Thirteen equals one
Our vicar is always raising money for one?cause or another,but he has never managed to get enough money to have the?church clock repaired.The big clock which used to strike the hours day and?night was damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since.
One night,however,our vicar work up with a?start: the clock was striking the hours!Looking at his watch,he saw that it was?one o'clock,but the bell struck thirteen times before it stopped.Armed with a?torch,the vicar went up into the clock tower to see what was going on.In the?torchlight,he caught sight of a figure whom he immediately recognized as Bill?Wilkins,our local grocer.
'Whatever are you doing up here Bill?' asked?the vicar in surprise.
'I'm trying to repair the bell,' answered?Bill.'I've been coming up here night after night for weeks now.You see,I was?hoping to give you a surprise.'
'You certainly did give me a surprise!' said?the vicar.'You've probably woken up everyone in the village as well.Still,I'm?glad the bell is working again.'
That's the trouble,vicar,' answered Bill.'It's?working all right,but I'm afraid that at one o'clock it will strike thirteen?times and there's nothing I can do about it."
We'll get used to that,Bill,' said thevicar."Thirteen is not as good as one,but it's better than nothing.Nowlet's go downstairs and have a cup of tea.'
Part 1: Lead-in question:
Q:Was the vicar pleased that the clock was striking? Why?
A: Yes, he was quite pleased, because it was working again. Striking the wrong hours is better than nothing.
Part 2: Words and Expressions
1. equal: adj.相等的，平等的; All men are created equal.《獨立宣言》
vt.等于;比得上;使相等;同樣看待; Two plus two equals four.
n.同樣的人;相等的數量. Our teacher treated us all as equals.
2. Vicar:（英國國教的）教區牧師
拓展詞匯：priest(天主教的神父)，pastor（基督教的神父），rector（掌管一個教區的神父）clergyman（神職人員的總稱）
3.raise: v.籌集; raise money/cash/capital/fund
v.養育;raise a son/raise afamily
4.cause: n.事業 ?the cause of worldpease 世界和平事業
5.have the church clock repaired 請人修鐘
have sth done:請人做事. Have my hair cut. 剪發
開心一刻
?Teacher: Have you finished your homework? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Xiaoming: Yes. Certainly. I have my homework done. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??The English teacher got mad. Why?
6. strick the hours:報時. Strick后面可以直接加數字，表示幾點。
When the clock was stricking twelve, Cinderella ran away. ?鐘敲十二下，灰姑娘趕緊跑了。
7. day and night: all the time.
由反義詞構成的詞組還有: up and down:上上下下。back and forth: 前前后后
8. damage v.損害（指事物）
詞匯拓展：destroy: v.徹底摧毀（指事物）；injure:受到傷害（身體上）；hurt: 傷害（心靈上）:You hurt my feelings.
9.start: n/v猛地一驚
What a start you gave me.嚇死我了
I started at the sound of the phone.
10. arm: v 武裝 armed to the teeth 全副武裝
v.攜帶she came to the meeting, armed with all the facts and figures.
11. catch sight of :看見 ? lose sight of看不見
I caught sight of an empty seat in the subway.
Fall?in love at the first sight.一見鐘情.
12. better than nothing 還行，湊合，聊勝于無
The only hotel here was dirty, but it was better than nothing.
My boyfriend is unromantic/boring, but it is better than nothing.
13.Whatever?are you doing up here Bill?'
特殊疑問詞wh-+ever表強調，到底、究竟=wh-……on earth
Whoever is that girl with you last night?=Who is that girl with you last night on earth?
助動詞do/does/did+動詞原形也可以表示強調，如下文的you?did?give me a surprise.
再如：I do love you. You do look beautiful.
對除了謂語以外的強調可以用強調句型：it is/was …that/who…
It is you that I like the most.
Part 3:Culture
宗教文化
許多美國人都信教，他們認為只有敬畏上帝的人，才會在世上誠實，規矩，恭敬地做人，否則就有可能無法無天，膽大妄為。
在美國旅行，到處可以見到教堂。美國的教堂一般都建在交通便利，地理位置優越的地方。教堂除了供人們進行宗教活動以外，還兼具社交的功能，人們來教堂禱告時，開始前和結束后都可以進行社交。想要練習英語口語的小伙伴們最好的辦法就是跑到當地教堂去找外國人練習啦。
我記得第一次去教堂是在義烏的一個教堂。教堂專門派車來我們學校接我們過去。一進去，有很多各種膚色的外國人。所有人都穿戴整齊，儀表端莊。現代化的樂隊，吉他，鋼琴，小提琴，長笛，架子鼓一字擺開。在樂隊的伴奏下，人們開始唱圣歌，熱情高漲，異常陶醉。接著，一位美國牧師為大家講述一段圣經故事，一位中國人在他旁邊做翻譯，當時他講的故事是諾亞方舟。故事講完，一個小箱子傳到我的手上，原來是募捐箱。接著，是一位普通信徒上來分享圣經故事，最后大家一起讀經。讀完以后，有免費的午餐享用，有雞肉，魚肉等，非常豐盛。也有很多流浪漢在教堂領飯吃。
