The Target

英语自学网

The Target
        　　　　My cooking has always been the target of family jokes. One evening, as I prepared dinner a bit too quickly, the kitchen filled with smoke and the smoke detector went off. Although both of my children had received fire-safety training at school, they did not respond to the alarm. Annoyed, I stormed through the house in search of them.
        　　　　I found them in the bathroom, washing their hands. Over the loud buzzing of the smoke alarm, I asked them to identify the sound.
        　　　　"It's the smoke detector," they replied in unison.
        　　　　"Do you know what that sound means?" I demanded.
        　　　　"Sure," my oldest replied. "Dinner's ready."
        　　Notes:
        　　　　(1) target n.靶子；目标
        　　　　(2) detector n.探查器
        　　　　(3) go off发射；响
        　　　　(4) storm through冲入；闯入
        　　　　(5) in search of搜寻；寻找
        　　　　(6) buzzing n.嗡嗡声
        　　　　(7) unison n.一致
        　　Exercises:
        　　根据短文判断下列句子正（T）、（F）：
        　　　　① The mother's cooking was once the target of family jokes.
        　　　　② One evening the mother prepared dinner a bit too slowly.
        　　　　③ When the kitchen filled with smoke, the smoke detector went off.
        　　　　④ Neither of the two children had received fire-safety training at school, so they did not respond to the alarm.
        　　　　⑤ The children knew what the alarm meant, so they did not respond to it.
        　　靶子
        　　　　我的烧饭手艺向来是家庭笑话的攻击目标。一天晚上，晚餐我准备得有点儿太快了，厨房里充满了烟，结果烟雾探查器报起警来。尽管我的两个孩子都在学校里接受过防火安全训练，可是他们并没有对报警声作出反应。我感到很恼火，满幢房子乱冲寻找他们。
        　　　　我在洗澡间找到他们，发现他们正在洗手。我的声音盖过了烟雾警报的嗡嗡声，我叫他们辨别那声音。
        　　　　“是烟雾探查器，”他们异口同声地说。
        　　　　“你们知道那声音意味着什么吗？”我责问道。
        　　　　“当然，”我的大孩子回答道，“晚饭准备好了。”
        　　练习参考答案：
        　　①F②F③T④F⑤T