新概念英语第二册第91课:Three men in a basket

Lesson 91 Three men in a basket三人同篮

　　First listen and then answer the question.
　　听录音，然后回答以下问题。
　　Where was the station's Commanding Officer?
　　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!
　　参考译文
　　一个飞行员发现了一只气球，它像是正飞往附近的一个皇家空军基地。他马上把情况报告了该基地，但那里的人没有一个能解释这到底是怎么回事。控制塔上 的官员得知这一消息后，非常气愤，因为气球有可能给飞机造成极大的危险。他说可能有人正对基地进行侦察，因此命令那个飞行员跟踪那个奇怪的飞行物。飞行员 设法绕着气球飞了一阵。他看清了气球下面有3个人呆在一只筐里，其中一个举着望远镜。当气球飞临基地上空时，飞行员看见有一个人在拍照。不久，气球开始降 落，在一个停机坪附近着了陆。警察被召来了，但他们却不能逮捕任何人，因为筐里是两名国会议员和一名基地的指挥官！正如指挥官后来解释的那样，基地的这半 边不知道那半边正在干什么！

　　New words and expressions 生词和短语
　　balloon
　　n. 气球

　　royal
　　adj. 皇家

　　spy
　　v. 侦察

　　track
　　n. 轨迹，踪迹

　　binoculars
　　n. 望远镱

Lesson 91 自学导读First things first

　　课文详注 Further notes on the text
　　1．A pilot noticed a balloon which seemed to be making for a Royal Air Force Station nearby. 一个飞行员发现了一只气球，它像是正飞往附近的一个皇家空军基地。
　　（1）to be making for为不定式的进行式，表示正在进行的动作：
　　They seem to be talking about something important.
　　他们似乎正在谈论某件重要的事情。
　　She seems to be looking for somebody/something.
　　她似乎正在找人/什么东西。
　　（2）make for为固定短语，其含义之一为“（匆匆）走向”、“向……前进”：
　　While the thief was making for his car, a policeman stopped him.
　　当小偷匆勿走向他的汽车时，一位警察拦住了他。
　　After leaving Calais, the ship made for Dover.
　　离开加来后，那艘船便驶往多佛。

　　2．He said that someone might be spying on the station and the pilot was ordered to keep track of the strange object. 他说有可能有人正对基地进行侦察，因此命令那个飞行员跟踪那个奇怪的飞行物。
　　（1）might be doing sth．表示对正在进行的动作的推测（cf．第19课语法）：
　　What can Tom be doing in that room?
　　汤姆会在那个房间里干什么呢?
　　He might be reading/watching TV.
　　他或许在看书/看电视。
　　（2）keep track of 为固定短语，表示“追踪”、“保持联系”、“记录”等（其反义词为 lose track of）：
　　Keep track of the man wearing a grey hat. He looks suspicious to me.
　　跟踪那个戴顶灰帽子的人。我觉得他看上去可疑。
　　She managed to keep track of her friends.
　　她设法保持了与朋友们的联系。

　　3．He could make out three men in a basket under it…
　　他看清了气球下面有3个人呆在一只筐里……
　　make out是固定短语，它在这里的含义是“（勉强）看出”、“辨认出”、“听出”：
　　In the darkness of night, he could just make out three men coming toward them.
　　在黑夜中，他只能看出有3个人在向他们走来。
　　Can you make out what they are talking about?
　　你能听清他们在谈什么吗？
　　I can't make out the boss's handwriting.
　　我辨不出老板的字迹。

　　4．The police were called in…
　　警察被召来了……
　　call in 在这里表示“召来”：
　　Sam has a temperature. We'd better call in a doctor.
　　萨姆发烧了。我们最好请医生来。
　　When he discovered that some important things were missing in his room, he called the police in.
　　当他发现屋子里少了一些重要东西之后，他便把警察召来了。

　　词汇学习 Word study
　　1．spy
　　（1）vi．暗中监视；侦察（通常与 on，upon连用）：
　　Someone is spying on the station.
　　有人正在对基地进行侦察。
　　I noticed some policemen spying on the foreign tourists.
　　我注意到一些警察在暗中监视那些外国游客。
　　（2）vt．发现，看见：
　　He spied a stranger in his garden.
　　他在花园里发现了一位陌生人。
　　She spied a cloud of smoke in the distance.
　　她发现远处有一团烟。
　　（3）n．间谍，密探：
　　He was once a spy for the police / British government.
　　他曾是警方／英国政府的密探。
　　They have arrested three spies.
　　他们逮捕了3名间谍。

　　2．动词 make 的一些固定短语
　　make 可以与许多介词或副词连用，产生新的含义。课文中出现了 make for和 make out。较常用的还有 make up与 make up for等。
　　（1）make out 除了表示“辨出”、“听出”的含义外，还可以表示“理解”、“弄清”：
　　I can't make out what this picture is about.
　　我看不出这幅画的意思。
　　Can you make out what the child wants?
　　你能弄清那孩子想要什么吗？
　　Jane is angry again. Sometimes I can't make her out at all. Her moods change quickly.
　　简又生气了。有时候我根本不能理解她。她情绪变化很快。
　　make out 的另一个含义是“写出”、“填写”（相当于 write out）：
　　He made out a long list of all the foods which were forbidden.
　　他写了一张长长的单子，上面列了所有禁吃的食物。
　　He made out a cheque of 1, 000 dollars and gave it to the secretary.
　　他开出一张1, 000美元的支票并将其给了秘书。
　　（2）make up 的含义之一是“编造”、“捏造”、“虚构”：
　　Every time he played truant, Tom would make up an excuse.
　　汤姆每次逃学都编个借口。
　　Jane made up a story about a child and a monster.
　　简编造了一个有关一个孩子和一个妖怪的故事。
　　make up 也可以表示“（给……）化妆／化装”：
　　She always makes herself up / makes up her face before going out.
　　她出门前总要化妆。
　　Making up takes up a lot of her time.
　　化妆占了她很多时间。
　　She was made up as a boy.
　　她被化装成一个小男孩。
　　（3）make up for 的含义是“补偿”、“弥补”：
　　I had to walk faster to make up for lost time.
　　为了补回失去的时间，我不得不加快走路的速度。
　　She managed to make up for her mistake.
　　她设法补救了她的过错。

Lesson 91 课后练习和答案Exercises and Answer