Lesson 9 A slip of the tongue
口误

文章讲解

People will do anything to see a free show -- even if it is a bad one. When the news got round that a comedy show would be presented at our local cinema by the P. and U. Bird Seed Company, we all rushed to see it. We had to queue for hours to get in and there must have been several hundred people present just before the show began. Unfortunately, the show was one of the dullest we have ever seen. Those who failed to get in need not have felt disappointed, as many of the artistes who should have appeared did not come. The only funny things we heard that evening came from the advertiser at the beginning of the programme. He was obviously very nervous and for some minutes stood awkwardly before the microphone. As soon as he opened his mouth, everyone burst out laughing. We all know what the poor man should have said, but what he actually said was: 'This is the Poo and Ee Seed Bird Company. Good ladies, evening and gentlemen!"

一、词汇部分
1.slip/slɪp/ n. 小错误
E.g. Life is full of banana skins. You slip, you carry on.

2.comedy/ˈkɑː.mə.di/ n. 喜剧
扩展：comedian 喜剧演员；stand-up comedy 脱口秀
3.present/ˈprez.ənt/ v. 演出；adj. 出席，到场的
4.queue /kjuː/ v.排队
5.dull/dʌl/ adj. 枯燥，无味
扩展：boring 无聊的/bored感到无聊的
6.artiste/ɑːrˈtiːst/ n. 艺人
7.advertiser/ˈæd.vɚ.taɪ.zɚ/ n. 报幕员

一、文章讲解
1.People will do anything to see a free show -- even if it is a bad one

1)will do anything to do something/for something
eg. I will do anything to get her back.
E.g. People will do anything to get what they want.
e.g. People will do anything for likes on Instagram.

2)even if/even though 尽管
共同点：都翻译为尽管，但是
区别：even if 引导的条件句可能含有不确定；even though引导的条件句，确定的事。

E.g. I will work overtime this weekend even though I don’t want to.
E.g.Even thoughI was invited to the party, I didn’t go.
E.g. I won’t work overtime this weekend even if my boss asks me to.
E.g. Even ifmy company offers me a promotion, I won’t take it.

2.When the news got roundthat a comedy show would be presented at our local cinema by the P. and U. Bird Seed Company, we all rushed to see it.

1)When状语从句

2)Get around 用法
to go or travel to different places
E.g. At the age of 85 Milly still gets around quite well.

if news gets around, a lot of people hear it
E.g. It didn’t take long for news of his resignation to get around.

to find a way of dealing with a problem or of avoiding it
E.g. There are ways of getting around the tax rules.
E.g. You can’t get around the fact that smoking kills.

to persuade someone to do something, especially by being nice to them
E.g. He’s strict, but you can usually get around him with humour.

3)Go to the movies
E.g. I was at the movies last night.
E.g. I saw Laura at the movies last night.

4)rush to someone or something
to hurry to get to someone, something, or some event.
例：I rushed to the injured man to try to help him. We all rushed to the office to see what had happened.
3.We had to queuefor hoursto get in and there must have beenseveral hundred people present just before the show began. Unfortunately, the show was one of the dullest we have ever seen.

1)I’ll stand on line/line.
Get in line

2)must have done 对过去的肯定的推测
例句：You must have seen the film the Gold Rush.

3)one of +名词复数
例句：Peter is one of my best friends.

4. Those who failed to get in need not have felt disappointed, as many of the artistes who should have appeared did not come.

1)Those + who

2)Should have done 本应该做某事而没有做某事

例题：He _____ the 8:20 bus because he didn’t leave home till 8:25.
a. couldn’t have caught b. ought to have caught
c. shouldn’t have caught d. must not have caught

5.The only funny things we heard that evening came from the advertiser at the beginning of the programme. He was obviously very nervous and for some minutes stood awkwardly before the microphone.

1)定语从句省略that情况
E.g. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

2)and 并列关系
E.g. The only lesson you'll ever need is the English lessons from Qiwen.

6.As soon as he opened his mouth, everyone burst out laughing. We all know what the poor man should have said, but what he actually said was: 'This is the Poo and Ee Seed Bird Company. Good ladies, evening and gentlemen!"

burst out laughing/crying
E.g. I walked in and everyone burst out laughing.

宾语从句
should have done 本来应该做某事，但是没有做某事
主语从句

（翻译）It is a matter of common experience that bodies are lighter in water than they are in air.

参考翻译：物体在水中比在空气中轻，这是一种大家共有的经验。

Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.

Any veteran nicotine addict will testify that fancy packaging plays no role in the decision to keep smoking. So, it is argued, stripping cartons of their branding will trigger no mass movement to quit.

But that isn’t why the government—under pressure from cancer charities, health workers and the Labour party—has agreed to legislate for standardized packaging. The theory is that smoking should be stripped of any appeal to discourage new generations from starting in the first place. Plain packaging would be another step in the reclassification of cigarettes from inviting consumer products to narcotics（麻醉剂）.

Naturally, the tobacco industry is violently opposed. No business likes to admit that it sells addictive poison as a lifestyle choice. That is why government has historically intervened, banning advertising, imposing health warnings and punitive (惩罚性的) duties. This approach has led over time to a fall in smoking with numbers having roughly halved since the 1970s. Evidence from Australia suggests plain packaging pushes society further along that road. Since tobacco as one of the biggest causes of premature death in the UK, a measure that tames the habit even by a fraction is worth trying.

So why has it taken so long? The Department of Health declared its intention to consider the move in November 2010 and consulted through 2012. But the plan was suspended in July 2013. It did not escape notice that a lobbying firm set up by Lynton Crosby, David Cameron’s election campaign director, had previously acted for Philip Morris International. (The prime minister denied there was a connection between his news adviser’s outside interests and the change in legislative programme.) In November 2013, after an unnecessary round of additional consultation, health minister Jane Ellison said the government was minded to proceed after all. Now we are told Members of Parliament (MPs) will have a free voice before parliament is dissolved in March.

Parliament has in fact already authorised the government to tame the tobacco trade. MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of Labour amendments to the children and families bill last February that included the power to regulate for plain packaging. With sufficient will in Downing Street this would have been done already. But strength of will is the missing ingredient where Mr. Cameron and public health are concerned. His attitude to state intervention has looked confused ever since his bizarre 2006 lament (叹息) that chocolate oranges placed seductively at supermarket check-outs fueled obesity.

The government has moved reluctantly into a sensible public health policy, but with such obvious over-cautiousness that any political credit due belongs to the opposition. Without sustained external pressure it seems certain Mr. Cameron would still be hooked on the interests of big tobacco companies.


46. What do chain smokers think of cigarette packaging?
A) Fancy packaging can help to engage new smokers.
B) It has little to do with the quality or taste of cigarettes.
C) Plain packaging discourages non-smokers from taking up smoking.
D) It has little impact on their decision whether or not to quit smoking.

47. What has the UK government agreed to do concerning tobacco packaging?
A) Pass a law to standardise cigarette packaging.
B) Rid cigarette cartons of all advertisements.
C) Subsidise companies to adopt plain packaging.
D) Reclassify cigarettes according to packaging.

48. What has happened in Australia where plain packaging is implemented?
A) Premature death rates resulting from smoking have declined.
B) The number of smokers has dropped more sharply than in the UK.
C) The sales of tobacco substitutes have increased considerably.
D) Cigarette sales have been falling far more quickly than in the UK.

49. Why it taken so long for the UK government to consider plain packaging?
A) Prime Minister Cameron has been reluctant to take action.
B) There is strong opposition from veteran nicotine addicts.
C) Many Members of Parliament are addicted to smoking.
D) Pressure from tobacco manufacturers remains strong.

50. What did Cameron say about chocolate oranges at supermarket checkouts?
A) They fueled a lot of controversy.
B) They made more British people obese.
C) They attracted a lot of smokers.
D) They had certain ingredients missing.