Unit 13 The Mud-backs
? P I Listening and Speaking Activities
? Part II Reading Comprehension and Language Activities
? Part III Extended Activities
Part I Listening and Speaking Activities
? Introduction of functions
? Listen and speak
? Try to speak more
? Make your own dialogue
? What are they for?
? If you want to learn more
Introduction of functions
? You may express your agreement like this,
? Yes,I (absolutely/definitely) agree (entirely)
? True enough,
? That’s quite true/right,
? I can’t help thinking the same,
? That’s just what I was thinking,
? I couldn’t agree more,
? I’m of exactly the same opinion as…,
? That’s exactly/precisely my own view/opinion,
? Well,that’s the thing/that’s the point,
? I think you are right here/there,
? I’m with you here/there,
? How right you are!
Introduction of functions
? You may express your disagreement like this,
? Oh,I don’t agree,
? Well,as a matter of fact,I don’t think so,
? I’m not (at all) sure,actually/in fact,
? No,not really,
? I disagree,I’m afraid,
? That’s wrong/not right,surely,
? That’s not the way I see it,
? I don’t think that’s right,
? I think that’s nonsense,
? I can’t go along with…,
Introduction of functions
? You may express your disagreement like this,
? I disagree with you there,
? I’m afraid I can’t see the point,
? I can’t say I share your view,
? But isn’t it more reasonable to say/do…
Listen and speak
1,Why do the French call for riding bikes more?
Key,c
2,How does A disagree with B when B says that we need
more automobiles in China?
Key,b
3,A thinks that bikes have almost become a public
nuisance,One of his reasons is,
Key,a
4,B does not think that bikes are safe and clean,because
Key,b
Turn to p,181,and let’s listen,
? Listen to the conversation and tick the correct
answer to each question,
Try to speak more
? Notes,
? virtually,actually; in fact
? offender,someone who has committed a crime; something
that has caused a problem
? choke,to fill a place so that it is difficult to move
? deprive somebody of something,take something away
from somebody; prevent somebody from having something
? not to mention,used for adding a comment that emphasizes
the idea of what you have said
? alternative,something that you can choose instead of
something else,
Make your own dialogue
1,You and your friend are talking about some
traffic problems and their possible solutions,
Make a dialogue using the following tips,(Turn to
page 183)
2,Study the following cartoon and say what others
uses a bicycle has besides transportation,(Turn
to page 184)
What are they for?
Key,1,e 2,b 3,a 4.d 5,c 6.f
If you want to learn more
Key,a,Sentences of agreement,1—3
b,Sentences of disagreement,4—8
Part II Reading Comprehension and
Language Activities
? Pre-reading Tasks
? Notes
? Translation
? Comprehension work
? Language work (A,B,C)
Part II Reading Comprehension and
Language Activities
? Pre-reading Tasks
? What age group is most fond of bike-riding?
? What is the major use of the bicycle for most of the
Chinese?
? Do you think that an annual safety check is necessary
for bike-riders? If you have a bike,do you think it can
pass a safety inspection?
? What annoys you most in bike-riding?
Turn to p,185,and listen to the text,
I see by the local paper that the New Jersey town where I
live will hold a bicycle safety check next week,The chief of
police will inspect bikes at the municipal parking lot; checking
“brakes,lights,sounding devices,reflectors,and general bike
condition,Those bikes which are approved will be marked
with a 1971 inspection sticker.”
I remember the bike I had when I was a kid,We didn’t have
bike inspections in those days,and it was a lucky thing,My
bike would have flunked,Everybody’s bike would have failed,
mostly on,general bike condition”,
Many safety devices were missing,One kid had no handle
bars,And take reflectors,None of the bikes had reflectors
because the reflectors were fastened to the fenders,and the
fenders got torn off early in the game,Nobody worried about
fenders; you worried about spokes,
The Mud-backs
It was very important to have enough spokes so that the
wheel remained more or less round,Each of my bike wheels had
thirty-six spokes,and I found by experience that I couldn’t afford
to lose more than twenty,When a wheel lost too many spokes it
began to sag and it was difficult to ride the bike fast,
The whole point was to ride the bike fast,You could tell a
really fast bike rider by the streak of mud up his back,
I don’t recall any of the bikes having,sounding devices.”
Once in a while,a fancy bike came equipped with a,tank”
mounted between the upper-frame bars,Inside the tank was an
electric horn that made a thin beeping sound for about a day,
Then the battery corroded,and the whole bike turned green,
The most popular sounding device was the bike rider himself,
He screamed when confronted by any obstacle,real or imaginary,
The Mud-backs
Sometimes his voice changed in mid-scream,a terrible
noise that could raise the mud on the back of your neck,
There were three popular ways of stopping a bike---“coaster
brake”,“hand brake”,and,hitting something”,less popular
methods included accidentally sticking your foot in the front
wheel or clamping hard on just the front had brake,which made
you do a tight little somersault over the handle bars,
Another rather sloppy way to stop was to get your pant cuff
caught between the front sprocket and the chain,causing a
sudden shift of weight to starboard,You slowly fell off the bike
and scraped along the ground,The bike,still attached to your
leg,jarred around on top of you until an axle bolt stuck in your
ear,
The Mud-backs
The Mud-backs
Few bikes had built-in lights,For riding at night,you just
stuck a flashlight in a metal bracket mounted on the handle bars,
During the day,the bracket stuck up and lacerated your chest
whenever you ran into something,
A safety inspection also would have produced penalty points
for loose seats and handle bars caused by stripped bolts,
missing pedal parts (just a spike stuck out),lack of air in the
tires,or lack of tires to put air in,
No bike would have had a prayer of passing a modern
inspection,It’s just as well,There was no place to put a sticker
anyway,
e.g,
1,No less than ten students flunked the exam,
整整有十位学生在这次考试中不及格。
2,The professor flunked Hunter,
教授给亨特打了不及格分数。
flunk,vt,& vi,to fail a test
vt,to give someone low marks on a test so
that they fail it ? synonym fail
e.g,
1,I tore a page from my notebook,
我从笔记本上撕下一页纸来。
2,High winds nearly tore the roof off the house,
强风差一点儿把屋顶掀掉
tear,[vt,always + adv/prep] to pull sth violently
from a person or place 拉掉；撕掉；拔掉；扯掉
tear sth from sb/sth | tear sh off sth
afford,a,to have enough money to buy or pay for sth
or to have enough time to do sth （尤用于否定句或疑
问句）买得起；（有时间）做，能做 afford [to do] sth
e.g,They did not consider whether they could afford
the time or not,
他们没有考虑是否抽得出时间。
e.g,
1,We can't afford to wait any longer or we'll miss the plane,
2,I mustn’t annoy my boss because I can’t afford to lose
my job,
b,if you cannot afford to do sth,you must not do it
because it could cause serious problems for you 承担
得起（后果） afford [to do] sth
mount,put sth into place on a support; fix sth in position for
use,display or study 架置 ;装有 (枪炮等 ) ;固定在,..上 ;镶嵌 ;裱贴
e.g,
1,The ship mounts eight guns,
这艘军舰装有八门大炮。
2,mount stamps in an album
把邮票嵌入邮册里
3,The specimens have been classified and mounted,
标本已分类并固定在标本架上。
e.g,
1,She had a cigar clamped between her teeth,
她嘴里叼着一根雪茄。
2,He clamped a pair of headphones over his ears,
他把一副耳机呆在两边耳朵上。
clamp,always + adv/prep to put or hold sth in a
position so that it cannot move 紧紧抓住；紧夹住；被
抓住
e.g,Attach a recent photograph to your application form,
把一张近照附在申请表上。
attach,vt,to fasten or connect one object to another ?
synonym fix 把 … 固定，把 … 附（在 … 上） attach sth (to sth)
on top of sb,vt,if sth dangerous or threatening is
on top of you,it is very near you 紧挨着；与 … 紧靠着
e.g,The bus got out of control and ran into a wall,
公共汽车失去控制,撞上了墙。
run into,run (sth) into sb/sth to hit someone or
sth with a vehicle （开车）撞上
have a prayer of,―have a prayer of ‖ means ―have a
hope of ; be likely,‖ normally used in a negative sentence,
泥巴后背
我从报纸上获悉我所在的新泽西镇将于下周对所有的自行车进行
安全检查。警长将在市政厅停车场检查自行车；检查“刹车、车灯、
铃铛、反光镜以及自行车的基本性能，检查合格的自行车将贴上
1971年年检的标记。”
我还记得自己孩提时代拥有的那辆自行车。那时，我们没有车检，
这是很幸运的事情。要是有的话，我的自行车肯定过不了。大家的
自行车都过不了，大多是“基本性能”有问题。
许多安全设施都不翼而飞了。有的自行车没有车把，就拿反光镜
来说吧，所有的车都没有反光镜，因为它是安装在挡泥板上的，而
挡泥板早在我们嬉闹时就脱落了。没人为此担心，大家担心的只是
车轮辐条。足够的车轮辐条之所以重要是因为它能把车轮胎撑圆。
我那车子的每个轮子有 36个车轮辐条，凭经验我知道不能少掉 20个
以上。如果自行车少了太多的车轮辐条，它就会下陷，而且很难骑
快。
泥巴后背
而骑车关键就是要骑得快。你可以通过一个人后背上的泥巴痕
迹来判断他是不是一个骑车快手。
我想不起谁的车上有“铃铛”。偶尔能看见一辆滑稽的车在前把之
间装有一个“箱”，里面有一个“嘟嘟”声可持续一天的电喇叭。
电池腐蚀了，整个自行车也就变绿了。
最流行的车铃铛就是骑车人自己。当他碰到任何障碍，不管是
真是假，他就会尖叫。有时，他的声音会在尖叫中变调，恐怖得让
你都会将泥巴甩到脖子上去。
一共有三种流行的刹车方式 ——“脚刹车”、“手刹车”和“撞
物刹车”，有时还包括偶尔用脚伸进自行车前轮刹车，或者使劲捏
紧自行车前闸，这样会使你从前把手那里一个筋斗跌下去。
另一个草率的刹车法就是把你裤脚的翻边卡在链齿和链条之间
使重心突然移到右侧。你从自行车上缓缓落下，并沿着路面向前滑。
自行车还挂着你的腿，在你身旁轧轧地震动作响，直到它的轴销打
在你头上。
泥巴后背
几乎没有自行车安有车灯。夜间行驶时，你就在车把的金属架
上插一个手电筒。白天，不管你什么时候撞到东西，那金属支架就
会竖起来弄伤你的胸部。
那时要是有安全检查，还得为车座松动、无防滑螺纹的车把、
踏板缺外壳（只剩脚蹬轴杆突出）、轮胎气不足或者没气等情况设
置惩罚条例呢。
那时的自行车没有一辆有希望通过现代的安检。也幸亏通不过。
要不然，自行车上连个贴安检标牌的地方都没有。
Comprehension work
(Questions for discussion )
1,What news does the narrator get from the local paper?
2,Why was it a lucky thing that there wasn’t a bike
inspection when the narrator was young?
3,Why were the reflectors missing? What about many
other safety devices?
4,What did the young bike riders worry about? Why?
Comprehension work
(Questions for discussion )
5,Were there sounding devices on the bikes? What
was the most popular sounding device?
6,How could the bike riders tell a really fast rider?
7,In addition to using brakes,what other ways did the
young riders employ to stop a bike?
8,What is implied in the sentence ―There was no place
to put a sticker anyway‖?
Language work (A,p,188)
? Answers
1,reflectors
2,somersault
3,on top of
4,inspection/devices
5,built-in
6,imaginary
7,flunked
8,torn off
9,streaks
10,recall
Language work (B,p.188)
1,He drove too close to the building and his car scraped
along the wall,
2,In transforming Mars,humans will confront many
unpredictable difficulties,
3,Equipped with the most advanced apparatus and
instruments,the unmanned spaceship set off to Mars.,
4,One of the major obstacles the expeditions on the
Himalayan Mountains have to overcome is insufficiency
of oxygen,
5,Sade hasn’t got a prayer of regaining her fame in the
rap-dominated 90s,
Language work (B,p189)
6,Eventually,the caterpillar attached itself to the tree
branch and spun a cocoon,
7,He was studying the map which was marked with
symbols for different minerals,
8,Once in a while we go to the cinema,
9,When the hungry girl sat at the table,she quickly stuck
her fork into the meat on her plate,
10,One tooth was missing and another was so loose that it
was going to come out very soon,
Language work (C,p.189)
1,a,New products can not be sold in the market until they
are approved by the Technological Inspection Bureau,
b,Don’t buy those houses which have not been
approved by the local authority,
c,A few foreign banks have been approved by the
Chinese government to operate Renminbi business in
some large cities in China,
Language work (C,p.189)
2,a,The horse was fastened to a tree so that it couldn’t run
away,
b,A small silver bell was fastened to the child’s wrist in
the belief that it would bring him good luck,
c,The plastic flower was fastened to the wall with a pin,
Language work (C,p.189)
3,a,It is incredible that the man who fell off the cliff
survived,
b,The beautiful vase fell off the shelf and broke into
pieces,
c,He fell off the ladder and broke his left leg,
Language work (C,p.189)
4,a,He ran into a taxi at the cross-road and was seriously
injured,
b,The new driver was so clumsy that he ran his car into
a lamppost,
c,She ran into another car because her brakes weren’t
working,
Language work (C,p.189)
5,a,Thirty out of the fifty invited guests came to the party,
which was just as well,as there were not enough
chairs,
b,The meeting was cancelled,It was just as well,he
was too busy to attend it,
c,Linda proposed to go with him,which was just as well,
he was looking for a companion,
Part III Extended Activities
Dictation
Read more
Grammar work
Word formation
Vocabulary work
Translation
Dictation
? Script of the Dictation
Some experts foretell that the present supply of fossil
fuel will not lat until the end f the twentieth century,
Because of the energy crisis,scientists are becoming
increasingly interested in solar energy,However,the
obstacle that solar energy researchers confront is how to
use the sun’s energy effectively and inexpensively,One
of the most popular methods is to use rooftop solar
collectors,An advantage of this system is that it will not
create any pollution,Another advantage is that the cost
of the fuel,the sun’s rays,is zero,
Read more
? True/False/Not Mentioned
Answers,1,T 2,NM 3,F 4.F 5,T 6,NM 7,T 8,F
? Topics for discussion
1,How did Margie attend school?
2,Why was Margie thinking about the old schools when
she was in her schoolroom?
3,Do you like the computerized schooling as described in
the story? Why and why not?
Grammar work
1,Original,Look out for the traffic sign,–Which traffic sign do I
have to look out?
Correct,Look out for the traffic sign,–Which traffic sign do I
have to look out for?
2,Original,I’ve borrowed some money,–Who do you borrow it?
Correct,I’ve borrowed some money,–Who do you borrow it
from?
3,Original,There are two film stars at a table behind you,–
Which table are they sitting?
Correct,There are two film stars at a table behind you,–
Which table are they sitting at?
Grammar work
4,Original,There is a big box to pack all the clothes,
Correct,There is a big box to pack all the clothes in,
5,Original,Have you got a pen to sign these papers?
Correct,Have you got a pen to sign these papers with?
6,Original,Is there a room to hang our coats?
Correct,Is there a room to hang our coats in?
7,Original,I prefer my new school to the one I went before,
Correct,I prefer my new school to the one I went to before,
Grammar work
8,Original,What’s this? –A small gift for you to remember us,
Correct,What’s this? –A small gift for you to remember us by,
9,Original,Turn on the radio,will you? –Which program do you
want to listen?
Correct,Turn on the radio,will you? –Which program do you
want to listen to?
10.Original,They are the people we should learn,aren’t they?
Correct,They are the people we should learn from,aren’t
they?
Word formation
? Answers
1,incorrect
2,irregular
3,indecision
4,Illegal
5,independent
6,unable
7,illiterate
8,inability
Vocabulary work
? Answers
1,superior
2,scornful
3,hurt
4,Sign
5,laughter
6,screamed
7,lit up
8,awful
Translation
1,You need to attach your photo to the application form
before handing it in,
2,When he returned to his office,he was confronted with a
great pile of work,
3,She worries about the results of the exam,
4,It’s just as well you were not here –you wouldn’t like the
noise,
5,All the characters in this book are imaginary,
6,He flunked English,
7,She stuck the pictures of her favorite singers on the wall
next to her bed,
8,Once in a while he would go to the pub and drink one or
two glasses of beer with his friends,
? P I Listening and Speaking Activities
? Part II Reading Comprehension and Language Activities
? Part III Extended Activities
Part I Listening and Speaking Activities
? Introduction of functions
? Listen and speak
? Try to speak more
? Make your own dialogue
? What are they for?
? If you want to learn more
Introduction of functions
? You may express your agreement like this,
? Yes,I (absolutely/definitely) agree (entirely)
? True enough,
? That’s quite true/right,
? I can’t help thinking the same,
? That’s just what I was thinking,
? I couldn’t agree more,
? I’m of exactly the same opinion as…,
? That’s exactly/precisely my own view/opinion,
? Well,that’s the thing/that’s the point,
? I think you are right here/there,
? I’m with you here/there,
? How right you are!
Introduction of functions
? You may express your disagreement like this,
? Oh,I don’t agree,
? Well,as a matter of fact,I don’t think so,
? I’m not (at all) sure,actually/in fact,
? No,not really,
? I disagree,I’m afraid,
? That’s wrong/not right,surely,
? That’s not the way I see it,
? I don’t think that’s right,
? I think that’s nonsense,
? I can’t go along with…,
Introduction of functions
? You may express your disagreement like this,
? I disagree with you there,
? I’m afraid I can’t see the point,
? I can’t say I share your view,
? But isn’t it more reasonable to say/do…
Listen and speak
1,Why do the French call for riding bikes more?
Key,c
2,How does A disagree with B when B says that we need
more automobiles in China?
Key,b
3,A thinks that bikes have almost become a public
nuisance,One of his reasons is,
Key,a
4,B does not think that bikes are safe and clean,because
Key,b
Turn to p,181,and let’s listen,
? Listen to the conversation and tick the correct
answer to each question,
Try to speak more
? Notes,
? virtually,actually; in fact
? offender,someone who has committed a crime; something
that has caused a problem
? choke,to fill a place so that it is difficult to move
? deprive somebody of something,take something away
from somebody; prevent somebody from having something
? not to mention,used for adding a comment that emphasizes
the idea of what you have said
? alternative,something that you can choose instead of
something else,
Make your own dialogue
1,You and your friend are talking about some
traffic problems and their possible solutions,
Make a dialogue using the following tips,(Turn to
page 183)
2,Study the following cartoon and say what others
uses a bicycle has besides transportation,(Turn
to page 184)
What are they for?
Key,1,e 2,b 3,a 4.d 5,c 6.f
If you want to learn more
Key,a,Sentences of agreement,1—3
b,Sentences of disagreement,4—8
Part II Reading Comprehension and
Language Activities
? Pre-reading Tasks
? Notes
? Translation
? Comprehension work
? Language work (A,B,C)
Part II Reading Comprehension and
Language Activities
? Pre-reading Tasks
? What age group is most fond of bike-riding?
? What is the major use of the bicycle for most of the
Chinese?
? Do you think that an annual safety check is necessary
for bike-riders? If you have a bike,do you think it can
pass a safety inspection?
? What annoys you most in bike-riding?
Turn to p,185,and listen to the text,
I see by the local paper that the New Jersey town where I
live will hold a bicycle safety check next week,The chief of
police will inspect bikes at the municipal parking lot; checking
“brakes,lights,sounding devices,reflectors,and general bike
condition,Those bikes which are approved will be marked
with a 1971 inspection sticker.”
I remember the bike I had when I was a kid,We didn’t have
bike inspections in those days,and it was a lucky thing,My
bike would have flunked,Everybody’s bike would have failed,
mostly on,general bike condition”,
Many safety devices were missing,One kid had no handle
bars,And take reflectors,None of the bikes had reflectors
because the reflectors were fastened to the fenders,and the
fenders got torn off early in the game,Nobody worried about
fenders; you worried about spokes,
The Mud-backs
It was very important to have enough spokes so that the
wheel remained more or less round,Each of my bike wheels had
thirty-six spokes,and I found by experience that I couldn’t afford
to lose more than twenty,When a wheel lost too many spokes it
began to sag and it was difficult to ride the bike fast,
The whole point was to ride the bike fast,You could tell a
really fast bike rider by the streak of mud up his back,
I don’t recall any of the bikes having,sounding devices.”
Once in a while,a fancy bike came equipped with a,tank”
mounted between the upper-frame bars,Inside the tank was an
electric horn that made a thin beeping sound for about a day,
Then the battery corroded,and the whole bike turned green,
The most popular sounding device was the bike rider himself,
He screamed when confronted by any obstacle,real or imaginary,
The Mud-backs
Sometimes his voice changed in mid-scream,a terrible
noise that could raise the mud on the back of your neck,
There were three popular ways of stopping a bike---“coaster
brake”,“hand brake”,and,hitting something”,less popular
methods included accidentally sticking your foot in the front
wheel or clamping hard on just the front had brake,which made
you do a tight little somersault over the handle bars,
Another rather sloppy way to stop was to get your pant cuff
caught between the front sprocket and the chain,causing a
sudden shift of weight to starboard,You slowly fell off the bike
and scraped along the ground,The bike,still attached to your
leg,jarred around on top of you until an axle bolt stuck in your
ear,
The Mud-backs
The Mud-backs
Few bikes had built-in lights,For riding at night,you just
stuck a flashlight in a metal bracket mounted on the handle bars,
During the day,the bracket stuck up and lacerated your chest
whenever you ran into something,
A safety inspection also would have produced penalty points
for loose seats and handle bars caused by stripped bolts,
missing pedal parts (just a spike stuck out),lack of air in the
tires,or lack of tires to put air in,
No bike would have had a prayer of passing a modern
inspection,It’s just as well,There was no place to put a sticker
anyway,
e.g,
1,No less than ten students flunked the exam,
整整有十位学生在这次考试中不及格。
2,The professor flunked Hunter,
教授给亨特打了不及格分数。
flunk,vt,& vi,to fail a test
vt,to give someone low marks on a test so
that they fail it ? synonym fail
e.g,
1,I tore a page from my notebook,
我从笔记本上撕下一页纸来。
2,High winds nearly tore the roof off the house,
强风差一点儿把屋顶掀掉
tear,[vt,always + adv/prep] to pull sth violently
from a person or place 拉掉；撕掉；拔掉；扯掉
tear sth from sb/sth | tear sh off sth
afford,a,to have enough money to buy or pay for sth
or to have enough time to do sth （尤用于否定句或疑
问句）买得起；（有时间）做，能做 afford [to do] sth
e.g,They did not consider whether they could afford
the time or not,
他们没有考虑是否抽得出时间。
e.g,
1,We can't afford to wait any longer or we'll miss the plane,
2,I mustn’t annoy my boss because I can’t afford to lose
my job,
b,if you cannot afford to do sth,you must not do it
because it could cause serious problems for you 承担
得起（后果） afford [to do] sth
mount,put sth into place on a support; fix sth in position for
use,display or study 架置 ;装有 (枪炮等 ) ;固定在,..上 ;镶嵌 ;裱贴
e.g,
1,The ship mounts eight guns,
这艘军舰装有八门大炮。
2,mount stamps in an album
把邮票嵌入邮册里
3,The specimens have been classified and mounted,
标本已分类并固定在标本架上。
e.g,
1,She had a cigar clamped between her teeth,
她嘴里叼着一根雪茄。
2,He clamped a pair of headphones over his ears,
他把一副耳机呆在两边耳朵上。
clamp,always + adv/prep to put or hold sth in a
position so that it cannot move 紧紧抓住；紧夹住；被
抓住
e.g,Attach a recent photograph to your application form,
把一张近照附在申请表上。
attach,vt,to fasten or connect one object to another ?
synonym fix 把 … 固定，把 … 附（在 … 上） attach sth (to sth)
on top of sb,vt,if sth dangerous or threatening is
on top of you,it is very near you 紧挨着；与 … 紧靠着
e.g,The bus got out of control and ran into a wall,
公共汽车失去控制,撞上了墙。
run into,run (sth) into sb/sth to hit someone or
sth with a vehicle （开车）撞上
have a prayer of,―have a prayer of ‖ means ―have a
hope of ; be likely,‖ normally used in a negative sentence,
泥巴后背
我从报纸上获悉我所在的新泽西镇将于下周对所有的自行车进行
安全检查。警长将在市政厅停车场检查自行车；检查“刹车、车灯、
铃铛、反光镜以及自行车的基本性能，检查合格的自行车将贴上
1971年年检的标记。”
我还记得自己孩提时代拥有的那辆自行车。那时，我们没有车检，
这是很幸运的事情。要是有的话，我的自行车肯定过不了。大家的
自行车都过不了，大多是“基本性能”有问题。
许多安全设施都不翼而飞了。有的自行车没有车把，就拿反光镜
来说吧，所有的车都没有反光镜，因为它是安装在挡泥板上的，而
挡泥板早在我们嬉闹时就脱落了。没人为此担心，大家担心的只是
车轮辐条。足够的车轮辐条之所以重要是因为它能把车轮胎撑圆。
我那车子的每个轮子有 36个车轮辐条，凭经验我知道不能少掉 20个
以上。如果自行车少了太多的车轮辐条，它就会下陷，而且很难骑
快。
泥巴后背
而骑车关键就是要骑得快。你可以通过一个人后背上的泥巴痕
迹来判断他是不是一个骑车快手。
我想不起谁的车上有“铃铛”。偶尔能看见一辆滑稽的车在前把之
间装有一个“箱”，里面有一个“嘟嘟”声可持续一天的电喇叭。
电池腐蚀了，整个自行车也就变绿了。
最流行的车铃铛就是骑车人自己。当他碰到任何障碍，不管是
真是假，他就会尖叫。有时，他的声音会在尖叫中变调，恐怖得让
你都会将泥巴甩到脖子上去。
一共有三种流行的刹车方式 ——“脚刹车”、“手刹车”和“撞
物刹车”，有时还包括偶尔用脚伸进自行车前轮刹车，或者使劲捏
紧自行车前闸，这样会使你从前把手那里一个筋斗跌下去。
另一个草率的刹车法就是把你裤脚的翻边卡在链齿和链条之间
使重心突然移到右侧。你从自行车上缓缓落下，并沿着路面向前滑。
自行车还挂着你的腿，在你身旁轧轧地震动作响，直到它的轴销打
在你头上。
泥巴后背
几乎没有自行车安有车灯。夜间行驶时，你就在车把的金属架
上插一个手电筒。白天，不管你什么时候撞到东西，那金属支架就
会竖起来弄伤你的胸部。
那时要是有安全检查，还得为车座松动、无防滑螺纹的车把、
踏板缺外壳（只剩脚蹬轴杆突出）、轮胎气不足或者没气等情况设
置惩罚条例呢。
那时的自行车没有一辆有希望通过现代的安检。也幸亏通不过。
要不然，自行车上连个贴安检标牌的地方都没有。
Comprehension work
(Questions for discussion )
1,What news does the narrator get from the local paper?
2,Why was it a lucky thing that there wasn’t a bike
inspection when the narrator was young?
3,Why were the reflectors missing? What about many
other safety devices?
4,What did the young bike riders worry about? Why?
Comprehension work
(Questions for discussion )
5,Were there sounding devices on the bikes? What
was the most popular sounding device?
6,How could the bike riders tell a really fast rider?
7,In addition to using brakes,what other ways did the
young riders employ to stop a bike?
8,What is implied in the sentence ―There was no place
to put a sticker anyway‖?
Language work (A,p,188)
? Answers
1,reflectors
2,somersault
3,on top of
4,inspection/devices
5,built-in
6,imaginary
7,flunked
8,torn off
9,streaks
10,recall
Language work (B,p.188)
1,He drove too close to the building and his car scraped
along the wall,
2,In transforming Mars,humans will confront many
unpredictable difficulties,
3,Equipped with the most advanced apparatus and
instruments,the unmanned spaceship set off to Mars.,
4,One of the major obstacles the expeditions on the
Himalayan Mountains have to overcome is insufficiency
of oxygen,
5,Sade hasn’t got a prayer of regaining her fame in the
rap-dominated 90s,
Language work (B,p189)
6,Eventually,the caterpillar attached itself to the tree
branch and spun a cocoon,
7,He was studying the map which was marked with
symbols for different minerals,
8,Once in a while we go to the cinema,
9,When the hungry girl sat at the table,she quickly stuck
her fork into the meat on her plate,
10,One tooth was missing and another was so loose that it
was going to come out very soon,
Language work (C,p.189)
1,a,New products can not be sold in the market until they
are approved by the Technological Inspection Bureau,
b,Don’t buy those houses which have not been
approved by the local authority,
c,A few foreign banks have been approved by the
Chinese government to operate Renminbi business in
some large cities in China,
Language work (C,p.189)
2,a,The horse was fastened to a tree so that it couldn’t run
away,
b,A small silver bell was fastened to the child’s wrist in
the belief that it would bring him good luck,
c,The plastic flower was fastened to the wall with a pin,
Language work (C,p.189)
3,a,It is incredible that the man who fell off the cliff
survived,
b,The beautiful vase fell off the shelf and broke into
pieces,
c,He fell off the ladder and broke his left leg,
Language work (C,p.189)
4,a,He ran into a taxi at the cross-road and was seriously
injured,
b,The new driver was so clumsy that he ran his car into
a lamppost,
c,She ran into another car because her brakes weren’t
working,
Language work (C,p.189)
5,a,Thirty out of the fifty invited guests came to the party,
which was just as well,as there were not enough
chairs,
b,The meeting was cancelled,It was just as well,he
was too busy to attend it,
c,Linda proposed to go with him,which was just as well,
he was looking for a companion,
Part III Extended Activities
Dictation
Read more
Grammar work
Word formation
Vocabulary work
Translation
Dictation
? Script of the Dictation
Some experts foretell that the present supply of fossil
fuel will not lat until the end f the twentieth century,
Because of the energy crisis,scientists are becoming
increasingly interested in solar energy,However,the
obstacle that solar energy researchers confront is how to
use the sun’s energy effectively and inexpensively,One
of the most popular methods is to use rooftop solar
collectors,An advantage of this system is that it will not
create any pollution,Another advantage is that the cost
of the fuel,the sun’s rays,is zero,
Read more
? True/False/Not Mentioned
Answers,1,T 2,NM 3,F 4.F 5,T 6,NM 7,T 8,F
? Topics for discussion
1,How did Margie attend school?
2,Why was Margie thinking about the old schools when
she was in her schoolroom?
3,Do you like the computerized schooling as described in
the story? Why and why not?
Grammar work
1,Original,Look out for the traffic sign,–Which traffic sign do I
have to look out?
Correct,Look out for the traffic sign,–Which traffic sign do I
have to look out for?
2,Original,I’ve borrowed some money,–Who do you borrow it?
Correct,I’ve borrowed some money,–Who do you borrow it
from?
3,Original,There are two film stars at a table behind you,–
Which table are they sitting?
Correct,There are two film stars at a table behind you,–
Which table are they sitting at?
Grammar work
4,Original,There is a big box to pack all the clothes,
Correct,There is a big box to pack all the clothes in,
5,Original,Have you got a pen to sign these papers?
Correct,Have you got a pen to sign these papers with?
6,Original,Is there a room to hang our coats?
Correct,Is there a room to hang our coats in?
7,Original,I prefer my new school to the one I went before,
Correct,I prefer my new school to the one I went to before,
Grammar work
8,Original,What’s this? –A small gift for you to remember us,
Correct,What’s this? –A small gift for you to remember us by,
9,Original,Turn on the radio,will you? –Which program do you
want to listen?
Correct,Turn on the radio,will you? –Which program do you
want to listen to?
10.Original,They are the people we should learn,aren’t they?
Correct,They are the people we should learn from,aren’t
they?
Word formation
? Answers
1,incorrect
2,irregular
3,indecision
4,Illegal
5,independent
6,unable
7,illiterate
8,inability
Vocabulary work
? Answers
1,superior
2,scornful
3,hurt
4,Sign
5,laughter
6,screamed
7,lit up
8,awful
Translation
1,You need to attach your photo to the application form
before handing it in,
2,When he returned to his office,he was confronted with a
great pile of work,
3,She worries about the results of the exam,
4,It’s just as well you were not here –you wouldn’t like the
noise,
5,All the characters in this book are imaginary,
6,He flunked English,
7,She stuck the pictures of her favorite singers on the wall
next to her bed,
8,Once in a while he would go to the pub and drink one or
two glasses of beer with his friends,
