Text:
A pilot noticed a balloon which seemed to be making for a Royal Air Force Station nearby. He informed the station at once, but no one there was able to explain the mystery. The officer in the control tower was very angry when he heard the news, because balloons can be a great danger to aircraft. He said that someone might be spying on the station and the pilot was ordered to keep track of the strange object. The pilot managed to circle the balloon for some time. He could make out three men in a basket under it and one of them was holding a pair of binoculars. When the balloon was over the station, the pilot saw one of the men taking photographs. Soon afterwards, the balloon began to descend and it landed near an airfield. The police were called in, but they could not arrest anyone, for the basket contained two Members of Parliament and the Commanding Officer of the station! As the Commanding Officer explained later, one half of the station did not know what the other half was doing!
Words & Expressions:
首先是知識點小結：英語中前綴表示個數(shù)的，都有哪些？比如一二三分別是mono-/bi-/tri-等。如下：
半：demi-/semi-： demigod半神半人；demilune半月；semiconductor半導體;semicircle半圓
一：mono-/sol-/uni-: monopoly獨有/壟斷；solo獨奏；sole單一的；uniform 一致的；unique唯一的
二：bi-/ambi-/di-: bilingual 雙語的；bilateral雙邊的; amphibian[?m'f?b??n]水陸兩棲動物; dilemmas, ambiguity進退兩難
三：tri- : triangle三角形；triple三倍的
四：qua-: quatrain 四行詩; quarter 四分之一; quadruple四倍的
五：pen-: pentagon五角形; pentacyclic五環(huán)的
六：hex-: hexagon六角形; hexa六
七：hept-/sept-: heptagon七角形; septivalency七價（化學）
八：oct-: octopus章魚(八爪魚); octave 八行詩，八度音階
九：no-: novenary九進制的; novena連續(xù)九天的禱告
十：dec-: decade十年; decimalism十進制；decameter十米
*make for 前往 /造就
--He rose from his seat and made for the door.
--A happy parent makes for a happy child.
*make out理解,辯認出
--On a clear day, you might even be able to make out the Welsh coast.
*down pat=understand perfectly弄明白
--Never mind the facts; Gingrich had his story line down pat, and he applied it every chance he got.
Pronunciations:
*binoculars /b?/ba?-?nɑ?kj?l?rz/
*Parliament /?pɑ?rl?m?nt/
*understand /??nd?r?st?nd/
*ballon /b??lu?n/
*basket /?b?sk?t/ 梅花音
*afterwards /??ft?rw?rdz/梅花音
