经典英语短文

36篇经典英语短文！楼主作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:11:54The Ball-point Pen (圆珠笔)One day a young mother was playing with her five-year-old son. Suddenly he grabbed her ball-point pen and swallowed it."Oh, no !" cried the woman. "We must find a doctor."She took her son, ran out of the house, ran out of the house, put him in their car, and drove quickly to the nearest doctor's office. Taking her son by the hand, she rushed into the waiting room and shouted to the nurse, "I must see the doctor immediately.""I'm sorry, " said the nurse calmly, "but the doctor is busy." "but the doctor is busy." "But nurse," she said, "please! My son just swallowed my ball---point pen!""Well, " said the nurse. "I'm terribly sorry, but you'll just have to use a pencil."George Whshing and the Horse (乔治.华盛顿和马)once a neighbour stole once of Washington's horse. Washington went a police to the neighbour's farm to get the horse, but the neighbour refused to the neighbour's farm to get the horse, but the neghbour refused to give the horse up; he claimed that it was his horse.Whshington placed both of his hands over the eyes of the horse and said to the neighbour. "If this is your horse, then you must tell us in which eye he is blind.""In the right eye!" the neighbour said.Washington took his hand from the right eye of the horse and showed the police officer that the horse was not blind tn the right eye."Oh, I have made a mistake, " said the neighbour."he is blind in the lift eye."Washington then showed that the horse was not blind in the lift eye either."I have made another mistske," said the neighbour."Yes, "said the police officer, "and you have also proven that the horse does not belong to you. You must return it to Mr. Washington."2楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:12:11He Understood (他懂了！)Two Americans were travelling in spain.One moring they came into a little restaurant for lunch. They did not know Spanish, and their waiter did not know English. They wanted him to understand that they wanted some milk and sandwiches.At first they pronouced the word "milk" many times. times. Then they spelled it. But the waiter could not understand them.At last one of them took a piece of paper and began to draw a cow. He was finishing his drawing, when the waiter looked at it and ran out of the restaurant. "Do you see," said one of the travellers, "what a pencil can do for a man who has difficulties in a foreign country?"The waiter was back again some time after, but he brought no milk.He put down in front of the two men tickcts for a bullfight.3楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:12:18An Advertisement for modern bicycle (一则新式自行车广告)Tom saw an advertisement in a newspaper for a beautilful mordern bicyle which cost 50, so he went to the shop which had put the advertisement in and asked to see one of their wonderful bicycles.The shopkeepet was very happy to show one to Tom, who examined it carefully and and then turned to the shopkeeper, saying, "There isn't a lamp on this bicycle, but there was one on the bicycle in your advertisement." "Yes, sir," answered the shopkeeper, "but the lamp isn't uncluded in the price of the bicycle. It's an extra.""Not included in the price of bicycle?" Tom said angrily, "But that's not honest. If the lamp's in the advertisement, it should have been inxluded in the price you gave there.""Well, sir," answered the shopkeeper calmly, "there is a also a girl on the bicycle in our advertisement, but we don't supply one of them with the bicycle either."4楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:12:25"Give" or "Take" (“给”还是“拿”)One of Nasreddin's friends loved movey very much, and never gave anything to anybody. Soon he became rich.One day, he was walking near the river with his friends when he slipped and fell in. His friends ran to help him, and one of them knelt on the groud, held out his hand and said, "Give me your hand, and I will pull you out." The rich man's head went under the water and then came up again, but he did not give his hand.Again another of his friends tried, but again the same thing happened.Then Nastreddin said, "Take my hand and I will pull you out! " The rich man took his hand, and Nasreddin pulled him out of the water."You don't know our friend very well," he said to the others. "When you say "Give" tto him, he does nothing; but when you say "Take", he takes!"2篇读写任务（1篇于3月7日，1篇于3月11日）和3篇语法填空（正常的语法填空，不用解析， 3月9日，3月14日5楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:12:33Two plane Tickets (两张飞机票)Let me tell you a story about bert and Mildred Bumgbridge, who used to be very forgeful. For ecample, Mildred would forget to cook dinner, or bert would show up for work on Sunday thinking it was Monday. One summer they were to take a long place trip. what do you suppose happened? Well, they got to the airportant with only minutes to spare. So time was short. In that situation anyone would board the plane right away. But not Mr. and Mrs. brmbridge. They just had to buy some flight insurance first.After all, who knows what will happen on a plance on a plance flight? They quickly put some coins into a machine and out came their insurance policy," Who should get the money if we crash, I woulder?"Asked Mildred "My mother, of coure," her husband replied. "We'll mail the policy to her. Now quick give me a stamp, will you?" he said."The place's going to takeoff in anther minute." Bertput the stamp on the envelop, dropped it in the mailbox, and suddenly began to cry. What happened, do you suppose? He had mailed their plane tickets to his mother6楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:12:42No time for Sighseening (没有时间游览)Mr and Mrs smith had always spent their summer holidays in New Jersey in the past, staying in a small inn at the foot of a hill. One day , however, Mr Smith made a lot of money in his business, so they decide to go to London and stay at a really good hotel while they went touring around that famous city.They flew to London and arrived at their hotel late one evening. They expected tha they would have to go to bed hungry, because in that small inn in New Jersey, no meals were served after seven. They were therfore surprised when they man who received them in the hall asked whether they would take dinner there that night."Are you still serving dinner?" asked Mr Smith."Yes, certainly, Sir," answered the man. "We serve it until half past nine.""What are the times of meals then?" asked Mr Smith."Well, sir," ansered the man. "We serve breakfast from seven to half past eleven in the morning, lunch from tweleve to three in the afternoon. tea from four to five, and dinner from six to half past nice.""But that hardly leaves any time for us to see the sights of London!" said Mr Smith.7楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:12:50A Thief on the Bus (汽车上的小偷)Mr Smith gave his wife ten pounds for her birthday, ten pretty pound notes. So the day after her birthday, Mrs Smith went shopping. She pueued for a bus, got on and sat down next to an old lady. After a while, she noticed that old lady's handbag was open. Inside it she saw a wad of pound notes exactly like the one her husband bad given her. So she quickly looked it her own bag,--- the notes were gone! Mrs smith was sure that the old lady sitting next to her had stolen them. She thounght she would have to call the police, but, as she disliked making a fuss and getting people into trouble, she decided to take back the money from the old lady's handbag and say nothing more about it. She looked round the bus to make sure nobody was watching, then she carefully put her hand into the old lady's bag, took the notes and put them in her own bag.When she got home that evening, she showed her husband the beautiful hat had bought."How did you pay for it?" he asked."With the money you gave me for my brithday, of course," she replied. "Oh? What's that ,then ?" he asked, as he pointed to a wad of ten pound notes on the table.8楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:13:03Beautiful Carpet (漂亮的毯子)Mr. Payne was on hoilday. He was staying in a small desert town. One sunny morning he went to the market. and saw a beartiful carpet there. This one was big and full of rich colours. He looked at it for a long time, but went away. The next day he passed and saw it again. He asked the price."This one. Sir? This is a very special carpet," said the man."Yes, but how much is it?""It's very old, Sir. It belonged to a great man many years ago. So I can't sell it cheaply.""No, how much is it?" Mr. Payne asked again."A beautiful, old carpet, Sir. And it is also a magic carpet. A magic flying carpet. A man came this moring and offered me five hundred pounds for it.""Oh, " said Mr. Payne."But I like you, sir. You're a very nice gentleman. I'll sell it to you. Five hundred and fifty pounds.""Humm," Mr. Payne thought for a moment. "All right.""Very good, sir," said the man. "Will you pay now and take it with you?""No," said Mr. Payne. "Here's my adress. fly over on the carpet, and I'll pay you when you arrive."9楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:13:11The Dog Was Not Collected (牵错了狗)Mr. and Mrs Brown were going abroad for their holiday. They had a dog called Blackie which they were very fond of , but they could not take him abroad with them, so they looked for a good place to leave him while they were away, and at last found a place which looked after dogs very well while their owners were away. They took blackie there just before they left for their hoiday, and sadly said goodbye to him.At the end of their holiday, they got back to England very late at night. As they thought that the lace where Blackie was staying might be closed at that late hour, they decided to wait until the next moning befor going to get him.So the next morning Mr. Brown got into his car and drove off happily to collect Blackie.When he reached home with the dog, he said to his wife,"Do you know,dear, I don't think Blackie enjoyed his stay at that place very much. He barked all the way home in the car as if he wanted to tell me something."Mrs Brown looked at the dog carefully and then answered. "You are quite right, dear, He was certainly trying to tell you something. But he wasn't trying to tell you that he hadn't enjoyed his stay at that place. He was only trying to tell you that he hadn't enjoyed his stay at that place. He was only trying to tell you you were oringing home the wrong dog."10楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:13:19The Foolish frog (愚蠢的青蛙)Once upon a time a big, fat frog lived in a tiny shallow pond. He knew every plant and stone in it ,and he could swim across it easily. He was the biggest creature in the pond, so he was very important. When he croaked, the water snails listened politely, and the water beetles always swam behind him. He was very happy there.One day, while he was catching files, a pretty dragon-fly passed by. "You're a very fine frog," she sang,but why don't you live in a bigger pond? Come to my pond. You'll find a lot of frogs there. You'll neet some fine fish, and you'll see the dangerous ducks. And you must see our lovely water-lilies. Life in a large pond iswonderful!""Perhaps it is rather dull here," thought the foolish frog. So he hopped after the dragon-dry.But he didn't like the big, deep pond. It was full of stragne plants. The water snails were rude to him, and he was afraid of the ducks. The fish didn't like him, and he was the smallest froh there. He was lonely and unhappy.He sat on a water-lily leaf and cuoaked sadly to himself. "I don't like it there.I think I'll go home tomorrow."But a hungry heron flew down and swallwed him up for supper.11楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:13:28The Clever Servant (三个愿望)Once upon a time, there lived a woodman and his wife. They were very poor, and they lived in a cottage on the edge of a forest. Every day, the woodman would set out early in the morning to chop down trees.As the woodman was travelling through the foret one day, he saw a fine old oak tree. "That will make plenty of planks," he thought, as he felt the blade of his axe to make sure it was sharp. He was about to strike the with the axe, when he heard someone crying out:"Please don't hurt this tree."The woodman looked around him and saw a tiny fairy. "If you do not hurt this tree," she said, "I will grant you and your wife three wishes.""I won't hurt the tree," said the woodman kindly. Then the fairy vanished!That evening, the woodman walked slowly home. He was feeling very hungry and could not wait for his supper."Is my supper ready?" the woodman asked his wife."Not for at least two hours," replied his wife. So the woodman sat in a chair by the fire."I wish I had a big sausage to eat right now," he said out loud. And suddenly, a delicious sausage appeared on the table before him! "Why has that sauaage sudddenly appeared?" the woodman's wife asked.So the woodman told his wife the story about the fairy, But his wife was very angry. "You have wasted the first of our wishes ," she said croossly. "I wish that sausage were on you nose!"And with that, the sauage jumped up and stuck fast on the woodman's nose. His wife could not pull it off and nor could he, so the only thing to do was to do was to wish it on the table again, which the woodman did.What a waste of three wishes! The only thing the woodman had was a good supper of a big sausage.12楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:13:37The Friendly Neighbour (友好的邻居)Mr and Mrs jones's flat full of boxes, big and small, trunks and furniture. The two of them were busy with pencils and paper, checking their list of luggage when there was a ring at the door.Mrs Jones went to open it ,and saw a well-dressed middle-aged lady outside. The ladys said that she lived in flat beside theirs, and that she had come to welcome them to their new home.Mrs Jones invited her in."I hope you'll excuse us for all this mess, "said Mrs Jones. "we're trying…"" Oh, that's quite all right," said the lady. "Do you know, in some parts of this town neighours are not at all friendly. There are some streets---and even some buiding--where people don't know their neighbours--not even their next-door ones. But in this building, everybody is friends with everybody else. We are one big, happy family. I'm sure you'll very happy here."The lady was greatly surprised when she visitd the flat the next time, because she found a quite different man and woman in it. Mr and Mrs Jones had not had the heart to tell her that they were not the new owners of the flat, but the old owners, who had lived beside her for two years. All this time she had never visited them or even noticed them who were her next-door neighbours.13楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:13:45The Hero (英雄)"Fire! Fire!" What tereible words to hear when one wakes up in a strange house in the middle of the night! It was a large, old, woodern house----the sort that burns beautifully----and my room was on the top floor. I jumped out of bed, opend the door and stepped out into the passage. It was full of thick smoke.I began to run, but as I was still only half-and my room was on the top floor.I jumped out of bed, opend the door and stepped out into the passage. It was full of thick smoke.I began to run, but as I was still only half-awake, instead of going towards the stairs I went in the opposite direction. The smoke grew thicker and I could see flames all aroud. The floor became hot under my bare feet. I found an open door and ran into a room to get to the window, But befor I could reach it, one of my feet caught in something soft and I fell down. The thing I had fallen over felt like a bundle of clothes, and I picked it up to protect my face from the smoke and heat. Just then the floor gave way under me and I crashed to the floor gave way under me and I crashed to the floor below with pieces of burning wood all around me.I saw a flaming doorway in front, put the bunkle over my face and ran. My feet burned me terribly, but I got through. As I reached the cold air outside, my bundlelll of clothes gave a thin cry. I nearly dropped it in my surprise. Then I saw a crowd gathered in the street. A woman in a night dress and a borrowed man's coat screamed as she saw me and came running madly."My bady! My bady!" she cried. The crowd cheered wildly as she took the smoke---blackened bundle out of my arms. I had some difficulty in recognizing her. She was the Mayor's wife, and I bad saved her bady, I was a hero!14楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:13:52The Perfect Pearl (完美无瑕的珍珠)An elegantly dressed man entered a famous jewelry shop one day. He explained that he wished to buy a pearl for his wife's birthday. The price didn't matter, since business had been particulary good for him that year. After examining a number of beautiful and expensive pearls, he chose an exquiste black one that cost $5,000. He paid for the gem in cash, shook hands with the jeweler, and left.A few days later the man returned and said that his wife had liked the peral so much that she wanted another one just like it. It had to be exactly the same size and puality, as she wanted a pair of earrings made."Can you possibly give me any advice on how to get hold of such a pearl?" said the man. The jeweler regrefully relied,"I would say it's virtually impossible to find an exact drplicate of that pearl."The milionaire insisted that the jeweler advertise in the newspaper, and offered$25,000 for the maching pearl.Many people ansered the ad, but nobody had a pearl that was just right. Just when the jewler had given up hope, a little old lady came into his store. To his amazement, she pulled the perfect pearl from her purse. "I don't like to part with it, " she said sadly. "I daid sadly. "I inherited it from my mother inherited it from my mother, and my mother inherited it from hers, But I really need the money."The jeweler was quick to pay the old lady befor she changed her mind. Then he called the millionair's hotel to tell him the good news. The millionaire, however, was nowhere to be found.why?The "millionaire" and the old lady were thieves who worked together. The "duplicate" pearl that she sold to the jewler was actrally the same one the "millionaire" had bought.15楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:14:00The General and the Corporal (将军和下士)Many years ago, there was a wise general who loved his soldiers and was very strict with them. One moring he was wearing a long overcoat over his uniform and went out for a walk. Passing among the sldiers who did not know who he was, he observed a group of soldiers building a low wall of stones. They were trying to raise a large stone to the top of the wall. The stone was so heavy that they couldn't quite raise it to the proper height. The corporal standing nearby commanded them to do the work again.The soldiers did everything they could to lift the stone. They failed once more. The soldiers were really unable to do more for their strength was almost gone. But the corporal make them do again.Seeing the stone was just about to fall at the time. the general ran up to give them the help that the help that the soldiers needed. It was with the general's help that they could lift the stone upon the wall. The soldiers thanked him very much, while the corporal gave him a look, still smoking."Why not help the soldiers with the heavy work?" the general asked the corporal."Why don't I help them?" said the man. "Don't you see that I am the corporal?""Oh, I beg your pardon, Mr. Corporal," said the general, unbuttoning his overcoat.When he saw the uniform the uniform the very man was wearing, the corporal learned that it was the general himself. He was so prised that he couldn't say a word. And he understood what would happen.The general pointed out his mistake and critcized him seriously. The corporal made an apology to the soldiers and was determined to do his duty.16楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:14:10Cover the shadow with Sand (用沙盖住影子)The soldiers had just moved to the desert, and as they had never been in such a place befor, they had a lot to learn.As there were no trees or buildings in the desert, it was, of course, very hard to hide their trucks from enemy. plance. The soldiers were therefore given training in camouflage, which means ways of covering something so that the enemy cannot see where it is. They were shown how to paint their trucks in irregular paterns with pale green, yellow, and brown paints, and then to cover them with nets to which they had tied small pieces of cloth.The driver who had the biggest truck went to lot of trouble to camouflage it. He spent several hours painting it, preparing a net and searching for some heavy rocks with which to hold the net down. When it was all finished, he looked proudly at his work and then went off to have his lunch.But when he came back to the truck after he had had his meal, he was surprised and worried to see that his cannot flage work was completely spoilt by the truck's shadow, which was growing longer and longer as the afternoon advanced. He stood looking at it, not knowing what to do about it.Soon an officer arrived, and he too saw the shadow, of course."Well," he shouted to the poor driver, "what are you going to do about it? If an enemy plane comes over, the pilot will at once know that there is a truck there.""I know, sir," answered the soldier."Well, don't just stand there doing nothing!" said the officer."What shall I do, sir?" asked the poor driver."Get your spake and throw some sand over the shadow, of couse!" answered the officer.17楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:14:19Everything Included (一切费用全包在内)Ann stared work last summer, so she didn't have a holiday, She saved as much as she could and, in January, she booked a package trip to Ross, in Spain. She left London airport early on the morning of the first Saturday in August. She was very excited, as this was her first trip aborad. During the flight they had a snack, and when they arrived at Barcelojma airport, a special bus was ready to take them to their hotel in Rosas. The weather was beautiful and Ann enjoyed the bus trip.At the hotel, she checked in, and then went to her room to change before dinner. She was just ready to go downstairs, when she found that her Spanish money wasn't in her handbag. She carefully looked in all her luggage, but she couldn't find it. All she had was a small purse with ten English pound notes in it!Ann found a place to change her English money. She had very few pesetas, and she would be here for two weeks. On her way back to the hotel, Ann bought some cheese, some bread and some oranges. When she got back, she told the manager that her doctor had told her not to eat Spanish food; she'd just have breakfast each day. This wasall right, as she knew the price of hotel included breakfast.For the rest of her holiday, Ann swam in the hotel swimimgpool, or lay on the beach and got a suntan. She also went for long walks with one of the others went to interesting places, she always said she wasn't well. In fact, her holiday wasn't bad, except that she was always hungry. After all, a piece of fruit for lunch, and bread and cheese for supper isn't very much…especially not for two weeks!Late in the afternoon of their last day, Ann and Jane were on the beach. Jane asked her why she never ate with them in the hotel restaurant. The food was excellent. Ann told her all about her money problem. Jane looked at her for a minrte, and then said, "But didn't you know? The price of this holiday includes absolutely everything!18楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:14:29Belling the Cat (系铃于猫)Long ago, some mice had a meeting to consider what they could do to outwit their common enemy, the cat. They discussed the merits of many plans. At last a young mouse got out and said that he had a good solution to promble."You will agree,"he said, "that our greaest danger is the sly manner in which our enemy approach, we could easily escape from her.I suggest, therefore ,that a small bell tried around the neck of the cat. In this ways know when she is coming, and we can easily run away."Everyone thought this was an excellent plan. At that moment an old mouse got up and said. "That is all very ,but who is going to bell the cat?" The mice looked at each other and nobody spoke. Then the old mouse said, "It is easy to suggest impossible solutions."19楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:14:35The General's Teeth (将军的牙齿)Here is a story told about an American general who was a very important figure in the American army during the First World War. Everybody in the United States knew him and many people wished to have a picture or something of his in their homes.Soon after the war the gineral returned to Washington. One day he went to a dentist and had six teeth pulled out. A week later the general heard that his teeth were being sold in curiosity shops at $ each. On each of the teeth there was a label with the name of the gineral and words:" Buy these teeth and show them to your friends at home." The general got angry. He rushed to his offifce and ordered six officers to go around the city and buy all his teeth.The offecers went out and vissited every curiosity shop in the capital. They were away from the office all day. In the evening they returned and put on the table in front of the general the teeth they had bought. They had collected 175 teeth.20楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:14:43A Clever Interpreter (聪明的翻译)A famous writer who was vistiting Japan was invited to have a lecture at a university to a large group of students. As most of them could not understand spoken English, he had to have an interpreter.during his lecture he told an amusing story which went on for rather a long time. at last he stopped to allow the interpreter to translate it into Japanese, and was very surprised when the man did this in a few seconds, afteer which all the studentslaughed loudly.After the lecture, the writer thanked the interprter for his good work and then said to him, "Now please tell me how you translated that long story of mine into such a short Japances one.""I didn't tell the story at all, " the interpreter anwered with a smile. "I just said, "The honourable lecturer has just told a funny story. You will all laugh, please.21楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:14:50A Marvelous Idea (妙计)A traveler stopped to observe the curious behavior of a farmer who was plowing his field. A single mule hitched to the plow was wearing blinders, and the farmer was yelling, "Giddyap, pete! Giddyap, Herb! Giddyap, Ol' Bill! Giddyap, jeb!"After watching the farmer carry on like this for a while, the traveler asked, "Say, mister -----how many names does that mule have?""Just one ----his name is Pete."" Then why do you call out Herb and Bill and-----""It's like this," explained the farmer. "If Ol'Peter knew he was doing all this work alone, I couldn't make him do it . But if he thinks he's got three other mules workin'alongside of him, he does he got back to his corporate office in New York, he invented the committee.22楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:15:01Modern Ways of Fighting (新式格斗)Some young soldiers who had recintly joined the army were being trained in mordern ways of fighting, and one of the things they were shown was how an unarmed man could trick an armed enemy and take his weapon away from the other, using only his bare hands; and then he took a rifle away from him in the young soldiers to do these things themsleves, the two instructors asked them a number of questions to see how well they had understood what had been shown. One of the questions was this："Well, you now know what an unarmed man can do agginst a man with a rifle. Now imagine that you are guarding a bridge at night and you have a rifle. Now imaginge that you are guarding a bridge at night and you have a rifle. Suddenly you see an unarmed enemy sodier coming towards you. What will you do?"The young soldier who had answer this question thoungt carefully for a few seconds and then said, "Well, atfer what I have just seen, I think that the first thing I would be get rid of rid of my rifle as quickly as I could so that the unarmed army soliker couldn't take it from me and kill me with it.23楼作者：lapoleon 发表时间：2010-04-29 15:15:10Do as I Do (照我的办法去做)One morning a young woman, who had recently lost her first post, was examining the advertisementsin the paper in search of other work. Suddenly she called out to her mother, who was in the kitchen.Listen to this, Mother!" she cried. "I've found an easy way of making money.""What is it ?" her mother asked, coming into the room.。