高中英语人教版 (2019)选择性必修 第二册Unit 4 Journey Across a Vast Land学案

Unit 4 Journey Across a Vast Land Using Language

词汇知识·自主学习

Ⅰ. 根据语境及汉语提示写出正确的单词

1. the following idiom　　　　   下面这个成语

2. contrary to the fact      与事实相反

3. come back safely anyhow    无论如何要平安回来

4. alongside the coast      沿着海岸

5. proceed to the main business of the meeting

           进入会议的主要议程

6. across the shores of Lake Ontario 横跨安大略湖的海岸

7. be astonished at      对……感到非常惊讶

8. misty clouds       云雾

9. glass and steel       玻璃和钢

10. around dusk at dinner     晚餐的黄昏时分

11. all the signs and advertisements  所有的标志和广告

12. with an accent       带着口音

13. amateur photographer    业余摄影师

14. owe money to someone    欠某人钱

15. good coffee,  toast,  and cheese 美味的咖啡、吐司和奶酪

Ⅱ. 选词填空

owe. . . to,  be close to,  go on a tour of,  dream of,  look across,  in the distance,  roll by,  all kinds of,  in contrast to,  with an accent

1. After they arrived in Toronto,  they went on a tour of the city.  

2. They looked across the shores of Lake Ontario.  

3. You can hear the thunder of the falls in the distance.  

4. I’m sure that our difficulties are only temporary. We must wait until the clouds roll by.  

5. We can get all kinds of great food here from all over China.  

6. At the station,  in contrast to Toronto,  they heard people talking in French.  

7. It sounds funny to hear foreigners speak with an accent.  

8. Old Montreal is close to the water.  

9. You owe it to yourselves to stay longer.

10. The cousins dreamt happily of the beautiful cobblestone streets.

Ⅲ. 翻译下列课文原句, 并观察黑体部分

1. Standing in the distance,  they were astonished to see misty clouds rising from the great Niagara Falls,  which is on the south side of the lake.

站在远处,  她们惊讶地看到薄雾从湖南边的尼亚加拉瀑布上空升起。

2. The girls saw hundreds of skyscrapers of glass and steel,  and old-fashioned cars rolling by.

 女孩们看到数以百计的由玻璃和钢铁构成的摩天大楼, 还有老式汽车从身边驶过。

3. They were surprised to see that all the signs and advertisements were in French and many people spoke English with an accent.

 她们惊讶地发现所有的标示牌和广告都是用法语写的, 许多人说着带口音的英语。

阅读精析·合作学习

　Task 1　框架宏观建构: 整体理解 

Skim the passage and fill in the blanks

　Task 2　文本微观剖析:  细节探究 

1. Choose the best answer.

(1)What astonished them?

A. The shores of Lake Ontario. 　　B. Misty clouds.

C. The falls.        D. The lake.

(2)What can we know about Lin Fei?

A. She is Li Daiyu’s old schoolmate.

B. She moved to Canada last year.

C. She knew downtown Chinatown well.

D. She cooked a delicious meal for them.

(3)How long did they stay in Montreal?

A. Only one day.   B. Only one night.

C. For a few hours.  D. For one afternoon.

答案: (1)～(3)BCA

2. Reread the passage and fill in the blanks.

　　After Li Daiyu and her cousin arrived in Toronto,  the largest and (1)wealthiest (wealthy)city in Canada, they went on (2)a tour of the city. (3)Seen (see)in the distance,  misty clouds was rising from the great Niagara Falls, (4)which made them astonished. Then at a restaurant (5)in downtown Chinatown,  they met Lin Fei,  who (6)had moved(move) to Canada many years earlier. The train left late that night and arrived in Montreal early the next morning. At the station,  they heard people (7)talking(talk) in French. They were surprised (8)to find (find) many people spoke English with an accent. They met Jean-Philippe,  a (9)photographer(photograph). That night the train was speeding. The cousins dreamt (10)happily(happy) of the beautiful scenery of Montreal.  

3. Long sentence analysis.

译文: 站在远处,  她们惊讶地看到薄雾从湖南边的尼亚加拉瀑布上空升起。

译文: 表姐妹和林菲聊了起来, 林菲多年前就搬到加拿大去了。

　Task 3　阅读思维升华: 主题实践 

1. If you only had half a day in a city,  would you plan a trip? (Creative Thinking创造性思维)

I will try my best to arrange time for traveling,  because the purpose of traveling is to get out and see more.  

2. If you were traveling in Canada,  would you choose the train? (Critical Thinking批判性思维)

I would do that. Because I want to slowly taste the scenery along the way and feel the local people.  

要点精研·探究学习

1. contrary adj. 相反的; 相对立的 n. 相反的事实(或事情)

*(2020•新高考全国Ⅰ卷)And contrary to existing research that says you should avoid eating with heavier people who order large portions,  it’s the beanpoles with big appetites you really need to avoid.

和现存研究的结论“你应该避免和肥胖且吃得多的人在一起吃饭”相反, 你真正需要避免接触的应该是身材苗条但是吃得多的人。

*Show me some evidence to the contrary.

给我看看有什么相反的证据吧。

*—I think you should cut down the price.

——我认为你们应该降低价格。

—On the contrary, we will raise the price.

——正相反, 我们将要提高价格。

【词块积累】

contrary to　　　  与……相反 (形容词短语, 可作定语、表语或状语)

to the contrary   相反的; 相反地 (相当于形容词或副词, 起形容词作用时, 作后置定语)

on the contrary  与此相反, 正相反(在句中作状语)

When we see men of worth,  we should think of equaling them;  when we see men of a contrary character,  we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.

见贤思齐焉, 见不贤而内自省也。

根据语境填入恰当的contrary短语

(1)My sister’s taste in dress is contrary to my own.  

(2)It wasn’t a good thing;  on the contrary,  it was a huge mistake.  

(3)Although Bill was going to the movies, he told Joe to the contrary.  

2. anyhow adv. (结束交谈或转换话题时)不过; 反正(也作 anyway)

*I am afraid we can’t come, but thanks for your invitation anyhow.

我恐怕我们来不了, 不过还是感谢你的邀请。

*(2020•浙江高考) Obviously Don had somehow made the vehicle move. 显然, Don不知怎么把车子发动了起来。

【词块积累】

somehow    adv. 以某种方式; 不知怎么地

(1)选词填空(anyhow;  somehow)

①Somehow,  I don’t feel I can trust him.

②The water was very cold but I took a shower anyhow.

(2)Anyhow I must finish this job today.  

我今天无论如何要完成这项工作。

(3)I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you just now. You look different somehow.  

我很抱歉刚才没认出你来。不知怎么地, 你看上去不一样了。

3. astonish vt. 使十分惊讶; 使吃惊

*We were astonished to find the temple in its original condition. 我们惊讶地发现寺庙还是原来的样子。

*The young Jubilado was astonished at the Bajau because they could stay long underwater.

年轻的Jubilado对Bajau人感到惊讶, 因为他们可以在水下待很长时间。

*After I told her the news,  she stared at me in astonishment. 

我把消息告诉她之后, 她惊讶得睁大了眼睛盯着我。

*To the astonishment of the public, up to now, the government hasn’t reacted to the problem. 令公众惊讶的是, 到目前为止, 政府还没有对这个问题做出反应。

【词块积累】

be astonished to do sth. 　　对做某事感到惊讶

be astonished at/by. . .   对……感到惊讶

astonishment      n. 惊讶; 惊异

in astonishment    惊讶地; 吃惊地

【知识延伸】

(1)语法填空

①I was astonished to see(see) him here.  

②You look astonished at/by the news.

③It is astonishing(astonish) to hear him say so.

④To my astonishment,  he was the first to come.

(2)同义句改写

We were astonished that he actually arrived punctually.

①What astonished us was that he actually arrived punctually. (用what引导主语从句改写) 

②It astonished us that he actually arrived punctually. (用it作形式主语改写) 

4. owe vt. 欠(账、债、情等)

*You owe more than gold to him who is in favour of you.

=You owe him more than gold who is in favour of you.

对于支持你的人, 你欠他的不只是金子。

* He owes what he has today to the reform.

他把他今天所拥有的归功于改革。

*I owed it to you that I grasped the opportunity.

多亏你帮助我, 我才抓住了这次机会。

【词块积累】

owe sth.  to sb. /owe sb.    sth. 欠某人某物

【知识延伸】

owing to(= because of )“由于, 因为”, 引导原因状语, 可位于句首、句中或句末。

Owing to the rain, I objected to going out.

由于下雨, 我不赞成外出。

(1)语法填空

①The country owes billions of dollars to foreign creditors.

②He was out of work owing (owe) to a physical injury.

(2)Owing to the bad weather(由 于 天 气不好), we didn’t go to the park.  

(3) He asked for help from a colleague who owed him a favour(欠他一个人情).  

5. Standing in the distance,  they were astonished to see misty clouds rising from the great Niagara Falls, which is on the south side of the lake.  

站在远处,  她们惊讶地看到薄雾从湖南边的尼亚加拉瀑布上空升起。

【句式解构】

动词-ing形式(短语)作状语, stand与其逻辑主语(即主句的主语)“they” 存在逻辑上的主动关系(主谓关系), 所以用现在分词。后面是一个主句加定语从句, which引导非限制性定语从句, 修饰先行词the great Niagara Falls。

“see+宾语+宾语补足语”结构中, 宾语补足语既可以是不带to的动词不定式, 也可以是现在分词和过去分词。

感官动词+宾语+非谓语动词

(1)除see外还有一些感官动词, 如hear, notice, watch, feel等, 也可用不带to的不定式, 现在分词和过去分词作宾语补足语。

As soon as he entered the office,  he noticed his cup broken.

他一进办公室就注意到他的杯子被打碎了。

(2)不带to的不定式作宾语补足语时, 如变成被动句, 需加上to, 这时不定式成为主语补足语; 分词作宾语补足语时, 如变成被动句, 则不需要变化, 可直接用作主语补足语。

I heard the students sing an English song.

➝The students were heard to sing an English song.

我听到学生们唱了一首英文歌。

(1)语法填空

①(2020·浙江高考)Lamb and mother reunited,  I turned back to the tractor only to see it move(move) suddenly away from me.

②(2020·全国Ⅱ卷)They make great gifts and you see them many times decorated(decorate) with red envelopes and messages of good fortune.

③(2020·新高考全国Ⅰ卷)When he was 16,  Molai began to notice something disturbing (disturb) happening around his home.

(2)Mother watched her son playing in the park.  

母亲看着儿子在公园里玩。

【要点拾遗】

1. contrast v. &n. 对照, 对比

*Her dark hair contrasted sharply with her pale silk dress.

她的黑发与她那件淡色丝绸衣服形成鲜明的对比。

*In contrast to his brother,  he is always considerate towards others.

与他哥哥不同, 他总是为别人着想。

*When you look at their new system,  ours seems very old-fashioned by contrast.

看一看他们的新系统, 相比之下, 我们的系统就显得非常过时了。

(1)语法填空

①John’s friendliness was in marked contrast to/with his brother’s rude behaviour.

②The snow was icy and white, contrasting(contrast) with the brilliant blue sky.

(2)The company lost $13 million this year, in contrast to/with(与……形成对比)a profit of $15 million last year.  

(3)Their old house had been large and spacious, but by contrast(相比之下)their new flat seemed small and dark.  

2. advertise v. (为……)做广告, 登广告; 征聘, 公布

*Have you tried that new shampoo they’ve been advertising on TV?

你试过他们一直在电视上做广告的那种新洗发液吗?

*Some people advertise for someone to look after their children.

一些人登广告雇人照顾他们的孩子。

*If you want to sell your house, why not put an advertisement in a newspaper?

如果你想卖掉你的房子, 为什么不在报纸上登个广告呢?

【词块积累】

advertise on TV/in a newspaper  在电视/报纸上登广告

advertise for       为征求……登广告

【知识延伸】

(1)用advertise的适当形式填空

①I would like to apply for the job advertised in the paper.

②She looked through the job advertisements on the wall.

③From the point of view of an advertiser,  television is a wonderful medium.

(2)I saw the house advertised in the local paper.  

我看见这栋房子在当地报纸上登了广告。

读写结合·表达升级

如何写一封旅游的电子邮件

　　本单元的写作任务是写一封电子邮件, 电子邮件是互联网时代人们进行书面交流的重要文体, 应引起我们的高度重视。

基本框架

1. 开头: 在电子邮件开头点明目的非常重要, 这样才能更好地引出邮件的主要内容。

2. 正文: 这是电子邮件的主要部分, 大多把话题分成几个小主题, 每个小主题一段。写电子邮件语言要简洁, 通常多使用短句, 意思要清楚。当然, 对重点部分要做详细介绍。内容较多时可以以附件的形式发出。

3. 结尾: 常用敬语, 表示客套和礼节, 措辞应恰当。

　　假设你是王阳, 你的网友李明给你发来电子邮件, 告诉你今年寒假他要去国外旅行, 想让你给他一些有关国外旅行的建议。请根据下面的提示给他回一封电子邮件。内容包括:

1. 建议:

(1)事先了解该国语言、历史、文化及风俗习惯;

(2)保管好身份证、护照、钱及其他贵重物品;

(3)遇到麻烦, 向警察或中国大使馆求助。

2. 祝李明旅途愉快。

注意: (1)词数80个左右;

(2)可以适当增加细节, 以使行文连贯。

参考词汇: 大使馆 embassy

·完成句子

1. 知道你寒假要到国外旅行, 我很高兴。

I’m very glad to know that you will travel abroad to spend your winter vacation.  

2. 我愿意给你一些建议。

I’d like to give you some tips.  

3. 这些建议将有助于你安全快乐地旅行。

The tips will help you travel safely and happily.  

4. 为了旅途愉快, 你应该了解该国语言、历史、文化及风俗习惯。

In order to enjoy your trip,  you should learn about the language,  history,  culture and customs of the country.  

5. 当你旅行的时候保管好你的物品, 例如身份证、护照、钱及其他贵重物品。

When travelling,  keep an eye on the things you take,  such as your ID card,  passport,  money and other valuable things.  

6. 除此之外, 不同的国家可能有不同的法律和风俗。

In addition,  different countries may have different laws and customs.  

7. 你必须尊重和遵守当地的法律和风俗习惯。

You must respect and obey local laws and customs.  

8. 你处境困难。

You are in trouble.  

9. 你应求助警察或中国大使馆。

You should turn to a policeman or go to the Chinese embassy.  

·句式升级

10. 用定语从句合并句2、3。

I’d like to give you some tips that will help you travel safely and happily.  

11. 用状语从句合并句8、9。

If/When you are in trouble,  you should turn to a policeman or go to the Chinese embassy.  

Dear Li Ming,

I’m very glad to know that you will travel abroad to spend your winter vacation.  I’d like to give you some tips that will help you travel safely and happily.

First of all, in order to enjoy your trip,  you should learn about the language,  history,  culture and customs of the country. Second, when travelling,  keep an eye on the things you take,  such as your ID card,  passport,  money and other valuable things. In addition,  different countries may have different laws and customs,  and you must respect and obey local laws and customs. Finally, if you are in trouble,  you should turn to a policeman or go to the Chinese embassy.

Have a good journey!

Yours sincerely,

Wang Yang

1. 话题词汇

(1)go on a trip

去旅行

(2)check in

报到; 登记

(3)check out

查明; 结账

(4)book a room

预订房间

(5)a summer resort

避暑胜地

(6)a must-see place

必游之地

(7)a dream trip

梦想之旅

(8)come up with

想出

(9)be surrounded by

被……环绕

(10)to start with

首先

(11)meet at the school gate

在校门口集合

2. 话题句式

(1)Standing on the top of the mountain,  the temple has witnessed many changes in this area.

站在山顶上, 这座寺庙见证了这个地区的许多变化。

(2)It’s very convenient to get there by taking Buses No. 17,  69 or 59 besides Subway Line 2.

除了地铁2号线外, 乘17路、69路或59路公共汽车去那里很方便。

(3)As is known to us all,  Mount Huashan is famous for its breathtaking cliffs and its unique characteristics.

众所周知, 华山以其惊险的悬崖峭壁和独特的特色而闻名于世。

(4)Once on the top of the hill,  we were deeply attracted by the beautiful scenery.

一登上山顶, 我们就被那美丽的景色深深地吸引住了。

(5)Toronto has some top tourist attractions,  which attract millions of visitors every year.

多伦多有一些著名的旅游景点, 它们每年吸引着数百万游客。

主题活动·话题实践

Ⅰ. 语用功能表达

·表达惊讶和好奇:

1. Oh,  my goodness!  / Good heavens! 哦, 我的天哪! /天哪!

2. You’re kidding! 你在开玩笑吧!

3. Are you kidding? 你在开玩笑吧?

4. Are you serious? 你是认真的吗?

5. It can’t be true! 这不可能是真的!

6. Oh no!  Really? 噢, 不! 真的吗?

7. What a surprise! 真是一个惊喜!

8. I think it’s fantastic! 我觉得太棒了!

9. Wow!  How interesting/amazing! 哇! 多么有趣/令人惊叹!

10. What was it like? 它是什么样的?

·表达空间和位置:

1. My hometown lies to the west of Baltimore,  about 120 kilometers away from the center of Baltimore city. 我的家乡在巴尔的摩的西部, 离巴尔的摩市中心大约120千米。

2. It’s in a small town,  close to Chicago.

它在芝加哥附近的一个小镇上。

3. This is how they move across continents and oceans.

这就是它们如何跨越大陆和海洋的。

4. Springfield to the north,  Point Cabina Station to the east,  and Galveston to the south are all in the safe zone. 北部的斯普林菲尔德、东部的卡比纳车站和南部的加尔维斯顿都在安全地带。

5. Why don’t you come alongside the coast to have a walk tonight?

你今晚为什么不沿着海岸散步呢?

·表达自然地结束对话:

1. I have to run.  Good talking to you. 我得走了, 很高兴和你谈话。

2. I’ll catch you later. 回头见。

3. It was good/nice meeting you. 很高兴见到你。

4. I’m sure you want to relax a bit. I’ll let you go.

我肯定你想放松一下。我会让你走的。

5. Sorry,  I can’t talk longer. I’m actually on my way to school.

对不起, 我不能再说了。我实际上正在去学校的路上。

6. Well,  I have to go. I’ll talk to you later.

好啦, 我得走了。我以后再跟你聊。

Ⅱ. 话题情景交流

W: Excuse me. Do you know where registration point is?

M: Sure. You see that tall building over there?

W: Uh-huh.

M: 1. It’s the shorter building to the right of it (就是它右边比较矮的那幢楼).  

W: Oh,  thank you. Do you also know where I pay my school fee?

M: Yes,  you have to go to the registrar’s office.

W: Where’s that?

M: It’s behind us. You have to go through the library. 2. And then you turn right (然后右拐)and you can see the classroom building. 3. Next to it is the red brick building (它的旁边是红砖建筑). The registrar’s office is on the 3rd floor.  

W: Great. Thanks for all your help.

M: Say,  I could show you around our school later.

W: 4. Are you serious (你是认真的吗)?  Thanks,  but I’m having dinner with my friend.  

M: 5. Wow!  How amazing (哇! 多么令人惊叹)!  

W: 6. Well,  I have to go. I’ll talk to you later (好啦, 我得走了。以后再聊).  

M: 7. It was good/nice meeting you (很高兴见到你).  

W: Good luck. See you later.

名著悦读·素养培优

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (excerpt)

　　Mr and Mrs Dursley,  of number four,  Privet Drive,  were proud to say that they were perfectly normal,  thank you very much. They were the last people you’d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious,  because they just didn’t hold with such nonsense.

　　Mr Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings,  which made drills. He was a big,  beefy man with hardly any neck,  although he did have a very large mustache. Mrs Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck,  which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences,  spying on the neighbors. The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.

　　The Dursleys had everything they wanted,  but they also had a secret,  and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn’t think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters. Mrs Potter was Mrs Dursley’s sister,  but they hadn’t met for several years;  in fact,  Mrs Dursley pretended she didn’t have a sister,  because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be. The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son,  too,  but they had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away;  they didn’t want Dudley mixing with a child like that.

　　When Mr and Mrs Dursley woke up on the dull,  gray Tuesday our story starts.  There was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work,  and Mrs Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair. None of them noticed a large,  tawny owl flutter past the window.

 At half past eight,  Mr Dursley picked up his briefcase,  pecked Mrs Dursley on the cheek,  and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed,  because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls.

　　“Little tyke, ” chortled Mr Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four’s drive.

　　It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar — a cat reading a map. For a second,  Mr Dursley didn’t realize what he had seen — then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive,  but there wasn’t a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of?  It must have been a trick of the light. Mr Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr Dursley drove around the corner and up the road,  he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive—no,  looking at the sign;  cats couldn’t read maps or signs. Mr Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.

哈利·波特从小是个孤儿, 由姨妈姨父德思礼夫妇抚养, 受尽了他们的虐待以及他们宠坏了的儿子达力的折磨。后来, 一个偶然的机会, 他从麻瓜世界逃到霍格沃茨魔法学校并最终成为一名巫师。故事由此开始。

1. blonde 　 adj. 金黄色的; 头发金黄的

2. tawny   adj. 黄褐色的; 茶色的

3. flutter   v. 飞来飞去; 翩翩飞舞

4. cereal   n. 谷类植物; 谷物

5. peculiar  adj. 怪异的; 奇怪的; 不寻常的

6. jerk   v. 急拉; 猛拉

1. (语言能力)What was Mr Dursley’s life like?

Quiet and happy.  

2. (语言能力)What was bothering the Dursleys?

A secret about the Potters.  

3. (思维品质)What can we learn from Para. 3?

 Mr and Mrs Dursley were unwilling to accept the Potters.  

4. (文化意识)What was Mr Dursley’s experience on the way to work?

Unbelievable.

读后感悟: ___________________________________________________________

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译文:

《哈利·波特与魔法石》(节选)

住在女贞路四号的德思礼夫妇, 总是骄傲地宣称他们是十分正常的人, 拜托拜托了。他们绝不会卷入任何奇怪或神秘的事情, 因为他们对此总是嗤之以鼻。

德思礼先生是一家叫作格朗宁的钻机工厂的经理。他非常肥壮、结实, 几乎胖得没有脖子, 但却有一把大胡子。德思礼夫人则很瘦, 一头金发。她的脖子有常人的两倍那么长, 这使得她整天伸长脖子透过花园围栏去偷窥邻居家的动静变得非常容易。德思礼夫妇有个儿子叫达力。在他们眼中, 这世界上再没有比达力更棒的男孩了。

　　德思礼一家几乎有他们想要的一切东西。但是他们也有一个秘密, 而且他们最大的担心就是有一天别人会发现这个秘密。如果有人知道关于波特一家的事, 他们会受不了的。波特夫人是德思礼夫人的妹妹, 但是她们已经有很多年没有见面了。事实上, 德思礼夫人假装她从来没有什么妹妹, 因为她的妹妹和那不中用的妹夫没有一丝一毫德思礼家族的风范。一想到波特一家的到来会招致邻居的议论, 德思礼一家就会浑身发抖。德思礼一家知道波特夫妇也有一个儿子, 只是未曾谋面。这个小男孩也成了德思礼一家避开波特一家的好借口, 因为他们不希望达力与这种小孩混在一起。

　　当德思礼夫妇在灰暗阴沉的星期二早晨醒来时, 我们的故事便开始了。外面阴云密布的天空并没有丝毫迹象预示这个国家即将发生离奇古怪的事情。德思礼先生一边哼着小曲一边挑了一条他最难看的领带准备去上班, 德思礼夫人则一边愉快地叨念着一边把尖叫的达力塞进高椅子里。谁也没有注意到这时有一只巨大的褐色的猫头鹰从窗外掠过。

八点半时, 德思礼先生拿起他的公文包, 他在德思礼夫人的面颊上吻了一下算是告别。他本来要在达力脸上也亲一口的, 但是因为达力正在发脾气并且把麦片往墙上扔, 便只好作罢。

“小淘气! ”德思礼先生哈哈大笑地走出门口钻进他的车, 倒着车驶出了四号车道。

当他驶到街的拐角处时, 他发现了第一件不寻常的事情——一只猫在看地图。开始时德思礼先生并没有意识到自己看到了什么。等他猛地转过头去看时, 只见那只花斑猫还蹲在那里, 可是地图却没有了。他到底在想些什么? 很可能是光线使他产生了错觉吧。德思礼先生眨了眨眼, 又瞪了那只猫一眼。那只猫回瞪了他一眼。正当德思礼先生驶进拐角准备上路时, 他又在后视镜里看了一眼那只猫。现在那只猫正在读着“女贞路”的路牌——不, 它只是朝路牌看而已, 猫是不可能会读地图或路牌的。德思礼先生浑身一抖, 想极力摆脱关于那只猫的任何想法。在接下来的路程里, 他想的全都是关于他希望那天得到一大笔钻机的订单之类的事情。