听力练习

PART THREE - A YOUNG WOMAN AT THORNFIELD
CHAPTER EIGHT
Life with Mr. Rochester

A few days later Mr. Rochester asked to talk to me after dinner. We were in the library, and Adele was talking with Mrs. Fairfax. Rochester called me over.
He whispered to me, "Adele amd Mrs. Fairfax are busy, so now I can [-----1-----] myself." Tonight he did not look so firm or angry, and there was a softness and humor in his fine, dark eyes. He saw me looking at him.
"Do you think I'm handsome, Miss Eyre?" he asked.
If this had been another person, I think I would have taken time to think, and then said something [-----2-----]. But somehow, I knew that Mr. Rochester would know I was not telling the truth. So I answered at once, "No, sir."
"Ah, you really are interesting! You are a quiet, serious person, but you are not afraid to say what you really think!"
"Sir, I'm sorry." I said.
"No, don't be sorry! All right, tell me. What is wrong with my appearance?"
"Oh, Mr. Rochester, I didn't want to say unkind things about you."
"Well, now you can," he said cheerfully. "Now, look at my head. Do you think I am intelligent?"
"I think you are extremely intelligent, sir. Would it be rude to ask, are you also good?"
"A knife in be back! Well, Miss Eyre, I wanted to be good when I was younger, but life has been hard, so I've become as hard and tough as an old tree. I only have a little goodness left inside." He was looking at me very carefully, and I wondered if he was [-----3-----]. "Miss Eyre, you look as if you do not know what to say. I want conversation tonight. It's your turn to speak."
He was right--I did not know what to say!

词汇解析

1.whisper ['(h)wispə]

n. 耳语,密谈,飒飒的声音
v. 耳语,密谈,飒飒地响

例句与用法:
She said it in a whisper, so I didn't hear.
她是悄声说的，所以我没有听见。
The wind was whispering in the roof.
屋顶上风声飒飒。

2.at once [ət 'wʌns]

立刻,马上

例句与用法:
The man was so genial, so I was drawn to him at once.
这人这么和蔼, 我立刻为他着迷。
We agreed to leave at once.
我们同意立即离开。
Since she is seriously ill, we have to send for a doctor at once.
既然她病得厉害, 我们要马上去请医生。

3.intelligent [in'telidʒənt]

adj. 聪明的,智能的

例句与用法:
Though very intelligent, she is nevertheless rather modest.
她很聪明, 倒也很谦虚.
Though unprepossessingto look at he is highly intelligent.
他虽然相貌平平, 但却很有才气.
Maybe the earth has been visited by intelligent creatures from outer space.
也许太空的智慧生物已经访问过地球。

4.extremely [iks'tri:mli]

adv. 极其,非常

例句与用法:
I found him extremely offensive.
我发现他非常令人讨厌。
The army is an extremely complex organism.
军队是极其复杂的组织。
The reward of this company is extremely bountiful.
这家公司的奖金是非常慷慨的。

5.wonder ['wʌndə]

n. 奇迹,惊奇,惊谔
v. 惊奇,想知道,怀疑
adj.奇妙的,非凡的

例句与用法:
I was just wondering about that myself.
我就是觉得这件事莫名其妙。
I wonder who he is.
我很想知道他是谁。

6.If this had been another person...：if引导的虚拟条件句，表示与事实相反的假设。例如：If I were a bird, I could fly freely in the sky.（如果我是一只鸟，我就可以自由地在空中飞翔。——事实上，“我”不是一只鸟。）