Helping the Homeless
Girl 1: Hi.
Whittaker: Hi, thanks for coming.
Girl 2: Hey, what's this all about, Whit?
Girl 3: I've been on pins and needles1 ever since church.
Whittaker: Ooo-hoo, well, I figured2 a little suspense3 might increase your interest. Whet your appetite4, so to speak5.
Girl 1: We're /having/ lunch?
Whittaker: No, and there are a lot of other people who won't today either.
Girl: 2: Huh?
Whittaker: You know how the pastor's6 been preaching7 about love and compassion8 over the last couple of Sundays?
Girls: Yeah?
Whittaker: Well, the elders decided that we need to extend9 that compassion to the homeless in our area. You know - those who don't have food or shelter. Now they've come up with10 an idea to make next week 'Compassion Week'-seven days of programs to help those in need11. I figured the young people of the church should, well, have a chance to help out12 too.
Girl 3: Help out?
Whittaker: Well, because of your particular talents, I thought the three of you might come up with an idea to help raise money, clothing or food for the homeless. What do you think?
Girl 1: Why not? I'll help.
Girl 2: Yeah, me too.
Girl 3: Me three.
Whittaker: Good. I knew I could count on13 you.
注釋：
1.on pins and needles:如坐針氈
用法：I was on pins and needles until I knew my marks.
在知道成績(jī)之前我如坐針氈。
2.figure:認(rèn)為
用法：I figure Victor's job as an English teacher is a lot of fun for most people would rather stand up and yell than to sit still and listen.
我想Victor做英語(yǔ)教師一定樂(lè)趣無(wú)窮，因?yàn)樵谡n上大家站起來(lái)踴躍發(fā)言而不是光坐在那兒安安靜靜地聽講。
3.suspense:懸念
用法：A good thriller is a story that keeps you in suspense until the last chapter.
一部好的恐怖小說(shuō)能讓讀者自始至終充滿懸念。
4.whet sb's appetite:調(diào)起某人的胃口，引起某人的興趣
用法：He whetted her appetite to stay in the company by supplying high salary.他通過(guò)給高薪使她樂(lè)意繼續(xù)留在公司干。
5.so to speak:可以說(shuō)
用法：He is satisfied with his family, work and life, so he has, so to speak, nothing to repent of.
他對(duì)他的家庭、工作和生活都很滿意，所以，可以說(shuō)他沒(méi)有什么可后悔的。
6.pastor: (基督教中主管一個(gè)教堂的)牧師
7.preach:傳道，宣傳(思想)，鼓吹，反復(fù)灌輸
用法：Buddha continued to preach until the age of eighty, spreading the philosophy that man has the power to shape his own destiny.
佛祖直到80歲還在傳道，傳播人有力量自己決定自己的命運(yùn)這一思想。
8.compassion:同情
用法：My mother could not helpshavingscompassion for the poor.
我媽對(duì)窮人總是情不自禁地充滿了同情。
9.extend:給予
用法：The rich father extended a diamond ring to his daughter on her birthday.
女兒生日那天，那個(gè)有錢的爸爸給了她一枚鉆戒。
10.come up with:提出
用法：He has come up with a plan that can easily get the supervisor's approval.
他提出了一個(gè)很容易就可以得到主管同意的計(jì)劃。
11.in need:在危難中，需要幫助的
用法：A friend in need is a friend indeed.
患難見真情。
12.help out:幫助(某人)解決困難
用法：He paused and she saw he did not mean to help her out.
他停下來(lái)，她看他就沒(méi)打算幫她的意思。
13.count on:依靠
用法: The poor widow counted on the government relief to make a living.
那個(gè)可憐的寡婦依靠政府的救濟(jì)過(guò)活。
Long Conversations (長(zhǎng)對(duì)話)
Conversations: (Find a partner and practice these dialogues.)
A:
Laura: Sorry, Victor!
Victor: Laura! "Sorry" doesn't cut1 it! You were supposed to meet me right here - forty minutes ago! You're late, as usual!
Laura: Now! Now! What's a few minutes between friends?
Victor: You don't get it!
Laura: (Reading a note on the bulletin board) Oh, look! I must check them out!
Victor: Hold it! We had a date2!
Laura: Come with me?
Victor: No way! I hate shopping with you. You try on every dress, and it drives me crazy!
Laura: Well, it'll only take a sec3. Just a tiny peek4 at the new fashions. Aren't you coming in?
Victor: No, thank you. I'll wait outside.
B:
Laura: I, Victor! I'm finished. Okay. I'm ready to go on our date.
Victor: It's too late to catch the movie.
Laura: Give me another chance. Please!
Victor: Well, okay. I'll pick you up5 at 8 p.m. sharp6. We'll go dancing.
C:
Laura:Aha! 8 o'clock! Made it. Ready. This outfit7 should make up8 for all the times I was late. Hmmph! Now Victor's five minutes late. Who does he think he is, keeping me waiting? I went to a lot of trouble to look awesome9! Twenty-five minutes already! Boy! I'm hot!…Wait! I get it. Victor is trying to teach me a lesson…trying to give me a taste of my own medicine10. Nine o'clock and he's still not here. I believe he actually stood me up!11If he is not coming, I'll settle in12 for the evening and changesintossomething comfortable.(A knock at the door).
Victor:Laura! Ready?
Laura:Victor! Err…
Victor:I was caught in a terrible traffic jam and didn't move an inch for two hours. Boy! Even though I'm late, you're still not ready!
注解：
1.cut it: to be able to deal with a problem satisfactorily令人滿意地處理問(wèn)題
用法：(1)If she can't cut it, then we'll get someone else to do the job.
如果她不能令人滿意地做好這份工作，我們會(huì)找別人來(lái)做。
(2)"Sorry" doesn't cut it!意為：光抱歉有什么用！
2.date: meeting or appointment和…約好了的時(shí)間，(男女間的)約會(huì)
go on a date with somebody和某人約會(huì)
用法：We made a date to go to the opera this evening.
我們今晚約好了去看歌劇。
3.sec.: second, "秒"的縮寫形式
4.peek: have a glance look quickly and secretly一瞥,匆忙看過(guò),偷看
用法：(1)peek at somebody's diary偷看別人的日記；
(2)peek at others' privacy偷看別人的隱私
5.pick…up: (順便)接
用法：I will pick you up after work right at the company gate.
下班后我在公司大門口接你。
6.sharp:整,正好
用法：How about meeting at 4:00 p.m. sharp?
下午4點(diǎn)整見面怎麼樣？
7.outfit: a set of clothes衣服
用法：(1)She looks great with the wedding outfit.
她穿上婚紗，看上去棒極了。
(2)She bought a new outfit for the awarding ceremony.
她為參加頒獎(jiǎng)典禮買了一套新衣服。
8.make up: compensate for彌補(bǔ)
用法：Sometimes the crimes which have been committed can not be made up.
有時(shí)候，犯過(guò)的罪無(wú)法彌補(bǔ)。
9.awesome: causing admiration or fear令人敬畏的,可怕的；這里是口語(yǔ)用法，表示wonderful or better than average極好的、比一般的要好
用法：My girlfriend thought my new car was really awesome.
我的女友覺(jué)得我的新車棒極了。
10.a taste of one's own medicine:以其人之道還治其人之身
用法：Maria gave Peter a taste of his own medicine by not returning the money back。
作為報(bào)復(fù)，Maria沒(méi)有還給Peter借給她的錢。
11 stand somebody up: to fail to keep an appointment with爽約，相當(dāng)于現(xiàn)代漢語(yǔ)口語(yǔ)中的"晾了某人"，"曬了某人"，"放鴿子"等。
用法：If you continue standing your boyfriend up, he will get annoyed.
如果你還放你男朋友的鴿子，他會(huì)翻臉的。
12 settle in：to stop activity to rest or sleep停止某一活動(dòng)去休息或睡覺(jué)
用法：I will settle in for the evening if there is no work.
如果沒(méi)有更多的工作要做那今晚我就準(zhǔn)備休息了。
Exercise: Turn the three mini-dialogues/into/ONE descriptive narrative. Use only indirect speech.