Lesson 76  April Fools’ Day  

What was the joke?

‘To end our special news bulletin,’ said the voice of television announcer, ‘we’re going over to 走向 the macaroni fields of Calabria. Macaroni has been grown in this area for over six hundred years. Two of the leading growers, Giuseppe Moldova and Riccardo Brabante, tell me that they have been expecting a splendid crop this year and harvesting has begun earlier than usual. Here you can see two workers who, between them.由于他们共同努力的结果 ，have just finished cutting three cartloads二轮马车，装载 of golden brown macaroni stalks梗. The whole village has been working day and night gathering 收庄稼 and threshing 打庄稼this year’s crop庄稼收获before the September rains. On the right, you can see Mrs. Brabante herself. She has been helping her husband for thirty years now. Mrs. Brabante is talking to the manager of the local factory where the crop is processed加工. This last scene场面 shows you what will happen at the end of the harvest丰收: the famous Calabrian macaroni-eating competition! Signor Fratelli, the present champion, has won it every year since 1991. And that ends our special bulletin for today, Thursday, April 1st. We’er now going back to the studio播音室.’

Summary writing

In not more than 85 words write an account of the television programme. Write two different paragraphs using the points and connections given below.

  To end the special news bulletin, the television announcer showed viewers the macaroni fields of Calabria, where macaroni has been grown for over six hundred years. Harvesting has begun earlier this year and the whole village has been working hard, gathering and threshing the crop before the September rains. The crop is processed加工 in the local factory. After the harvest, the famous Calabrian macaroni-eating competition, which Signor Fratelli has won every year since 1991, will take place. That ended the news bulletin for April 1st. (85 words)

  To end the news bulletin, the television announcer showed viewers the fields of Calabria. Here, macaroni has been grown for over six hundred years. This year, harvesting has begun earlier. The whole village has been working hard, gathering and threshing before the September rains so that the crop can be processed in the local factory. After the harvest, the famous macaroni-eating competition will be held. This has been won by Signor Fratelli every year since 1991. With that , the news bulletin for April 1st ended. (85 words)

Composition

Write an imaginary account of a macaroni-eating competition. Write two paragraphs in about 150 words using the ideas given below:

1 The appearance 外观外貌景象 of the six competitors ---all very fat ---their past achievements 完成业绩达到---huge quantity of macaroni prepared, weighed称重量 and served 提供食品.

2 Quantity, not speed was the important thing重要的不是速度是数量—competitors eating for three hours--- only one men left--- he asked for more!

  Last Friday, a Macaroni-eating competition took place 举行 in Calabria where macaroni has been grown for over six hundred years. Six competitors were taking part in it. They were all very fat and they had all won in such competition before. But this time, they hoped to get even better scores比分 than ever. As usual, huge quantity of macaroni had been prepared and weighed before the competition, and it was served continuously during the competition.

  In such a competition, it was quantity not speed that was important. The competitors had been eating for three hours without stopping. After that, they began to give up one after another一个接一个此起彼伏. Finally, there was only one man left. He still asked for more. (118 words)

Letter writing

Write a suitable Purpose of about 50 words to follow this introductory paragraph:

  I have just heard that Tom Black will be staying with you for a week. I would love to很想 愿意 meet him again as I haven’t seen him for years.

  I have just heard that Tom Blake will be staying with you for a week. You know I haven’t seen him for years, since we met each other at the International Book Fair展览会集市 in London in 1996. So I would love to meet him again. Please tell me his schedule计划表安排.

Special difficulties

Words often confused

Study these examples:

A Usual and Usually

Harvesting has begun earlier than usual.

He usually gets up at six o’clock.

B Between and Among

Here you can see two workers who, between them, have just finished cutting three cartloads of macaroni.

Tom sat between Jill and Jennifer.

The Prime Minister 首相 was among those present出席者.

You’ll find it somewhere among those newspapers.

C Manager, Director主任，Headmaster校长

Mrs. Brabante is talking to the manager of the local factory.

Who is the headmaster of this school?

Exercise

Supply any of the above words in the following sentences:

1 I found your pipe烟斗，笛子. It was___those things on the table.

2 As ___, he asked the same silly愚蠢的 questions.

3 The lady in the stop asked to see the ___.

4 He has been ___ of this school for seventeen years.

5 It seems to be warmer than___this month.

6 Everybody dreams of living like a company ___ with a large expense花费account账单.

7 She stuck (stick粘住) the flower___ the pages of a book.

8 He ___returns from work about this time, but he is late today.

1 among

2 usual

3 manage

4 headmaster

5 usual

6 director

7 between

8 usually

Multiple choice questions

Comprehension

1 Macaroni ___.

A grows in Calabria

B grows in fields

C must be harvested before the September rains

D is man-made

D

2 What was the intention意图意向 behind the television broadcast播送节目?

A To show viewers how macaroni is grown.

B To play a trick开玩笑 on viewers电视观众.

C To provide 提供useful information信息资料 about macaroni.

D To introduce介绍 viewers to conditions环境条件in Calabria.

Structure

3 Giuseppe Moldova and Riccardo Brabante ___ they have been expecting a splendid crop.

A tell

B tell that

C say to me

D say

D note: say后面可以跟一个从句作宾语。Tell后面通常带直接宾语和间接宾语tell sb. sth., 所以a 和b 均不选。Say to me 不合习惯用法，应该是say sth., 或者say sth. to sb.

4 Harvesting has begun earlier than usual. It ___yet.

A hasn’t finished

B didn’t finish

C hadn’t finished

D isn’t finishing

A

5 They must gather the before it rains ___ September.

A in

B on

C the

D at

A

6 How long has she been helping her husband?___ she was a young woman.

A From then

B Since

C For

D By then

B

7 Where ___?

A the crop is processed

B is the crop processed

C is processed the crop

D processed is the crop

B note: 是被动句的提问方式。 

Vocabulary

8 To end our bulletin…To___our bulletin…

A conclude结束

B stop

C prevent 阻止

D halt 使停止，停顿

A

9 It has been grown for over six hundred years. That’s more than six__.

A sentries

B ages

C centuries

D eras 时代

C

10 They’ve been expecting a splendid crop. That’s what they’ve been___.

A waiting

B waiting for

C waiting to

D waiting on

B note: wait 是vi, 不及物动词，需加介词。

11 They have been gathering this year’s crop. They have been ___.

A assembling收集集合 it

b picking it up

c collecting it 收集（资料）

d bringing it in收庄稼

d

12 He is the manager of the factory. He’s ___it.

A charged with 指控 装

B in the charge of 在……控制下，受……保护

C changed 使承担任务

D in charge of 负责主管

D