Lesson 74   Out of the limelight   

Why was their disguise ‘too perfect’?

An ancient bus stopped by a dry river bed and a party of famous actors and actresses got off.

Dressed in(过去分词短语作状语,伴随状语) dark glasses and old clothes, they had taken special precautions so that no wne should recognize them. But as (就像,跟…… 一样)they soon discovered, disguises can sometimes can(居然会) sometimes be too perfect.

  ‘This is a wonderful place for a picnic,’ said Gloria Gleam.

  ‘It couldn’t be better, Gloria,’ Brinksley Meers agreed. ‘No mewspaper men, no film fans! Why don’t we come more often?’

  Meanwhile, two other actors, Rockwall Slinger and Merlin Greeves, had carried two large food baskets to a shady spot( 地点场所)under some trees. When they had all made themselves comfortable, a stranger appeared. He looked very angry. ‘Now you get out of here, all of you!’ he shouted. ‘I’m sheriff here. Do you see that notice? It says “No Camping”---in case 除非you can’t read!’

  ‘Look, sheriff,’ said Rockwall, ‘don’t be too hard on us. I’m Rockwall Slinger and this is Merlin Greeves.’

  ‘Oh, is it?’ said the sheriff with a sneer. ‘Well, I’m Brinksley Meers, and my other name is Gloria Gleam. Now you get out of here fast!’

Summary writing

In not more than 80 words describe what happened. Write two different paragraphs using the points and connections given below.

  After an ancient bus had stopped by a dry river bed, a party of famous film stars descended下来下降. They were dressed in dark glasses and old clothes so as not to be recognized. Two of the actors carried some picnic things to a shady spot and everyone sat down. Just then a sheriff arrived and told them rudely that they must leave because camping was not allowed. Even when they told him who they were, he did not believe them. (80 words)

  An ancient bus stopped by a dry river bed. A party of famous film stars descended, dressed in dark glasses and old clothes in order that no one should recognize them. Two of the actors carried the picnic things to a shady stop. Everyone had sat down when a sheriff appeared and told them rudely that they must leave, as camping was not allowed there. They told him who they were but he did not believe them. (77 words)

Composition

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

1 A fine day--- we prepared for a picnic ---drove into the country---found a quiet spot---unpacked打开 our hampers 食篮。

2 There were a few wasps 黄蜂---then a great many---our effort努力to drive them away---saw a wasp nest窝 in a tree nearby---seized 抓住 our things---returned to car pursued纠缠 by wasps---drove away.

  Last weekend, we got up early. As it was a fine day, my father suggested that we go for a picnic. We made preparations for it first, and then we set out at ten o’clock. We drove into the country and stopped by a dry river bed. Getting out of our car, we found a quiet place under some trees and unpacked our hampers. After we had made ourselves comfortable we had our picnic together.

  As we were enjoying our picnic, there were a few wasps flying over our heads, and then a great many of them swarmed挤满to us. We made an effort to drive them away, but suddenly my father saw a wasp nest in a tree nearby. Knowing that it was impossible to get rid使摆脱 of the wasps, we seized逮住抓住our things quickly, returned to our car and drove away quickly to our dismay.

Key structures

Exercises

B What happens? What is happening?

1 The police now__(investigate调查) the matter.

2 Light ___(travel) at a speed of 186,000 miles a second.

3 He ___ (resemble相像) his father.

4 The postman who ___ (deliver交付)my letters is on holiday.

5 It ___ (look) as if it will rain

6 Caroline still___ (love) him even though he has behaved 表现so badly.

7 Hurry up! The bus __(come).

8 Which __ you ___( prefer 更喜欢)? The red one or the white one?

1 are now investigating

2 travels

3 resembles

4 delivers

5 looks

6 loves

7 is coming

8 do you prefer

C Write sentences using the following verbs:

contain, mean, believe, understand, want, matter.

1 This box is empty, but that one contains old papers.

2 What does ‘No Camping’ mean?

3 I don’t believe a word he says!

4 I’m sorry, but I don’t understand what you mean.

5 They want ( to buy ) a new house.

6 Don’t hurry. It doesn’t matter if we’re late.

Special difficulties

a The verb get has a different meaning in each of these sentences. Study them carefully:

Now you get out o here, all of you!

The door is locked. I can’t get out.

I’ve lost my key. I can’t get into the house.

How is he getting on in his new job? ( How is he progressing?)

Get on with your work. ( Continue…)

He’s so difficult, I can’t get on with him. (We are not on good terms.)

Tom was punished, but Jim got off lightly轻易地. ( He escaped punishment.)

I can’t get the cap of this pen off. ( I can’t remove it. )

He has now got over his illness. ( He has recovered.)

I want to get this interview over as quickly as possible. ( I want to finish it. )

He got through his exams. ( He succeeded in passing his exams.)

He got through a huge amount of food.(He succeeded in eating…)

Exercise

Supply the missing words in the following sentences:

1 He has never got __ his wife’s death.

2 How did the thief manage to get __ the hous?

3 Did you get ___ your driving test?

4 The lid 盖子 stuck(stick-stuck 刺，卡住). I can’t get it ___ .

5 He gets ___ very well ___ all his new colleagues同事.

6 ‘Please stop talking and get __ your work,’ she said.

1 over

2 into

3 through

4 off

5 on… with

6 on

b No Camping

On public notices we write No Camping instead of Do not camp.

Exercise

1 Do not smoke in this compartment.

2 Do not park.

3 Do not wait on this side of the street today.

1 No Smoking (in this compartment)

2 No Parking

3 No waiting on this side of the street today

Multiple choice questions

Comprehension

1 The actors disguised themselves ___.

a to have a picnic

b so that no one would know who they were

c so that the sheriff wouldn’t recognize them

d because they were famous

b

2 The sheriff ___.

a knew that they were famous actors

b believed that they were famous actors

c was an actor himself

d didn’t believe that they were famous actors

d

Strcture

3 Disguises can be too perfect. This means they can be__.

a perfect

b quite perfect

c more perfect than is convenient超常的

d almost perfect

c

4 This is a wonderful place. ___ wonderful place!

a How

b What

c What a

d How a

c note: place是可数名词。

5 Why don’t we come more often? We ___ come more often.

a could

b would

c might

d should

d note: should 是情态动词，应该，指现在。

6 ‘No Camping’ means ___.

a there isn’t any

b it’s without camping

c you aren’t allowed to camp

d you needn’t camp

c

7 ___ you look at the notice, you’ll see it says ‘No Camping’.

a If

b Providing以……为条件假如 that

c Whether

d In the situation 处于这种形式

a note: 可以引导条件从句，从句用现在时，主句用将来时。Providing that 仅用于非常正式的书面语中。

Vocabulary

8 They were dressed in old clothes. They were wearing old __.

a cloth

b cloths

c clothing 衣着衣服

d dresses 特殊衣着

c

9 Which of these objects would make a good disguise? A ___.

a computer

b mask面具

c bus

d train

b

10 A film fan is a person who __ films.

a makes

b sees

c enjoys seeing

d possesses

c

11 Do you see that notice? Do you see that ___?

a sign

b label

c signal

d board

12 ‘Oh, is it?’ said the sheriff with a sneer. He was ___.

a pleased

b scornful

c teasing戏弄 them

d mocking 模仿嘲弄 them

d