Meet Kathleen the mouse and Mark the elephant. Kathleen is very brave and likes adventures, but Mark is very shy and scared of many things. But friends stay together, so Mark follows Kathleen wherever she goes. Sometimes they get into some very sticky situatuins.
見見老鼠凱薩琳和大象馬克。凱薩琳非常勇敢又喜歡冒險,但馬克的個性十分害羞,對許多事情都感到害怕。不過,朋友都喜歡黏在一起,所以凱薩琳走到哪兒,馬克就會跟到哪兒。有時候,他們也會碰上非常棘手的情況...
An elephant's worst nightmare 一隻大象最大的惡夢
Mark was reading in bed one day when Kathleen knocked on his door.
"My friend Professor Simmons needs some help on a science experiment. Will you go to the university with me?" she said.
"What do I have to do?"
"Just answer a few questions."
Mark agreed and went with Kathleen to the science laboratory at the university. Kathleen's friend was an old professor with a long grey beard.
"Very good, very good," Professor Simmons said. "I need you to step into this room."
"Both of us?" Kathleen asked.
"Heavens no!" the professor said. "Just him."
"What's in the room?" Mark asked, beginning to feel a little nervous.
"Oh, nothing, just go on in," the professor replied.
"Go ahead Mark," Kathleen said. "I'm sure it's safe."
Mark stepped into the room. It was very dark, and he could hear strange noises.
"What's in the room?" Kathleen asked the professor.
"About one hundred mice," the professor replied. "I'm testing the theory that elephants are afraid of mice. Mark is a particularly interesting case because he's such good friends with a mouse."
The professor turned on the lights in the room. Mark looked around and saw nearly two hundred little eyes peering at him …
(Michael Kearney, staff writer)
某天晚上,正當馬克在床上看書的時候,凱薩琳敲了他的房門。
「我的朋友西門斯教授有一個科學實驗需要幫手,你能跟我一起去學校幫忙嗎?」凱薩琳問。
「那我要負責作什麼?」馬克問。
「只要回答一些問題就好了,」凱薩琳回答。
於是馬克答應跟凱薩琳一起到那所大學的科學實驗室幫忙。凱薩琳的朋友是一位有灰白長鬍子的老教授。
「很好,很好,」西門斯教授說:「我要你進到這間房裡。」
「我們兩個都要嗎?」凱薩琳問。
「不!」教授回答:「只有馬克。」
「這間房間裡面有什麼?」馬克問,他開始有點緊張。
「喔,沒什麼,儘管進去吧,」教授回答。
「快去吧,馬克,」凱薩琳說:「我相信你不會有事的。」
於是馬克踏進那間房間,那裡非常暗,而且馬克聽見一些奇怪的聲音。
「房裡有什麼?」凱薩琳問教授。
「大約一百隻的老鼠,」教授說:「我正在測試大象害怕老鼠的理論是否成立。馬克是一個特別有趣的案例,因為他最好的朋友就是一隻老鼠。」
教授打開房裡的燈,馬克看到四周有將近兩百隻眼睛正盯著他看…
(翻譯:袁星塵)
WHAT HAPPENED? 究竟怎麼回事?
1. Kathleen thought that Mark would just have to …
a. answer some questions.
b. take some medicine.
c. do some puzzles.
d. take care of some animals.
2. Why were there so many mice in the room?
a. Kathleen put them there.
b. There was a lot of cheese in the room, so the mice went to eat it.
c. The professor was using them for an experiment.
d. They were trying to get away from the cold.
FINISH IT 故事接龍
Write your own ending to the story! 寫下你的故事結局:
Idea 1: Mark begins screaming, and the mice get scared and start to scamper around. Are the mice friendly? How long does the professor leave Mark in the room? Does Mark try to get out of the room?
想法一:馬克開始尖叫,這些老鼠受到驚嚇後開始在房裡亂竄。這些老鼠友善嗎?教授讓馬克在房裡待多久呢?馬克想逃出這間房間嗎?
Idea 2: Kathleen knows that Mark will be very scared, so she opens up the door. What do the mice do? Is the professor's experiment ruined? What happens to Mark? Is he ever willing to go near a laboratory again?
想法二:凱薩琳知道馬克一定會很害怕,所以她就把門打開。那些老鼠會做什麼?教授的實驗因此毀了嗎?馬克又怎麼了呢?他以後還敢接近實驗室嗎?
Idea 3: Mark looks back at the mice. Is he scared? Are the mice afraid of him? Does the professor make an important discovery? Is Mark mad at Kathleen for bringing him to the laboratory?
想法三:馬克回望那些老鼠。他怕老鼠嗎?還是老鼠怕他呢?教授有什麼重大的發現嗎?馬克會氣凱薩琳帶他去實驗室嗎?
TODAY'S ANSWERS 今日解答
1. a 2. c
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