Lesson 46 Do it yourself
Key to Composition
A possible answer
Plan and ideas for composition (a)
Title: The dripping tap
Introduction: Dripping tap — didn't want to call in a plumber — charge a lot of money — so did it myself — surely a fairly easy job —what can go wrong?
Development: First thing — turn off water at mains — couldn't find it — finally found it under the kitchen sink — never noticed it before — turned it off
Turned on kitchen tap — stopped running — unscrewed tap — took off old washer — new washer wouldn't go on — cut it a little — went on, no problem — put everything back together — turned on mains — pleased — five minutes later, tap started dripping worse than ever
Conclusion: Never again — will always call in professional
Composition
Friends have often told me that one of the simplest plumbing jobs in a house is changing the washer on a dripping tap. We had a dripping tap in the kitchen. It had been dripping for weeks. I didn't want to call in a plumber because they charge a lot of money, so I decided to do it myself. Surely it's a fairly easy job, I thought. What can go wrong?
I really did not think that it would be difficult. I knew that the first thing I had to do was to turn off the water at the mains. Unfortunately, I couldn't find where to turn off the water. Was it under the sink in our kitchen? Or was it outside somewhere? Eventually I found it under the kitchen sink on a pipe coming up from the ground that I. had never noticed before.
When I had turned off the mains tap, I turned on the kitchen tap until it stopped running. So far, so good! Then I gaily embarked on the task of unscrewing the tap and taking off the old washer. When I tried to put the new washer on, however, I realized that I had a problem. Whatever I did, it just wouldn't go on. So I cut it a little and it went on with no problem. Then I put everything back together and turned on the mains. I was so pleased with myself — until, five minutes later, the tap started dripping worse than ever.
As a result of the experience, I have made a decision. I will never attempt to change a washer again, and I will call in a professional
for any plumbing, building or electrical job that ever needs doing in the house.
(291 words)
Lesson 47 Too high a price?
Key to Composition
A possible answer
.
Plan and ideas for composition (a )
Title: "You are what you eat"
Introduction: Meaning of expression— applies to some — not to others
Development: Plenty of fruit and vegetables — lean meat — keep healthy. . .
Fatty foods and "junk foods" (beefburgers, etc. , ). . .
Problem —physical health not simply result of diet — also metabolism, exercise and way of life/lifestyle — sit at desk day — watch TV — can't expect to be healthy
Conclusion: I eat well and sensibly — take exercise — still 150 pounds — too much for my age and height
Composition
It has often been said that "you are what you eat. " But what does that mean? It certainly does not mean that if you eat enough carrots, you will begin to look like one! It means that you will be healthy if you eat healthy food, and your health will not be so good if you eat "junk food". And obviously it applies to some people, but not to others. A friend of mine is mainly a vegetarian, she eats mostly fruit am vegetables, with some fish, and she is extremely healthy. She even has a meal occasionally with fried eggs, fried bacon and chips, but h doesn't seem to do her any harm. Basically she eats a diet which is 90% healthy. So, I suppose, she is what she eats.
There is a problem, however, and it is this. Your physical health is not simply the result of what you eat and drink: it is also . partly a result of your own metabolism, the amount of exercise you take and the general way you live (your lifestyle, if you like). If you eat healthy food, but sit at a desk all day and then sit all evening watching television, then of course you can't expect to be really healthy.
I eat well, I think. I eat fresh meat, fruit and vegetables when I can. I do not eat much fatty food, I do not eat much prepared food (frozen meals) and very rarely have a fried meal. I take regular exercise, particularly walking and cycling, and I don't drink much alcohol. But I still weigh ISO pounds, which is too much for my age and height. (276wards)
Lesson 48 The silent village
Key to Composition
A possible answer
Plan and ideas for composition (b) .
Title: An unexpected swim
Introduction: Reached the stream — no one there — no boat, no boatman
Development: At first surprised — mistaken the place? walked along bank —definitely not there
Tried to attract attention of anyone on other side — stranded
Sat down on bank of stream'—discussed problem—wife suggested something — take off shirts, tie personal belongings in
them — swim to other side
Walked back to hotel
Conclusion: Most surprising thing — walked into hotel still wet — no one said word
Composition
When we reached the stream where we had stepped out of the ferry and where the boatman said he would wait, there was no one. There was no boat and no boatman
At first we were surprised and thought that we had perhaps mistaken the place where he said he would wait. We walked along the bank of the stream for a few hundred yards in one direction, and then in the other. He was definitely not there. I was worried that the villagers would be coming down the mountain after . us, but we couldn't see anybody, and the only noise was the noise of the running stream. We called across the stream to attract the attention of anyone on the other side, but nothing happened. It seemed that we were stranded.
We sat down on the bank of the stream and just looked at each other
"Come on, " I said. "We've been in worse situations than this. What about that time we got lost in the forest in Germany, and the time the car broke down in Australia?'*
"You're right, " she said, cheering up. "There is something we can do. "
And, since I certainly couldn't think of anything better, we did just what she suggested. We both took off our shirts, tied our personal belongings in them(purse, money, passport, keys and so on), tied the shirts round our waists, and waded into the water until we had to swim. And we swam to the other side, where we squeezed out our shirts and put them on again wet. Then we walked back to our small hotel in the town.
Perhaps the most surprising thing was that when we walked into the hotel still wet from our swim across the stream, no one said a word! (301wards)
Lesson 49 The ideal servant
Key to Composition
A possible answer
Plan and ideas for composition (b)
Tide: It is a good thing domestic servants have become a great rarity.
Introduction: Domestic servants still exist — work for film stars, pop stars, other famous people—but very few — great age of servants
is past
Development: Reasons why small number of domestic servants: small number of big houses needing domestic servants — many country ? houses in Britain — bought by National Trust — many helpers voluntary
Houses owned privately — now run much more efficiently — open gates to general public
Such large houses — some domestic staff — but employ other people
Conclusion: Personally pleased — no more/very few domestic servants
Most work for someone else — but "servant" idea connected with past centuries
Composition
Domestic servants still exist, but nowadays, instead of working for rich old ladies, they only work for members of the royal family, aristocrats, film stars, pop stars, successful businessmen and other rich and famous people, and there are really very few of them. The great age of domestic servants is past.
There are many reasons why there is such a small number of domestic servants now- The first thing, of course, is that there are very few families that own big houses that need domestic servants. Many of the large country houses in Britain that need servants have been bought by an organisation called the National Trust and many of the people who help to run these properties are voluntary. They are certainly not "servants" and they believe that they are helping to preserve the heritage of Great Britain.
The houses that are still owned privately are row run much more efficiently than they used to be, and very few entertain guests as they used to do. Instead, they open their gates to the general public, and so they need the same staff that major entertainments need. True, such large houses have some domestic staff, but they employ many other people who would not like to think of themselves as "domestic servants" — waiters and waitresses in their cafes, cleaners, car park attendants, ticket collectors, guides, office staff, and so on.
I am personally pleased that there are so few people in domestic service now. Moat of us work for someone else, it's true, but the whole idea of being a "servant", a "domestic servant", is an idea connected more with past centuries than the twentieth or twenty-first centuries. (279wards)
Lesson 50 New Year resolutions
Key to Composition
A possible answer
Plan and ideas for composition {a )
Titles Broken resolutions
Introduction: New Year resolutions — made to be broken? — some people serious — most know
they won't succeed — so ridiculous resolutions ,
Development: Last time made list of resolutions — five years ago — always do college work on time — keep room tidy — have nothing
to do with girls in nearby college — write home once a week — wash clothes regularly — have haircut once a month — Impossible! — girlfriend helped —? eventually gave up in despair
Conclusion: Don't make New Year resolutions any more — little point — why break habits — years to establish
Composition： ,
Are New Year resolutions made to be broken? f think so. Some people are serious about them of course, but most know that they won't succeed in keeping them. That's probably why they make resolutions such as "I must be polite to Aunt Harriet" when they only see Aunt Harriet twice a year! — or "I must cut down on my smoking" when they only ever have a cigarette after a family lunch on Sundays! Such resolutions, then, are not only ridiculous, but hardly resolutions at all!
The last time I ever made a list of resolutions was five years ago. I remember now that I resolved always to do my college work on time, to keep my room tidy, to have nothing to do with the girls in the nearby girls' college, to write home at least once a week, to wash my dirty clothes regularly and to have a haircut once a month. What was I thinking of?! For most college students such resolutions would be impossible — and of course they were for me!
I kept three of the resolutions for a week, and a girlfriend from the nearby girls' college helped me to keep two more (the ones about keeping my room tidy and washing my dirty clothes regularly!) for another week. After that, I gave up in despair. Instead, I resolved just to try to be just a little bit more tidy and a little more thoughtful, generally.
I don't bother to make New Year resolutions any more since I have proved to myself and others that I can't keep them. There seems
to be little point in breaking habits which have taken years to establish. (279 words )
本文来源：https://www.2haoxitong.net/k/doc/81a7476858fafab069dc02ba.html
文档为doc格式