she said.lDo you alwaysget up so late?Its one oclock!,3.Please Send Me a CardFbstcards always spoil my holidays.Last summer,I went to Italy.Ivisited museums and sat in the public gardens.A friendly waitertaught me a few words of Italian.Then he lends me a book.I read afew lines,but I did not understand a word.Every day I thoughtabout postcards.My holidays passed quickly,but I did not send anycards to my friends.On the last day I made a big decision.I got upearly and bought thirty-seven cards.I spent the whole day in myroom but I did not write a single card!4.An Exciting TripI have just received a letter from my brother,Tim.He is in Australia.He has been there for six months.Tim is an engineer.He is workingfor a big firm and he has already visited a great number of differentplaces in Australia.He has just bought an Australian car and hasgone to Alice Springs,a small town in the centre of Australia.He willsoon visit Darwin.From there,he will fly to Perth.My brother hasnever been abroad before,so he is finding this trip very exciting.5 No Wrong NumbersMr.James Scott has a garage in Sudbury and now he has justbought another garage in Pinehurst.Pinehurst is only five milesfrom Si I bury,but Mr.Scott cannot get a telephone for his newgarage,so he has just bought twelve pigeons.Yesterday,a pigeoncarried the first message from Pinhurst to Silbury.The bird coveredthe distance in three minutes.Up to now,Mr.Scott has sent a greatmany requests for spare parts and other urgent messages from ongarage to the other.In this way,he has begun his own privatetelephone service.6 Percy ButtonsI have just moved to a house in Bridge Street.Ybsterday a beggarknocked at my door.He asked me for a meal and a glass of beer.Inreturn for this,the beggar stood on his head and sang songs.I gavehim a meal.He ate the food and drank the beer.Then he put a pieceof cheese in his pocket and went away.Later a neighbor told meabout him.Everybody knows him.His name is Percy Buttons.Hecalls at every house in the street once a month and always asks fora meal and a glass of beer.7 loo LateThe plane was late and detectives were waiting at the airport allmorning.They were expecting a valuable parcel of diamonds fromSouth Africa.A few hours earlier,someone had told the police thatthieves would try to steal the diamonds.When the airplane arrived,some of the detectives were waiting inside the main building whileothers were waiting on the airfield.Two men took the parcel off theplane and carried it into the Customs House.While two detectiveswere keeping guard at the door,two others opened the parcel.Tbtheir surprise,the precious parcel was full of stones and sand!（不 可 8 The Best and the WorstJoe Sanders has the most beautiful garden in our town.Nearlyeverybody enters for The Nicest Garden Competition each year,butJoe wins every time.Bill Firths garden is larger than Joes.Bill worksharder than Joe and grows more flowers and vegetables,but Joesgarden is more interesting.He has made neat path and has built awooden bridge over a pool.I like gardens too,but I do not like hardwork.Every year I enter for the garden competition too,and Ialways win a little prize for the worst garden in the town.9 A cold WelcomeOn Wednesday evening,we went to the Ibwn Hall.It was the lastday of the year and a large crowd of people had gathered under theTown Hall clock.It would strike twelve in twenty minutes time.Hfteen minutes passed and then,at five to twelve,the clockstopped.The big minute hand did not move.We waited and waited,but nothing happened.Suddenly someone shouted,Its twominutes past twelve!The clock has stopped!I looked at my watch.It was true.The big clock refused to welcome the New Vbar.At thatmoment,everybody began to laugh and sing.10 Not For JazzWe have an old musical instrument.It is called a clavichord.It wasmade in Germany in 1681.Our clavichord is kept in the living-room.It has belonged to our family for a long time.The instrument wasbought by my grandfather many years ago.Recently it wasdamaged by a visitor.She tried to play jazz on it!She struck the keystoo hard and two of the strings were broken.My father was shocked.Now we are not allowed to touch it.It is being repaired by a friendof my fathers.11 One Good Turn Deserves AnotherI was having dinner at a restaurant when Harry Steels came in.Harry worked in a lawyers office years ago,but he is now workingat a bank.He gets a good salary,but he always borrows moneyfrom his friends and never pays it back.Harry saw me and came andsat at the same table.He has never borrowed money from me.While he was eating,I asked him to lend me&2.Tb my surprise,hegave me the money immediately.1 have never borrowed moneyfrom you,Harry said,lso now you can pay for my dinner.,12 Goodbye and Good LuckOur neighbor,Captain Charles Alison,will sail from Portsmouthtomorrow.We shall meet him at the harbor early in the morning.Hewill be in his small boat,Topsail.Topsails a famous little boat.It hassailed across the Atlantic many times.Captain Alison will set out ateight oclock,so we shall have plenty of times.We shall see his boatand then we shall say goodbye to him.He w川 be away for twomonths.We are very proud of him.He will take part in an importantrace across the Atlantic.13 The Greenwood BoysThe Greenwood Boys are a group of popular singers.At present,they are visiting all parts of the country.They will be arriving heretomorrow.They will be coming by train and most of the youngpeople in the town will be meeting them at the station.Tomorrowevening they will be singing at the Workers Club.The GreenwoodBoys will be staying for five days.During this time,they w 川 give fiveperformances.As usual,the police w川 have a difficult time.Theywill be trying to keep order.It is always on these occasions.14 Do bu Speak English?I had an amusing experience last year.After I had left a small villagein the south of France,I drove on to the next town.On the way,ayoung man waved to me.I stopped and he asked me for a lift.Assoon as he had got into the car,I said good morning to him inFrench and he replied in the same language.Apart from a fewwords,I do not know any French at all.Neither of us spoke duringthe journey.I had nearly reached the town,when the young mansuddenly said,very slowly,lDo you speak English?As I soon learnt,he was English himself.15 Good NewsThe secretary told me that Mr.Harmsworth would see me.I felt verynervous when I went into his office.He did not look up from hisdesk when I entered.After I had sat down,he said that businesswas very bad.He told me that the firm could not afford to pay suchlarge salaries.Twenty people had already left.I knew that my turnhad come.*M r.Harnsworth,I said in a weak voice.Dont interruptme,he said.Then he smiled and told me I would receive an extra&100 a year.16 A Fblite RequestIf you park car in the wrong place,a traffic policeman will soon findit.You will be very lucky if he lets you go without a ticket.However,this is does not always happen.Traffic police are sometimes verypolite.During a holiday in Sweden,I found this note on my car:lSir,we welcome you to our city.This is a No Parking area.YDU willenjoy your stay here if you pay attention to our street signs.Thisnote is only a reminder.If you receive a request like this,you cannotfail to obey it.17 Always youngMy aunt Jennifer is an actress.She must be at least thirty-five yearsold.In spite of this,she often appears on the stage as a young girl.Jennifer will have to take part in a new play soon.This time,she willbe a girl of seventeen.In the play,she must appear in a bright reddress and long black stockings.Last year in another play,she had towear short socks and a bright,orange-colored dress.If anyone everasks her how old she is,she always answers,My dear,it must beterrible to be grown up!18 He Often Does ThisAfter I had had lunch at a village inn,I looked for my bag.I had leftit on a chair beside the door and now it wasnt there!As I waslooking for it,the inn-keeper came in.Did you have a good meal?he asked.lYes,thank you,I answered,*but I cant pay the bill.Ihavent got my bag.The inn-keeper smiled and immediately wentout.In a few minutes he returned with my bag and gave it back tome.Tm very sorry；he said.lMy dog had taken it into the garden.He often does this.,19 Sold outThe play may begin at any moment,I said.llt may have begunalready,Susan answered.I hurried to the ticket-office.lMay I havetwo tickets please?I asked.1 am sorry,weve sold out,the girl said.What a pity!(Susan exclaimed.Just then,a man hurried to theticket-office.lCan I return these two tickets?he asked.Certainly,the girl said.I went back to the ticket-office at once.Could I havethose two tickets?I asked.Certainly；the girl said,but they are fornext Wednesdays performance.Do you still want it?I might aswell have them；I said sadly.20 One Man in a BoatFishing is my favorite sport.I often fish for hours without catchinganything.But this does not worry me.Some fishermen are unlucky.Instead of catching fish,they catch old boots and rubbish.I ameven less lucky.I never catch anything not even old boots.Afterhaving spent whole morning on the river,I always go home with anempty bag.You must give up fishing；my friends say.Its a wasteof time.,But they dont realize one important thing.I am not reallyinterested in fishing.I am only interested in sitting in a boat anddoing nothing at all!21 Mad or Not?Aeroplanes are slowly driving me mad.I live near an airport andpassing aeroplanes can be heard night and day.The airport wasbuilt during the war,but for some reason it could not be used then.Last year,however,it came to use.Over a hundred people musthave been driven away from their homes by the noise.I am one ofthe few people left.Sometimes I think that this house may beknocked down by a passing plane.I have been offered a large sumof money to go away,but I am determined to stay here.Everybodysays I must be mad and they are probably right.22 A Glass EnvelopMy daughter,Jane,never dreamed of receiving a letter from a girl ofher own age in Holland.Last year,we were traveling across theChannel and Jane put a piece of paper with her name and addresson it into a bottle.She threw the bottle into the sea.She neverthought of it again,but ten months later,she received a letter froma girl in Holland.Both girls write to each other regularly now.However,they have decided to use the post-office.Letters will costa little more,but they will be certainly traveled faster.23 A New HouseI had a letter from my sister yesterday.She lives in Nigeria.In herletter,she said that she would come to England next year.If shecomes,she will get a surprise.We are now living in a beautiful newhouse in the country.Work on it had begun before my sister left.The house was completed five months ago.In my letter,I told herthat she could stay with us.The house has many large rooms andthere is a lovely garden.Its a very modern house,so it looksstrange to some people.It must be the only modern house in thedistrict.24 It could be worseI entered the hotel managers office and sat down.I had just lost&50 and I felt very upset,ll left the money in my room；I said,landits not there now.the manager was sympathetic,but he could donothing.Everyones losing money these days,he said.He startedto complain about this wicked(not weak)world but was interruptedby a knock at the door.A girl came in and put an envelope on hisdesk.It contained&50.ll found this outside this gentlemans room；she said.lWell,I said to the manager,lthere is still some honesty inthis world!25 Do the English Speak English?I arrived in London at last.The railway station was big,black anddark.I did not know the way to my hotel,so I asked a porter,I notonly spoke English very carefully,but very clearly as well.The porter,however,could not understand me.I repeated my questions severaltimes and at last he understood.He answered me,but he spokeneither slowly nor clearly.ll am foreigner,I said.Then he spokeslowly,but I could not understand him.My teacher never speaksEnglish like that!The porter and I looked at each other and smiled.Then he said something and I understood it.You will soon learnEnglish!,he said.I wonder.In English,each man speaks a differentlanguage.The English understand each other,but I dontunderstand them!Do they speak English?26 The Best Art CriticsI am an art student and I paint a lot of picture.Many people pretendthat they understand modern art.They always tell you what apicture is about.Of course,many pictures are not about anything.They are just pretty patterns.We like them in the same way that welike pretty curtain(窗 帘)material.I think that young children oftenappreciate modern pictures better than anyone else.They noticemore.My sister is only seven,but she always tells me whether mypictures are good or not.She came in my room yesterday.What areyou doing?she asked.1 am hanging this picture on the wall,Ianswered.Its a new one,do you like it?She looked at it criticallyfor a moment.llfs all right,she said,but isnt it upside-down?Looked at it again.She was right!It was!27 A Wet NightLate in the afternoon,the boys put up their tent in the middle of afield.As soon as this was done,they cooked a meal over an openfire.They were all hungry and the food smelt good.After awonderful meal,they told stories and sang songs by the camp fire.But some time later it began to rain.The boys felt tired and they putout the fire and crept into their tent.Their sleeping-bags were warmand comfortable,so they all slept soundly.In the middle of the night,two boys woke up and began shouting.The tent was full of water.They leapt(leap leapt leapt 跳)out of their sleeping-bags andhurried outside,it was raining heavily and they found that a streamhas formed in the field.The stream wound(wind wound wound)itsway across the field and then flowed right under their tent!28 No Parking!Jasper White is one of those rare（少 见）people who believes inancient myths.He was just bought a new house in the city,but eversince he moved in,he has had trouble with motorists.When hereturns home at night,he always finds that someone has pa