新译林8A Unit8英语课外趣味阅读及练习题含答案
同义词趣味巧辨析
create, compose, design, invent, make, produce
这些动词均有“创造”,“制作”之意。
create : 侧重创造出来的东西以前并不存在,或者指独具特色的创作。
compose : 多指音乐或诗歌、画的创作。
design : 主要指在艺术或技术领域的创作设计,强调构思多于实际制造。
invent : 主要用于科技领域,指通过思考、研究或实验制造出新的前所未有、极为有用的东西。
make : 最普通用词,指任何东西的创作或制造。
produce : 指产品的生产,或作品创作的完成。
幽默故事
Napoleon Was Ill
Jack had gone to the university to study history, but at the end of his first year, his history professor failed him in his examinations, and he was told that he would have to leave the university. However, his father decided that he would go to see the professor to urge him to let Jack continue his studies the following year.
'He‘s a good boy,' said Jack‘s father, 'and if you let him pass this time, I‘m sure he‘ll improve a lot next year and pass the examinations at the end of it really well.'
'No, no, that‘s quite impossible,' replied the professor immediately. 'Do you know, last month I asked him when Napoleon had died, he didn‘t know!'
'Please, sir, give him another chance,' said Jack‘s father. 'You see, I‘m afraid we don‘t take any newspaper in our house, so none of us even know that Napoleon was ill.'
拿破仑病了
杰克到一所大学去学历史。第一学期结束时,历史课教授没让他及格。学校让他退学。然而,杰克的父亲决定去见教授,强烈要求让杰克继续来年的学业。
“他是个好孩子,”杰克的父亲说:“您要是让他这次及格,我相信他明年会有很大进步,学期结束时,他一定会考好的。”
“不,不,那不可能,”教授马上回答。“你知道吗?上个月我问他拿破仑什么时候死的,他都不知道。”
“先生,请再给他一次机会吧。”杰克的父亲说:“你不知道,恐怕是因为我们家没有订报纸。我们家的人连拿破仑病了都不知道。”