Listentotherecordingtwoorthreetimesandthenthinkoverthefollowingquestions:
1.HaveyoueverheardofDionneWarwickHaveyouhappenedtohearhersing
2.Whatdoesafairweatherfriendmean
3.WhatdoesDionneWarwickthinkfriendsarefor
4.Doesthesonggiveyouanyideaofwhatthestoriesinthisunitwillbeabout
Scriptfortherecording:
JustwhatarefriendsforTohavefunwith,ofcourse,toshareinthegoodtimes.Yetmostpeoplewouldsaythatarealfriendismorethanjustafairweatherfriend.AfairweatherfriendAfairweatherfriendissomeonewho’shappytostaywithyouwhenthingsaregoingwellbutleavesassoonastroublearrives,whileagoodfriend,atruefriend,isonewho’llstandbyyouwhenyoufindyourselfindifficulties.That’scertainlywhattheAmericanpopsingerDionneWarwickthinks.Asshetellsherfriend
…youcanalwayscountonme,
Forsure,that’swhatfriendsarefor,
Forgoodtimes,andbadtimes,
I’llbeonyoursideforevermore.
ButshesingsitbetterthanIcansayit.Solet’slistentoherasshesingshersongThat’sWhatFriendsAreFor.
That’sWhatFriendsAreFor.
DionneWarwick
AndIneverthoughtI’dfeelthisway
AndasfarasI’mconcerned
I’mgladIgotthechancetosay
ThatIdobelieveIloveyou
AndifIshouldevergoaway,
Well,thencloseyoureyesandtry,
Tofeelthewaywedotoday,
Andthenifyoucanremember,
Keepsmiling,keepshining,
Knowingyoucanalwayscountonme,
I’llbeonyoursideforevermore,
That’swhatfriendsarefor.
Well,youcameandopenedme
Andnowthere’ssomuchmoreIsee
Andsobytheway,Ithankyou
Andthenforthetimeswe’reapart,
Well,thencloseyoureyesandknow
Thesewordsarecomingfrommyheart
That’swhatfriendsarefor,
Forsurethat’swhatfriendsarefor,
PartII
TextA
HowdoyoufeelwhenoldfriendsarefarawayDoyoumakeanefforttokeepintouchSometimesitiseasytoputoffwritingaletter,thinkingthattherewillbeplentyoftimetomorrow.Butthensometimes,asthisstoryshows,weleaveittoolate.Perhapsreadingitwillmakeyouwanttoreachforyourpen.
ALLTHECABBIEHADWASALETTER
FosterFurcolo
HemusthavebeencompletelylostinsomethinghewasreadingbecauseIhadtotaponthewindshieldtogethisattention.
"Isyourcabavailable"Iaskedwhenhefinallylookedupatme.Henodded,thensaidapologeticallyasIsettledintothebackseat,"I'msorry,butIwasreadingaletter."Hesoundedasifhehadacoldorsomething.
"I'minnohurry,"Itoldhim."Goaheadandfinishyourletter."
Heshookhishead."I'vereaditseveraltimesalready.IguessIalmostknowitbyheart."
"Lettersfromhomealwaysmeanalot,"Isaid."AtleasttheydowithmebecauseI'montheroadsomuch."Then,estimatingthathewas60or70yearsold,Iguessed:"Fromachildormaybeagrandchild"
"Thisisn'tfamily,"hereplied."Although,"hewenton,"cometothinkofit",itmightjustaswellhavebeenfamily.OldEdwasmyoldestfriend.Infact,weusedtocalleachother'OldFriend'—whenwe'dmeet,thatis.I'mnotmuchofahandatwriting."
"Idon'tthinkanyofuskeepupourcorrespondencetoowell,"Isaid."IknowIdon't.ButItakeithe'ssomeoneyou'veknownquiteawhile"
"Allmylife,practically.Wewerekidstogether,sowegowayback."
"Wenttoschooltogether"
"Allthewaythroughhighschool.Wewereinthesameclass,infact,throughbothgradeandhighschool."
"Therearenottoomanypeoplewho'vehadsuchalongfriendship,"Isaid.
"Actually,"thedriverwenton,"Ihadn'tseenhimmorethanonceortwiceayearoverthepast25or30yearsbecauseImovedawayfromtheoldneighborhoodandyoukindoflosetoucheventhoughyouneverforget.Hewasagreatguy."
"Yousaid'was'.Doesthatmean—"
Henodded."Diedacoupleofweeksago."
"I'msorry,"Isaid."It'snofuntoloseanyfriend—andlosingarealoldoneiseventougher."
Hedidn'treplytothat,andwerodeoninsilenceforafewminutes.ButIrealizedthatOldEdwasstillonhismindwhenhespokeagain,almostmoretohimselfthantome:"Ishouldhavekeptintouch.Yes,"herepeated,"Ishouldhavekeptintouch."
"Well,"Iagreed,"weshouldallkeepintouchwitholdfriendsmorethanwedo.Butthingscomeupandwejustdon'tseemtofindthetime."
Heshrugged."Weusedtofindthetime,"hesaid."That'sevenmentionedintheletter."Hehandeditovertome."Takealook."
"Thanks,"Isaid,"butIdon'twanttoreadyourmail.That'sprettypersonal."
Thedrivershrugged."OldEd'sdead.There'snothingpersonalnow.Goahead,"heurgedme.
Theletterwaswritteninpencil.Itbeganwiththegreeting"OldFriend,"andthefirstsentenceremindedmeofmyself.I'vebeenmeaningtowriteforsometime,butI'vealwayspostponedit.Itthenwentontosaythatheoftenthoughtaboutthegoodtimestheyhadhadtogetherwhentheybothlivedinthesameneighborhood.Ithadreferencestothingsthatprobablymeantsomethingtothedriver,suchasthetimeTimSheabrokethewindow,theHalloweenthatwetiedOldMr.Parker'sgate,andwhenMrs.Culverusedtokeepusafterschool.
"Youmusthavespentalotoftimetogether,"Isaidtohim.
"Likeitsaysthere,"heanswered,"aboutallwehadtospendinthosedayswastime."Heshookhishead:"Time."
Ithoughtthenextparagraphoftheletterwasalittlesad:Ibegantheletterwith"OldFriend"becausethat'swhatwe'vebecomeovertheyears—oldfriends.Andtherearen'tmanyofusleft.
"Youknow,"Isaidtohim,"whenitsaysherethattherearen'tmanyofusleft,that'sabsolutelyright.EverytimeIgotoaclassreunion,forexample,therearefewerandfewerstillaround."
"Timegoesby,"thedriversaid.
"Didyoutwoworkatthesameplace"Iaskedhim.
"No,butwehungoutonthesamecornerwhenweweresingle.Andthen,whenweweremarried,weusedtogotoeachother'shouseeverynowandthen.Butforthelast20or30yearsit'sbeenmostlyjustChristmascards.Ofcoursethere'dbealwaysanotewe'deachaddtothecards—usuallysomenewsaboutourfamilies,youknow,whatthekidsweredoing,whomovedwhere,anewgrandchild,thingslikethat—butneverarealletteroranythinglikethat."
"Thisisagoodparthere,"Isaid."WhereitsaysYourfriendshipovertheyearshasmeantanawfullottome,morethanIcansaybecauseI'mnotgoodatsayingthingslikethat."Ifoundmyselfnoddinginagreement."Thatmusthavemadeyoufeelgood,didn'tit"
ThedriversaidsomethingthatIcouldn'tunderstandbecauseheseemedtobeallchokedup,soIcontinued:"IknowI'dliketoreceivealetterlikethatfrommyoldestfriend."
WeweregettingclosetoourdestinationsoIskippedtothelastparagraph.SoIthoughtyou'dliketoknowthatIwasthinkingofyou.Anditwassigned，YourOldFriend,Tom.
Ihandedbacktheletteraswestoppedatmyhotel."Enjoyedtalkingwithyou,"IsaidasItookmysuitcaseoutofthecab.TomTheletterwassignedTom
"Ithoughtyourfriend'snamewasEd,"Isaid."WhydidhesignitTom"
"TheletterwasnotfromEdtome,"heexplained."I'mTom.It'saletterIwrotetohimbeforeIknewhe'ddied.SoInevermailedit."
Helookedsortofsorrowful,orasifheweretryingtoseesomethinginthedistance."IguessIshouldhavewrittenitsooner."
WhenIgottomyhotelroomIdidn'tunpackrightaway.FirstIhadtowritealetter—andmailit.
(1093words)
NewWordsandExpressions
cabbie
n.(infml)ataxidriver
belostin/loseoneselfin
beabsorbedin,befullyoccupiedwith专心致志于
windshield
n.(AmE)theglasswindowinthefrontofacar,truck,etc.（汽车的）挡风玻璃
cab
n.ataxi出租车
available
a.abletobeused,hadorreached可用的；可得到的
apologetically
ad.showingorsayingthatoneissorryforsomefaultorwrong道歉地，带着歉意地
orsomething
(infml)(usedwhenyouarenotverysureaboutwhatyouhavejustsaid)诸如此类的事
goahead
continue;begin
know/learnbyheart
memorize,rememberexactly记住，能背出
estimate
vt.formajudgementabout估计
might/may(just)aswell
不妨，（也）无妨
notmuchofa
notagood不太好的
keepup
continuewithoutstopping保持
correspondence
n.theactofwriting,receivingorsendingletters;letters通信（联系）；信件
practically
ad.almost
kid
n.(infml)achild
alltheway
自始至终，一直
neighborhood
n.街坊；四邻
kind/sortof
(infml)alittlebit,insomewayordegree有几分，有点儿
losetouch
失去联系
acoupleof
几个；一对，一双
guy
n.家伙；伙计
tough
a.(infml)unfortunate;difficult;strong不幸的；困难的；坚固的；坚强的
onone'smind
挂记在心头
keepintouch(with)
（与…）保持联系，保持接触
comeup
happen,occur,esp.unexpectedly（尤指意想不到地）发生，出现
shrug
v.lift(theshoulders)slightly耸（肩）
urge
v.tryveryhardtopersuade力劝，催促
postpone
vt.delay推迟，使延期
reference
n.提及，谈到；参考，查阅
absolutely
ad.completely完全地，极其
absolutea.
reunion▲
n.（家人、朋友、同事等久别后的）重聚
goby
hangout
(infml)stayinornearaplace,notdoingverymuch闲荡；徘徊
everynowandthen
sometimes,attimes
mostly
ad.almostall;generally几乎全部；多半，大体
awful
a.(infml)(usedtoaddforce)verygreat;verybadorunpleasant非常的，极大的；可怕的，糟糕的