练习材料：

L41-2: Illusions of Pastoral peace

My friend fails to mention the long and friendless winter evenings in front of the TV -- virtually the only form of entertainment. He says nothing about the poor selection of goods in the shops, or about those unfortunate people who have to travel from the country to the city every day to get to work. Why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hour journey each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyond me. They could be saved so much misery and expense if they chose to live in the city where they rightly belong.

If you can do without the few pastoral pleasures of the country, you will find the city can provide you with the best that life can offer. You never have to travel miles to see your friends. They invariably live nearby and are always available for an informal chat or an evening's entertainment. Some of my acquaintances in the country come up to town once or twice a year to visit the theatre as a special treat.

maɪ frɛnd feɪlz tuː ˈmɛnʃən ðə lɒŋ ænd ˈfrɛndlɪs ˈwɪntər ˈiːvnɪŋz ɪn frʌnt ɒv ðə ˌtiːˈviː -- ˈvɜːtjʊəli ði ˈəʊnli fɔːm ɒv ˌɛntəˈteɪnmənt. hiː sɛz ˈnʌθɪŋ əˈbaʊt ðə pʊə sɪˈlɛkʃən ɒv gʊdz ɪn ðə ʃɒps, ɔːr əˈbaʊt ðəʊz ʌnˈfɔːʧnɪt ˈpiːpl huː hæv tuː ˈtrævl frɒm ðə ˈkʌntri tuː ðə ˈsɪti ˈɛvri deɪ tuː gɛt tuː wɜːk. waɪ ˈpiːpl ɑː prɪˈpeəd tuː ˈtɒləreɪt ə fɔːr-ˈaʊə ˈʤɜːni iːʧ deɪ fɔː ðə ˈdjuːbiəs ˈprɪvɪlɪʤ ɒv ˈlɪvɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈkʌntri ɪz bɪˈjɒnd miː. ðeɪ kʊd biː seɪvd səʊ mʌʧ ˈmɪzəri ænd ɪksˈpɛns ɪf ðeɪ ʧəʊz tuː lɪv ɪn ðə ˈsɪti weə ðeɪ ˈraɪtli bɪˈlɒŋ.

ɪf juː kæn duː wɪˈðaʊt ðə fjuː ˈpɑːstərəl ˈplɛʒəz ɒv ðə ˈkʌntri, juː wɪl faɪnd ðə ˈsɪti kæn prəˈvaɪd juː wɪð ðə bɛst ðæt laɪf kæn ˈɒfə. juː ˈnɛvə hæv tuː ˈtrævl maɪlz tuː siː jɔː frɛndz. ðeɪ ɪnˈveərɪəbli lɪv ˈnɪəbaɪ ænd ɑːr ˈɔːlweɪz əˈveɪləbl fɔːr ən ɪnˈfɔːml ʧæt ɔːr ən ˈiːvnɪŋz ˌɛntəˈteɪnmənt. sʌm ɒv maɪ əˈkweɪntənsɪz ɪn ðə ˈkʌntri kʌm ʌp tuː taʊn wʌns ɔː twaɪs ə jɪə tuː ˈvɪzɪt ðə ˈθɪətər æz ə ˈspɛʃəl triːt.

任务配置：

L0＋L4

知识笔记：

新词：virtually 无形，实际上；entertainment 娱乐消遣；tolerate 容忍；dubious 半信半疑、犹豫不决的；privilege 特权；misery 痛苦；pastoral 田园景色；pleasure 愉快；invariably 总是；available 可获得的；informal 非正式的；acquaintance 相识的人；

词组：is beyond sb 难倒某人，使某人想不通；rightly belong 正确的归属；

练习感悟：

好像比昨天稍稍晚起了四分钟左右的时间，但是任务竟然提早完成……还是很不错的。今天就可以去听丹尼尔和美国一个交响乐团的音乐会了。明天，终于可以逃离学校生活回到老家。