1.Good News
When Susan Chen left high school she wanted to go to university. Unfortunately, her father was quite poor, and a university education cost a lot of money.
“Take the entrance examination ,”her father said, “and we'll think of something if you pass.”
Susan took the examination. She did not score very high marks , but she scored enough, and was offered a place at the university.
“I'm very proud of you, Susan,” her father said. “I must find the money for a university education for you somehow.”
“But how, Dad?” Susan asked.
“Well, I can sell my car and work a lot of overtime . I can even work at two jobs if necessary. One during the day and one at night.”
“You’re a very generous father,” Susan said.
“Your future is worth the sacrifice,” he told her.
The next day he sold his car and asked his boss to give him three hours overtime every day. This meant walking to work and working 12 hours a day, seven days a week, but he did not complain .His daughter's education was worth it.
A year passed. Susan took her first-year examination.
When the results were announced (宣布) she ran home to tell her father the news.
“Dad,” she said, “I've got my examination results. You'll be so pleased.”
“You've passed” he exclaimed.
“No, Dad You can have your car back and stop working so hard.”
2.Telling the Time
Wally worked in a shop that sold clocks. One day his next door neighbor, Harry, came into his shop. Harry was very stingy. His stinginess made Wally very angry. Wally said to him, “When are you going to buy a clock?”
“Never,” Harry said, “I don’t need a clock.”
“Everyone needs a clock,” Wally said, “How do you know when it is time to get up?”
The man who lives on the other side of me turns on his radio at seven o’clock for the news.” Harry said. “I hear the announce say, ‘The time is seven o’clock. Here is the news.”
“OK. But how do you know when to go to work?” Wally wanted to know.
“By the time I get out of bed, wash and shave, it’s half past seven,” Harry said. “By the time I’ve eaten my breakfast of toast, jam and coffee, it’s eight o’clock, time to leave for the office. By the time I get to the bus station, it’s ten past eight. The bus arrives in a few minutes and by the time it gets to my stop, the time is half past eight. That’s the time I start work.”
“OK. But how do you know when it’s time to go home?” Wally said, getting angry.
“The factory bell rings,” Harry told him.
“How do you know when it’s time to go to bed?”
“The TV programmes comes to an end.”
By now Wally was really angry. “OK.” He shouted. “Now tell me what would happen if you woke up in the middle of night and wanted to know the time?”
“That’s easy,” Harry said. “I’ve got a hammer.”
“A hammer! What good is a hammer when you want to know the time?”
“I’d use it to knock on your wall. You’d shout at me, ‘What are you doing knocking on my wall at three o’clock in the morning?’”