新视野大学英语视听说教程第四册 Unit 3 Task3: Brave firemen
A fire started on some grassland near a farm in Alberta, Canada. The fire department from the nearby town was called to put the fire out. The fire proved to be more than the small town fire department could handle, so someone suggested that a rural volunteer fire company be called. Since the company was composed entirely of men over65, there was doubt that they would be of assistance. But with no other help available, the farmer called the fire company away.
The volunteer fire company’s men arrived in a dilapidated old fire truck. The truck drove straight toward the fire and, instead of stopping in front of the fire, drove right onto the middle of the flames. The volunteer firemen jumped off the truck and started spraying water in all directions. Soon they had put out the center of the fire, breaking the blaze into two easily controllable parts. After an hour of intense fighting, they had extinguished the fire.
The farmer was impressed by the brave volunteer firemen and their work. He was so grateful that his farm had been spared that he presented the volunteer company wit ha check for $10,000.
A local news reporter asked the volunteer fire captain what the company planned to do with the funds. The fireman looked him right in the eye and said, “That should be obvious. The first thing we’re going to do is to get the brakes fixed on that stupid fire truck.”
For Reference
1. Since the company was composed entirely of men over65, there was doubt that they would be of assistance. But the farmer called the fire company away because the fire proved to be more than the small town fire department could handle, and there was no other help available.
2. The truck drove straight toward the fire and, instead of stopping in front of the fire, drove right onto the middle of the flames.
3. After an hour of intense fighting, they had extinguished the fire.
4. He presented the volunteer company wit ha check for $10,000.
The captain said, “The first thing we’re going to do is to get the brakes fixed on that stupid fire truck.” That suggests that they drove right into the middle of the flames because of useless brakes rather bravery.
