Many people in Canada believe in aliens[1]. They believe they are intelligent, from an advanced civilization, and they want to meet or study us.[2] There are many movies about this. What do you think?

By Charlie Morgan

李薇 譯注

A: Hey, I saw a UFO last night!

B: Really? When did you see it? Where was it?

A: Well, last night, as I was walking home, I happened to look up in the sky, and there it was. I couldn’t believe it at first.

B: What did it look like?

A: It was far away, but it was shaped like a flying saucer[3], just like in the movies. It had blinking lights, too.

B: How big was it?

A: It was about as big as a plane flying overhead.

B: Are you sure it wasn’t really a plane?

A: As plain as day, it was a spaceship. I was surprised as anything.

B: Are you positive[4] you weren’t hammered? You like drinking Friday nights.

A: Yes, I had a few drinks before I went home, but as drunk as I was, that was a UFO. I’m absolutely certain.

B: Did you happen to get a picture of it?

A: No, I have no proof. I reached for my cell phone and used it as a camera, but the picture didn’t come out[5], as it was too dark.

B: That’s too bad. How long was it there?

A: I’m not sure. I ran like the wind to get home and grab my camera so as to take a better photo. I got back as soon as possible, but it had disappeared.

B: That’s too bad. Where do you think it went?

A: Who knows? I checked online, but there were no reports of spaceships.

B: Do you believe in aliens?

A: Yes, and I believe they live among us.

B: What do you think they look like? Do they have green skin?

A: No, they have yellow teeth. They look like our teacher.

Exercise

1. UFO??????????????????????????? a. exactly the same as (but it’s not)

2. as???????????????????????????? b. very clear

3. happen to????????????????????? c. very

4. just like????????????????????? d. completely (very) sure

5. blinking?????????????????????? e. It was here, then suddenly gone.

6. as plain as day????????????????f. lights go off and on a lot, quickly

7. as anything??????????????????? g. unidentified flying object (spaceship)

8. hammered?????????????????????? h. evidence. It shows it’s true.

9. absolutely certain???????????? i. while

10. proof???????????????????????? j. very drunk (alcohol)

11. like the wind???????????????? k. in the middle of a place/group

12. so as to????????????????????? l. to do or have something by chance

13. disappear???????????????????? m. in order to

14. among???????????????????????? n. very fast

Answers:

1–g, 2–i, 3–l, 4–a, 5–f, 6–b, 7–c, 8–j, 9–d, 10–h, 11–n, 12–m, 13–e, 14–k

Usage Tips

1. 本期故事中出現了as的很多不同含義，as在英語口語中也是高頻出現的常見詞。現總結歸納它的幾種用法如下：

a) 作介詞，表示比較，意思是“像……一樣”，詞組as...as相當于the same，如：as big as a plane; I’m as tall as my sister. 但注意，在as plain as day這一詞組中，as...as則相當于very，中間搭配形容詞，是為了表達比較的強烈程度，如：He’s as tall as a giraffe[6]. (= He’s not really that tall; it just means he’s very tall.)

b) 作介詞，意思是“作為，以……的身份”，如：She used it as a camera; I used a book as a pillow; 再如：As a father, he’s very good, but as a husband, he’s lazy.

c) 作連詞，意思是“因為，由于”，相當于because，在正式英語中也很常用，如：My son did not go to school as he was sick.

2. 在本集中出現了run like the wind（即“跑得飛快”）這一詞組，其結構為: verb + like + strong noun，意思相當于very，如：She cried like a baby. (= She just cried very much.)

Vocabulary

1. alien: 外星人。

2. intelligent: 高度智慧的；advanced: 超前的，先進的，高級的；study: 研究。

3. flying saucer: 飛碟，不明飛行物。

4. positive: 有把握的，確信的。

5. come out: （照片）顯影。

6. giraffe: 長頸鹿。

（來源：英語學習雜志）