A possible answer (body of letter only)

I haven't written to you for some time, but felt that I should before contacting you by telephone or coming to the surgery.

I have not been feeling at all well lately. I have been feeling tired all the time and have started to go to bed early most nights to get more sleep. Even then, after a good night's sleep, I still feel as if I could sleep longer. I've taken vitamin tablets and things, but they haven't done any good, so I'd like to make an appointment to see you as soon as possible. (97 words)

Lesson 25 The Cutty Sark “卡蒂萨克”号帆船 Ships of the past

Men have always wanted to cross water. Thousands of years ago, men made simple dug-out canoes so that they could cross rivers or go out into lakes to fish. At first, then, man's earliest boats were small and simple and were powered and steered by paddles or oars.

When men wanted to travel greater distances, across very large lakes or small seas, for example, boats needed to be larger. We have all seen pictures of ancient ships with rows of oars at each side and slaves to row them. In fact these galleys were just a larger version of the single-man rowing boat, still made of wood and very much the same design as very early boats.

Early ships might have been primitive, they might have been made of wood

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and might have been powered through the water with oars, but they managed to cross oceans. The Viking ships that invaded Britain hundreds of years ago also reached North America. Later sailing ships, like those that Columbus sailed in, the galleons that formed the Spanish Armada or those that Nelson sailed in, were an advance.

But perhaps the greatest development in the history of ships was when steam engines replaced sails. For centuries, ships had depended on the wind to sail across the seas and oceans. At last, with an engine to drive a propeller, seamen did not have to rely totally on the weather. From then on, ships like the ?Great Eastern? could be larger, safer and more manoeuvrable in the water. (254 words)

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

Since we set sail from Southampton a week ago, the voyage has been awful. We have seen no sunshine, it has been raining all the time and the winds have been blowing hard. I have been seasick since we left.

This is only a small ship and there are only about fifty other passengers. Three or four have visited me and introduced themselves. They are all sympathetic because they have all been on lots of cruises before.

Tomorrow I want to go up on deck. We are calling into our first port, and I can't wait to get onto dry land again! (103 words)

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

The other evening I listened to a quiz show on the radio which was organised by a firm of soap manufacturers. A member of the audience was invited to answer ten questions to win money. He could take a money prize after each correct answer or go on to a more difficult question. Each new question was worth twice the last question.

The man was very nervous in front of the audience, but he got the first question

right.

Then

he

slowly

answered

all

the

questions

correctly----spelling questions, history questions, general knowledge, mathematics, … The audience was getting very excited as the question master got to question number 9.

?And your ninth question,? he said, ?is worth ￡1,024. Here it is. Which nineteenth-century sailing ship won a race from Shanghai to England? ?It was the Thermopylae,? the man said confidently. ?She beat the Cutty Sark.?

?Correct,? said the questionmaster, and the audience went mad. The question master had to ask them to be quiet.

?And here is your tenth and last question,? the host said, ?which is worth ￡2,048 exactly. “Advertisement”: how do you spell it??

The man paused and then said: ?I think this is a trick question. I can spell

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“advertisement”, but I can also spell “it”. The answer is “I-T”.?

?You're absolutely right,? the host said, ?and you have won ￡2,048! Congratulations!? (239 words)

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

How are you? I hope you are keeping well. I know I haven't written recently but I have some good news. I have managed to find a job near you and want to move to your neighbourhood.

Naturally I need to find somewhere to live. As you live in the area, would you mind helping me to find some accommodation? I'm looking for a flat or even a small house to rent for at least six months.

I look forward to hearing from you as soon as you can find something for me. (92 words)

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

The majority of adults in society contribute to society by working. They work, earn money and pay taxes for the things we all need----hospitals, schools, public transport, the fire brigade, law and order and so on. We don't expect children or very old people to work and pay taxes. But

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