新概念英语第三册Lesson1ApumaatlargePumasarelarge,cat-likeanimalswhicharefoundinAmerica.WhenreportscameintoLondonZoothatawildpumahadbeenspottedforty-fivemilessouthofLondon,theywerenottakenseriously.However,astheevidencebegantoaccumulate,expertsfromtheZoofeltobligedtoinvestigate,forthedescriptionsgivenbypeoplewhoclaimedtohaveseenthepumawereextraordinarilysimilar.Thehuntforthepumabeganinasmallvillagewhereawomanpickingblackberriessaw'alargecat'onlyfiveyardsawayfromher.Itimmediatelyranawaywhenshesawit,andexpertsconfirmedthatapumawillnotattackahumanbeingunlessitiscornered（adj.被困得走投无路的）.Thesearchproveddifficult,forthepumawasoftenobservedatoneplaceinthemorningandatanotherplacetwentymilesawayintheevening.Whereveritwent,itleftbehinditatrailofdeaddeerandsmallanimalslikerabbits.Pawprintswereseeninanumberofplacesandpumafurwasfoundclingingtobushes.Severalpeoplecomplainedof'cat-likenoises'atnightandabusinessmanonafishingtripsawthepumaupatree.Theexpertswerenowfullyconvincedthattheanimalwasapuma,butwherehaditcomefrom?Asnopumashadbeenreportedmissingfromanyzoointhecountry,thisonemusthavebeeninthepossessionofaprivatecollectorandsomehowmanagedtoescape.Thehuntwentonforseveralweeks,butthepumawasnotcaught.Itisdisturbingtothinkthatadangerouswildanimalisstillatlargeinthequietcountryside.Lesson2ThirteenequalsoneOurvicarisalwaysraisingmoneyforonecauseoranother,buthehasnevermanagedtogetenoughmoneytohavethechurchclockrepaired.Thebigclockwhichusedtostrikethehoursdayandnightwasdamagedmanyyearsagoandhasbeensilenteversince.Onenight,however,ourvicarwokeupwithastart:theclockwasstrikingthehours!Lookingathiswatch,hesawthatitwasoneo'clock,butthebellstruckthirteentimesbeforeitstopped.Armedwithatorch,thevicarwentupintotheclocktowertoseewhatwasgoingon.Inthetorchlight,hecaughtsightofafigurewhomheimmediatelyrecognizedasBillWilkins,ourlocalgrocer.'WhateverareyoudoinguphereBill?'askedthevicarinsurprise.'I'mtryingtorepairthebell,'answeredBill.'I'vebeencomingupherenightafternightforweeksnow.Yousee,Iwashopingtogiveyouasurprise.''Youcertainlydidgivemeasurprise!'saidthevicar.'You'veprobablywokenupeveryoneinthevillageaswell.Still,I'mgladthebellisworkingagain.''That'sthetrouble,vicar,'answeredBill.'It'sworkingallright,butI'mafraidthatatoneo'clockitwillstrikethirteentimesandthere'snothingIcandoaboutit.''We'llgetusedtothatBill,'saidthevicar.'Thirteenisnotasgoodasonebutit'sbetterthannothing.Nowlet'sgodownstairsandhaveacupoftea.'Lesson3AnunknowngoddessSometimeago，aninterestingdiscoverywasmadebyarchaeologistsontheAegean（adj.爱琴海的；n.）islandofKea．AnAmericanteamexploredatemplewhichstandsinanancientcityonthepromontoryofAyiaIrini．Thecityatonetimemusthavebeenprosperous，foritenjoyedahighlevelofcivilization．Houses--oftenthreestoreyshigh--werebuiltofstone．Theyhadlargeroomswithbeautifullydecoratedwalls．Thecitywasevenequippedwithadrainagesystem，foragreatmanyclaypipeswerefoundbeneaththenarrowstreets．ThetemplewhichthearchaeologistsexploredwasusedasaplaceofworshipfromthefifteenthcenturyB.C.untilRomantimes.Inthemostsacredroomofthetemple,clayfragmentsof1新概念英语第三册fifteenstatueswerefound.Eachoftheserepresentedagoddessandhad,atonetime,beenpainted.ThebodyofonestatuewasfoundamongremainsdatingfromthefifteenthcenturyB.C.ItsmissingheadhappenedtobeamongremainsofthefifthcenturyB.C.ThisheadmusthavebeenfoundinClassicaltime...
