empty and when the Officer lifted it, he found that it was still very heavy.The Officer examined the case carefully and saw that the bottom was very shallow. He pressed the base hard and removed the bottom part of the case which contained a quantity of emeralds and other precious stones. While the Officer was looking at an emerald, the man tried to escape. For a moment the man disappeared among the passing holiday travellers, but he was soon caught and placed under arrest.

Key to Letter writing A possible answer(body of letter only)

Thank you for your letter asking me to lend you some money to start a new business.

I'm very sorry that I can't help you at the moment. I not only have a great many expenses of my own, but I'm in debt myself. Why don't you ask our friend Jim Clark? I know Jim is keen to invest in business and might be able to lend you some money.

I wish you every success in your new business venture. (80 words)

Lesson 12 Life on a desert island 荒岛生活 Shipwrecked

The ship went down and everyone was drowned. I was the only one who managed to jump into the sea. I clung to a plank in the water for several

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hours till I was washed up on a desert island.

I slept on the beach for a very long time----I can't remember how long. When I woke up, I was hungry and thirsty, so I decided to explore the island. It was uninhabited, but I found plenty of fruit which had fallen from the trees. I lived on coconuts and pineapples and there was plenty of fresh spring water. I tried to hunt wild animals with my bare hands(small pigs and other creatures), but I failed to catch anything. So I spent my days swimming in the warm clear water and lying in the sun.

One afternoon while I was lying on the beach as usual, I saw a boat on the horizon. I signalled with my white shirt and shouted as loudly as I could. Fortunately ,someone on the boat saw me and I was rescued. Of course, I was pleased to get back to civilization, but I was very sorry to leave this island paradise. (200 words)

Key to Letter writing A possible answer(Purpose and Conclusion only)

We have a wonderful view from our hotel window. Just below us is a beach which stretches for a couple of miles and beyond it clear blue water. We can be sure of brilliant sunshine every day. We look forward to spending our holiday swimming, eating and sleeping!

We all keep thinking of you and wish you were with us. (60 words)

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Lesson 13 ?It?s only me? “是我，别害怕”

Mrs. Richards immediately went upstairs and took off her costume. She felt sorry for the poor man from the Electricity Board, but at the same time she was rather amused. Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door and Mrs. Richards opened it at once. The electricity man had returned, accompanied by a policeman, so she invited both in. The man told Mrs. Richards that he had tried to read her metre and that there was a ghost in the storeroom. Though Mrs. Richards explained that she had dressed up as a ghost, he refused to believe her. She told him to open the storeroom door, but he was too frightened, so she opened it herself. While the electricity man and the policeman were looking for the ghost in the storeroom, Mrs. Richards fetched her costume. She showed it to both men and only then did they believe her. (150 words)

Key to Letter writing possible answer (body of letter only)

You can't imagine what happened to me the other day when I was checking the electricity metres in Ormond Road!

I went to check the metre of one of our customers and got a terrible shock. I'm convinced the house is haunted because a ghost lives in the storeroom. As soon as it saw me, it came towards me and I fled!

This is really a true story and I'll tell you all about it when we meet.(78

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words)

Lesson 14 A noble gangster 贵族歹徒 Hawkwood defeated

News that Hawkwood and his men were approaching caused panic among villagers who prepared to defend their farms. Hawkwood had a bad reputation among farmers because they knew he would not hesitate to kill them and to burn their farms.

The farmers fought very hard, even though they were poorly armed. With their sticks and spades, they were no match for Hawkwood's well-armed soldiers who had horses, swords and bows and arrows. During the battle, a great many farmers were killed. After Hawkwood destroyed their farms, he sent a message to theprince of the city-state demanding a large amount of protection money. He said that if this money was paid, he would go away and cause no more trouble. However, if it wasn't paid, he would invade the city. To Hawkwood's amazement, this demand was refused, so he and his men invaded the city. As a result, many buildings were destroyed and thousands of people were killed, including quite a few of Hawkwood's soldiers.

The city people fought very hard until Hawkwood and his men were finally driven off. Because the city people defended themselves so well, Hawkwood never attacked them again. He and the prince even became

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