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Busmen have decided to go on strike next week。 The strike is due to begin on Tuesday。 No one knows how long it will last。 The busmen have stated that the strike will continue until general agreement is reached about pay and working conditions。 Most people believe that the strike will last for at least a week。 Many owners of private cars are going to offer 'free rides' to people on their way to work。 This will relieve pressure on the trains to some extent。 Meanwhile； a number of university students have volunteered to drive buses while the strike lasts。 All the students are expert drivers； but before they drive any of the buses； they will have to pass a special test。 The students are going to take the test in two days' time。 Even so； people are going to find it difficult to get to work。 But so far； the public has expressed its gratitude to the students in letters to the Press。 Only one or two people have objected that the students will drive too fast！
New words and expressions 生词和短语
strike n。 罢工
busman n。 公共汽车司机
state v。 正式提出，宣布
agreement n。 协议
relieve v。 减轻
pressure n。 压力，麻烦
extent n。 程度
volunteer v。 自动提出，自愿
gratitude n。 感激
Press n。 新闻界
object v。 不赞成，反对
参考译文
公共汽车司机决定下星期罢工。罢工定于星期二开始，谁也不知道会持续多久。司机们声称此次罢工将一直持续到就工资和工作条件问题达成全面协议的时候为止。多数人认为此次罢工至少会持续一个星期。很多私人汽车的车主正准备为乘车上班的人们提供“免费乘车”的服务，这将在某种程度上减轻对火车的压力。与此同时，有一部分大学生自愿在罢工期间驾驶公共汽车。所有的学生都是开车的能手，但在驾驶公共汽车之前，他们必须通过一项专门测验。学生们准备在两天后就接受测验。即使这样，人们仍会感到上班有困难。但到目前为止，公众已经向新闻界写信表达他们对学生们的感激之情了。只有一两个人提出反对意见，说学生们会把车开得太快！
Lesson 85
Never too old to learn
活到老学到老
First listen and then answer the question。
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
How long has Mr。 Page been teaching？
I have just received a letter from my old school； informing me that my former headmaster； Mr。 Stuart Page； will be retiring next week。 Pupils of the school； old and new； will be sending him a present to mark the occasion。 All those who have contributed towards the gift will sign their names in a large album which will be sent to the headmaster's home。 We shall all remember Mr。 Page for his patience and understanding and for the kindly encouragement he gave us when we went so unwillingly to school。 A great many former pupils will be attending a farewell dinner in his honour next Thursday。 It is a curious coincidence that the day before his retirement； Mr。 Page will have been teaching for a total of forty years。 After he has retired； he will devote himself to gardening。 For him； this will be an entirely new hobby。 But this does not matter； for； as he has often remarked； one is never too old to learn。
New words and expressions 生词和短语
inform v。 告诉，通知
headmaster n。 校长
contribute v。 捐助，援助
gift n。 礼物，赠品
album n。 签名簿，相册
patience n。 耐心
encouragement n。 鼓励
farewell n。 告别
honour n。 敬意
coincidence n。 巧合
total n。 总数
devote v。 致力于
gardening n。 园艺
hobby n。 爱好，嗜好
参考译文
我刚刚收到母校的一封信，通知我说以前的校长斯图亚特。佩奇先生下星期就退休了。为了纪念这个日子，学校的学生——无论老同学还是新同学——将送他一件礼物。所有凑钱买此礼品的人都将自己的名字签在一本大签名簿上，签名簿将被送到校长的家里。我们不会忘记佩奇先生对我们既有耐心又充满理解，也不会忘记在我们不愿去上学时他给予我们的亲切鼓励。很多老同学都准备参加下星期四为他举行的告别宴会。佩奇先生退休的前一天正好是他执教满40年的日子，这真是奇妙的巧合。他退休后，将致力于园艺。对于他来说，这将是一种全新的爱好。但这没有关系，因为正如他常说的那样，人要活到老学到老。
Lesson 86
Out of control
失控
First listen and then answer the question。
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What was the danger？
As the man tried to swing the speedboat round； the steering wheel came away in his hands。 He waved desperately to his companion； who had been water skiing for the last fifteen minutes。 Both men had hardly had time to realize what was happening when they were thrown violently into the sea。 The speedboat had struck a buoy； but it continued to move very quickly across the water。 Both men had just begun to swim towards the shore； when they noticed with dismay that the speedboat was moving in a circle。 It now came straight towards them at tremendous speed。 In less than a minute； it roared past them only a few feet away。 After it had passed； they swam on as quickly as they could because they knew that the boat would soon return。 They had just had enough time to swim out of danger when the boat again completed a circle。 On this occasion； however； it had slowed down considerably。 The petrol had nearly all been used up。 Before long； the noise dropped completely and the boat began to drift gently across the water。
New words and expressions 生词和短语
swing v。 转向
speedboat n。 快艇
desperately adv。 绝望地
companion n。 同伙，伙伴
water ski （由快艇牵引水橇）滑水
buoy n。 浮标
dismay n。 沮丧
tremendous adj。 巨大的
petrol n。 汽油
drift v。 漂动，漂流
gently adv。 缓慢地，轻轻地
参考译文
当那人试图让快艇转弯时，方向盘脱手了。他绝望地向他的伙伴挥手，他的伙伴在过去的15分钟里一直在滑水。他们两个还没来得及意识到究竟发生了什么事情，就被猛地抛入了海里。快艇撞上了一个浮标，但它仍在水面上快速行驶着。两个人刚开始向岸边游去，就突然惊愕地发现快艇正在转着圈行驶，它现在正以惊人的速度直冲他们驶来。不到1分钟的工夫，它从离他们只有几英尺远的地方呼啸着驶了过去。快艇过去之后，他们以最快的速度向前游去，因为他们知道快艇马上就要转回来。他们刚刚来得及游出危险区，快艇就又转完了一圈。然而这一次它的速度慢多了。汽油几乎已经用光。没过多久，噪音便彻底消失，快艇开始在水面上慢悠悠地漂流。
Lesson 87
A perfect alibi
极好的不在犯罪现场的证据
First listen and then answer the question。
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What was wrong with the man's story？
'At the tim