Lesson 1 A puma at larg1.docx

Lesson 1 A puma at larg1.docx

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Lesson1Apumaatlarg1

Lesson1Apumaatlarge

Wheremustthepumahavecomefrom?

Pumasarelarge,cat-likeanimalswhicharefoundinAmerica.WhenreportscameintoLondonZoothatawildpumahadbeenspottedforty-fivemilessouthofLondon,theywerenottakenseriously.However,astheevidencebegantoaccumulate,expertsfromtheZoofeltobligedtoinvestigate,forthedescriptionsgivenbypeoplewhoclaimedtohaveseenthepumawereextraordinarilysimilar,

Thehuntforthepumabeganinasmallvillagewhereawomanpickingblackberriessaw‘alargecat’onlyfiveyardsawayfromher.Itimmediatelyranawaywhenshesawit,andexpertsconfirmedthatapumawillnotattackahumanbeingunlessitiscornered.Thesearchproveddifficult,forthepumawasoftenobservedatoneplaceinthemorningandatanotherplacetwentymilesawayintheevening.Whereveritwent,itleftbehinditatrailofdeaddeerandsmallanimalslikerabbits.Pawprintswereseeninanumberofplacesandpumafurwasfoundclingingtobushes.Severalpeoplecomplainedof‘cat-likenoises’atnightandabusinessmanonafishingtripsawthepumaupatree.Theexpertswerenowfullyconvincedthattheanimalwasapuma,butwherehaditcomefrom?

Asnopumashadbeenreportedmissingfromanyzoointhecountry,thisonemusthavebeeninthepossessionofprivatecollectorandsomehowmanagedtoescape.Thehuntwentonforseveralweeks,butthepumawasnotcaught.Itisdisturbingtothinkthatadangerouswildanimalisstillatlargeinthequietcountryside.

Lesson2Thirteenequalsone

Wasthevicarpleasedthattheclockwasstriking?

Why?

Ourvicarisalwaysraisingmoneyforonecauseoranother,buthehasnevermanagedtogetenoughmoneytoohavethechurchclockrepaired.Thebigclockwhichusedtostrikethehoursdayandnightwasdamagedmanyyearsagoandhasbeensilenteversince

Onenight,however,ourvicarwokeupwithastart;theclockwasstrikingthehours!

Lookingathiswatch,hesawthatitwasoneo’clock,butthebellstruckthirteentimesbeforeitstopped.Armedwithatorch,thevicarwentupintotheclocktowertoseewhatwasgoingon.Inthetorchlight,hecaughtsightofafigurewhomheimmediatelyrecognizedasBillWilkins,ourlocalgrocer.

‘WhateverareyoudoinguphereBill?

’askedthevicarinsurprise.

‘I’mtryingtorepairthebell,’answeredBill.‘I’vebeencomingupherenightafterforweeksnow.Yousee,Iwashoppingtogiveyouasurprise.’

‘Youcertainlydidgivemeasurprise!

’saidthevicar.‘You’veprobablywokenupeveryoneinthevillageaswell.Still,I’mgladthebellisworkingagain.’

‘That’sthetrouble,vicar,’answeredBill.‘It’sworkingallright,butI’mafraidthatatoneo’clockitwillstrikethirteentimesandthere’snothingIcandoaboutit.’

‘We’llgetusedtothat,Bill,’saidthevicar.‘Thirteenisnotasgoodasone,butit’sbetterthannothingNowlet’sgodownstairsandhaveacupoftea.’

Lesson3Anunknowngoddess

Howdidthearchaeologistsknowthatthestatuewasagoddess?

Sometimeago,aninterestingdiscoverywasmadebyarchaeologistsontheAegeanislandofKea.AnAmericanteamexploredatemplewhichstandsinanancientcityonthepromontoryofAyiaIrini.Thecityatonetimemusthavebeenprosperous,foritenjoyedahighlevelofcivilization.Houses-oftenthreestoreyshigh-werebuiltofstone.Theyhadlargeroomswithbeautifullydecoratedwalls.Thecitywasevenequippedwithadrainagesystem,foragreatmanyclaypipeswerefoundbeneaththenarrowstreets.

ThetemplewhichthearchaeologistsexploredwasusedasaplaceofworshipfromthefifteenthcenturyB.CuntilRomantimes.Inthemostsacredroomofthetemple,clayfragmentsoffifteenstatueswerefoundeachoftheserepresentedagoddessandhad,atonetime,beenpainted.Thebodyofonestatuewasfoundeachoftheserepresentedagoddessandhad,atonetime,beenpainted.ThebodyofonestatuewasfoundamongremainsdatingfromthefifteenthcenturyB.C.ItsmissingheadhappenedtobeamongremainsofthefifthcenturyB.C.ThisheadmusthavebeenfoundinClassicaltimesandcarefullypreserved.Itwasveryoldandpreciouseventhen.Whenthearchaeologistsreconstructedthefragments,theywereamazedtofindthatthegoddessturnedouttobeaverymodern-lookingwoman.Shestoodthreefeethighandherhandsrestedonherhips.Shewaswearingafull-lengthskirtwhichswepttheground.Despitehergreatage,shewasverygracefulindeed,but,sofar,thearchaeologistshavebeenunabletodiscoverheridentity

Lesson4ThedoublelifeofAlfredBloggs

WhydidAlfwantawhite-collarjob?

Thesedays,peoplewhodomanualworkoftenreceivefarmoremoneythanpeoplewhoworkinoffices.Peoplewhoworkinofficesarefrequentlyreferredtoas‘white-collarandtietogotowork.Suchishumannature,thatagreatmanypeopleareoftenwillingtosacrificehigherpayfortheprivilegeofbecomingwhite-collarworkers.Thiscangiverisetocurioussituations,asitdidinthecaseofAlfredBloggswhoworkedasadustmanfortheEllesmereCorporation.

Whenhegotmarried,Alfwastooembarrassedtosayanythingtohiswifeabouthisjob.HesimplytoldherthatworkedfortheCorporation.Everymorning,helefthomedressedinasmartblacksuit.Hethenchangedintooverallsandspentthenexteighthoursasadustman.Beforereturninghomeatnight,hetookashowerandchangedbackintohissuit,AlfdidthisforovertwoyearsandhisfellowdustmenkepthissecretAlf’swifehasneverdiscoveredthatshemarriedadustmanandsheneverwill,forAlfhasjustfoundanotherjob.Hewillsoonbeworkinginanoffice.Hewillbeearningonlyhalfasmuchasheusedto,buthefeelsthathisriseinstatusiswellworththelossofmoney.Fromnowon,hewillwearasuitalldayandotherswillcallhim‘Mr.Bloggs’,nit‘Alf’.

Lesson5Thefacts

Whatwastheconsequenceoftheeditor’sinsistenceonfactsandstatistics?

Editorsofnewspapersandmagazinesoftengotoextremestoprovidetheirreaderswithunimportantfactsandstatistics.Lastyearajournalisthadbeeninstructedbyawell-knownmagazinetowriteanarticleonthepresident’palaceinanewAfricanrepublic.Whenthearticlearrived,theeditorreadthefirstsentenceandthenrefusedtopublishit.Thearticlebegan:

‘Hundredsofstepsleadtothehighwallwhichsurroundsthepresident’spalace.’Theeditoratoncesentthejournalistafaxinstructinghimtofindouttheexactnumberofstepsandtheheightofthewall.

Thejournalistimmediatelysetouttoobtaintheseimportantfacts,buthetookalongtimetosendthemmeanwhile,theeditorwasgettingimpatient,forthemagazinewouldsoongotopress.Hesentthejournalisttwomorefaxes,butreceivednoreply.Hesentyetanotherfaxinformingthejournalistthatifhedidnotreplysoonhewouldbefired.Whenthejournalistagainfailedtoreply,theeditorreluctantlypublishedthearticleasithadoriginallybeenwritten.Aweeklater,theeditoratlastreceivedafaxfromthejournalist.Notonlyhadthepoormanbeenarrested,buthehadbeensenttoprisonaswell.Howeverhehadatlastbeenstepsleadingtothefifteen-footwallwhichsurroundedthepresident’spalace

Lesson6Smash-and-grab

HowdidMr.Taylortrytostopthethieves?

TheexpensiveshopsinafamousarcadenearPiccadillywerejustopening.Atthistimeofthemorning,thearcadewasalmostempty.Mr.Taylor,theownerofajewelleryshopwasadmiringanewwindowdisplay.Twoofhisassistantshadbeenworkingbusilysinceeighto’clockandhadonlyjustfinished.Diamondnecklacesandringshadbeenbeautifullyarrangedonabackgroundofblackvelvet.Aftergazingatthedisplayforseveralminutes,Mr.Taylorwentbackintohisshop.

Thesilencewassuddenlybrokenwhenalargecar,withitsheadlightsonanditshornblaringroareddownthearcade.Itcametoastopoutsidethejeweller’s.Onemanstayedatthewheelwhiletwootherswithblackstockingsovertheirfacesjumpedoutandsmashedthewindowoftheshopwithironbars.Whilethiswasgoingon,Mr.Taylorwasupstairs.Heandhisstaffbeganthrowingfurnitureoutofthewindow.Chairsandtableswentflyingintothearcade.Oneofthethieveswasstruckbyaheavystatue,buthewastoobusyhelpinghimselftodiamondstonoticeanypain.Theraidwasalloverinthreeminutes,forthemenscrambledbackintothecaranditmovedoffatafantasticspeed.Justasitwasleaving,Mr.Taylorrushedoutandranafteritthrowingashtraysandvases,butitwasimpossibletostopthethieves.Theyhadgotawaywiththousandsofpoundsworthofdiamonds.

Lesson7Mutilatedladies

WhydidJanecookJohn’swallet?

Hasiteverhappenedtoyou?

Haveyoueverputyoutrousersinthewashingmachineandthenrememberedtherewasalargebanknoteinyourbackpocket?

Whenyourescuedyourtrousers,didyoufindthenotewaswhiterthanwhite?

PeoplewholiveinBritainneedn’tdespairwhentheymakemistakeslikethis（andalotofpeopledo）!

FortunatelyforthemtheBankofEnglandhasateamcalledMutilatedLadieswhichdealswithclaimsfrompeoplewhofedtheirmoneytoamachineortotheirdog.Dogs,itseems,lovetochewupmoney!

ArecentcaseconcernsJaneButlinwhosefinance,john,runsasuccessfulfurniturebusiness.Johnhadaverygooddayandputhiswalletcontaining$3000intothemicrowaveovenforsafekeeping.ThenheandJanewenthorse-riding.Whentheygothome,Janecookedtheirdinnerinthemicrowaveovenandwithoutrealizingit,cookedherfinance’swalletaswell.Imaginetheirdismaywhentheyfoundabeautifully-cookedwalletandnoteturnedtoash!

Johnwenttoseehisbankma