Once upon a time there was an old fisherman. He went fishing early every morning, but he had made it a rule never to cast his net more than four times a day.
One morning, he went out early to the sea. He cast his net for the first time, and drew in a dead donkey. He cast it a second time, and drew in an old basket full of sand. He cast it a third time, and drew in a lot of stones. It seemed he would have nothing to take home that morning.
Day had now broken, and he cast his net for the fourth and last time. After some time, he began to draw the net in. He found it was very heavy. But there were not any fish in it. Instead he found a jar with a lid. He shook the jar, but could hear nothing .So he took off the lid and looked inside. He could see nothing. After a while a light smoke came slowly out of the jar. Then little by little, the smoke grew heavier and thicker till finally it turned into a terrible Genie!
“Get down on your knees,” said the Genie, “for I’m going to kill you.”
“Why? Didn’t I free you from the jar?”
“That’s why I’m going to kill you, but I will do you one favor. I’ll let you choose how you’re going to die.”
“But why?”
“Listen, and I will tell you my story.”
“I was one of the spirits in heaven. But I did not want to obey Solomon’s orders. So one day, he put me in this jar and threw it into the sea.
“ During the first hundred years of my stay in the sea, I made a promise that if anyone set me free I would make him very rich. But no one came. During the second hundred years, I promised that if someone set me free I would show him all the treasures in the world. But still no one came. During the third hundred years, I promised that if anyone came to set me free, I would make him king over the earth.
“Still no one came. Then I became very angry, and swore that if anyone should set me free I would kill him at once. Now you have come and set me free. So you must die, but I will let you say how you want to die.”
The fisherman was not frightened. But he thought of his wife and children. They would not be able to live without him.
“Have pity on me!” he cried. “If it had not been for me, you would not be free.”
“Hurry up!” said the Genie. “Tell me how you wish to die.”
In time of great danger one’s mind works fast. The fisherman said, “Since I must die. I must. But before I die, answer me one question.”
“All right, but be quick.”
“Dare you swear that you were really in the jar? You are so big and the jar is so small that it could hardly hold the great toe of one of your feet.”
“I was in the jar. I swear it. Don’t you believe me?”
“No, and I won’t until I’ll I’ve seen you in the jar with my own eyes.”
Aafter he had heard this, the Genie changed into smoke. Slowly the smoke went back into the jar. When all of it was in the jar, the fisherman quickly put the lid on and threw it back into the sea.
Words & Exprsions：
Genie /'dZi:ni/ n. 神怪；妖怪
upon /E'PA:n/ prep. ( =on )
once upon a time 从前
cast /kA:st/ v. ( cast /kA:st/ cast /kA:st/ ) 扔；投；抛；掷；撒
draw /drO:/ v. ( drew /dru:/ drawn /drO:n/ ) 拖；拉
draw in 收 （网；针等）
break /breIk/ v.( broke /brEUK/ broken /'BREUkEn/ ) 天亮；破晓
jar /dZA:(r)/ n. 罐；坛；广口瓶
donkey /d O:nki/ n. 驴
swear /sw eE(R)/ vt. 发誓
lid /lid/ n. 盖
knee /ni:/ n. 膝盖
free /fri:/ v. 使自由 adj. 自由的；空闲的； 免费的
spirit /'spIRIt/ n. 幽灵；灵魂；妖精；精神
heaven /'hevn/ n. 天堂
Solomon /'sOLEMEn/ n. 所罗门
promise /'prA:Mis/ n. 诺言 v. 答应；许诺
make a promise 许诺
treasure /'treZE(R)/ n. 财宝
at once 立刻；马上
set free 释放
frighten /'FRaItn/ v. 使害怕；吓唬
Notes to the Text
1. … but he had made it a rule never to cast his net more than four times a day.
…… 但是他惯常一天撒网从不超出四次。
句中不定式短语 never to cast his net more than four times a day 是谓语动词 had made 的真正宾语，由于它太长，放到句末， 而用 it 作形式宾语，放在 真正宾语的位置上。再如：
I find it difficult to learn a foreign language.
four times a day 一天四次。 在这里， times 表次数，是可数名词。
2. Day had now broken, … 这时天已亮了，……
3. There weren’t any fish in the net. 网里什么鱼也没有。
4. That’s the very reason I want to kill you. 这正是我要杀你的理由。
very 在这里是形容词， 与 the 连用，以加强语气，作“正是那个”讲。
再如：
He is the very man I am looking for. 他正是我要寻找的那个人。
5. Since I would not obey the great Solomon’s laws, …
由于我不遵守伟大的所罗门的法律, ……
Solomon (所罗门) 是古代以色列国王。传说他有一颗刻着神符的印， 可以用来对天上地下的鬼神发号施令，谁不服从，就加惩罚。
6. I made a promise that if anyone set me free I would make him very rich.
我许下诺言： 谁把我放了， 我就使他成为大富翁。
7. Then I became very angry, and swore that now if anyone should set me free I would kill him at once.
于是我非常生气，并发誓说：万一现在有人把我放了，我就立刻杀死他。
8. I would let him choose how he should die.
我可以让他选择怎么个死法。
9. The fisherman was not frightened. 渔夫并不害怕（没有被吓住）。
10. If it had not been for me, you would not be free.
要不是我的话，你是不会获得自由的。
11. In time of great danger one’s mind works fast.
在危急的时刻，人们的脑子动得快。（急中生智。）
12. Since I must die, I must. 既然我非死不可，那我就死好了。
在主句I must 后面省略了die 。
13. It is so small, and you are so big, that it could hardly hold the freat toe of one of your feet.
它（坛子）这么小，你的个子这么大，它甚至盛不下你的一个大脚趾。
14. “Don’t you believeme?”
“No, I won’t believe you until I’ve seen you in the jar with my own eyes.”
“难道你不相信我？”
“是的，我要亲眼看见你在坛子里才会相信。”
Exercises
1. Read the text and then say Yes or No to the following sentences:
1) The old fisherman went fishing early every morning, because he wanted to cast his net more than four times a day.
2) One morning the fisherman got nothing but a jar with a lid on it after he had cast his net four times.
3) When the fisherman took off the lid and looked into the jar, he saw something strange in it.
4) The Genie was going to kill the fisherman because he had set the Genie free too late.
5) Solomon put the Genie in the jar and threw it into the sea because he had refused to do what Solomon ordered him to.
6) The Genie stayed in the sea as long as three hundred years.
7) The fisherman asked the Genie if he had really been in the jar, because he did not believe that the Genie could be in such a small jar.
8) The fisherman was brave and clever. He saved his own life at last.
2. Put the following into Chinese.
A. 1) a jar full of water 2) a basket full of vegetables
3) a room full of people 4) a box full of cards
5) a bag full of corn 6) a bottle full of milk
7) a bowl full of rice 8) a cup full of tea
B.
1) You’ve made a mistake. The winner is a girl, not a boy.
2)
When the teacher was writing on the blackboard, Xiao Hua made faces at his classmates.
3) We are trying to make Beijing, our capital, a more beautiful city.
4) The chemist’s shop isn’t open today because they are making repairs.
5) The old man made a promise that she would marry her daughter to the young man.
6) The boss made them work over ten hours a day.
7) To make living, the boy had to sell newspapers at the age of 12.
8) He was the youngest, but still they decided to make him their captain.
9) ---What is the kite made of?
---It is made of paper.
10) The machine made such a terrible noise that we couldn’t hear each other.
11) As soon as they reached the valley, they began to make farms and houses.
12) With glass people can make all kinds of beautiful things.
3. Join each pair of the sentences, using so…that:
A. Model: The book is very interesting. Everybody in our class wants to red it.
The book is so interesting that everybody in our class wants to read it
1) That box is very strong. She couldn’t open it.
2) The stories about Monkey King are very interesting. People, old and young, enjoy listening to them.
3) This question was very difficult. Nobody in our class was able to answer it.
4) There were many locusts. The farmers could not kill them all.
B. Model: She was very angry. She couldn’t speak.
She was too angry to speak.
She was so angry that she couldn’t speak.
1) He is very tired. He can’t go anywhere.
2) His father was very poor. He couldn’t send his son to school.
3) They were frightened. They couldn’t say a word.
4) That huge jar is very heavy. Nobody can lift it.
5) This pair of trousers is very dirty. My brother won’t wear it.
4. Rewriting the following sentences, using not…until:
Model: I will believe it when I hear it with my own ears.
I won’t believe it until I hear it with my own ears.
1) The guard will let you go in if you show him your pass.
2) My brother learned English after he entered the college.
3) The man in the chemist’s shop knew what the old woman wanted when she put her hands on her chest and began to cough.
4) The doctor started the operation when the room was bright enough.
5) Dr Bethune and his medical team left the village after the last operation was over.
Reading
Letter A
Dear Rose,
I like your programmes very much. I'm now writing to ask you something about American social customs (社交习惯). My American friends want me to join them in their dinner party. I am very happy and have decided to go, but I'm a little worried about it, too. The social customs in my country are very different from' here, so I'm afraid of making mistakes.
Should I bring a present, such as sweets or flowers? Should I arrive on time or a little late? At the dinner table, how can I know which fork (叉子) or knife to use? How can I let the family know that I'm thankful for their kindness?
Wang Lin
Letter B
Dear Wang Lin,
It’s a good idea to bring a small present when you go to a dinner party. Flowers are always nice, or you may bring a bottle of wine (葡萄酒) if you know that your friends drink it.
You should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late. Don't get there early. If you're going to be more than fifteen minutes late, you should call and tell them.
Try to be free at the dinner table. If you don't know about choosing the right fork or knife, just watch the other people, and follow them. If you still have no idea of what to do, ask the person next to you.
If you like the food, say so. Of course, you'll thank them for the meal and for their kindness. It's also a good idea to send a thank-you card the day after.
Rose
1. Wang Lin wants to .
A. make friends with Rose
B. know some social customs, for a dinner party
C. make her friends happy
D. give her friends a surprise
2.Rose is possibly .
A. a good housewife
B. a TV hostess (主持人)
C. a member of the dinner party
D. a friend of Wang Lin's
3. If you're asked to a dinner party but not sure about what to bring as a present, it's good to bring .
A. some fruits B. a bottle of wine C. some flowers D. a knife and fork
4.Which of the following is NOT proper (适当的)for joining in a dinner party?
A. Get there 15 minutes earlier
B. Make yourself at home.
C. Follow others to use forks and knives.
D. Thank your friends for the meal.
5. From the letters we've learned that it's very to know something about American social customs.
A. difficult B. friendly C. enjoyable D. helpful