Lesson 73  The record-holder

Did the boy go where he wanted to?

Children who play truant from school are unimaginative. A quiet day’s fishing, or eight hours in a cinema seeing the same film over and over again, is usually as far as到……程度 they get.他们顶多到这种程度而已 They have all been put to shame (put sb. to shame，使某人感到羞愧，使……黯然失色) by a boy who, while playing truant(过去分词短语作状语，相当于一个状语从句while he was playing truant.), travelled 1600 miles. He hitchhiked to Dover and, towards evening, went into a boat to find somewhere to sleep. When he woke up next morning, he discovered that the boat had, in the meantime, travelled to Calais. No one noticed the boy as he crept off. From there, he hitchhiked to Paris in a lorry. The driver gave him a few biscuits and a cup of coffee and left him just outside the city. The next car the boy stopped did not take him into the centre of Paris as he hoped it would, but to Perpignan on the French-Spanish border. There he was picked up by a policeman and sent back to England by the local authorities. He has surely set up a record for the thousands of children who dream of evading school.

Summary writing

In not more than 80 words, describe the boy’s experiences. Write two different paragraphs using the points and connections given below.

  A boy who played truant travelled 1,600 miles. He hitchhiked to Dover where to Dover where he slept in a boat, only to find himself in Calais the next morning. A lorry driver gave him a lift and something to eat, and the boy got off near Paris. He stopped another car but, instead of being taken to Paris, he was taken to Perpignan on the French-Spanish border. After being picked up by a policeman, he was sent home by the local authorities. (80 words)

   A boy played truant from school and travelled 1600 miles. After hitchhiking to Dover, he slept in a boat. The next morning he found himself in Calais, where a lorry driver gave him a lift and something to eat. On getting off near Paris, he stopped another car which did not take him to Paris but to Perpignan on the French-Spanish border. There he was picked up by a policeman and sent home by the local authorities. (77 words)

Composition

Write two paragraphs in about 150 words using the ideas given below:

1 The boy returned ---sick, cold and hungry---his parents were worried---met him at the harbour---their reactions反应

2 The boy returned to school--- he was afraid he would be punished --- the boys gave him a hero’s welcome--- asked questios--- the headmaster punished him by making him give a talk to the whole school about his experiences abroad.

  The boy who went across the border of his country while playing trrant finally returned home. As he did not have enough food to eat for two days, he got sick, cold and hungry. His parents were worried about his safety while he was away, and they looked for him everywhere. When they unexpectedly意外地met him at the harbour, they got so excited and happy that they could hardly believe their eyes. His parents’ reactions made the boy feel ashamed 惭愧的of himself.

  When the boy returned to school after playing truant for several days, he was afraid he would be punished by the headmaster. But all the boys gave him a hero’s welcome, and asked him questions about his adventures冒险. And to his surprise, the headmaster punished him by making him give a talk to the whole school about his experience abroad.(143 words)

Letter writing

A letter contains three main parts: the Introduction, the Purpose and the Conclusion. The most important part is the Purpose. Here you must explain why you are writing.

Exercise

Write a short Introduction of a letter to a friend beginning:

‘You will never guess what…’

  You will never guess what happened the other day. I bought a new car with all my savings!

Key structures

Simple, Compound并列句, Complex Statements复合句

Exercises

B Rewrite these simple statements using the joining words in parentheses. Do not refer to the passage until you finish the exercise.

1 Children play truant from school. They are unimaginative. (who)

2 They have all been put to shame by a boy. He played truant. He travelled 1600 miles. (a boy who, while…)

3 He hitchhiked to Dover. Towards evening, he wanted to find somewhere to sleep. (and… to)

4 He woke up next morning. He discovered that the boat had, in the meantime, travelled to Calais.(When)

5 No one noticed the boy. He crept off. (as)

6 The driver gave him a few biscuits. He gave him a cup of coffee. He left him outside the city. (and …and)

1 Children who play truant from school are unimaginative.

2 They have all been put to shame by a boy who, while playing truant, travelled 1600 miles.

3 He hitchhiked to Dover and ,towards evening, went to find somewhere to sleep.

4 When he woke up next morning, he discovered that the boat had, in the meantime, travelled to Calais.

5 No one noticed the boy as he crept off.

6 The driver gave him a few biscuits and a cup of coffee and left him just outside the city.

C Rewrite the following sentences using the joining words in parentheses:

1 The climbers reached the top of the mountain. They spent the night there. (not only…but …as well)

The climbers not only reached the top of the mountain, but (they) spent the night there as well.

2 A fire broke out in a cinema. Several hundred people tried to leave the building. A number of them were injured受伤的.(When…and)

When a fire broke out in a cinema, several hundred people tried to leave the building and a number of them were injured.

3 James Sullivan will give a lecture演讲讲座 at the local library next week. His book on the Antarctic南极洲 was published出版 recently. (whose)

James Sullivan, whose book on the Antarctic was published recently, will give a lecture at the local library next week.

4 The police searched everywhere. The missing boy could not be found. His dog could not be found. (Although…neither…nor)

Although the police searched everywhere, neither the missing boy nor his dog could not be found.

5 Fares交通费票价 have increased增加. The railway company is still losing 亏赔money. The employees have demanded要求 higher wages. (In spite of the fact that …because)

In spite of the fact that fares have increased, the railway company is still losing money because the employees have demanded higher wages.

6 He gave me a fright. I knocked the teapot over. (such…that)

He gave me such a fright that I knocked the teapot over.

7 I made sure. The alarm警报器 clock worked. I set设定 it. It would right at six o’clock. (After making… that …so that)

After making sure that the alarm clock worked, I set it so that it would right at six o’clock.

8 I hid the Christmas presents under the desk quickly. My young daughter would not see them. She entered the room.( so that… when)

I hid the Christmas presents under the desk quickly so that my young daughter would not see them when she entered the room.

9 I refused the offer. I explained. I had already been offered a job by another company. (Refusing…that…)

Refusing the offer, I explained that I had already been offered a job by another company.

10 He fought the wolves off for three hours. Help arrived. (before)

He fought(fight 打架抗争)the wolves off for three hours before help arrived.

Multiple choice questions

Comprehension

1 How did the boy get to Dover?

a He walked.

b He went by train

c Someone gave him a lift.

d He went in a lorry.

c

2 The boy ___.

a didn’t expect to be taken to Perpignan

b decided to go to Perpignan

c went to Paris

d wanted to go Spain

a

Structure

3 ___ did he travel? 1600 miles.

a How long

b How long ago

c How much further(更远的)

d How far

d

4 How did he get to Dover?

a By hitchhiking.

b With hitchhike.

c Hitchhiking

d With hitchhiking.

a note: 针对方式的

5 He wasn’t noticed by ___ as he crept off the boat.

a no one

b none

c anyone

d not one

c note:只有anyone 可以用在否定句中。

6 The driver gave him a few biscuits. ___ was given a few biscuits.

a To him

b Him

c For him

d He

d

7 After __ by a policeman, he was sent back to England.

a being picked up

b he picked up

c been picked up

d picking up

a note: after 后面可以跟一个动词+ing形式或者一个句子作时间状语。

Vocabulary

8 Little boys who play truant don’t go to school ___.

a because they are ill

b because they have left

c because they are not allowed to

d on purpose

d

9 They are unimaginative. They haven’t much ___.

a imagination 想象力

b fantasy 幻想

c imaginary 空想的

d fantasia幻想曲

a

10 They have been put to shame by a boy. They should feel___.

a ashamed 主语常常是人

b shy害羞的

c shyness害羞

d shameful 丢脸的可耻的

a

11 He was picked up by a policeman. A policeman ___ him.

a gathered 聚集采集

b collected 收集

c assembled 集合

d found

d

12 Thousands of boys dream of evading school. They dream of ___ it.

a escaping 逃脱

b avoiding 躲开回避

c preventing 阻止

d running away 逃跑

b

Sentence structure

Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text.

On waking up next morning, he discovered that the boat had, in the meantime, travelled to Calais.

When he woke up next morning, he discovered that the boat had, in the meantime, travelled to Calais.