Introduce the story: Today we'll talk about train timetables.
Step 1: Intensive reading.
Try to answer the question below while you’re reading:
Question: What was the mistake the author made?
Vocabulary:
express n. 快车；adj. 高速的
punctual adj. 准时的
condition v. 使习惯于
unshakable adj. 不可动摇的
faith n. 信任
cancel v. 取消
exceptionally adv. 例外地
dislocate v. 打乱(计划等)
blame v. 责怪
consult v. 请教，查阅
direct adv. 径直地
odd adj. 奇怪的，异常的
reflect v. 细想
advantage n. 优势
mighty adj. 强大的，有力的
dawdle v. 慢吞吞的动或做
chug v. 咔嚓咔嚓地响
lodge v. 提出
complaint n. 抱怨
triumph n. 胜利
asterisk n. 星号 (*)
conduct v. 引向，引导
Passage:
We have learnt to expect that trains will be punctual. After years of conditioning,
most of us have developed an unshakable faith in railway timetables. Ships may be
delayed by storms; flights maybe cancelled because of bad weather; but trains must be
on time. Only an exceptionally heavy snowfall might temporarily dislocate railway
services. It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something does go
wrong. The truth is that when mistakes occur, they are more likely to be ours than
theirs.
我们已经习惯于相信火车总是准点的。经过多年的适应，大多数人对火车时刻表
产生了一种不可动摇的信念。轮船船期可能因风暴而推延，飞机航班可能因恶劣
天气而取消，唯有火车必然是准点的。只有非同寻常的大雪才可能暂时打乱铁路
运行。因此，一旦铁路上真出了问题，人们便不加思索地责备铁路当局。事实上，
差错很可能是我们自己，而不是铁路当局的。
Notes:
1 they are more likely to be ours than theirs，这些错误往往是我们而不是铁路当局
造成的。they 指 mistakes; ours, theirs 此处用斜体字表示强调，应该重读。
After consulting my railway timetable, I noted with satisfaction that there was an
express train to Westhaven. It went direct from my local station and the journey lasted
a mere hour and seventeen minutes. When I boarded the train, I could not help
noticing that a great many local people got on as well. At the time, this did not strike
me as odd. I reflected that there must be a great many people besides myself who
wished to take advantage of this excellent service. Neither was I surprised when the
train stopped at Widley, a tiny station a few miles along the line. Even a mighty
express train can be held up by signals.
我查看了列车时刻表，满意地了解到有一趟去威斯特海温的快车。这是趟直达车，
旅途总共才需 1 小时 17 分钟。上车后，我不禁注意到许多当地人也上了车。一
开始，我并不感到奇怪，我想除我之外，想利用快车之便的也一定大有人在。火
车开出几英里即在一个小站威德里停了下来。对此，我不觉得奇怪，因为即便是
特别快车也可能被信号拦住。
Notes:
2 I could not help noticing that…，我不禁注意到……，can't help doing 是“禁不
住……”的意思。
3 strike me as odd，使我感到奇怪。
4 take advantage of，利用。
5 Neither was I surprised，这是以 neither 开头的句子，要用倒装语序。
But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder. It suddenly
dawned on me that this express was not roaring down the line at ninety miles an hour,
but barely chugging along at thirty. One hour and seventeen minutes passed and we
had not even covered half the distance. I asked a passenger if this was the Westhaven
Express, but he had not even heard of it. I determined to lodge a complaint as soon as
we arrived. Two hours later, I was talking angrily to the station master at Westhaven.
When he denied the train's existence, I borrowed his copy of the timetable. There was
a note of triumph in my voice when I told him that it was there in black and white.
Glancing at it briefly, he told me to look again. A tiny asterisk conducted me to a
footnote at the bottom of the page. It said: ‘This service has been suspended. ’
但是，当火车一站接着一站往前蠕动时，我便产生了怀疑。我突然感到这趟快车
并没以时速 90 英里的速度呼啸前进，而是卟哧卟哧地向前爬行，时速仅 30 英里。
1 小时 17 分过去了，走了还不到一半路程。我问一位乘客，这是不是开往威斯
特海温的那趟快车，他说从未听说过有这么一趟快车。我决定一到目的地就给铁
路部门提意见。两小时后，我气呼呼地同威斯特海温站站长说起此事。他说根本
没有这趟车。于是我借了他本人的列车时刻表，我带着一种胜利者的调子告诉他
那趟车白纸黑字、明明白白印在时刻表上。他迅速地扫视了一眼，让我再看一遍。
一个小小的星形符号把我的目光引到了那页底部的一个说明上。上面写着：“此
趟列车暂停运行。”
Notes:
6 It suddenly dawned on me…，我突然明白了，……。
7 a note of triumph，胜利者的调子。
8 in black and white ，白纸黑字。
37.2【阅读理解】The Westhaven Express
Step 2: Comprehension questions.
1 Have we learnt to expect that trains will be punctual? (Yes, we have.)
2 What have most of us developed? (An unshakable faith in train timetables.)
3 What may be delayed by storms? (Ships.)
4 What may be cancelled because of bad weather? (Flights.)
5 What must be on time? (Trains.)
6 What might temporarily dislocate railway services? (An exceptionally heavy
snowfall. or A very heavy fall of snow.)
7 How did the writer know that there was an express train to Westhaven? (He
consulted his railway timetable.)
8 Where did it go from? (The writer's local station.)
9 How long did the journey last? (An hour and seventeen minutes.)
10 Who also got on when the writer boarded the train? (A lot of local people.)
11 Did this strike him as odd? (No, it didn't.)
12 Was he surprised when the train stopped at Widley? (No, he wasn't.)
13 What can happen even to a mighty express train? (It can be held up by signals.)
14 Was the train roaring down the line at ninety miles an hour? (No, it wasn't. It was
chugging along at thirty [miles an hour]）
15 How far had they gone after an hour and seventeen minutes? (Not even half the
distance.)
16 Had a fellow passenger heard of the Westhaven Express? (No, he hadn't.)
17 When was he talking angrily to the station master at Westhaven? (Two hours later.)
18 Did he deny the existence of the express? (Yes, he did.)
19 Where did the writer find the train ‘in black and white’? (In the station master's
timetable.)
37.3【拓展写作】The Westhaven Express
Step 3: Composition
In not more than 250 words describe a journey by train. Though you wished to take a
slow train, you accidentally got on a fast one. Expand the ideas given below into a
plan and provide a suitable title. Your composition should not be more than four
paragraphs.
Ideas: Got on train ---expected it to stop---prepared to alight --- it went straight
on---very fast--- you asked passengers---learnt it was an express---ticket collector
came along---you explained situation---had to pay full fare---journey lasted two
hours---arrived miles away from destination ---no fast train back -had to board a slow
one!
Key to composition
A possible answer
A disastrous train journey
When I finally boarded the train, I was looking forward to a pleasant journey to
the village of Slowleigh where my friends live. I sat in my seat, got out a book and was
already reading when the train started.
According to the timetable, the train was due to arrive in Slowleigh at 4.30. I had
been so interested in my book that I had a shock when I looked at my watch. It was
almost 4.30. I closed my book and waited for the train to slow down. It didn't. In fact,
the train was going very fast and that was Slowleigh, wasn't it? The train went straight
on. I asked the other passengers why the train hadn't stopped and they told me it was
the express to the city. I didn't believe it.
Then the ticket collector came along. He looked at my ticket and I tried to explain,
but in the end I had to pay the full fare to the city.
By the time we arrived in the city it was six o'clock. The journey had lasted two
hours and I was miles away from my original destination. I rang my friends and said I
would get a fast train back. Then I checked the timetable: there was no fast rain back
to Slowleigh, only a slow one, at 7 o'clock. By the time I finally reached Slowleigh
Station, it was nine o'clock at night. My pleasant little train journey had taken 4.5
hours! (250 words)
课外练习：
1 When the writer consulted his railway timetable .
(a) he wanted to find out how long the express train to Westhaven took
(b) he wanted to know the quickest way of getting to Westhaven by rail
(c) he did not notice how many stations there were on the way to Westhaven
(d) he misread the information concerning the time the journey took
2 At what point did the writer realize that the train was not travelling at the speed of
an express train?
(a)When the train had reached the station after Widley.
(b) When the train had been held up by signals.
(c) After the train had stopped at several small stations.
(d) After the train had covered a distance of thirty miles.
3 When the writer went to the station master, he complained about .
(a) the train scheduled as an express train having in fact been a slow one
(b) the lack of colour in the timetable
(c) the lack of any express trains from his local station to Westhaven
(d) the fact that the Westhaven express had been suspended from service
4 We have learnt to expect punctual.
(a) trains being
(b) trains to be
(c) of trains being
(d) trains are going to be
5 exceptionally heavily might railway services be temporarily dislocated.
(a) If only it snowed
(b) Only in case it snows
(c) Only were it to snow
(d) Only when snow
6 The express train went direct from my local station to Westhaven a mere
hour and seventeen minutes.
(a) in
(b) lasting
(c) a journey which lasted
(d) a journey of
7 One hour and seventeen minutes passed still to cover half the distance.
(a) before we had
(b) before having
(c) when we had
(d) and we had
8 When he denied the train's existence, I asked if I borrow his copy.
(a) can
(b) may
(c) might
(d) was able to
9 Even a mighty express train can be by signals.
(a) halted
(b) retarded
(c) slowed up
(d) delayed
10 I determined to lodge a complaint on arrival.
(a) firstly
(b) punctually
(c) straight
(d) immediately
11 , I told him that it was there in black and white.
(a) Noting my triumph
(b) Sounding triumphant
(c) On a triumphant note
(d) In my triumphant voice
12 Glancing at it briefly, he told me I should .
(a) take another look
(b) review it
(c) overlook it
(d) have second sight
答案：1b 2c 3a 4b 5c 6a 7d 8c 9d 10d 11b 12a