Thirteen equals one
Our vicar is always raising money for one?cause or another,but he has never managed to get enough money to have the?church clock repaired.The big clock which used to strike the hours day and?night was damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since.
One night,however,our vicar work up with a?start: the clock was striking the hours!Looking at his watch,he saw that it was?one o'clock,but the bell struck thirteen times before it stopped.Armed with a?torch,the vicar went up into the clock tower to see what was going on.In the?torchlight,he caught sight of a figure whom he immediately recognized as Bill?Wilkins,our local grocer.
'Whatever are you doing up here Bill?' asked?the vicar in surprise.
'I'm trying to repair the bell,' answered?Bill.'I've been coming up here night after night for weeks now.You see,I was?hoping to give you a surprise.'
'You certainly did give me a surprise!' said?the vicar.'You've probably woken up everyone in the village as well.Still,I'm?glad the bell is working again.'
That's the trouble,vicar,' answered Bill.'It's?working all right,but I'm afraid that at one o'clock it will strike thirteen?times and there's nothing I can do about it."
We'll get used to that,Bill,' said thevicar."Thirteen is not as good as one,but it's better than nothing.Nowlet's go downstairs and have a cup of tea.'
Part 1: Lead-in question:
Q:Was the vicar pleased that the clock was striking? Why?
A: Yes, he was quite pleased, because it was working again. Striking the wrong hours is better than nothing.
Part 2: Words and Expressions
1. equal: adj.相等的，平等的; All men are created equal.《獨立宣言》
vt.等于;比得上;使相等;同樣看待; Two plus two equals four.
n.同樣的人;相等的數(shù)量. Our teacher treated us all as equals.
2. Vicar:（英國國教的）教區(qū)牧師
拓展詞匯：priest(天主教的神父)栓始，pastor（基督教的神父）话速，rector（掌管一個教區(qū)的神父）clergyman（神職人員的總稱）
3.raise: v.籌集; raise money/cash/capital/fund
v.養(yǎng)育;raise a son/raise afamily
4.cause: n.事業(yè) ?the cause of worldpease 世界和平事業(yè)
5.have the church clock repaired 請人修鐘
have sth done:請人做事. Have my hair cut. 剪發(fā)
開心一刻
?Teacher: Have you finished your homework? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Xiaoming: Yes. Certainly. I have my homework done. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??The English teacher got mad. Why?
6. strick the hours:報時. Strick后面可以直接加數(shù)字，表示幾點氏身。
When the clock was stricking twelve, Cinderella ran away. ?鐘敲十二下床估，灰姑娘趕緊跑了雇寇。
7. day and night: all the time.
由反義詞構(gòu)成的詞組還有: up and down:上上下下。back and forth: 前前后后
8. damage v.損害（指事物）
詞匯拓展：destroy: v.徹底摧毀（指事物）虽另；injure:受到傷害（身體上）暂刘；hurt: 傷害（心靈上）:You hurt my feelings.
9.start: n/v猛地一驚
What a start you gave me.嚇死我了
I started at the sound of the phone.
10. arm: v 武裝 armed to the teeth 全副武裝
v.攜帶she came to the meeting, armed with all the facts and figures.
11. catch sight of :看見 ? lose sight of看不見
I caught sight of an empty seat in the subway.
Fall?in love at the first sight.一見鐘情.
12. better than nothing 還行，湊合捂刺，聊勝于無
The only hotel here was dirty, but it was better than nothing.
My boyfriend is unromantic/boring, but it is better than nothing.
13.Whatever?are you doing up here Bill?'
特殊疑問詞wh-+ever表強調(diào)谣拣，到底募寨、究竟=wh-……on earth
Whoever is that girl with you last night?=Who is that girl with you last night on earth?
助動詞do/does/did+動詞原形也可以表示強調(diào)，如下文的you?did?give me a surprise.
再如：I do love you. You do look beautiful.
對除了謂語以外的強調(diào)可以用強調(diào)句型：it is/was …that/who…
It is you that I like the most.
Part 3:Culture
宗教文化
許多美國人都信教森缠，他們認為只有敬畏上帝的人拔鹰，才會在世上誠實，規(guī)矩贵涵，恭敬地做人列肢，否則就有可能無法無天，膽大妄為宾茂。
在美國旅行瓷马，到處可以見到教堂。美國的教堂一般都建在交通便利跨晴，地理位置優(yōu)越的地方欧聘。教堂除了供人們進行宗教活動以外，還兼具社交的功能端盆，人們來教堂禱告時怀骤，開始前和結(jié)束后都可以進行社交。想要練習(xí)英語口語的小伙伴們最好的辦法就是跑到當(dāng)?shù)亟烫萌フ彝鈬司毩?xí)啦焕妙。
我記得第一次去教堂是在義烏的一個教堂晒喷。教堂專門派車來我們學(xué)校接我們過去。一進去访敌，有很多各種膚色的外國人。所有人都穿戴整齊衣盾，儀表端莊∷峦現(xiàn)代化的樂隊，吉他势决，鋼琴阻塑，小提琴，長笛果复，架子鼓一字擺開陈莽。在樂隊的伴奏下，人們開始唱圣歌虽抄，熱情高漲走搁，異常陶醉。接著迈窟，一位美國牧師為大家講述一段圣經(jīng)故事私植，一位中國人在他旁邊做翻譯，當(dāng)時他講的故事是諾亞方舟车酣。故事講完曲稼，一個小箱子傳到我的手上索绪，原來是募捐箱。接著贫悄，是一位普通信徒上來分享圣經(jīng)故事瑞驱，最后大家一起讀經(jīng)。讀完以后窄坦，有免費的午餐享用唤反，有雞肉，魚肉等嫡丙，非常豐盛拴袭。也有很多流浪漢在教堂領(lǐng)飯吃。
