Lesson 19 Sam and His Store

Lesson 19 Lesson 19

Sam and Sam and His StoreHis Store

1. Warm-up Questions2. Background Knowledge

3. Text Analysis4. Exercises

5. Questions For Discussion

Distant Education College, Jilin UniversityDistant Education College, Jilin University

Extensive Reading IIExtensive Reading II

Warm-up Questions


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1. What kind of man was Sam all his life?

2. What was Sam’s attitude toward work?

3. How did he leave the world?

4. What kind of man was George at the time of his father’s death?

5. How did George change eleven months after his father’s death?

Background Knowledge


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1. The Bronx: The Bronx, which is always referred to with the article “the”, is the only borough of New York City on the mainland. The number of residents of predominantly central and eastern European origin has declined over the years, while black and Puerto Rican residents have increased in number.

The Bronx is famous for the Bronx Zoo, the New York Botanical Garden, Yankee Stadium, Poe Cottage in which the writer Edgar Allen Poe lived and the Van Cortlandt Mansion where George Washington is said to have spent a night.

2. Sandwich: The word “sandwich” is attributed to the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, a compulsive gambler. He did not like to stop playing cards to eat a meal. Instead he had pieces of cooked meat served to him between two slices of bread. In this way he could continue playing without stopping!

Today, the sandwich has become one of the most popular snacks in the world. In the United States giant or super-sandwiches have become popular, especially among young people. Generally, the huge sandwiches are made from a whole loaf of bread that is sliced lengthwise. Then it is filled with generous amounts of cold meats, cheeses, tomatoes, and sliced onions. Sometimes different spices, salad oil or mustard are added. The sandwich is a meal in itself.



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3. Retirement: In America the regular age for retirement is 65. At the time the worker will get a pension from the government. The pension is a set amount of money the person will receive each month for the rest of his life. In addition to the government pension the person will also receive a pension from the company where he has worked most of his adult life.

Retirement means the person no longer needs to go to work. However, it does not mean he is no longer active. Retirement is a time the person can devote his energy to his hobbies, his family or whatever interests him. The activities of the retired person can be few or many depending on the individual person.



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1. What do you think of Sam and George?

2. Do you try to achieve a balance in your life between work and leisure?

3. Make a few suggestions on how this can be achieved.

4. If there were no financial cares, what would you do if you didn’t have a job?

Questions for Discussion


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1. True/False Questions

2. Multiple-choice Questions

Exercises


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1. Sam was a hard-working person by nature.

2. Sam never thought about freedom and happiness.

3. Sam loved working without any complaints because he could get much pleasure and happiness from work.

4. Sam’s neighbors and customers liked to buy goods at his store.

True/False Questions


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1. Sam was a hard-working person by nature. T

2. Sam never thought about freedom and happiness.





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2. Sam never thought about freedom and happiness. T





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3. Sam loved working without any complaints because he could get much pleasure and happiness from work. T




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3. Sam loved working without any complaints because he could get much pleasure and happiness from work. T

4. Sam’s neighbors and customers liked to buy goods at his store. T



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5. Sam refused to retire from his store because he couldn’t imagine how to live without working.

6. George’s marriage breakup didn’t prevent him from working.

7. George realized that although he was quite successful in his career, he failed to enjoy life.

8. Sam devoted himself wholly to running his store though he knew it cost him too much freedom and personal happiness.



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5. Sam refused to retire from his store because he couldn’t imagine how to live without working. T

6. George’s marriage breakup didn’t prevent him from working.





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6. George’s marriage breakup didn’t prevent him from working. T





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7. George realized that although he was quite successful in his career, he failed to enjoy life. T




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7. George realized that although he was quite successful in his career, he failed to enjoy life. T

8. Sam devoted himself wholly to running his store though he knew it cost him too much freedom and personal happiness. F



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9. Sam got along well with his customers and neighbours.

10. Finally Sam’s sons talked him into retiring. But living an idle life soon led to his death.

11. Unlike his father, George was a loafer by nature.

12. George learned a hard lesson from his father’s death. He no longer wished to live the life his father had lived.

13. George quit his job, which greatly puzzled his friends.



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9. Sam got along well with his customers and neighbours. T

10. Finally Sam’s sons talked him into retiring. But living an idle life soon led to his death.






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10. Finally Sam’s sons talked him into retiring. But living an idle life soon led to his death. F






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11. Unlike his father, George was a loafer by nature. F





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12. George learned a hard lesson from his father’s death. He no longer wished to live the life his father had lived. T




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12. George learned a hard lesson from his father’s death. He no longer wished to live the life his father had lived. T

13. George quit his job, which greatly puzzled his friends. T



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1. Sam loved his grocery dearly because _____.

A) he had been its owner from the start

B) the grocery helped him to make a fortune

C) the grocery was a place where he could meet people

D) the store was his home and the center of his life

Multiple-choice Questions


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1. Sam loved his grocery dearly because _____. D

A) he had been its owner from the start

B) the grocery helped him to make a fortune

C) the grocery was a place where he could meet people

D) the store was his home and the center of his life

2. Sam’s philosophy of life was that _______.

A) as the father of the family, he had to provide an education for his sons

B) in order to get the respect of others, he had to earn a decent living

C) one had to work hard to get anything valuable

D) he had to work long hours to sell more than other shopkeepers



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2. Sam’s philosophy of life was that _______. C

A) as the father of the family, he had to provide an education for his sons

B) in order to get the respect of others, he had to earn a decent living

C) one had to work hard to get anything valuable

D) he had to work long hours to sell more than other shopkeepers

3. Sam’s youngest son, a promising geologist, decided to quit his job when ______.

A) his father died

B) his wife left him

C) he grew tired of just working

D) he won his fame



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3. Sam’s youngest son, a promising geologist, decided to quit his job when ______. C

A) his father died

B) his wife left him

C) he grew tired of just working

D) he won his fame

4. George’s wife divorced him probably because _______.

A) he couldn’t earn enough money for her to spend

B) he always quarreled with her

C) he spent little time with her

D) he usually did paperwork at night when he came home



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4. George’s wife divorced him probably because _______. C

A) he couldn’t earn enough money for her to spend

B) he always quarreled with her

C) he spent little time with her

D) he usually did paperwork at night when he came home

5. How did George feel about his job?

A) He loved it very much.

B) He felt that his job was a burden.

C) He thought that his wife wouldn’t have left him if he hadn’t taken this job.

D) He felt that he could not enjoy life simply because of his job.



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5. How did George feel about his job? D

A) He loved it very much.

B) He felt that his job was a burden.

C) He thought that his wife wouldn’t have left him if he hadn’t taken this job.

D) He felt that he could not enjoy life simply because of his job.

Sam, an owner of a small store in New York City, never stopped working until his death. However, his son, George, who had been an ambitious person, one day quit his job in order to pay attention to other things in life. What do you think about their attitudes to work?

Text Analysis


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Sam was a grocer in the Bronx. All his life he had worked hard, first as the only employee in the same small grocery, and then as its owner. The store, which opened at 7:30 A.M., never closed before eight in the evening — and often later, for Sam never refused to serve late customers when he was still around cleaning up the place. His wife helped during most of the day, and her sister came in the morning to prepare the sandwiches that they would sell at noontime. Sam’s three children had always been expected to give a hand when they were not in school or doing their homework.

Text Analysis


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Sam took his long days as a matter of course. Like most men of his age and modest background, he regarded work as the normal human fate. He didn’t resent taking pains to assure the financial security of his family because he was convinced that anything of value has to be earned. Surely, it never occurred to Sam to wonder whether this security was costing him too much freedom and personal happiness. For one thing, he didn’t consider himself unhappy or unfairly burdened. He was just a man doing his duty. Besides, he had his rewards: the store had prospered nicely since he had bought it and he felt proud of his success. It was good also to know that he had earned the respect and friendship of his neighbors; it was good to feel needed, responsible, and liked.

Text Analysis


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For Sam the little store didn’t represent only a hard way to make a living and to provide his sons with the education that he had not received himself. It was not just a place to work. It was his true home, his world, the very center of his life, and his pleasure as well. He enjoyed his daily conversations with his customers, the jokes he shared with the policeman on the beat, and the company of Fred, the tailor next door, who came every day for an apple and a bit of gossip. During the quiet hours of midafternoon, Sam would stand at his door, between the oranges and the potatoes, happily surveying his street. He belonged there, in this community of shopkeepers who shared his problems and his satisfactions.

Text Analysis


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Sam’s sons tried in vain to talk his into retiring at seventy. He couldn’t imagine a life away from his store, his responsibilities, his friends; the very idea of doing nothing made him uncomfortable. Sam ran his store until he was seventy-four. One morning, as he was carrying a box of apples outside, he collapsed and died of a heart attack without having been sick or idle one day. That was pretty much what he had hoped for.

Text Analysis


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At the time of his father’s death, Sam’s youngest son George was thirty-eight years old. A geologist, he held a demanding and highly paid position with a company that built nuclear reactors. He had to explore possible locations for new reactors and to study the ground to see if it was safe. The job involved much traveling, but George didn’t seem to mind being away from his family for long periods of time, and spending evenings on paperwork when he was back home. The resulting breakup of his marriage saddened him without bringing any change in his way of life. Anyone who knew George would have described him as a hard-working, ambitious, competitive man with a splendid future in the company.

Text Analysis


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Eleven months after his father’s death, George stopped working. He was not fired; he was not pushed out by a rival; he simply quit. His friends could hardly believe the news at first. When they tried to get an explanation, George told them that, after much reflection, he had reached the conclusion that his beloved career was robbing him of his life. He had always been too busy to pay attention to anything that was not connected with his work; too busy to share the interests of his wife; too busy to see the days and the years go by. In short, he had been nothing but a successful robot. Now he was going to stop running and take a good look at the world.

Text Analysis


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He wanted to get to know himself, to watch the birds in his garden, and to become aware of the passage of time. No, he said, he had no intention of looking for another job after a while; and he had no desire to travel. He was just going to live and think in peace, at leisure.

(to be continued)From A changing Scene,

ed., Lucette Rollet Kenan, New York, 1982.

Approximately 800 words.

Text Analysis


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Words to Know

grocer [] n. 食品商，杂货商=one that sells foodstuffs and various household suppliese.g. My uncle is a successful grocer in New York.我的叔叔是纽约一个成功的食品商人。


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Words to Know

resent [] vt. 对…怨恨=feel indignantly aggrieved ate.g. He resents criticism.他怨恨批评。


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Words to Know

occur [] vi. 出现（在某人脑海里）= come to minde.g. An idea occurred to me. 我想到一个主意。


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Words to Know

gossip [] n. 闲聊=rumor or talk of a personal, sensational, or intimate naturee.g. You shouldn't listen to gossip. 你不应该听流言蜚语。


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Words to Know

collapse [] vi. 昏倒，病倒= break down suddenly in strength or healthe.g. If you work too hard, your health may collapse.如果你工作太累的话，你可能病倒。


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Words to Know

idle [] a. 无所事事，懒散=avoiding work or employment; lazye.g. That boy is really idle. 那男孩真懒。


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Words to Know

geologist [] n. 地质学家=an expert in geologye.g. His dream is to become a geologist.他的梦想使成为一名地质学家。


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Words to Know

reactor [] n. 反应堆=apparatus for the controlled production of nuclear energye.g. There are several nuclear reactors in that nuclear power plant.那家核电厂有好几个核反应堆。


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Words to Know

nuclear [] n. 核= relating to atomic nucleie.g. Nuclear war will be a disaster for all the living things.核战争对所有生物来说都是一场灾难。


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Words to Know

ambitious [] a. 有抱负的，雄心勃勃的=characterized by, or motivated by ambitione.g. They are ambitious although they are poor.他们虽穷却很有志气。


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Words to Know

competitive [] a. 竞争的= involving, or determined by competitione.g. Basketball is a kind of highly competitive sport.篮球是一种竞争性很强的运动。


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Words to Know

rival [] n. 竞争者= competitore.g. She and I are rivals for the swimming prize. 我和她是游泳比赛奖的竞争对手。


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Words to Know

quit [] vi. 离开，离去=depart from; leavee.g. I'm going to quit next week.我下星期辞职。


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Words to Know

fire [] vt. 解雇=dismisse.g. According the Law of Labour, bosses can't fire workers at will any longer.根据劳动法 , 老板们再也不可以任意解雇工人了。


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Words to Know

reflection [] n. 思考，考虑=careful consideratione.g. After a minute's reflection, he answered. 他沉思片刻后才回答。


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Words to Know

career [] n. 职业，工作=a profession or occupatione.g. My grandfather was a career teacher; it's the only job he'd ever done.我祖父教了一辈子书 , 教书是他所干过的唯一的工作。


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Words to Know

robot [] n. 机器人=a mechanical device that sometimes resembles a human beinge.g. Scientists want to make advanced robots to do dangerous jobs for human beings.科学家想要制造出先进的机器人来为人类做危险的工作。


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Words to Know

aware [] a. 意识到的=having knowledge or cognizancee.g. He doesn't seem to be aware of the coldness of their attitude towards his appeal.他好象没有意识到大家对他呼吁 , 态度冷淡。


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Words to Know

passage [] n. （时间）流逝=(time) goes bye.g. Along with the passage of time, people will gradually forget him.随着时间的推移，人们会逐渐淡忘他。


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Words to Know

the Bronx [the Bronx []]: a part of New York City


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Useful Phrases and Expressions

give a hand 给（某人）以帮助e.g. Give me a hand with the washing-up, please.请帮我洗餐具。


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as a matter of course 作为理所当然的事e.g. As a matter of course, the deputy mayor was elected mayor.理所当然 , 代市长被选为市长。


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take pains 煞费苦心（做），（为…）费尽心机e.g. John took great pains to please his lover.约翰费尽心机去讨好他的爱人。


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for one thing 首先，一则e.g. For one thing, I haven't any money; for another, I don’t have time. 一则我没钱，再则我也没时间。


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go by （指时间）过去，流逝e.g. As time goes by, his theory proved to be true.随时光流逝 , 他的理论被证明是正确的。


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in short 总之，简而言之e.g. In short, we won’t agree with your proposal.简而言之，我们不会同意你的建议。


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nothing but 只不过，仅仅e.g. Nothing but doubts can prevent you from succeeding.只有疑虑能阻碍你的成功。


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Difficult Sentences

The store, which opened at 7:30 A.M., never closed before eight in the evening — and often later, for Sam never refused to serve late customers when he was still around cleaning up the place.这家杂货店早上七点半开门，晚上八点前从没关过门，超过八点是常事。因为即便是萨姆在准备打烊时，也从不拒绝接待晚来的顾客。


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Difficult Sentences

He didn’t resent taking pains to assure the financial security of his family because he was convinced that anything of value has to be earned.他并不怨恨要为维持一家人的生计而操劳，因为他确信任何有价值的东西都是挣来的。


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Difficult Sentences

Surely, it never occurred to Sam to wonder whether this security was costing him too much freedom and personal happiness.确实，萨姆从未思考过是否为了维持生计他牺牲了太多的自由和个人幸福。


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Difficult Sentences

The resulting breakup of his marriage saddened him without bringing any change in his way of life.由此引起的婚姻破裂使他难过，但未能改变他的生活方式。


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Difficult Sentences

He wanted to get to know himself, to watch the birds in his garden, and to become aware of the passage of time.他希望能了解自己，能在花园里观察飞鸟，并注意到时间的流逝。


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Difficult Sentences

Sam took his long days as a matter of course. Like most men of his age and modest background, he regarded work as the normal human fate.萨姆把长时间工作看作理所当然的事，像与他同代和家境穷寒的人一样，他认为工作是命中注定的事。

“ verb + 宾语 + as + 宾语补语” , as 在宾语后通常引出宾语补足话。可用于这种特殊结构的动词有 recognize, see regard, take, describe, treat, accept, consider, etc.:A young Customs Officer clearly regarded me as a smuggler.一位年轻的海关官员显然把我当作走私犯了。


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Difficult Sentences

Anyone who knew George would have described him as a hard-working, ambitious, competitive man with a splendid future in the company.任何了解乔治的人都会说他是一个勤奋、雄心勃勃且有竞争力的人，都认为他在公司里前途无量。


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Difficult Sentences

A geologist, he held a demanding and highly paid position with a company that built nuclear reactors.由于他是个地质学家，在一家建造核反应堆的公司从事一项要求颇高，而薪水也丰厚的工作。

A geologist 在句子中起状语的作用，通常表示原因：An art student, he is naturally interested in Picasso's paintings.由于他是一个学艺术的学生，自然对毕加索的油画感兴趣。


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Difficult Sentences

For Sam the little store didn’t represent only a hard way to make a living and to provide his sons with the education that he had not received himself.对萨姆而言，小小的杂货店不仅意味着以辛勤劳动来维持生计，而且还为儿子们提供了受教育的机会，这种机会他个人从未享受过。


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Difficult Sentences

It was not just a place to work. It was his true home, his world, the very center of his life, and his pleasure as well.这不仅仅是工作的地方，这是他真正的家，他的世界，他全部生活的中心，也是他的乐趣所在。


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Difficult Sentences

He belonged there, in this community of shopkeepers who shared his problems and his satisfactions.在周围与他同甘共苦的店主中．他找到了自己的归属。

He belonged there, in this community of shopkeepers: He had found the right place for himself among his neighboring shopkeepers.


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Difficult Sentences

Sam’s sons tried in vain to talk his into retiring at seventy. He couldn’t imagine a life away from his store, his responsibilities, his friends; the very idea of doing nothing made him uncomfortable.萨姆的儿子们始终未能说服他在 70岁时退休。萨姆无法想象脱离店铺、脱离职责以及周围朋友们的生活。甚至不干活的想法都令他感到不舒服。


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Difficult Sentences

When they tried to get an explanation, George told them that, after much reflection, he had reached the conclusion that his beloved career was robbing him of his life.当朋友们问他这样做的原因时，乔治对他们说，经过反思，他得出结论，是他热爱的事业剥夺了他的正常生活。


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Difficult Sentences

who came every day for an apple and a bit of gossip: who came to his store every day to buy an apple and to talk a little about people they knew or to talk about local, national or world events of passing interest.


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Words to Know

prosper [prosper []] v.To be fortunate or successful, especially in terms of one‘s finances; thrive. 繁盛，成功幸运或成功的，尤对某人财富而言；繁盛

eg. China is prospering with each passing day.中国正在蒸蒸日上。


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Lesson 19 Sam and His Store

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Transcript of Lesson 19 Sam and His Store