Lesson 1 A puma at large 逃遁的美洲狮

The reports received by London Zoo that a puma had been spotted forty- five miles south of London were similar in nature.

A woman picking blackberries saw it first, but the puma moved from place to place, leaving a trial of dead deer and small animals.

Paw prints and puma fur were found as well.

\ Now experts were convinced that the animal really was a puma.

Lesson 2 Thirteen equals one 十三等于一

At one o'clock in the morning, the church clock striking the hours woke the vicar up as it stuck thirteen times.

The vicar went into the clock tower, taking a torch with him.

He saw Bill Wilkins, the local grocer there and Bill explained he was trying to repair the clock but hadn't succeeded because at one o'clock it struck thirteen times.

However, the vicar was pleased that the bell was working and offered the grocer a cup of tea.

Lesson 3 An unknown goddess 无名女神

Archaeologists found clay fragments in an ancient temple.

These represented the fifteen statues of goddesses which had once been painted. The body of one statue was found among remains from the fifteenth century B.C. while its head was found among remains from the fifth century B.C.

When the fragments were reconstructed, they turned out to be a goddess which stood three feet high.

Her hands rested on her hips and she was wearing a full-length skirt. Her identity is unknown.

Lesson 4 The double life of Alfred Bloggs阿尔弗雷德.布洛格斯的双重生活

When he got married, Alfred Bloggs told his wife he worked for the Corporation. Though he dressed in a smart black suit every morning, he changed into overalls at work and spent the day working as a dustman. Then he took a shower and changed back into his suit at night. This lasted for two years and his fellow dustmen kept his secret. His wife will never learn the truth because her husband will be an office worker in future.

Lesson 5 The facts 确切数字

Though the journalist immediately set out to get the facts after receiving instructions from his editor, he did not send them at once. Meanwhile, the editor was getting impatient, so he sent three faxes, finally threatening to fire the journalist. When the last fax was unanswered, the article was published in its original form. The journalist sent the editor a fax a week later explaining he had been imprisoned after counting the steps and measuring the height of the wall.

Lesson 6 Smash-and grab 砸橱窗抢劫

A large car entered an arcade near Piccadilly and stopped outside a jeweller's. Two thieves got out and smashed the shop window. The owner of the shop was upstairs at the time, so he threw furniture at thethieves hitting one of them with a heavy statue. The raid lasted only three minutes and the thieves drove away. Running after them, the owner threw ashtrays and vases, but the thieves got away, stealing thousands of pounds worth of diamonds.

Lesson 7 Mutilated ladies 残钞鉴别组

John Butlin runs a successful furniture business and after a very good day, he put his wallet containing ￡3,000 into the microwave oven for safekeeping. Then he and his fianc6e, Jane, went horse-riding, after which Jane cooked their dinner in the microwave oven only to find to their dismay that the money had been destroyed. John went to see his bank manager who sent the remains to the Mutilated Ladies department who identified the remains and returned the money.

Lesson 8 A famous monastery 著名的修道院

The St. Bernard's Pass is visited by thousands of people in summer, who cross the Pass in cars. Because there are so many people about, the dogs are kept in a special enclosure. As the temperature in winter falls to -30°, there are few visitors, so the monks prefer this season. The dogs are also free to wander outside their enclosure. Parties of young skiers regularly visit the monastery in winter, during Christmas and Easter when they are warmly welcomed.

Lesson 9 Flying cats 飞猫

The New York Animal Medical Centre recently made a study of 132 cats. All these cats had one thing in common: they had fallen off high buildings, yet only eight had died from shock or injuries. One cat,Sabrina, had fallen 32 storeys but only suffered from a broken tooth. When falling at speeds up to 60 miles per hour, cats stretch out their legs which increases their air－resistance and reduces the shock of impact on hitting the ground.

Lesson 10 The loss of the Titanic “泰坦尼克“号的沉没

The Titanic was sailing across the icy waters of the North Atlantic when an iceberg was spotted by a lookout. After the alarm was given, the ship turned sharply and sailed alongside it. Suddenly, a faint noise was heard from below, so the captain went down to investigate, only to find that five of the sixteen compartments had been flooded. On hearing the order to abandon ship, people jumped overboard, but 1,500 drowned because there were not enough lifeboats.

Lesson 11 Not guilty 无罪

Though the writer had nothing to declare, the Customs Officer made him unlock his case. Searching the case carefully, the Officer found a small bottle, which he thought was perfume. The writer told the Customs Officer that it was hair gel, which he had made himself. As the Officer did not believe this, the writer encouraged him to try it. The unpleasant smell convinced him the writer was telling the truth, so he let him pass through Customs.

Lesson 12 Life on a desert island 荒岛生活

As the two men's boat was damaged, they were taking it to Miami when on the way it began to sink. After loading a rubber dinghy with food, matches and beer, the two men rowed a few miles across the Caribbean until they arrived at a tiny coral island. There they collected rainwater in the dinghy and caught fish and lobster with a spear gun. For five days, they?ate like kings? until they were rescued by a passing tanker.

Lesson 13 ?It?s only me? “是我，别害怕”

Mrs. Richards had dressed up as a ghost and was just going into the dining room when there was a knock on the door. Thinking it was the baker, she hid in the storeroom under the stairs. She heard footsteps in the hall and then the man from the Electricity Board opened the storeroom door. Though she said ?It's only me?, he got a bad fright. When she walked towards him, he fled, slamming the front door behind him.

Lesson 14 A noble gangster 贵族歹徒

After Sir John Hawkwood settled near Florence six hundred years ago, he hired soldiers to the princes of city-states in times of war. In times of peace he threatened to destroy a city-state unless protection money was paid. In spite of this, the Italians regarded him as a sort of hero. Sir John was eighty when he died and the Florentines not only gave him a state funeral but had a picture painted of him, dedicated to his memory.

Lesson 15 Fifty pence worth of trouble 五十便士的麻烦

George was going to the sweet shop when he lost fifty pence down a drain. After removing his jacket, he put his arm through the drain cover. He couldn't find his money and couldn't get his arm out. A crowd of people gathered round him and a lady rubbed his arm with soap and butter. She failed to free him, but two firemen succeeded with a special type of grease. The sweet shop owner presented George with a large box of chocolates.

Lesson 16 Mary had a little lamb 玛丽有一头小羔羊

When Dimitri came home, Mary told him that her white lamb had been stolen. On learning that his neighbour, Aleko, had acquired a lamb, Dimitri went to Aleko's house and accused him of stealing it. When Aleko showed his lamb, Dimitri saw it was black, so he apologized. After staying in Aleko's house for a while because it had begun to rain, Dimitri got a surprise outside when he found the lamb was almost white. It had been dyed black! (80 words)

Lesson 17 The longest suspension bridge in the world 世界上最长的吊桥

The Verrazano Bridge, which joins Brooklyn to Staten Island, has a span of 4,260 feet. Its two great towers support four huge cables. The towers are built on platforms made of steel and concrete, extending over 100 feet under the sea and rising nearly 700 feet above the surface of the water. The bridge is suspended from four huge cables, each of which contains 26,108 lengths of wire. It is not only very strong, but simple and elegant as well. (80 words)

Lesson 18 Electric currents in modern art 现代艺术中的电流

On entering the art gallery, the writer saw a notice which forbade people to touch the exhibits because they were dangerous. The exhibition consisted of pieces of moving sculpture.Against a wall, the writer saw long thin wires attached to metal spheres which attracted and repelled each other. In the centre of the hall were tall structures containing colouredlights which went on and off. Sparks were emitted from small black boxes and red lamps flashed on and off. (79 words)

Lesson 19 A very dear cat 一只贵重的宝贝猫

Mrs. Ramsay received an anonymous letter three days after her cat's disappearance.The writer of the letter demaded￡1,000 for the return of the cat,and warned she would never see him again if she went to the police.She had to put the money in a cardboard box and leave it outside her door. After drawing ￡1,000 from her band,she acted on the kidnapper's instructions.The money disappeared the following morning,andRastus returned at seven o'clock that evening. (80 words)

Lesson 20 Pioneer pilots 飞行员的先驱

Bleriot and Latham arrived in Calais on July 21st, 1909. Though it looked as if there would be a race on July 25th, Latham didn't take part, because he didn't get up early enough. After making a short test flight,Bleriot crossed the Channel in thirty-seven minutes. A policeman greeted him when he arrived in Dover.Latham got within half a mile of Dover the following week, having to land on the sea a second time because his engine failed. (80 words)

Lesson 21 Daniel Mendoza 丹尼尔?门多萨

When the two men quarrelled, they settled the argument by a fight. This took place at Stilton. It lasted an hour and Humphries won. When they met again, Mendoza lost again, but in their third match in 1790,Mendoza finally beat Humphries to become Champion of England. He founded a successful boxing Academy and earned a lot of money, but was so extravagant he was always in debt. He was finally sent to prison and died in poverty in 1836. (80 words)

Lesson 22 By heart 熟记台词

The aristocrat was sitting in his cell when the gaoler entered and handed him the letter----a blank sheet of paper. The aristocrat looked at it, squinted and said: ?The light is dim. Read me the letter.? He handed the letter back to the gaoler, who said: ?The light is indeed dim. I'll get my glasses.? He left the stage and returned with a pair of glasses and the real letter, which he read to the prisoner. (79 words)

Lesson 23 One man?s meat is another man?s poison 各有所爱

The writer collected several dozen snails, put them in a paper bag and took them to Robert who was delighted to see him, and pleased with the snails. The writer left the bag in the hall and he and Robert went into the living room and talked for a couple of hours. He had forgotten the snails until Robert invited him to dinner, and he followed Robert into the hall to find snails everywhere. They had escaped from the bag.

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard “家丑”

The writer started to unpack and put his shirts and underclothes into drawers and then decided to hang a suit in the cupboard. He opened the cupboard and stood petrified: there, dangling in front of him, was a skeleton. It was swaying and ready to leap out at him. He dropped his suit and dashed downstairs to tell George. George was

unsympathetic and told the writer it was Sebastian, a skeleton he had when he was a medical student. (79 words)

Lesson 25 The CuttySark “卡蒂萨克”号帆船

The Thermopylae reached Java first, but the CuttySark took the lead on the Indian Ocean. When the CuttySark was struck by a storm, her rudder was torn away. A temporary rudder was made and fitted, but the ship lost the lead. After crossing the Equator, they called in at a port to have a new rudder fitted.

Even with a new rudder, the CuttySark arrived in England a week after the Thermopylae, which was 500 miles ahead. (80 words)

Lesson 26 Wanted: a large biscuit tin 征购大饼干筒

A biscuit company asked its customers to bake biscuits and send them to the factory. As a prize, they offered ＄10 a pound for the biggest biscuit they received. The response was tremendous, with one biscuit weighing 500 pounds and another weighing 713 pounds. They thought that was the winner until a lorry delivered one which weighed 2,400 pounds baked by a college student. A crane lifted it from the lorry and the manufacturers paid the student ＄24,000. (80 words)

Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy 不卖也不买

Unlike beggars, real tramps have nothing to sell and require nothing from others. Although they seek independence, they will not sacrifice their human dignity. They choose their own way of life and are aware of the consequences. They may not know where the next meal is coming from, but they do not have the worries that others have. They can travel easily because they have few possessions and when they sleep in the open, they are close to nature. (79 words)

Lesson 28 Five pounds too dear 五镑太贵

The next man who approached him was selling watches and pens, and when the writer looked at one, it looked genuine. The man said it was worth ￡50 but the writer could have it for ￡30. The writer offered him ￡5 and waited. Eventually, as the writer was walking away, the man agreed and took ￡5. The writer was very pleased----until he was back on board. The pen was impossible to fill. It has never written a word since. (80 words)

Lesson 29 Funny or not? 是否可笑？

A man broke his right leg just before Christmas and was taken to hospital. He wanted to know when he could go home. On Christmas Day he was still in hospital with his leg in plaster, but there was a good chance of leaving hospital for the New Year. In fact, he was out in time to go to a New Year's Eve party where he drank too much, slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg. (80 words)

Lesson 30 The death of a ghost 幽灵之死

Eric joined the army during the Second World War, but hated army life, so he deserted. He returned to the farm where his father hid him until the end of the war, and he remained in hiding after the war. His father told everyone that he had been killed in action. Joe and Bob kept the secret, so Eric lived as a recluse. He slept during the day and worked at night, so he became the ?ghost of Endley?.(79 words)

Lesson 31 A lovable eccentric 可爱的怪人

Dickie had been caught in a heavy shower when he walked into an expensive shop. He wanted a ￡300 watch for his wife, but he was so bedraggled the assistant refused to serve him. He left the shop and returned with a heavy cloth bag which he dumped on the counter. Dickie asked for the manager. When he was given the watch, he gave the assistant the bag which contained ￡300 in pennies, which the assistant had to count. (80 words)

Lesson 32 A lost ship 一艘沉船

The chest containing the personal belongings of Alan Fielding told them a lot, and there were other items of interest. A heavy gun proved the ship was a cruiser. Another chest belonging to a ship's officer contained an unfinished letter dated March 14th, 1943, from which they learnt the ship's name. The most valuable find was the ship's log book, which told them the Karen had been sailing in convoy to Russia when she was torpedoed by an enemy submarine.(80 words )

Lesson 33 A day to remember 难忘的一天

When the driver behind braked, his wife was thrown forward and the large cake on her lap flew through the windscreen and landed on the road. A lorry had to pull up suddenly and hundreds of empty beer bottles slid off onto the road. The traffic piled up so that it took the police an hour to get it on the move again. The lorry driver swept up the glass and two stray dogs ate the remains of the cake.(80 words ) Lesson 34 A happy discovery 幸运的发现

While visiting an antique shop one Saturday, Frank was about to leave when he saw a large packing case. He asked the dealer to open it but the contents were disappointing until he lifted some crockery and noticed a miniature painting at the bottom. He had already decided to buy it when the dealer told him it was ￡50. Frank was excited because this was a real discovery. The painting was an unknown masterpiece worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. (80 words)

Lesson 35 Justice was done 伸张正义

A girl in the jewellery store heard muffled cries coming from behind a wall. When she heard the cry again, she went and told the manager who rang the fire brigade. When they arrived, the fire fighters found the right chimney by tapping the walls and listening. They chipped through a thick wall and found the man who could not move because the chimney was so narrow. They finally freed him by cutting a large hole in the wall. (79 words )

Lesson 36 A chance in a million 百万分之一的机遇

Hans had been wounded towards the end of the war, taken to hospital and separated from his unit. When the hospital had been bombed, he had returned to West Germany on foot. Meantime, his unit had been lost and all records of him destroyed. He returned to the family home to find the house bombed. Assuming all his family were dead, he settled in a village 50 miles away where he had lived until he met Franz and his wife. (80 words)

Lesson 37 The Westhaven Express 开往威斯特海温的快车

When many local people boarded the train with the writer, he was not surprised. Nor was he surprised when the train stopped at Widley. But when it stopped at each station, he began to wonder why it was going so slowly. Finally, when the train reached Westhaven, the writer spoke to the station master who denied the existence of an express. They argued and the writer was shown this timetable footnote, which said:? This service has been suspended.?(79 words)

Lesson 38 The first calender最早的日历

Historians have long been puzzled by prehistoric markings on walls, bones and tusks. The people who made the markings were nomads during the last Ice Age. Finally historians have managed to read this difficult code and realized that they depict the passing of the days and phases of the moon. They are in fact a primitive calendar. There is a connection between the pictures of hunting scenes and the markings with them. (71 words )

Lesson 39 Nothing to worry about 不必担心

When the boulders disappeared, there was a wide plain covered with clumps of bushes. Ahead was a huge fissure and Bruce stopped. We examined it and found it was fifty yards long, two feet wide and four feet deep. Without thinking, Bruce raced the car along it and then we were back on the plain. The village was 15 miles away and the next obstacle was a very wide shallow pool. Bruce charged in and stopped in the middle. (79 words)

Lesson 40 Who?s who 真假难辨

When a policeman arrived, he asked the workmen to go away. Later four more policemen arrived. The workmen still refused to stop and the police threatened to confiscate their pneumatic drill. One workman then threatened to call the police, which was silly because they were already under arrest. When another workman asked to make a telephone call, a policeman accompanied him to a phone. The workman actually rang the police and they realized they had been victims of a hoax. (80 words )

Lesson 41 Illusions of pastoral peace 宁静田园生活的遐想

You never have to travel miles to see friends because they live nearby. Nor do you have to worry about catching the last train home after the theatre. The latest

exhibitions, films and plays are all a bus ride away. Shopping is a pleasure, too. There is so much variety that you never have to make do with second best. The city can be beautiful and peaceful, too ---- beautiful with the glow of neon advertisements, and peaceful at weekends. (79 words )

Lesson 42 Modern cavemen 现代洞穴人

On entering a narrow gap on the plateau, they climbed down and reached a narrow corridor. They edged their way along and came to a waterfall which dropped to an underground lake. They plunged into the lake in special rubber suits and let the current take them to the other side. On squeezing through a cleft in the rocks, they discovered an enormous cavern where they saw massive stalagmites and stalactites. All they could hear was water dripping from above. (80 words)

Lesson 43 Fully insured 全保险

The divers found the dish, but it was difficult to haul out of the water. The sides were so smooth it was almost impossible to attach chains to it Eventually chains were attached and they pulled the dish to the canal bank on a winch. Unfortunately it overbalanced and slid back. They then fixed clamps to both sides and fastened chains to lift it vertically. With a winch they hauled the dish above the surface and on to dry land. (80 words)

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort 又快捷又舒适

Nothing matches a plane for speed and comfort. An aeroplane reaches its destination rapidly. You travel in complete comfort, often watching a film or sipping champagne. You have a breathtaking view of the world and you can really appreciate the landscape. When you are above the clouds, the sight of cloud plains is extraordinary. The journey is so smooth that it is easy to read or sleep, and you always arrive fresh and uncrumpled at the end of the flight. (80 words )

Lesson 45 The power of the press 新闻报道的威力

Immediately the news got out, a plane arrived with reporters and photographers. The family's rise to fame was swift and soon the media had told the whole country. Newspapers and magazines offered huge sums of money for exclusive rights to the story, while gifts poured in from baby products manufacturers. 'The family's old farmhouse was replaced by a new home, while lawyers were employed as spokesmen. The parents paid the price for fame: they would never again lead normal lives. (80 words)

Lesson 46 Do it yourself 自己动手

The author looked at his machine and reckoned that only a minor adjustment was needed. After adjusting a few things, the mower still refused to work, so he dismantled it and traced the cause of the trouble: there was a broken link in the drive chain. After buying a new chain and reassembling the mower, it still did not work. However, he was not really surprised because there were bits left that did not fit anywhere ---- so he gave up. (80 words)

Lesson 47 Too high a price? 代价太高

Noise constantly invades our daily lives. According to a recent survey, the worst noise is dogs barking at night, although the noise of lawn mowers, late-night parties, noisy neighbours, vehicles, planes and helicopters and large radios all adds. While the use of mobile phones in public places, it seems, is annoying, the survey revealed that one ?old-fashioned? source of noise is snoring, with men the worst offenders: only a small percentage of women snore, but they suffer most.(80 words)

Lesson 48 The silent village 沉默的村庄

The village contained one street and looked forbidding. Apart from a goat, it seemed deserted, so they sat down and had a picnic. Looking up, they suddenly found themselves surrounded by children in rags. The children were silent and motionless. As they walked down the street followed by the children, the village came alive with faces in windows and people watching them silently from doorways. The visitors were clearly unwelcome. They hurried back down to the stream and the boatman.

Lesson 49 The ideal servant 理想的仆人

On her return with a party of guests, Aunt Harriet asked Bessie to prepare dinner. Not only was the meal below standard, Bessie could not walk steadily, and she bumped into furniture and mumbled at the guests. When she brought in the pudding, she tripped and the pudding crashed onto the dining table.While the guests were very amused, Aunt Harriet was horrified. She realized Bessie was drunk and dismissed her immediately. (72 words)

Lesson 50 New Year resolutions 新年的决心

The writer exercised early in the morning for two days before anyone found out. When he sat at breakfast the second day, his condition betrayed him. His enthusiasm waned so that by January 10th, things were back to normal. However, he decided to keep his mind fresh for reading. He read on his own until one evening he went down and sat in front of the television, but he dozed off. He has now bought a book on speed reading! (80 words)

Lesson 51 Predicting the future 预测未来

According to Bagrit, computers would be small enough to hold in the hand, and they would be able to provide information about traffic jams and suggest alternative routes. They would be used to help doctors diagnose illnesses, and in business would relieve office workers of dull, repetitive work. However, he failed to predict the use of the Internet as a vehicle of communication or a source of information. But as predicted, computers have become smaller, more powerful and cheaper. (79 words )

Lesson 52 Mud is mud 实事求是

The assistant promised to order the? Myrolite ?Harry bad already asked for, so he then said he wantedperfumed mud. This time her eyes lit up and she immediately

fetched several bottles which she put onthe counter. Harry picked up the smallest bottle, and when he learned the price ( ￡20 ), he paid and leftwith the bottle under his arm. This curious bottle, now in his study, was his first and last purchase of rarecosmetics. (77 words)

Lesson 53 In the public interest 为了公众的利益

On receiving a complaint from a foreigner about police ill - treatment, the Ombudsman wrote to the Chiefof Police asking for a record of the case. As there was no official record and the Chief denied theaccusation, no action was possible. But When there was another similar complaint, the Ombudsman senta lawyer to investigate. He ascertained the truth of the accusations, the policeman was severelyreprimanded and warned that if there were further complaints he would be prosecuted. (80 words)

Lesson 54 Instinct or cleverness? 是本能还是机智

The writer saw thousands of ants crawling up his peach tree. Then he noticed the leaves of the tree were withering and found there were aphids under the leaves. They were being visited by the ants. In an effort to stop them, he bound the base of the tree with sticky tape and of course they couldn't cross it. By the next morning, however, they had solved the problem: they were climbing onto the leaves from the house wall.

Lesson 55 From the earth: Greetings 来自地球的问候

Finding life on other planets with earth based telescopes is impossible because of the heat of our planet and the dust particles throughout the solar System. A telescope would need to be as far away as Jupiter. Even then, the problem will be how to blot out the light from a planet's sun to study it. The most likely forms of life will be plants and bacteria. Even the discovery of lowly life forms would change our view of ourselves. (80 words)

Lesson 57 Back in the old country 重返故里

In the place of the village there was only a lake. Had he taken the wrong turning? He went back to town and retraced his route, only to finish up at the same spot. The lake was not marked. When a man on horse back appeared, the author asked the way tothe old village. The horseman told him there was no village and pointed to the lake: it had been submerged with the whole valley under a man-made reservoir. (80 words)

Lesson 58 A spot of bother 一点儿小麻烦

The old lady and the potter went through the flat, careful not to touch anything. Later, a police inspector looked for fingerprints while a constable checked the front door locks. There were no fingerprints, but the inspector found a bundle of jewellery suggesting this was not the burglars' first job that day. The inspector asked the lady to check what was missing and advised her not to stay in the flat. Eventually she rang her daughter to ask for help. (80 words)

Lesson 59 Collecting 收藏

Collecting provides hours of relaxation for looking at your treasures is a joy. If you have a collection at home, why go out? There is always something to do, from finding the right place for the latest addition to verifying facts in reference books. Collecting is educational, too, and through meeting people, increases your circle of friends. The hobby can lead to travel, national and international. You may become an authority on the subject and be asked to give talks. (80 words)

Lesson 60 Too early and too late 太早和太晚

The girl entered the railway station twenty minutes early, but the porter said she was two hours too soon.

When she showed him the details of the journey, he agreed it was correct, but said it was a mail train, not a passenger train. When she demanded to see a timetable, the station master came and pointed out that the train only stopped for mail. The train came in but the girl was still not allowed to get on. (79 words )