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...
Costume confrontation 萬聖節變裝大賽
One day Mark and Kathleen got up early and went shopping. Halloween was only four days away, and neither one had a costume.
They got to the store and started trying on costumes. Kathleen tried on a nurse's outfit, a sailor's uniform and a chef's hat. Finally she decided to go as a turtle.
"I really like the shell, and I've always wanted to dye my fur green," she told Mark.
Mark tried on many costumes, too. He tried on a soldier's uniform, an astronaut suit and a cowboy hat. But nothing fit.
"It's always the same story," Mark whined. "No clothes ever fit me. I'm just a big jungle beast."
"Don't be so down," Kathleen told her friend. "I'm sure there's something here that fits you."
They rummaged through all the costumes. Finally Kathleen pulled out a beard and a robe. It was a Dumbledore costume!
"Mark, look at how big this robe is," Kathleen said. "I think it'll fit you."
Mark tried on the costume and it fit well. They went to the counter to purchase the two costumes when the store manager tried to joke, "I wouldn't get that costume if I were you. You wouldn't want people to think you're gay."
Kathleen gave the store manager a dirty look and said …
(MiCHAEL KEARNEY, staff writer)
某天，馬克和凱薩琳早起出門購物。因為再過四天就是萬聖節了，而他們兩個都還沒有裝扮的服裝。
他們來到了服飾店，開始試穿各式裝扮。凱薩琳試了一套護士服、一套水手服和一頂廚師帽。最後，她決定扮成一隻烏龜。
「我真的好喜歡這個龜殼喔，而且我一直都想把我的毛色染成綠色，」她告訴馬克。
馬克也試了好幾種裝扮，他試穿了一套陸軍軍服、一套太空人裝和一頂牛仔帽。但是所有的衣服都不合身。
「總是這樣的，」馬克嘀嚷地說：「沒有一件衣服我穿得下，我只是個巨大的叢林野獸。」
「別這麼沮喪嘛，」凱薩琳對馬克說：「我相信這裡一定有你可以穿得下的衣服。」
他們翻遍了店裡所有的服裝。終於，凱薩琳拉出了一把鬍子和一件袍子。那是一套鄧不利多造型的戲服！
「馬克，快來看這件袍子多大啊，」凱薩琳說：「我想這個你一定穿得下。」
馬克試穿了這套戲服，結果非常合身。當他們走向櫃檯要結帳時，店經理開玩笑地說：「如果是我，我才不會買那套戲服，你應該不想被當成同志吧。」
凱薩琳對店經理擺了一個厭惡的表情，並說…
（翻譯：袁星塵）
WHAT HAPPENED? 究竟怎麼回事?
1. Why couldn't Mark find a costume?
a. He didn't like any of the costumes.
b. He didn't have enough money for any of the costumes.
c. He couldn't fit into any of the costumes.
d. The store already sold all of their costumes.
2. Why did Kathleen give the store manager a dirty look?
a. She didn't like his store.
b. He said something horrible.
c. He didn't wash properly.
d. His costumes are too expensive.
FINISH IT 故事接龍
Write your own ending to the story! 寫下你的故事結局:
Idea 1: Kathleen tells the store manager that he's very rude. What does the store manager say? Does Mark still want to wear the Dumbledore costume? Do Mark and Kathleen decide to go to a different store?
想法一: 凱薩琳告訴店經理說他非常無禮。這個店經理會怎麼回答呢？馬克聽到這話後，還會想穿鄧不利多的戲服嗎？他們會決定去另外一間店選購嗎？
Idea 2: Kathleen tells the store manager that he's not sensitive to other people. But the store manager keeps making bad jokes. Does Kathleen say anything back? Does Mark get nervous? What do other customers in the store do?
想法二: 凱薩琳告訴店經理說他不重視別人的感受。但這個店經理還是繼續開玩笑。凱薩琳會對他說什麼嗎？馬克會因此感到緊張嗎？店裡其他顧客會怎麼做呢？
Idea 3: Kathleen tells the store manager that he should be nice to all kinds of people, and the store manager apologizes. Mark buys the Dumbledore costume. What do other people say when they see Mark wearing the costume? Does Mark feel comfortable in the costume? Who has a better costume, Mark or Kathleen?
想法三: 凱薩琳告訴店經理他應該對所有人都表現出友好的態度，後來這個店經理道了歉。馬克買下鄧不利多的戲服。其他人看到馬克穿著這身打扮會怎麼說呢？馬克穿上這身戲服時覺得自在嗎？馬克和凱薩琳，誰的裝扮比較讚呢？
TODAY'S ANSWERS 今日解答
What happened? : 1. c 2. b
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