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英语博客(A cup of English):061 How ridiculous!

时间:2011-01-28 01:54来源:互联网 提供网友:ok1046   字体: [ ]
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  Beginners.
Have you ever been told something by a person of authority1 that made no sense at all? Or, have you ever been in a situation that made you wonder if someone was playing a joke on you? A few occasions2 spring to mind when I think of that question. The other day, my mother had her U.S citizenship3 interview. There were many questions to answer, and thankfully, the lady interviewing her was friendly. She tested her English, her knowledge of U.S. history, and she also looked at all the papers my mother had filled in. Then came the character history questions: "Have you ever overthrown5 a government?" the lady asked. My mother was shocked and amused at the same time. "Sweetheart, I'm sixty-five years old. Do I look like I've overthrown a government?" she replied. No, she doesn't look like she has overthrown a government, and I'm sure if she had, someone would have heard about it. The interviewer looked at her appologetically, and continued with other, similar questions: "Have you ever been a drug traffiker? An arms dealer6? A member of the Communist party?" Of course my mother answered "no" to all of the questions, but she couldn't help but laugh. The poor lady was just doing her job, but what a ridiculous one!
Grammar notes.
Verbs: Have you ever......? (very useful). To play a joke on someone.
Exs: Have you ever been to Miami? Has he ever paid for anything? Has it ever rained in the Sahara? Have we ever given her a reason to dislike us?
My brother always played jokes on me when we were growing up.
He was offended7; they had played a joke on him.
Important vocabulary: authority, something springs to mind, to overthrow4, a dealer.
Advanced.
When I left New Zealand to come home, I had to catch a connecting flight in Brisbane, Australia. Thankfully, I didn't have to wait at the gate very long. After a while, one of the airport security8 guards announced to the group of us who were waiting, "Could you all move back behind the security screen, as we are going to run an extra security check of the plane before you board." We all did so, only a few people complaining. Then came the time to move back to the gate. As we did, they checked our carry-on luggage. I only had one bag: just a weeks worth of clothes, and presents for the family. "What's this?" asked the man as he unzipped my bag. "It's a candy snake; you know, a chewy one," I replied pointing to three others and a tarantula that I had bought for my children. "You can't take these on the plane. New regulation: nothing that seems threatening to anyone." "Are you serious?" I asked with a smile. "But it's obviously9 candy." "Yes, I know Miss, but someone on the plane might not think so." "Well, what about the tarantula? I think that's more scary." "New rules, I'm afraid. You can only take them if you bite their heads off?" "You've got to be joking! My kids wouldn't eat them if I did that. Anyway, I bought them here in the airport," I said, seeing no sense in the situation. One of the guards went back with me to the shop where I had bought the candy and appologetically spoke10 with the shop owner. I traded the snakes for tarantulas and went back to the gate. As I arrived, one of the other guards informed me that because I had bought them in the airport, I could take them with me. So, I went back to the same shop and exchanged my tarantulas for snakes. What a performance. I appreciate people following rules and keeping us safe, but that was ridiculous!
Grammar notes.
Important vocabulary: security guards, a connecting flight, a weeks worth of ..., to unzip, a regulation, appologetically, a performance.
Exs: The security guards checked the plane before we took the connecting flight.
I have a week's/ month's/ year's worth of bills to pay.
It's a new regulation that everyone must unzip the bags.
The man appologetically cleaned up the soup he had dropped.
The dinner was a disaster. The food was burnt, I had a headache, and the guests got lost and never turned up! What a performance!


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 authority 9u5zp     
n.当局,官方;权力,权威,威信;当权者
参考例句:
  • He is recognized internationally as an authority in this field.国际上承认他是这方面的一个权威。
  • Professor White is looked upon as an authority on mathematics.怀特教授被看成数学权威。
2 occasions 11557f17371ac4f35f50715ad4a32024     
n.机会( occasion的名词复数 );时刻;原因;需要
参考例句:
  • The prosecution stated that intercourse had occurred on several occasions. 控诉方称发生过数次性交。
  • He has been late on numerous occasions. 他已经迟到过无数次了。
3 citizenship AV3yA     
n.市民权,公民权,国民的义务(身份)
参考例句:
  • He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生,但没有瑞典公民身分。
  • Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后,她选择了澳大利亚国籍。
4 overthrow PKDxo     
v.推翻,打倒,颠覆;n.推翻,瓦解,颠覆
参考例句:
  • After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后,这个国家处于混乱中。
  • The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。
5 overthrown 1e19c245f384e53a42f4faa000742c18     
adj. 打翻的,推倒的,倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词
参考例句:
  • The president was overthrown in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被赶下台。
  • He has overthrown the basic standards of morality. 他已摒弃了基本的道德标准。
6 dealer GyNxT     
n.商人,贩子
参考例句:
  • The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
  • The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。
7 offended 47b592019953ccd84a897f2d4ec27edf     
v.触怒( offend的过去式和过去分词 );得罪;冒犯;使反感令人不适
参考例句:
  • They'll be offended if you don't go to their wedding. 你若不参加他们的婚礼,他们会生气的。
  • She was offended by the vulgarity of their jokes. 他们那些粗俗的笑话使她大为不快。
8 security iTdzh     
n.安全,安全感;防护措施;保证(金),抵押(品);债券,证券
参考例句:
  • A security guard brought him down with a flying tackle.一名保安人员飞身把他抱倒。
  • There was tight security at the airport when the President's plane landed.总统的专机降落时,机场的保安措施很严密。
9 obviously uIKxo     
adv.显然;明白地
参考例句:
  • Obviously they were putting him to a severe test.显然他们是在给他以严峻的考验。
  • Obviously he was lying.显然他是在撒谎。
10 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
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