Lasting a Lifetime

      Sidney Wilson's watch was old and it did not work well. It was either too fast or too slow. It spent more time in the repair shop than on his wrist (手腕). So he decided to buy himself a new watch.

      He went into a jewelry shop and said to the saleswoman behind the counter.

      “I want to buy a new watch, please. Show me the best watch you have.”

      The saleswoman smiled happily. This was the kind of customer she liked.

     “Certainly, sir,” she said, and showed Sidney a gold watch.

      “This watch is made of gold and has twenty-four jewels,” she explained.

      “How much is it?” Sidney asked.

      “$5,000,” the saleswoman said.

      “Oh,” Sidney said. “I'm sorry. You did not understand me. I want to see the best watch you have for under $100.”

      The sales woman now lost interest in Sidney. She pushed some cheap watches at him. “Choose one from these,” she said rudely.       “They are all under $100.”

      Sidney picked up one of the watches, “Will it last me a lifetime?” he asked.

     “Of course,” the saleswoman said.

     “Then I'll buy it,” Sidney told her. He paid for the watch and left the shop.

      Two days later the watch stopped. Sidney could not make it work again. He took it back to the shop.

      “This watch is broken,” he said to the saleswoman. “You told me it would last me a lifetime.”

     “When you bought it, sir,” the saleswoman said, “you didn't look very well.”

Choose the best answer to each question about the story.

A

    Some girls are talking about their dreams. They want to do different (不同的) jobs when they grow up (长大). The first girl says, "When I grow up, I want to work with animals. I like them and they are so cute." The second girl says, "Oh, Mary, I think it's boring to be with animals, because they can't speak. I want to be a reporter (记者), so I can meet and talk to interesting people every day. "The third girl says, "Jenny, I don't think it's a difficult job for you, because you are good at talking with others. I want to be a teacher, because my mom is one" The last girl says, "I like your mother's job, Sally. I am writing a story about that job. My mother says I can be an author (作家). But I want to be a doctor, because I like helping others."

    Several summers ago, Joe Smith, a coach(教练)of a football team, and his family were spending their holidays in a small town. One rainy afternoon, it was impossible for them to go out to do something interesting, so the family decided to go to cinema. Joe, his wife, and their three children walked soon to the town's only cinema, bought tickets and went into the hall. The lights were still on, and there were just six other persons there. As Joe entered, some of them saw him and started chapping(鼓掌).

    Joe gave them a smile and turned to his wife. "Aha, I can't believed they know me and I'm getting a warm welcome here," he guessed. "They saw my games on TV."

    They sat down and then a young man came back and gave out his hand. "Thanks a lot," said the coach. "I just can't believe you know who I am." "All I know," replied the man, "It is that they would not show the film until at least ten people bought tickets."

The Angel of the North

    The Angel of the North is a modern sculpture (雕塑) in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England, designed by Antony Gormley. Completed in 1998, it is a steel sculpture of an angel, 20 metres tall, with wings measuring 54 metres across. The angel, like much of Gormley's other work, is based on the shape of his own body.

    According to the artist himself, the Angel of the North symbolises (象征着) the change from the industrial to the information age and stands proudly as a beacon (灯塔) of hope for the future of the region.

    It cost £800, 000 to make, with the money coming from the British government. It took four years to make the sculpture. It was made in three parts, the body, which weighed 100 tons, and two wings, which weighed 50 tons each. Angels are usually thought of being white, as they represent light, but Gormley's Angel of the North is a reddish brown colour. This is because the steel has a special paint to protect it from strong wind.

    The parts of the angel were moved from Hartlepool to Gateshead at night in big trucks. It took 5 hours to move everything, even though the journey is very short. The Angel of the North was put on the hill in Birtley on the 15th of February, 1998.

    The sculpture was made in memory of the coal miners who worked hard in the dark earth below the hill to bring wealth to the North East in the 19th and 20th centuries. It is a sign for Gateshead.

    The sculpture has since become one of the most famous landmarks in England as can be seen in television and film. It is the largest sculpture in Britain. Over 150,000 people come to Gateshead to see the sculpture every year.

    One morning, a hungry fox (狐狸) sees a chicken. He thinks, "Great! This is my breakfast." He comes up to the chicken and says, "Good morning, Miss Chicken. I hear you can sing very well. Can you sing a song for me?" The chicken is happy to hear that. She closes her eyes and begins to sing. The fox sees that and catches her in his mouth and takes her away. The farmers on the farm see the fox. They shout, "Look! Look! The fox is taking the chicken away." The chicken says to the fox, "Mr Fox, can you hear? The people say you are taking their chicken away. Tell them I am yours, not theirs." The fox opens his mouth and says, "Miss Chicken is mine, not yours." Just then the chicken runs away from the fox and flies into the tree.

    William Shakespeare is one of the greatest writers in English literature. His plays can be divided into three categories: histories, tragedies (悲剧) and comedies. Shakespeare wrote eighteen comedies, although two were lost. These comedies usually have happy endings and a light-hearted tone and style that are quite different from his tragedies.

    All of Shakespeare's comedies have five acts and the most important or exciting point always takes place in the third act. The hero does not appear until after other characters have talked about him. Shakespeare had some themes that he usually wrote about: the fight between good and bad, love's great effect on people, and the difference between first appearance and a person's true personality or face. Shakespeare also wrote his play in a certain style. For example, Shakespeare used words in such a clever and humorous way that they had more than one meaning. Some of the characters changed their appearances so that people didn't know who they were.

    Even though the tone is lighter in these plays. Comedies in Shakespeare's day were quite different from modern-day comedies because their purpose was not to make people laugh. Shakespeare's comedies are very emotional (有感染力的) and often include serious topics to think about.