Lesson 25   Do the English speak English?

I arrived in London at last. The railway station was big, black and dark. I did not know the way to my hotel, so I asked a porter. I not only spoke English very carefully, but very clearly as well. The porter, however, could not understand me. I repeated my question several times and at last he understood. He answered me, but he spoke neither slowly nor clearly. 'I am a foreigner,' I said. Then he spoke slowly, but I could not understand him. My teacher never spoke English like that! The porter and I looked at each other and smiled. Then he said something and I understood it. 'You'll soon learn English!' he said. I wonder. In England, each person speaks a different language. The English understand each other, but I don't understand them! Do they speak English?

我终于到了伦敦。火车站很大，又黑又暗。我不知道去饭店的路该怎么走，于是向一个搬运工打听。我的英语讲得不但非常认真，而且咬字也非常清楚。然而搬运工却不明白我的话。我把问话重复了很多遍。他终于听懂了。他回答了，但他讲得既不慢也不清楚。“我是个外国人，”我说。于是他说得慢了，可我还是听不懂。我的老师从来不那样讲英语！我和搬运工相视一笑。接着，他说了点什么，这回我听懂了。“您会很快学会英语的！”他说。我感到奇怪。在英国，人们各自说着一种不同的语言。英国人之间相互听得懂，可我却不懂他们的话！他们说的是英语吗？

Grammar

1. 并列句的语序

2. 并列句的结构

定义：通过并列连词可以把几个简单句连接起来构成一个并列句。在并列句中，各分句要根据上下文的要求按逻辑次序排列，但各分句都同等重要并独立存在。常用的并列连词有：and, and then, but, so, yet, or, both…and… ,either…or…, neither…nor…, not only…but also/ but…as…well

Exercises.

1. A big earthquake happened in South Island of New Zealand in September 2010, __________ nobody was killed in it.

A. for   B. but   C. or   D. so

2. The doctor tried his best to save the young man’s life __________ he knew it was hopeless.

A. if   B. but   C. though   D. and

1. 解析：本题考查but的用法， but表示“但是”， 根据题意“但是并没有人受伤”，所以答案为B。

2. 解析：本题考查although的用法，although表示“虽然，尽管”，根据题意“医生竭尽全力救那个年轻人的生命，尽管他知道希望渺茫”，所以答案为C.