Tiredofsleepingonthefloor,ayoungmaninTeheransavedupforyearstobuyarealbed.Forthefirsttimeinhislife,hebecametheproudownerofabedwhichhadspringsandamattress.Becausetheweatherwasveryhot,hecarriedthebedontotheroofofhishouse.Hesleptverywellforthefirsttwonights,butonthethirdnight,astormblewup.Adustofwindsweptthebedofftheroofandsentitcrashingintothecourtyardbelow.Theyoungmandidnotwakeupuntilthebedhads...[
阅读全文]
Dentistsalwaysaskquestionswhenitisimpossibleforyoutoanswer.Mydentisthadjustpulledoutoneofmyteethandhadtoldmetorestforawhile.Itriedtosaysomething,butmymouthwasfullofcottonwool.HeknewIcollectedbirdseggesandaskedmewhethermycollectionwasgrowing.HethenaskedmehowmybrotherwasandwhetherIlikedmynewjobinLondon.InanswertothesequestionsIeithernoddedormadestrangenoises.Meanwhile,mytonguewasbusysearchingou...[
阅读全文]
ApublichousewhichwasrecentlyboughtbyMr.IanThompsonisupforsale.Mr.Thompsonisgoingtosellitbecauseitishaunted.Hetoldmethathecouldnotgotosleeponenightbecauseheheardastrangenoisecomingfromthebar.Thenextmorning,hefoundthatthedoorshadbeenblockedbychairsandthefurniturehadbeenmoved.ThoughMr.Thompsonhadturnedthelightsoffbeforehewenttobed,theywereoninthemorning.Healsosaidthathehadfoundfiveemptyw...[
阅读全文]
WhenaplanefromLondonarrivedatSydneyairport,workersbegantounloadanumberofwoodenboxeswhichcontainedclothing.Noonecouldaccountforthefactthatoneoftheboxeswasextremelyheavy.Itsuddenlyoccurredtooneoftheworkerstoopenupthebox.Hewasastonishedatwhathefound.Amanwaslyingintheboxontopofapileofwoolengoods.Hewassosurprisedatbeingdiscoveredthathedidnoteventrytorunaway.Afterhewasarrested,themanadmitte...[
阅读全文]
Thewholevillagesoonlearntthatalargesumofmoneyhadbeenlost.SamBenton,thelocalbutcher,hadlosthiswalletwhiletakinghissavingstothepostoffice.Samwassurethatthewalletmusthavebeenfoundbyoneofthevillagers,butitwasnotreturnedtohim.Threemonthspassed,andthenonemorning,Samfoundhiswalletoutsidehisfrontdoor.Ithadbeenwrappedupinnewspaperanditcontainedhalfthemoneyhehadlost,togetherwithanotewhichsaid:'At...[
阅读全文]
Mrs.AnneSterlingdidnotthinkoftheriskshewastakingwhensheranthroughaforestaftertwomen.Theyhadrusheduptoherwhileshewashavingapicnicattheedgeofaforestwithherchildrenandtriedtostealherhandbag.Inthestruggle,thestrapbrokeand,withthebagintheirpossession,bothmenstartedrunningthroughthetrees.Mrs.Sterlinggotsoangrythatsheranafterthem.Shewassoonoutofbreath,butshecontinuedtorun.Whenshecaughtupwiththem,she...[
阅读全文]
In1929,threeyearsafterhisflightovertheNorthPole,theAmericanexplorer,R.E.Byrd,successfullyflewovertheSouthPoleforthefirsttime.Though,atfirst,Byrdandhismenwereabletotakeagreatmanyphotographsofthemountainsthatlaybelow,theysoonranintoserioustrouble.Atonepoint,itseemedcertainthattheirplanewouldcrash.Itcouldonlygetoverthemountainsifitroseto10,000feet.Byrdatonceorderedhismentothrowouttwoheavyfoodsac...[
阅读全文]
AswehadhadalongwalkthroughoneofthemarketsofoldDelhi,westoppedatasquaretohavearest.Afteratime,wenoticedasnakecharmerwithtwolargebasketsattheothersideofthesquare,sowewenttohavealookathim.Assoonashesawus,hepickedupalongpipewhichwascoveredwithcoinsandopenedoneofthebaskets.Whenhebegantoplayatune,wehadourfirstglimpseofthesnake.Itroseoutofthebasketandbegantofollowthemovementsofthepipe.Wewereverymuch...[
阅读全文]
"
'Doyoucallthatahat?'Isaidtomywife.
'Youneedn'tbesorudeaboutit,'mywifeansweredasshelookedatherselfinthemirror.
Isatdownononeofthosemodernchairswithholesinitandwaited.Wehadbeeninthehatshopforhalfanhourandmywifewasstillinfrontofthemirror.
'Wemustn'tbuythingswedon'tneed,'Iremarkedsuddenly.Iregrettedsayingitalmostatonce.
'Youneedn'thavesaidthat,'mywifeanswered.'Ineedn...[
阅读全文]
ThisistheVOASpecialEnglishEconomicsReport.
Thisweek,thetwomajorpresidentialcandidatesgavenewdetailsoftheirplanstohelpAmericansdealwiththeeconomiccrisis.
OnMonday,DemocratBarackObamaofferedproposalstotalingsixtybilliondollarsovertwoyears.Thenextday,RepublicanJohnMcCainannouncedproposalstotalingaboutfifty-threebilliondollars.
Bothplanscallfornewtaxbreaks.
SenatorObamaproposestos...[
阅读全文]