兔子啦，還有小狗小貓啦，都曾被英國人當作他們不想去上班或學生沒有完成作業(yè)的借口。不過你可是沒有任何理由不來讀一讀這篇文章啊！
課文內(nèi)容
Vocabulary: Excuses 詞匯: 借口
Have you ever taken a sickie? If so, what did you say to your boss? It seems many people in the UK like to blame their pets for their absence.
One person said they couldn't come to work because their rabbit was missing. Perhaps that was a white lie; this next one though sounds more like a porky.
A worker said that he couldn't come to work because he had to take his dog to the vet. This might seem reasonable - apart from the fact that the man told his boss his dog was dead as a previous excuse for skiving off.
If you've ever worked as a teacher, you'll know that children can be very creative when it comes to excuses for not doing their homework.
Once again, it's popular to blame pets. According to a BBC survey, almost 10 percent of excuses involve pets eating the assignment. "The dog ate my homework" is a legendary excuse - no one is sure if a student has ever really used it.
But it's not just workplaces and schools which attract fibbers. People caught claiming welfare benefits illegally have also tried to con the authorities. A husband whose wife was working while also on the dole said that he didn't know she had a job because he was always in the garden shed during working hours.
There are many more ridiculous excuses people have made for not doing the things they were supposed to do. But there isn't enough room on this page to fit them all. And besides, I can't carry on because… the cat's eaten my keyboard. And what about you: what's your excuse?
詞匯表
sickie 裝病
absence 缺勤，缺席
white lie 善意謊言
porky 謊言
to skive off 曠工，逃學
assignment 作業(yè)
legendary 傳奇的，典型的（借口）
fibber 愛撒小謊的人
welfare benefit 福利津貼
con 欺騙
on the dole 領取政府救濟的
garden shed 花園小棚屋
ridiculous 荒謬可笑的
測驗與練習
1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。
1. What happened to a rabbit which was used as an excuse for someone not going to work?
2. Why was taking the dog to the vet not a good reason to miss work?
3. True or false? A pupil used the excuse "The dog ate my homework" for not finishing their school work.
4. When is claiming welfare benefits considered a con?
5. What did the author say that you can be sure is just an excuse?
2. 請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。從每個表格中選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。
1. If you say you can't go to work or school because you are ill when you are in fact healthy, we call this _________.
a white lie a sickie an assignment a holiday
2. I told my teacher I saw a ghost flying away with my homework and she said it was _________ excuse!
a reasonable a white a ridiculous an illegal
3. When it comes to excuses, my 10-year old nephew _________.
is very creative is a fibber tells a white lie skives off
4. The teacher didn't believe her pupil's excuse when he said the dog ate his homework. "It _________ more like a porky", she said.
looks feels tastes sounds
5. John told his auntie her stew was delicious. He actually hated it but he told a _________ because he didn't want to upset her.
sickie con white lie legendary excuse
答案
1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。
1. What happened to a rabbit which was used as an excuse for someone not going to work?
The rabbit owner said the animal was missing.
2. Why was taking the dog to the vet not a good reason to miss work?
Because the person had previously said the dog was dead.
3. True or false? A pupil used the excuse "The dog ate my homework" for not finishing their school work.
False. According to the article no one is sure if that excuse has really been used.
4. When is claiming welfare benefits considered a con?
When the person claiming is not entitled to the benefit.
5. What did the author say that you can be sure is just an excuse?
That the author's cat ate his keyboard.
2. 請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。從每個表格中選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。
1.If you say you can't go to work or school because you are ill when you are in fact healthy, we call this a sickie.
2. I told my teacher I saw a ghost flying away with my homework and she said it was a ridiculous excuse!
3. When it comes to excuses, my 10-year old nephew is very creative.
4. The teacher didn't believe her pupil's excuse when he said the dog ate his homework. "It sounds more like a porky", she said.
5. John told his auntie her stew was delicious. He actually hated it but he told a white lie because he didn't want to upset her.
