原版英语小短文 89. The Fire

　　George owned a house near the woods. He had three neighbors. They all had big, beautiful houses. They loved their small neighborhood because it was near the woods. It was not near traffic, noise, or the city. Many birds and other animals lived in the woods. One day George drove¹ home in a water truck. A water truck holds a lot of water. George thought the water truck would save the houses from fires. The water truck held 2,000 gallons² of water. It cost $50,000. "That's a lot of money. But if it saves our homes from a fire, it's worth every penny," he told his neighbors. They all agreed with him. One year later, the woods were on fire. George sprayed³ water on all the houses. They could not catch on fire because they were so wet. George saved all the houses with his water truck. His neighbors said he was brave. They thanked him for saving⁴ their homes. They had a big party for George. They gave him a red fireman's hat.

1 drove   

vbl.驾驶，drive的过去式；n.畜群

参考例句：

• He drove at a speed of sixty miles per hour.他以每小时60英里的速度开车。
• They drove foreign goods out of the market.他们把外国货驱逐出市场。

2 gallons   

n.加仑( gallon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A cow will yield several gallons of milk each day. 一头母牛每天产几加仑的牛奶。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I'd like five gallons of gin. 我要五加仑杜松子酒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 sprayed   

v.喷( spray的过去式和过去分词 )；向…扫射（或抛洒），往…上撒；尤指雄猫撒尿（以示领地占有）

参考例句：

• They sprayed aerosol insect repellent into the faces of police. 他们将喷雾驱虫剂喷在了警察的脸上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The front of the house had been sprayed with white paint. 房子的正面已喷上了白漆。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 saving   

n.节省，节约；[pl.]储蓄金，存款

参考例句：

• Energy saving is term strategic policy of our country.节约能源是我国长期的战略国策。
• Old-fashioned housewives were usually very saving.旧时的家庭主妇通常都很节俭。