2021-03-29（英语）

Lesson 14 Do you speak English ?

I had an amusing experience last year.

After I had left a small village in the south of France, I drove on to the next town.

On the way, a young man waved to me.

I stopped and he asked me for a lift.

As soon as he had got into the car, I said good morning to him in French and he replied in the same language.

Apart from a few words, I do not know any French at all.

Neither of us spoke during the journey.

I had nearly reached the town, when the young man suddenly said, very slowly,

"Do you speak English?" As I soon learnt, he was English himself!

Lesson 15 Good news

The secretary told me that Mr. Harmsworth would see me.

I felt very nervous when I went into his office.

He did not look up from his desk when I entered.

After I had sat down, he said that business was very bad.

He told me that the firm could not afford to pay such large salaries.

Twenty people had already left.

I knew that my turn had come.

"Mr. Harmsworth," I said in a weak voice.

"Don't interrupt," he said.

Then he smiled and told me I would receive an extra thousand pounds a year!