by James Thurber
Once upon a starless midnight there was an owl who sat on the branch of an oak tree. Two ground moles tried to slip quietly by, unnoticed. "You!"said the owl. "Who?" they quavered, in fear and astonishment, for they could not believe it was possible for anyone to see them in that thick darkness. "You two!" said the owl. The moles hurried away and told the other creatures of the field and forest that the owl was the greatest and wisest of all animals because he could see in the dark and because he could answer any question. "I’ll see about that, "said a secretary bird, and he called on the owl one night when it was again very dark. "How many claws am I holding up?" said the secretary bird. "Two," said the owl, and that was right. "Can you give me another expression for ‘that is to say’ or ‘namely’?" asked the secretary bird. "To wit," said the owl. "Why does the lover call on his love?" "To woo," said the owl.
The secretary bird hastened back to the other creatures and reported that the owl indeed was the greatest and wisest animal in the world because he could see in the dark and because he could answer any question. "Can he see in the daytime, too?" asked a red fox. "Yes," answered a dormouse and a French poodle. "Can he see in the daytime, too?" All the other creatures laughed loudly at this silly question, and they set upon the red fox and his friends and drove them out of the region. They sent a messenger to the owl and asked him to be their leader.
When the owl appeared among the animals it was high noon and the sun was shining brightly. He walked very slowly, which gave him an appearance of great dignity, and he peered about him with large, staring eyes, which gave him an air of tremendous importance. "He’s God!" screamed a Plymouth rock hen. And the others took up the cry "He’s God!" So they followed him wherever he went and when he bumped into things they began to bump into things, too. Finally he came to a concrete highway and he started up the middle of it and all the other creatures followed him. Presently a hawk, who was acting as outrider, observed a truck coming toward them at fifty miles an hour, and he reported to the secretary bird and the secretary bird reported to the owl. "There’s danger ahead," said the secretary bird. "To wit?" said the owl. The secretary bird told him. "Aren’t you afraid?" he asked. "Who?" said the owl calmly, for he could not see the truck. "He’s God!" cried all the creatures again, and they were still crying "He’s God" when the truck hit them and ran them down. Some of the animals were merely injured, but most of them, including the owl, were killed.
Moral: You can fool too many of the people too much of the time.
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Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Sounds of Moonlight
originally published in The English Reader for Senior High School: Book Three by The Far East Books Co., Ltd. 原文引自遠東高中英文第三冊課文。
In the middle of his life, Ludwig van Beethoven, the German musician, slowly began to lose his hearing. Beethoven was afraid he would have to stop writing music. People tell the following story about how he found the courage to continue. No one knows to this day whether the story is true or not.
It was a cold winter night in 1801. The city of Vienna, Austria, lay sleeping under a full moon.
A young man hurried home through a strange section of the city. He was Ludwig van Beethoven, a famous writer of music.
Suddenly Beethoven stopped. From a nearby cottage came the sound of a piano. In fact, Beethoven recognized one of his own works. But it was not being played very well.
After a moment the music stopped. Then he heard the sound of crying. “I can’t get it right,” sobbed a girl’s voice. “I’ll never get it right.”
Beethoven knocked at the cottage door. A young man opened it. Inside, the room was lit by only a few candles. Beethoven could barely make out an old piano and a girl sitting in front of it.
“I heard music and then crying,” said Beethoven. “Can I help in any way?”
The girl sighed. “I have been trying all night to play this piece of music. But I’m afraid I’ll never get it right.”
The girl was embarrassed. She told Beethoven that she and her brother had little money for music lessons. But she had gone to a concert and had heard this music. She and her brother knew that she would never play well unless she could hear good musicians play.
Beethoven smiled. “Would you like to have a concert now?” he asked. “I am a musician also.”
“That is very good of you, sir,” replied the girl. “But the piano is old and we have no sheet music.”
This surprised Beethoven. “No sheet music?” He asked. “But you were playing…” Then he was silent. He suddenly understood why the piano was in the dark. The girl was blind. She couldn’t read a note from a sheet of music. She was playing his music from memory.
Beethoven’s eyes filled with tears. He sat down at the piano and began to play. He played all the pieces of music that he knew. He played with all the feeling and skill that he had.
Finally the candles burned out. Beethoven went to the window and swept back the curtains. Moonlight flooded the room. It covered the bare floor and furniture with silver light. Then Beethoven started to play something new. He tried to describe for the girl what the moonlight was like. The notes filled the room with flowing sound. He had never played so well. The music grew softer. When it finally stopped, the girl whispered, “You must be Beethoven. No one else could play so well.” Her brother added, “We will never forget this kindness.”
That night Beethoven went home and finished the music he had played. It came to be called the Moonlight Sonata and is still played today. A few years later Beethoven started to grow deaf. Soon he could hardly hear. Sounds seemed to be coming through a blanket that got thicker and thicker.
Finally Beethoven could not hear a single note. But still he kept on writing music. He heard the notes in his head. Some of his greatest works were written after he’d become deaf. It may be that the blind girl’s struggle to play the piano that night gave him the courage not to give up.
Read more!
In the middle of his life, Ludwig van Beethoven, the German musician, slowly began to lose his hearing. Beethoven was afraid he would have to stop writing music. People tell the following story about how he found the courage to continue. No one knows to this day whether the story is true or not.
It was a cold winter night in 1801. The city of Vienna, Austria, lay sleeping under a full moon.
A young man hurried home through a strange section of the city. He was Ludwig van Beethoven, a famous writer of music.
Suddenly Beethoven stopped. From a nearby cottage came the sound of a piano. In fact, Beethoven recognized one of his own works. But it was not being played very well.
After a moment the music stopped. Then he heard the sound of crying. “I can’t get it right,” sobbed a girl’s voice. “I’ll never get it right.”
Beethoven knocked at the cottage door. A young man opened it. Inside, the room was lit by only a few candles. Beethoven could barely make out an old piano and a girl sitting in front of it.
“I heard music and then crying,” said Beethoven. “Can I help in any way?”
The girl sighed. “I have been trying all night to play this piece of music. But I’m afraid I’ll never get it right.”
The girl was embarrassed. She told Beethoven that she and her brother had little money for music lessons. But she had gone to a concert and had heard this music. She and her brother knew that she would never play well unless she could hear good musicians play.
Beethoven smiled. “Would you like to have a concert now?” he asked. “I am a musician also.”
“That is very good of you, sir,” replied the girl. “But the piano is old and we have no sheet music.”
This surprised Beethoven. “No sheet music?” He asked. “But you were playing…” Then he was silent. He suddenly understood why the piano was in the dark. The girl was blind. She couldn’t read a note from a sheet of music. She was playing his music from memory.
Beethoven’s eyes filled with tears. He sat down at the piano and began to play. He played all the pieces of music that he knew. He played with all the feeling and skill that he had.
Finally the candles burned out. Beethoven went to the window and swept back the curtains. Moonlight flooded the room. It covered the bare floor and furniture with silver light. Then Beethoven started to play something new. He tried to describe for the girl what the moonlight was like. The notes filled the room with flowing sound. He had never played so well. The music grew softer. When it finally stopped, the girl whispered, “You must be Beethoven. No one else could play so well.” Her brother added, “We will never forget this kindness.”
That night Beethoven went home and finished the music he had played. It came to be called the Moonlight Sonata and is still played today. A few years later Beethoven started to grow deaf. Soon he could hardly hear. Sounds seemed to be coming through a blanket that got thicker and thicker.
Finally Beethoven could not hear a single note. But still he kept on writing music. He heard the notes in his head. Some of his greatest works were written after he’d become deaf. It may be that the blind girl’s struggle to play the piano that night gave him the courage not to give up.
Read more!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Verb Tense 2: Progressive Verb Tenses
Following Verb Tense Part 1, we are going to practice progressive verb tense in Part 2. We will also review simple tense at the end of this session.
2.1 Progressive Verb Tense: Basics
Progressive verb tense is used to indicate events that are “in action at the moment,” whether it is referring to a moment in the future, past or right now.
2.2 Present Progressive
Simple present is used to describe an action that is effecting right now.
The boy is crying.
I am writing a letter to my parents.
He is walking to school.
She is preparing breakfast for her family.
Vince is complaining.
>>Note: “be going to V” is used to state actions that will happen in the near future
The boy is going to cry.
I am going to write a letter to my parents.
She is going to prepare breakfast for her family.
Vince is going to complain.
>>Note: Verbs describing constant condition are seldom used in present progressive
I am liking you. (X)
He is remembering me. (X)
Sally is hating Lisa. (X)
Father is loving mother. (X)
We are agreeing with each other. (X)
2.3 Past Progressive
Past progressive refers to actions that were taking place at a certain point in the past. Simple past is often used with past progressive to help define the time of action.
Dora was watching a TV program when her mother got in the house.
Pitt was talking on the phone when the police man stopped him.
I was sleeping while my mother was making diner last night.
You were taking a shower when I called.
They were finishing up the project when the storm suddenly hit town.
2.4 Future Progressive
Future progressive refers to actions that will be taking place at a certain point in the future. Present simple is often used with future progressive to define the future time point.
She will still be packing when the bus arrives tomorrow morning.
I will be attending a meeting when you come in.
He will be calling up people for help when the time comes.
We will be competing with the best teams at the national game.
Practice:
Choose the correct verb form.
1. David ____ to his family five minutes ago.
a. is writing b. was writing c. write d. will be writing
2. I ____ the house when he phoned.
a. am cleaning b. cleans c. was cleaning d. will be cleaning
3. When I called her cell, she ____ a concert.
a. is attending b. attended c. was attending d. will be attending
4. My family ____ a fight when my teacher suddenly visited us.
a. were having b. are having c. had d. will be fighting
5. You ____ his skillful playing at the show tomorrow night.
a. is enjoying b. enjoy c. were enjoying d. will be enjoying
6. When he ____, I will be waiting for him in the conference room.
a. come b. comes c. came d. will come
7. Peter was already in the airport when the airlines ____ him that the flight was cancelled.
a. is telling b. tells c. told d. was telling
8. The students were celebrating their school’s day when the earthquake ____ place.
a. take b. takes c. took d. will take
9. We are going to visit Japan. =
a. We goes to Japan often. b. We went to Japan. c. go… went d. will go… goes
10. When you arrive Taipei in the morning, I ___ on my way to the airport.
a. am b. was c. will be d. will
Ans.
1. bccad
6. cbcdc
Read more!
2.1 Progressive Verb Tense: Basics
Progressive verb tense is used to indicate events that are “in action at the moment,” whether it is referring to a moment in the future, past or right now.
2.2 Present Progressive
Simple present is used to describe an action that is effecting right now.
The boy is crying.
I am writing a letter to my parents.
He is walking to school.
She is preparing breakfast for her family.
Vince is complaining.
>>Note: “be going to V” is used to state actions that will happen in the near future
The boy is going to cry.
I am going to write a letter to my parents.
She is going to prepare breakfast for her family.
Vince is going to complain.
>>Note: Verbs describing constant condition are seldom used in present progressive
I am liking you. (X)
He is remembering me. (X)
Sally is hating Lisa. (X)
Father is loving mother. (X)
We are agreeing with each other. (X)
2.3 Past Progressive
Past progressive refers to actions that were taking place at a certain point in the past. Simple past is often used with past progressive to help define the time of action.
Dora was watching a TV program when her mother got in the house.
Pitt was talking on the phone when the police man stopped him.
I was sleeping while my mother was making diner last night.
You were taking a shower when I called.
They were finishing up the project when the storm suddenly hit town.
2.4 Future Progressive
Future progressive refers to actions that will be taking place at a certain point in the future. Present simple is often used with future progressive to define the future time point.
She will still be packing when the bus arrives tomorrow morning.
I will be attending a meeting when you come in.
He will be calling up people for help when the time comes.
We will be competing with the best teams at the national game.
Practice:
Choose the correct verb form.
1. David ____ to his family five minutes ago.
a. is writing b. was writing c. write d. will be writing
2. I ____ the house when he phoned.
a. am cleaning b. cleans c. was cleaning d. will be cleaning
3. When I called her cell, she ____ a concert.
a. is attending b. attended c. was attending d. will be attending
4. My family ____ a fight when my teacher suddenly visited us.
a. were having b. are having c. had d. will be fighting
5. You ____ his skillful playing at the show tomorrow night.
a. is enjoying b. enjoy c. were enjoying d. will be enjoying
6. When he ____, I will be waiting for him in the conference room.
a. come b. comes c. came d. will come
7. Peter was already in the airport when the airlines ____ him that the flight was cancelled.
a. is telling b. tells c. told d. was telling
8. The students were celebrating their school’s day when the earthquake ____ place.
a. take b. takes c. took d. will take
9. We are going to visit Japan. =
a. We goes to Japan often. b. We went to Japan. c. go… went d. will go… goes
10. When you arrive Taipei in the morning, I ___ on my way to the airport.
a. am b. was c. will be d. will
Ans.
1. bccad
6. cbcdc
Read more!
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