自考英语综合二上册课文 lesson 13

　　[00:00.00]Lesson Thirteen Text

[00:04.49]Who Shall Dwell?

[00:07.94]H. C. Neal It came on a Sunday afternoon.

[00:14.39]They had prayed that it would never come, ever, but suddenly here it was.

[00:22.86]The father was resting on a couch and half-listening to some music on the radio.

[00:30.30]Mother was in the kitchen preparing dinner

[00:34.35]and the younger boy and girlwere in the bedroom drawing pictures.

[00:40.72]The older boy was working in the shed out back.

[00:46.29]Suddenly the music was cut off.

[00:50.23]Then, the announcer almos shouted:

[00:55.28]"Bomb alert!Attention!

[00:59.22]A number of missiles have just been launched across the sea,heading this way.

[01:07.16]They are expected to strike within the next sixteen minutes.

[01:15.70]This is a verified alert! Take cover!

[01:21.66]Keep your radios tuned 1 for further instructions.

[01:27.90]"My God!" the father gasped 2.

[01:32.45]His face was ashen 3, puzzled,as though he knew that this was real

[01:41.38]but still could not quite believe it.

[01:45.95]"Get the children,"  his wife blurted 4,

[01:50.39]then dashed to the door to call the older boy.

[01:56.45]He stared at her a brief moment, seeing the fear in her face,

[02:03.92]but also a loathing 5 for all men involved in the making

[02:11.58]and dispatch of nuclear weapons.

[02:16.65]The father jumped to his feet,and ran to the bedroom.

[02:22.60]"Let's go," he snapped "shelter drill!"

[02:27.57]Although they had had many rehearsals 6,

[02:32.11]his voice and bearing sent the youngsters dashing for the door without a word.

[02:40.47]He hustled 7 them through the kitchen to the rear door

[02:46.53]and sent them to the shelter.

[02:50.00]As he returned to the bedroom, the older boy came running in.

[02:56.85]"This is the hot one, son," said his father tersely 8, "the real one."

[03:04.50]He and the boy stared at each other a long moment,

[03:10.85]both knowing what must be done

[03:14.80]and each knowing the other would more than do his share,

[03:20.75]yet wondering still at the frightening fact that it must be done at all.

[03:28.61]"How much time have we got, dad?" "Not long," the father replied,

[03:35.56]glancing at his watch,"twelve, maybe fourteen minutes."The boy left.

[03:44.84]The father stepped to the closet,

[03:48.60]slid the door open and picked up the metal box containing their important papers.

[03:57.45]He then picked up the big family Bible from the headboard on the bed.

[04:04.51]Everything else they would need

[04:08.48]had been stored in the shelter the past several months.

[04:14.35]He heard his wife approaching and turned as she entered the room.

[04:21.41]"Ready, dear?" she asked.

[04:25.38]"Yes," he replied,

[04:28.43]"are the kids gone in?"They're all down," she answered,

[04:34.68]"I still can't believe it's real.""We've got to believe it," he said,

[04:41.65]looking at her steadily 9 in the eye," we can't afford not to."

[04:49.20]Outside, the day was crisp and clear, typical of early fall.

[04:56.57]He looked at his watch again.Four minutes had elapsed since the first alarm.

[05:04.61]Twelve minutes, more or less, remained.

[05:09.97]Inside the shelter, he latched 11 the door,

[05:14.83]and looked around to see that his family was squared away.

[05:20.16]Now it. began.The waiting.

[05:24.81]The man and his wife knew that others would come soon,

[05:31.28]begging and crying to be taken in now that the time was here.

[05:38.05]They had argued about this when the shelter was being built.

[05:44.22]It was in her mind to share their refuge.

[05:49.88]"We can't call ourselves Christians 13

[05:54.14]and then deny safety to our friendswhen the showdown comes," she contended,

[06:02.97]"that isn't what God teaches."

[06:06.81]"That's nothing but religious pap," he retorted with a degree of anger.

[06:14.07]"God created the family as the basic unit of society," he reasoned.

[06:21.02]"That should make it plain that a man's primary Christian 12 duty

[06:27.68]is to protect his family.""But don't you see?" she protested,

[06:36.04]"We must prepare to purify ourselves. . .to rise above this 'mine' thinking

　　[06:44.82]and be as God's own son,who said, 'love thy neighbor.'"

[06:52.08]"No," he replied, "I can't buy that."Then, after a moment's thought, "

[07:01.04]It is my family I must save, no one more.You.These kids.

[07:09.79]Our friends are like the people of Noah's time:

[07:15.36]he warned them of the coming flood when he built the ark on God's command.

[07:22.59]He was ridiculed 14 and scoffed 15 at, just as we have been ridiculed.

[07:30.64]"No,and here his voice took on a new sad sureness,"

[07:39.00]it is meant that if they don't prepare, they die.

[07:45.55]I see no need for further argument.

[07:49.68]With seven minutes left, the first knock rang the shelter door.

[07:57.34]"Let us in! For God's sake. "He recognized the voice.

[08:03.29]It was his first neighbor toward town.

[08:07.97]"No!" shouted the father, "There is only room for us. Go!"

[08:15.83]Again came the pounding. Louder. More urgent.

[08:22.07]"You let us in or we'll break down this door!"

[08:26.64]He wondered if they were actually getting a ram 16 of some sort

[08:32.57]to batter 17 at the door.

[08:35.81]He was reasonably certain it would hold.The seconds ticked relentlessly 18 away.

[08:45.66]Four minutes left.His wife stared at the door and moaned slightly.

[08:54.73]"Steady, girl," he said, evenly. The children looked at him frightened, puzzled.

[09:05.07]He glared at his watch ran his hands through his hair,and said nothing.

[09:13.01]Three minutes left.

[09:16.36]At that moment, a woman cried from the outside,

[09:20.93]"If you won't let me in, please take my baby, my little girl."

[09:27.88]He was stunned 19 by her plea. What must I do?

[09:34.35]He asked himself in sheer agony.

[09:39.03]What man on earth could deny a child the chance to live?

[09:46.16]At that point,his wife rose, and stepped to the door.

[09:52.93]Before he could move to stop her, she let down the latch 10 and dashed outside.

[10:01.57]Instantly a three-year old girl was thrust into the shelter.

[10:08.52]He hastily fought the door latch on again,

[10:13.49]then stared at the frightened little newcomer in anger,

[10:20.33]hating her for simply being there in his wife's place.

[10:27.17]and knowing he could not turn her out.

[10:33.10]He sat down heavily, trying desperately 20 to think.

[10:40.18]The voices outside grew louder.

[10:44.44]He glanced at his watch, looked at the faces of his own children a long moment,

[10:52.62]then rose to his feet.

[10:56.27]There were two minutes left,and he made his decision.

[11:02.62]He marveled now that he had even consideredany other choice.

[11:10.07]"Son," he said to the older boy, "you take care of them. "

[11:17.20]It was assimple as that.Unlatching the door,he thrust it open and stepped out.

[11:27.46]The crowd surged toward him.

[11:31.41]Blocking the door with his body,he snatched up the two children nearest him,

[11:39.87]and shoved them into the shelter."Bar that door," he shouted to his son,"

[11:48.52]and don't open it for at least a week!"Hearing the latch drop into place,

[11:59.70]he turned and glanced around at the faces in the crowd

[12:06.65]Some of them were still babbling 21 incoherently, utterly 22 panic-stricken.

[12:14.20]Others were quiet now, no longer afraid.

[12:20.08]Stepping to his wife's side, he took her hand and spoke 23 in a warm, low tone.

[12:28.83]"They will be all right, the boy will lead them."

[12:34.00]He grinned reassuring-ly and added, "We should be together, you and I."

[12:41.36]She smiled wordlessly through her tears and squeezed his hand,

[12:48.91]exchanging with him in the one brief gesture a lifetime and more of devotion.

[12:57.85]Then struck the first bomb, blinding them, burning them,