Notes on the text課文注釋
1 they are more likely to be ours than theirs，這些錯(cuò)誤往往是我們而不是鐵路*造成的。
they 指mistakes; ours, theirs此處用斜體字表示強(qiáng)調(diào)，應(yīng)該重讀。
2 I could not help noticing that…，我不禁注意到……，can't help doing是“禁不住……”的意思。
3 strike me as odd，使我感到奇怪。
4 take advantage of，利用。
5 Neither was I surprised，這是以neither開(kāi)頭的句子，要用倒裝語(yǔ)序。
6 It suddenly dawned on me…，我突然明白了，……。
7 a note of triumph，勝利者的調(diào)子。
8 in black and white，白紙黑字。
參考譯文
我們已經(jīng)習(xí)慣于相信火車(chē)總是準(zhǔn)點(diǎn)的。經(jīng)過(guò)多年的適應(yīng)，大多數(shù)人對(duì)火車(chē)時(shí)刻表產(chǎn)生了一種不可動(dòng)搖的信念。輪船船期可能因風(fēng)暴而推延，飛機(jī)航班可能因惡劣天氣而取消，唯有火車(chē)必然是準(zhǔn)點(diǎn)的。只有非同尋常的大雪才可能暫時(shí)打亂鐵路運(yùn)行。因此，一旦鐵路上真出了問(wèn)題，人們便不加思索地責(zé)備鐵路*。事實(shí)上，差錯(cuò)很可能是我們自己，而不是鐵路*的。
我查看了列車(chē)時(shí)刻表，滿(mǎn)意地了解到有一趟去威斯特海溫的快車(chē)。這是趟直達(dá)車(chē)，旅途總共才需1小時(shí)17分鐘。上車(chē)后，我不禁注意到許多當(dāng)?shù)厝艘采狭塑?chē)。一開(kāi)始，我并不感到奇怪，我想除我之外，想利用快車(chē)之便的也一定大有人在?；疖?chē)開(kāi)出幾英里即在一個(gè)小站威德里停了下來(lái)。對(duì)此，我不覺(jué)得奇怪，因?yàn)榧幢闶翘貏e快車(chē)也可能被信號(hào)攔住。但是，當(dāng)火車(chē)一站接著一站往前蠕動(dòng)時(shí)，我便產(chǎn)生了懷疑。我突然感到這趟快車(chē)并沒(méi)以時(shí)速90英里的速度呼嘯前進(jìn)，而是卟哧卟哧地向前爬行，時(shí)速僅30英里。1小時(shí)17分過(guò)去了，走了還不到一半路程。我問(wèn)一位乘客，這是不是開(kāi)往威斯特海溫的那趟快車(chē)，他說(shuō)從未聽(tīng)說(shuō)過(guò)有這么一趟快車(chē)。我決定一到目的地就給鐵路部門(mén)提意見(jiàn)。兩小時(shí)后，我氣呼呼地同威斯特海溫站站長(zhǎng)說(shuō)起此事。他說(shuō)根本沒(méi)有這趟車(chē)。于是我借了他本人的列車(chē)時(shí)刻表，我?guī)е环N勝利者的調(diào)子告訴他那趟車(chē)白紙黑字、明明白白印在時(shí)刻表上。他迅速地掃視了一眼，讓我再看一遍。一個(gè)小小的星形符號(hào)把我的目光引到了那頁(yè)底部的一個(gè)說(shuō)明上。上面寫(xiě)著：“此趟列車(chē)暫停運(yùn)行?！?BR> Multiple choice questions多項(xiàng)選擇題
Choose the correct answers to the following questions.
Comprehension理解
1 When the writer consulted his railway timetable ______ .
a．he wanted to find out how long the express train to Westhaven took
b．he wanted to know the quickest way of getting to Westhaven by rail
c．he did not notice how many stations there were on the way to Westhaven
d．he misread the information concerning the time the journey took
2 At what point did the writer realize that the train was not travelling at the speed of an express train?
a．When the train had reached the station after Widley.
b．When the train had been held up by signals.
c．After the train had stopped at several small stations.
d．After the train had covered a distance of thirty miles.
3 When the writer went to the station master, he complained about ______ .
a．the train scheduled as an express train having in fact been a slow one
b．the lack of colour in the timetable
c．the lack of any express trains from his local station to Westhaven
d．the fact that the Westhaven express had been suspended from service Structure結(jié)構(gòu)
4 We have learnt to expect ______ punctual. (1. 1)
a．trains being
b．trains to be
c．of trains being
d．trains are going to be
5 ______ exceptionally heavily might railway services be temporarily dislocated. (11. 5-6)
a．If only it snowed
b．Only in case it snows
c．Only were it to snow
d．Only when snow
6 The express train went direct from my local station to Westhaven ______ a mere hour and seventeen minutes. (1. 10)
a．in
b．lasting
c．a(chǎn) journey which lasted
d．a(chǎn) journey of
7 One hour and seventeen minutes passed ______ still to cover half the distance. (11. 16-17)
a．before we had
b．before having
c．when we had
d．a(chǎn)nd we had
8 When he denied the train's existence, I asked if I ______ borrow his copy. (11. 19-20)
a．can
b．may
c．might
d．was able to
Vocabulary詞匯
9 Even a mighty express train can be ______ by signals. (1. 14)
a．halted
b．retarded
c．slowed up
d．delayed
10 I determined to lodge a complaint ______ on arrival. (1. 18)
a．firstly
b．punctually
c．straight
d．immediately
11 ______ , I told him that it was there in black and white. (11. 20-21)
a．Noting my triumph
b．Sounding triumphant
c．On a triumphant note
d．In my triumphant voice
12 Glancing at it briefly, he told me I should ______ . (1. 21)
a．take another look
b．review it
c．overlook it
d．have second sight
1 they are more likely to be ours than theirs，這些錯(cuò)誤往往是我們而不是鐵路*造成的。
they 指mistakes; ours, theirs此處用斜體字表示強(qiáng)調(diào)，應(yīng)該重讀。
2 I could not help noticing that…，我不禁注意到……，can't help doing是“禁不住……”的意思。
3 strike me as odd，使我感到奇怪。
4 take advantage of，利用。
5 Neither was I surprised，這是以neither開(kāi)頭的句子，要用倒裝語(yǔ)序。
6 It suddenly dawned on me…，我突然明白了，……。
7 a note of triumph，勝利者的調(diào)子。
8 in black and white，白紙黑字。
參考譯文
我們已經(jīng)習(xí)慣于相信火車(chē)總是準(zhǔn)點(diǎn)的。經(jīng)過(guò)多年的適應(yīng)，大多數(shù)人對(duì)火車(chē)時(shí)刻表產(chǎn)生了一種不可動(dòng)搖的信念。輪船船期可能因風(fēng)暴而推延，飛機(jī)航班可能因惡劣天氣而取消，唯有火車(chē)必然是準(zhǔn)點(diǎn)的。只有非同尋常的大雪才可能暫時(shí)打亂鐵路運(yùn)行。因此，一旦鐵路上真出了問(wèn)題，人們便不加思索地責(zé)備鐵路*。事實(shí)上，差錯(cuò)很可能是我們自己，而不是鐵路*的。
我查看了列車(chē)時(shí)刻表，滿(mǎn)意地了解到有一趟去威斯特海溫的快車(chē)。這是趟直達(dá)車(chē)，旅途總共才需1小時(shí)17分鐘。上車(chē)后，我不禁注意到許多當(dāng)?shù)厝艘采狭塑?chē)。一開(kāi)始，我并不感到奇怪，我想除我之外，想利用快車(chē)之便的也一定大有人在?；疖?chē)開(kāi)出幾英里即在一個(gè)小站威德里停了下來(lái)。對(duì)此，我不覺(jué)得奇怪，因?yàn)榧幢闶翘貏e快車(chē)也可能被信號(hào)攔住。但是，當(dāng)火車(chē)一站接著一站往前蠕動(dòng)時(shí)，我便產(chǎn)生了懷疑。我突然感到這趟快車(chē)并沒(méi)以時(shí)速90英里的速度呼嘯前進(jìn)，而是卟哧卟哧地向前爬行，時(shí)速僅30英里。1小時(shí)17分過(guò)去了，走了還不到一半路程。我問(wèn)一位乘客，這是不是開(kāi)往威斯特海溫的那趟快車(chē)，他說(shuō)從未聽(tīng)說(shuō)過(guò)有這么一趟快車(chē)。我決定一到目的地就給鐵路部門(mén)提意見(jiàn)。兩小時(shí)后，我氣呼呼地同威斯特海溫站站長(zhǎng)說(shuō)起此事。他說(shuō)根本沒(méi)有這趟車(chē)。于是我借了他本人的列車(chē)時(shí)刻表，我?guī)е环N勝利者的調(diào)子告訴他那趟車(chē)白紙黑字、明明白白印在時(shí)刻表上。他迅速地掃視了一眼，讓我再看一遍。一個(gè)小小的星形符號(hào)把我的目光引到了那頁(yè)底部的一個(gè)說(shuō)明上。上面寫(xiě)著：“此趟列車(chē)暫停運(yùn)行?！?BR> Multiple choice questions多項(xiàng)選擇題
Choose the correct answers to the following questions.
Comprehension理解
1 When the writer consulted his railway timetable ______ .
a．he wanted to find out how long the express train to Westhaven took
b．he wanted to know the quickest way of getting to Westhaven by rail
c．he did not notice how many stations there were on the way to Westhaven
d．he misread the information concerning the time the journey took
2 At what point did the writer realize that the train was not travelling at the speed of an express train?
a．When the train had reached the station after Widley.
b．When the train had been held up by signals.
c．After the train had stopped at several small stations.
d．After the train had covered a distance of thirty miles.
3 When the writer went to the station master, he complained about ______ .
a．the train scheduled as an express train having in fact been a slow one
b．the lack of colour in the timetable
c．the lack of any express trains from his local station to Westhaven
d．the fact that the Westhaven express had been suspended from service Structure結(jié)構(gòu)
4 We have learnt to expect ______ punctual. (1. 1)
a．trains being
b．trains to be
c．of trains being
d．trains are going to be
5 ______ exceptionally heavily might railway services be temporarily dislocated. (11. 5-6)
a．If only it snowed
b．Only in case it snows
c．Only were it to snow
d．Only when snow
6 The express train went direct from my local station to Westhaven ______ a mere hour and seventeen minutes. (1. 10)
a．in
b．lasting
c．a(chǎn) journey which lasted
d．a(chǎn) journey of
7 One hour and seventeen minutes passed ______ still to cover half the distance. (11. 16-17)
a．before we had
b．before having
c．when we had
d．a(chǎn)nd we had
8 When he denied the train's existence, I asked if I ______ borrow his copy. (11. 19-20)
a．can
b．may
c．might
d．was able to
Vocabulary詞匯
9 Even a mighty express train can be ______ by signals. (1. 14)
a．halted
b．retarded
c．slowed up
d．delayed
10 I determined to lodge a complaint ______ on arrival. (1. 18)
a．firstly
b．punctually
c．straight
d．immediately
11 ______ , I told him that it was there in black and white. (11. 20-21)
a．Noting my triumph
b．Sounding triumphant
c．On a triumphant note
d．In my triumphant voice
12 Glancing at it briefly, he told me I should ______ . (1. 21)
a．take another look
b．review it
c．overlook it
d．have second sight