大学英语精读(第三版)课文原文

something halfhearted like, ―It's the thought that counts,‖ but what I felt was bitter disappointment. I supposed she'd found the bike just too expensive and sent it back.

7. ―Wait a minute!‖ she cried, snapping her fingers. ―There's something in my bedroom I forgot all about.‖

8. She went out, and a moment later came back wheeling the big black two-wheeler with balloon tires. I didn't have to pretend, after all. The three of us—Doris, my mother, and I –were people bred to hold back emotional expressions of love, but I did something that startled both my mother and me. I threw my arms around her spontaneously and kissed her.

9. ―All right now, don't carry on about it. It's only a bicycle,‖ she said.

10. Still, I knew that she was as happy as I was to see her so happy.

Unit 9 Is There Life on Earth?

There was great excitement on the planet of Venus this week. For the first time Venusian scientists managed to land a satellite on the plant Earth, and is has been sending back signals as well as photographs ever since.

The satellite was directed into an area know as Manhattan (named after the great Venusian astronomer Prof. Manhattan, who first discovered it with his telescope 20,000 light years ago).

Because of excellent weather conditions and extremely strong signals, Venusian scientists were able to get valuable information as to the feasibility of a manned flying saucer landing on Earth. A press conference was held at the Venus Institute of Technology.

"We have come to the conclusion, based on last week's satellite landing," Prof. Zog said, "that there is no life on Earth."