课文：
   After her husband had gone to work, Mrs Richards sent her children to school and went upstairs to her bedroom. She was too

excited to do any housework that morning, for in the evening she would be going to a fancy dress party with her husband. She

intended to dress up as a ghost and as she had made her costume the night before, she was impatient to try it on. Though the

costume consisted only of a sheet,it was very effective. After putting it on,Mrs Richards went downstairs. She wanted to find

out whether it would be comfortable to wear.
   Just as Mrs Richards was entering the dining room,there was a knock on the front door. She knew that it must be the baker.

She had todd him to come straight in if ever she failed to open the door and to leave the bread on the kitchen table. Not

wanting to frighten the poor man, Mrs Richards quickly hid in the small storeroom under the stairs. She heard the front door

open and heavy footsteps in the hall. Suddenly the door of the storeroom was opened and a man entered. Mrs Richards realized

that it must be the man from the Electricity Board who had come to read the meter. She tried to explain the

situation,saying'It's only me', but it was too late. The man let out a cry and jumped back several paces. When Mrs Richards

walked towards him,he fled,slamming the door behind him.

 

   理查兹夫人等丈夫上班走后，把孩子送去上学，然后来到楼上自己的卧室。那天上午，她兴奋得什么家务活都不想做，因为晚上她要同丈夫

一起去参加一个化装舞会。她打算装扮成鬼的模样，而且头天晚上她已把化装服做好，这时她急于想试试。尽管化装服仅由一个被单制成，却

十分逼真。理查兹夫人穿上化装服后下了楼，想看看穿起来是否舒服。
   理查兹夫人刚刚走进餐厅，前门就传来敲门声。她知道来人一定是面包师。她曾告诉过面包师，如果她不去开门，他可直接进门，把面包放

在厨房的桌上。理查兹夫人不想吓唬这个可怜的人，她便赶紧躲到了楼梯下的小储藏室里。她昕见前门被打开，走廊里响起了重重的脚步声。

突然贮藏室门开了，一个男人走了进来。理查兹夫人这才想到一定是供电局来人查电表了。她说了声“是我，别怕！”然后想进行一番解释，

但已来不及了。那人大叫了一声，惊退了几步。理查兹夫人朝他走去，只见他“砰”的一声关上门逃走了。

New words and expression 生词和短语：
★Costume  n.化装服
-- costume ball 化妆舞会 /  costume party
-- fancy (dress) party 化妆舞会
suit（n.西装, 西服）       dress（n.裙子）

★consist  v.由…组成
1> consist of...  由...组成（表示被动概念）
2> be made up of…  由...组成
3> comprise  v.包含, 由...组成（整体由部分所构成）
-- Our class consists of 100 students.
= Our class is made up of more than 100 students.
-- The United Kingdom consists of G.B and Northern Ireland.
= The United Kingdom comprises G.B and Northern Ireland.
-- The house consists of six rooms.
4> be composed of…  由...组成（强调有什么成分所组成）
-- Water is composed of oxygen and hydrogen.（compose v.组成, 写作）
-- oxygen（n.氧，氧气）                  hydrogen（n.氢）
5> constitute  vt.组成, 构成（部分构成整体）
-- G.B and Northern Ireland constitute The United Kingdom.（Ireland n.爱尔兰）
-- The committee consists of 10 members. （committee n.委员会）
= Ten members constitute the committee.
 
★Sheet  n.被单

★Effective  adj.有明显效果的，有作用的
-- The costume is quite effective.
-- His words was effective.
Influential  adj.有影响的, 有势力的（有潜移默化影响力的）
-- What our parents do is influential to children.
Efficacious  adj.(医药)有效的，灵验的
-- The drug is efficacious
Fruitful  adj.有成效的, 产生结果的
-- Their experiment is fruitful.

★Comfortable  adj.舒适的  （反义词：uncomfortable）
Comfort（n.舒适 v.安慰）
Discomfort（n.不舒适 vt.使不舒适, 使不便）
-- In spite of discomforts he is determined to stay here.

★Storeroom  n.储藏室
Electricity  n.电
Metre  n.电表  （ammeter  n.电表）
Pace  n.一步

★Flee  v. (fled, fled)逃走
Flee  vt.vi.(总称)泛泛强调逃离危险的禁地
Panic（n.惊慌, 恐慌）                 bull（n.公牛）
-- The people fled in panic when the bull got loose. 当牛挣脱绳子时人们惊慌的四散而逃。
Escape（vi.逃出监狱, 逃出牢笼 vt.逃掉, 逃出）
-- He was able to escape from the house.
-- I am sorry your name escaped me. 很抱歉, 我忘记你的名字了。
-- They tried to escape death.

★Slam  v.砰地关上（同义词：bang v.发巨响, 重击）
-- slam the door 砰地关上门
-- He left the room slam/bang the door behind him. 他离开了房间在身后砰地把门关上。

★Stair  n.楼梯, 阶梯
★Fancy  n.幻想, 爱好, 迷恋, 想象力 adj.奇特的, 异样的
★Dine  vi.吃饭, 进餐                Dining  n.吃饭, 进餐
★Baker  n.面包师
★Hide  vt.vi.( hid, hidden, hiding)隐藏
★Hall  n.走廊, 门厅
★Board  n.(政府机关或商业)部门

Text 课文讲解：
What did the man expect to find under the stairs?
After her husband had gone to work, Mrs. Richards sent her children to school and went upstairs to her bedroom.

She was too excited to do any housework that morning, for in the evening she would be going to a fancy-dress part with her husband.
fancy-dress party = costume party
1> too ... to…  太...而不能… （不定式to在大部分情况下表示否定概念）
2> not/never too ... to…  并不太...所以能够…
-- One is never too old to learn  活到老, 学到老。
-- The question is not too difficult for me to answer. 这个问题并不太难, 所以我能够答得出。
3>如果在副词too前发现修饰语all, but, only, 不定式to的概念也是肯定的。
-- They are all too satisfied to work with you.
-- I am only too glad to have someone to speak to. 我太高兴了, 想找个人说话。
-- He was but too eager to get home.

She intended to dress up as a ghost and as she had made her costume the night before, she was impatient to try it on.
intended to打算做什么 = mean to do意图做什么
dress up as…  化妆成为…
the night before  前一个晚上（以过去的某一个时间为基准点）
last night  昨天晚上（以现在为基准点）
-- She went to New York on business three days ago, the night before she got everything ready.
be impatient to do sth  急于要做某事, 迫不及待做某事
impatient可以换为eager, anxious, hungry, thirsty, desperate, can't wait(口语)
desperate（adj.不顾一切的, 拚死的）
-- she was impatient to try it on.（try on 试穿）

After putting it on, Mrs. Richards went downstairs.
After putting it on  穿上以后

She wanted to find out whether it would be comfortable to wear.
= It would be comfortable (for her) to wear
动词不定式to wear, 用来修饰说明comfortable, 作它的状语。
-- It is easy for me to read.
-- The book is difficult to read.
-- The dress is easy to wash.
-- Your handwriting is easy to recognize.

主动形式表达被动概念：
1> The music is sweet to hear.
2> The machine needs repairing. （用need, want和动名词形式直接搭配）
3> The dictionary is worth buying.
-- The book is worth reading.
4>The house is under construction.（介词under表达被动的意味）
-- The puma is under control.
-- The problem is under discussion.（n.讨论）
-- The thief is under arrest.（n.逮捕, 拘留）
5> The airport came into use again.（came into 不及物动词短语）
-- Our time has already gone to waste.（go to waste浪费掉, 付诸东流）
6> able 形容词后缀, 跟在动词后表达＂能够被...的＂
-- She is a respectable person.（respectable adj.可敬的, 值得被尊敬的）
-- This is a returnable bottle. 这是一个能被退回的瓶子。（returnable adj.可被退回的）
7> consist of, comprise本身表达被动概念, 结构形式为主动

Just as Mrs. Richards was entering the dinning room, there was a knock on the front door.
She knew that it must be the baker.
She had told him to come straight in if ever she failed to open the door and to leave the bread on the kitchen table.
straight  adv.直接地, 径直地
if even（ever 用于条件句。表示任何时候, 任何场合）= when ever
-- If ever you see George give him my best regards.（n.问候）
-- When ever he is in trouble I'll be on the spot.

Not wanting to frighten the poor man, Mrs. Richards quickly hid in the small storeroom under the stairs.
Not wanting （分词的否定结构形式, 做原因状语。）
多用于句首, 也可插入句中, 主谓之间。
Not wanting to make her nervous, the doctor didn't fully explain the seriousness of condition.
= The doctor, not wanting to make her nervous, didn't fully explain the seriousness of her condition.

Mrs. Richards realized that it must be the man from the Electricity Board who had come to read the metre.
read the metre  查电表

She tried to explain the situation, saying 'It's only me', but it was too late.
saying（现在分词做伴随状语）

The man let out cry and jumped back several paces.
let out a cry  大叫了一声（= utter a cry /give a cry）
utter  vt.发出, 做声, 发表, 发射
jump back several paces 后退了好几步

When Mrs. Richards walked towards him, he fled, slamming the door behind him.
Slamming（现在分词作方式状语或伴随状语, 说明fled的情况）
Special difficulties 难点
形容词+动词不定式：
-- He was delighted to learn that...
-- I was glad to hear that...
-- He was anxious to leave...
1>感情形容词后的不定式通常是表示原因, 在句中做原因状语。
happy, relieved, astonished, amazed, surprised, horrified, disappointed, sad, embarrassed, shocked
relieved（adj.放心的）                     horrified（adj.惊骇的）
-- He was frightened when he saw the snake.  He was frightened to see the snake.
-- I was sorry when I learnt that he had had a accident.
 I was sorry to learn that he had had a accident.
2>不定式也可以放在表语之后, 主语是不定式的实际宾语。
-- The car is hard to park.
-- Some questions are awkward to answer.   Awkward（adj.尴尬的, 不方便的）
3>在少数几个动词后, 不定式可用作结果。
learn, find, see, hear, be told
-- He lived to see his inventions come to success.  他活着看见他的发明成功了。
-- He woke up to find everyone gone.  他醒来发现大家都走了。
-- He went to his house only to find him out. 
4>在不定式前加only, 表示意想不到的, 出乎意料的结果。
-- He hurried to the post office only to find it was shut(closed)

Multiple choice questions 多项选择
1.Mrs. Richards went upstairs because______.
(a)she did not need to do any housework.
(b)she still had to finish the costume she was going to wear.
(c)she wanted to change her clothes before doing the housework.
(d)she wanted to change into her fancy-dress costume.
----D     She wanted to know whether that costume was comfortable to wear.
2.Mrs. Richards did not go to the door because______.
(a)she was upstairs changing her clothes.
(b) she did not want to make a bad impression on the baker.
(c)she thought the baker might be taken in by her disguise
(d)the baker had already left the bread on the kitchen table
----C  take sb in 使某人信以为真, 让某人上当 disguise  n.伪装 v.假装, 伪装, 掩饰
3.By SAYING 'It's only me', Mrs. Richards hoped____.
(a)the man would realize she was alone
(b)to persuade the man he was seeing a ghost
(c)teh man would recognize her
(d)the man would not close the door of the storeroom.
----C  
4.After her husband had gone to work and the children_____to school, she went upstairs....
(a)had sent   (b)were sent  (c)had been sent  (d)were sending
...C    and前后连接时态要呼应, 表示并列关系。
5.She wanted to find out how_____to wear.
(a)comfortable it was  (b)comfortable it would be  (c)it was comfortable  (d) it would be comfortable
...B    how修饰限定形容词 At that moment, she hadn't put on the costume.
6._____to frighten the poor man, Mrs. Richards quickly hid under the stairs.
(a)Not anxious about  (b)Anxious not  (c)Being not anxious  (d)Not being anxious for
...B    anxious形容词短语做原因状语
动词不定式的否定形式是在动词不定式符号之前直接加否定词not, never
7.Trying to explain the situation, she ____'it's only me.'
(a)was saying  (b)said  (c)had said  (d)has been saying
...B    强调过去的一个动作
8.On seeing Mrs. Richards_______towards him, he fled.
(a)to walk  (b) having walked  (c)walk  (d)walked
...C    see sb do sth看见某人做某事（做宾语补足语时, 不定式符号to被省略）
9._____Mrs. Richards was entering the dining room...
(a)At the very moment  (b)So long as  (c)Only when   (d)During the time
...A  at the very moment 就在此刻 as long as / so long as 用来引导条件句, 表示只要
-- You can go out as long as you promise to be back before 11 o'clock.
Only when...  只有当…（引导时间状语从句）
10.-if she ever_____the door and to leave the bread....
(a)missed opening  (b)forgot to open  (c)did not succeed in opening  (d)happened not to open
...D
miss+动名词：表示错过做什么事情
-- I don't want to miss seeing that film on television tonight.
forgot to do sth 表示忘记去做某事
-- Yesterday, I forgot to lock the door.
succeed in doing sth 表示成功做了某事 if…happen to... 表示某事偶然发生
brown  n.褐色 adj.褐色的, 棕色的 loaf  n.一条面包 brown loaf 黑面包
-- If you happen to pass the baker's, pick me up a brown loaf, would you?
-- If you happen to finish the work early give me a ring.
11.It was the  man from the Electricity  Board who had come to take a metre-_____.
(a)reading  (b)measurement  (c)regulation  (d)study
...A
reading 表示仪表或者仪器上的指数、读数
-- What are the temperature readings for the week?
-- take a metre-reading 读电表上的数字
measurement 测量尺寸、大小调节稳定
-- What's your waist measurement? 你的腰围是多少？
Regulation  n.调节（regulation of body heat体温调节）
Heat  n.热, 热度
12.The man____a cry.
(a)escaped  (b)gave  (c)left  (d)shouted
...B
let out 发出（= give） shout  vt.高呼, 高喊（有喊叫的 对象）
-- shout to sb 对某人高声喊
-- shout at sb 对某人大喊大叫
-- Don't shout at the elders.