时间:2019-02-21 作者:英语课 分类:英语听力精选进阶版


英语课

Edinburgh has been remembering one of the world's greatest magicians.


The Great Lafayette was the stage name of the German illusionist Sigmund Neuberger. At the time of his death a century ago he was the world's highest-paid performer and 250,000 people went to his funeral.


Lafayette's grand finale was a famous stunt 1 called The Lion's Bride. A female assistant would walk into a cage containing a real lion. When the lion was about to kill her, its skin would be pulled off to reveal… The Great Lafayette.


Of course it was all done with smoke and mirrors, as well as Lafayette's great sleight 2 of hand. But on 9 May 1911 something went horribly wrong.


Halfway 3 through his routine, a gas lamp was knocked over and the stage scenery caught fire. The audience all thought it was part of the act and refused to leave the theatre until the band played the national anthem 4.


Lafayette died along with 10 other people, a horse and the famous lion. But he continued to play tricks on people even after his death.


Three days after the fire, another body was discovered in the theatre wearing Lafayette's clothes. This, it emerged, was the magician himself; the first body had been that of an assistant.


One hundred years on, the great magician continues to work his magic. Last weekend, the Edinburgh Festival Theatre hosted a series of special events in honour of the magician, including a séance.


Quiz


When did The Great Lafayette die? 


A century ago - 100 years ago.


Is this statement true, false or not given? Neuberger called himself Lafayette when he was performing his act. 


True - it was his stage name.


Is this statement true, false or not given? Lafayette had remarkable 5 hands. 


Not given - Lafayette had 'sleight of hand' which is a phrase meaning he could use his hands well, but doesn't describe the hands themselves.


When was Lafayette's body found? 


Three days after the fire.


Look at the article. Can you find a synonym 6 for the noun 'act'? 


Routine


Glossary 7 词汇表


magician 魔术师 


stage name 艺名 


illusionist 幻术师、魔术师 


grand finale 终曲、结局 


stunt 特技、绝活 


It’s all done with smoke and mirrors. 这只是烟雾和镜子。(喻) 都是假象而已。 


sleight of hand 手法、技法 


routine 常规节目 


act 节目表演 


to play a trick on someone 开某人的玩笑 


to work one’s magic 有魔力、有影响 


séance 迎神会



n.惊人表演,绝技,特技;vt.阻碍...发育,妨碍...生长
  • Lack of the right food may stunt growth.缺乏适当的食物会阻碍发育。
  • Right up there is where the big stunt is taking place.那边将会有惊人的表演。
n.技巧,花招
  • With a little statistical sleight of hand they could make things look all right.只要在统计上耍些小小的花招,他们就能瞒天过海。
  • In the theater of the media there is an economic sleight of hand.传播媒介在经济上耍了一个大花招。
adj.中途的,不彻底的,部分的;adv.半路地,在中途,在半途
  • We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路,天就黑了。
  • In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上,最忌讳的是有始无终。
n.圣歌,赞美诗,颂歌
  • All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
  • As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上,唱起了国歌。
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
  • She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
  • These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
n.同义词,换喻词
  • Zhuge Liang is a synonym for wisdom in folklore.诸葛亮在民间传说中成了智慧的代名词。
  • The term 'industrial democracy' is often used as a synonym for worker participation. “工业民主”这个词常被用作“工人参与”的同义词。
n.注释词表;术语汇编
  • The text is supplemented by an adequate glossary.正文附有一个详细的词汇表。
  • For convenience,we have also provided a glossary in an appendix.为了方便,我们在附录中也提供了术语表。
学英语单词
administracin
agtgravation
apac
arbor with cross-key
asbest cord
attometer
azara
banqueted
bexide
binding energy per particle
bitemporal hemianopsia
blending process
calyon
carcholin
carmegliptin
carter's spread
Chestertonians
chord inclination
clickily
Constantine Bay
culvert end lift
cut-away cassette
cytogeneticists
desiccants
diglycin
dollkind
donor doping
dragance
drill pipe flexweight
early response
edge effect of laminate
enforce the law strictly
field working
fixed dressing
flamingo-flower
flank forward
Fonofos
go into detail(s)
guaranteed-efficiency
hand operated direction valve
high level control
ileocolic veins
intercontinent
internal orifice of aqueduct of vestibule
Jew's-trumps
levirate
light intemsity variation
low temperature specific heat
lsb
Luqa Internat.Airport
magnesyn compass
maianthemum formosanum
malformation of heart
mat-backed film
monoid curve
montezs
multi-valued decision
network status
off - shore wind
official life
oil holder
olby
Ontariolite
optional half instruction
output voltage swing
parkwest
percentage of diminishing value plan
permeation flux
pipeworkers
protestantizations
pupa coarctata
radio radiations
Ranunculus muricatus
rashly launching new projects
reaggregated
right of rescission
saint-jure
sardonic smile
sash bracket
schaaf
semi-automatic telephone switch board
silurus glaniss
starter button
sticking places
sugar lumps
synaptoneurosomes
taper rolling
tetradentate
thermal equivalent
to much purpose
top-off
total thickness
track control arm
transcriptomic
turks head roll
Universal Telecommunication Radio Access Network
user's needs
vocal coach
warbags
what's with
yarrans