新概念英語第二冊Lesson 91 Three men in a basket

First listen and then answer the question.
聽錄音，然后回答以下問題。
Where was the station's Commanding Officer?
    
A pilot noticed a balloon which seemed to be making for a Royal Air Force Station nearby. He informed the station at once, but no one there was able to explain the mystery. The officer in the control tower was very angry when he heard the news, because balloons can be a great danger to aircraft. He said that someone might be spying on the station and the pilot was ordered to keep track of the strange object. The pilot managed to circle the balloon for some time. He could make out three men in a basket under it and one of them was holding a pair of binoculars. When the balloon was over the station, the pilot saw one of the men taking photographs. Soon afterwards, the balloon began to descend and it landed near an airfield. The police were called in, but they could not arrest anyone, for the basket contained two Members of Parliament and the Commanding Officer of the station! As the Commanding Officer explained later, one half of the station did not know what the other half was doing!

New words and expressions 生詞和短語

balloon n. 氣球
royal adj. 皇家
spy v. 偵察
track n. 軌跡，蹤跡
binoculars n. 望遠鐿

參考譯文

一個飛行員發(fā)現(xiàn)了一只氣球，它像是正飛往附近的一個皇家空軍基地。他馬上把情況報告了該基地，但那里的人沒有一個能解釋這到底是怎么回事。控制塔上的官員得知這一消息后，非常氣憤，因為氣球有可能給飛機造成極大的危險。他說可能有人正對基地進行偵察，因此命令那個飛行員跟蹤那個奇怪的飛行物。飛行員設法繞著氣球飛了一陣。他看清了氣球下面有3個人呆在一只筐里，其中一個舉著望遠鏡。當氣球飛臨基地上空時，飛行員看見有一個人在拍照。不久，氣球開始降落，在一個停機坪附近著了陸。警察被召來了，但他們卻不能逮捕任何人，因為筐里是兩名國會議員和一名基地的指揮官！正如指揮官后來解釋的那樣，基地的這半邊不知道那半邊正在干什么！

　　自學導讀
　　課文詳注 Further notes on the text
　　1．A pilot noticed a balloon which seemed to be making for a Royal Air Force Station nearby. 一個飛行員發(fā)現(xiàn)了一只氣球，它像是正飛往附近的一個皇家空軍基地。
　?。?）to be making for為不定式的進行式，表示正在進行的動作：
　　They seem to be talking about something important.
　　他們似乎正在談論某件重要的事情。
　　She seems to be looking for somebody/something.
　　她似乎正在找人/什么東西。
　?。?）make for為固定短語，其含義之一為“（匆匆）走向”、“向……前進”：
　　While the thief was making for his car, a policeman stopped him.
　　當小偷匆勿走向他的汽車時，一位警察攔住了他。
　　After leaving Calais, the ship made for Dover.
　　離開加來后，那艘船便駛往多佛。
　　2．He said that someone might be spying on the station and the pilot was ordered to keep track of the strange object. 他說有可能有人正對基地進行偵察，因此命令那個飛行員跟蹤那個奇怪的飛行物。
　?。?）might be doing sth．表示對正在進行的動作的推測（cf．第19課語法）：
　　（2）keep track of 為固定短語，表示“追蹤”、“保持聯(lián)系”、“記錄”等（其反義詞為 lose track of）：
　　Keep track of the man wearing a grey hat. He looks suspicious to me.
　　跟蹤那個戴頂灰帽子的人。我覺得他看上去可疑。
　　She managed to keep track of her friends.
　　她設法保持了與朋友們的聯(lián)系。
　　3．He could make out three men in a basket under it…
　　他看清了氣球下面有3個人呆在一只筐里……
　　make out是固定短語，它在這里的含義是“（勉強）看出”、“辨認出”、“聽出”：
　　In the darkness of night, he could just make out three men coming toward them.
　　在黑夜中，他只能看出有3個人在向他們走來。
　　Can you make out what they are talking about?
　　你能聽清他們在談什么嗎？
　　I can't make out the boss's handwriting.
　　我辨不出老板的字跡。
　　4．The police were called in…
　　警察被召來了……
　　call in 在這里表示“召來”：
　　Sam has a temperature. We'd better call in a doctor.
　　薩姆發(fā)燒了。我們最好請醫(yī)生來。
　　When he discovered that some important things were missing in his room, he called the police in.
　　當他發(fā)現(xiàn)屋子里少了一些重要東西之后，他便把警察召來了。

　　詞匯學習 Word study
　　1．spy
　?。?）vi．暗中監(jiān)視；偵察（通常與 on，upon連用）：
　　Someone is spying on the station.
　　有人正在對基地進行偵察。
　　I noticed some policemen spying on the foreign tourists.
　　我注意到一些警察在暗中監(jiān)視那些外國游客。
　　（2）vt．發(fā)現(xiàn)，看見：
　　He spied a stranger in his garden.
　　他在花園里發(fā)現(xiàn)了一位陌生人。
　　She spied a cloud of smoke in the distance.
　　她發(fā)現(xiàn)遠處有一團煙。
　?。?）n．間諜，密探：
　　He was once a spy for the police / British government.
　　他曾是警方／英國政府的密探。
　　They have arrested three spies.
　　他們逮捕了3名間諜。
　　2．動詞 make 的一些固定短語
　　make 可以與許多介詞或副詞連用，產(chǎn)生新的含義。課文中出現(xiàn)了 make for和 make out。較常用的還有 make up與 make up for等。
　　（1）make out 除了表示“辨出”、“聽出”的含義外，還可以表示“理解”、“弄清”：
　　I can't make out what this picture is about.
　　我看不出這幅畫的意思。
　　Can you make out what the child wants?
　　你能弄清那孩子想要什么嗎？
　　Jane is angry again. Sometimes I can't make her out at all. Her moods change quickly.
　　簡又生氣了。有時候我根本不能理解她。她情緒變化很快。
　　make out 的另一個含義是“寫出”、“填寫”（相當于 write out）：
　　He made out a long list of all the foods which were forbidden.
　　他寫了一張長長的單子，上面列了所有禁吃的食物。
　　He made out a cheque of 1, 000 dollars and gave it to the secretary.
　　他開出一張1, 000美元的支票并將其給了秘書。
　?。?）make up 的含義之一是“編造”、“捏造”、“虛構”：
　　Every time he played truant, Tom would make up an excuse.
　　湯姆每次逃學都編個借口。
　　Jane made up a story about a child and a monster.
　　簡編造了一個有關一個孩子和一個妖怪的故事。
　　make up 也可以表示“（給……）化妝／化裝”：
　　She always makes herself up / makes up her face before going out.
　　她出門前總要化妝。
　　Making up takes up a lot of her time.
　　化妝占了她很多時間。
　　She was made up as a boy.
　　她被化裝成一個小男孩。
　?。?）make up for 的含義是“補償”、“彌補”：
　　I had to walk faster to make up for lost time.
　　為了補回失去的時間，我不得不加快走路的速度。
　　She managed to make up for her mistake.
　　她設法補救了她的過錯。

　　練習答案 Key to written exercises
　　1．關鍵句型練習答案
　　A was able to explain (1.3); can be a great danger (1.5);managed to circle (1.7); could make out (1.8); could not arrest (1.11)
　　C 1 Can / Could  2 could / was (soon) able to  3 were able to  4 can
　　2．難點練習答案
　　1 out  2 out  3 for  4 up  5 up for
　　3．多項選擇題答案
　　1 d  2b  3c  4b  5c  6d
　　7b  8b  9c  10 b  11c  12b