約翰是位成功的電視制作人，在做一檔口碑頗佳的奇聞軼事欄目，這次，他想做一期關(guān)于搭便車的故事。然而他驚訝地發(fā)現(xiàn)，所有講述者的故事都有著類似的情節(jié)，而且這些故事和他自己的經(jīng)歷是那么相似，他開始擔(dān)心自己的親人自己的生活，故事越來越清晰自己卻越來越迷茫。
“劍橋雙語分級閱讀·小說館”是一套從劍橋大學(xué)出版社引進(jìn)的面向非英語國家英語學(xué)習(xí)者的分級系列讀物，由英語語言教學(xué)專家及小說作家合力創(chuàng)作。創(chuàng)作過程歷時(shí)二十余年，出版后受到世界各地英語教師和英語學(xué)習(xí)者的喜愛，許多讀本再版十余次，二十余年來暢銷不衰，成為全球英語學(xué)習(xí)者首選的優(yōu)秀讀本。
本系列讀物具有以下突出的特色：
1.它是原創(chuàng)英語讀物，而非改編自普通作品的讀物。因此，閱讀本系列讀物，我們讀到的是原汁原味的原創(chuàng)英語，而非人為改編過的二手英語。
2.它是當(dāng)代優(yōu)秀短篇小說，而非上個(gè)或上上個(gè)世紀(jì)的小說。因此，閱讀本系列讀物，我們讀到的是當(dāng)今活的、學(xué)了就能用的英語，而非穿越時(shí)空的、學(xué)了難以用的英語，了解的是與我們同時(shí)代英語國家人們的、而非隔代人的生活、文化、風(fēng)土人情和價(jià)值觀。
3.它是專為非英語國家的英語學(xué)習(xí)者量身定制的讀物，而非為英語母語者而寫的大眾讀物。因此，本系列讀物是最適合英語學(xué)習(xí)的讀物。
4.它是英美知名小說家和英語語言教學(xué)專家合力創(chuàng)作的讀物，小說家保障了讀物的可讀性與可欣賞性，英語語言教學(xué)專家保障了讀物語言作為英語習(xí)得材料的科學(xué)性與可學(xué)性。本系列中的很多小說都曾獲得國際廣泛閱讀教育學(xué)會頒發(fā)的“語言學(xué)習(xí)者文學(xué)獎(jiǎng)（Language Learner Literature Award）”。因此，閱讀本系列讀物，我們會在欣賞小說的同時(shí)，自然而然地、有效地提高自己的英語水平。
5.它的故事題材豐富多樣，包括偵探、情感、歷險(xiǎn)、懸疑、人文、科幻、喜劇等，讀者可以隨心選擇自己喜歡的類別進(jìn)行閱讀；它的故事內(nèi)容生動有趣，故事情節(jié)引人人勝、扣人心弦，一旦開始閱讀，就想一口氣讀完，使閱讀真正升華到“悅讀”。
6.隨書附贈的音頻材料內(nèi)容精彩——它不是普通英語母語者的朗讀錄音，而是專業(yè)配音員的演繹再創(chuàng)作。聽著它，我們猶如在聽廣播劇、聽評書，又仿佛是在聽電影、聽話劇……這種聆聽英語的享受將徹底掃除學(xué)生對英語聽力的畏難心理。
7.讀本中所使用的語言，既有英式英語，也有美式英語，對應(yīng)的音頻材料也相應(yīng)分為英音和美音。讀者可根據(jù)自己的喜好來選擇。
8.本系列一百多本讀物根據(jù)“歐洲共同語言參考框架（CEF）”和“劍橋大學(xué)外語考試部（ESOL）”的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)來確定級別劃分，是建立在科學(xué)研究和實(shí)踐基礎(chǔ)之上的分級。全套共分七個(gè)級別（與中國學(xué)生英語基礎(chǔ)水平的大致對應(yīng)關(guān)系，請參見圖書封底表格），讀者可根據(jù)自己的英語基礎(chǔ)選擇相應(yīng)級別的讀本來學(xué)習(xí)。
Colin Campbell（科林·坎貝爾），英語語言教育專家，擁有近三十年的一線英語教學(xué)經(jīng)歷，在歐洲各國擔(dān)任英語教師、教師培訓(xùn)師和顧問。他在意大利和波蘭創(chuàng)辦語言學(xué)校，在意大利一家電視臺主持英語學(xué)習(xí)節(jié)目，創(chuàng)作過多部英語學(xué)習(xí)小說。在“劍橋雙語分級閱讀·小說館”系列中，他創(chuàng)作了《彩票風(fēng)波》《熨衣人》《平行世界》等喜劇、懸疑主題的讀本。
《劍橋雙語分級閱讀·小說館（第4級）：神秘搭車人》：
‘You haven't forgotten the birthday this week,' said Rachel the moment she recognised his voice on the phone.
John didn't reply immediately. It was not that he had forgotten Patrick's birthday, more that he was surprised and pleased by the sound of her voice. She sounded happy, she sounded exated. She didn't sound worried. It was her old voice, her beautiful soft voice, and it felt to him like a ghost from the past, a very welcome ghost. His shoulders relaxed, he breathed out deeply and he smiled at the phone. He almost wanted to say 6welcome back',but he didn't want to talk about the last few weeks. He was afraid this moment might change, that by talking about it the worries and fears of the last few weeks might
come back. Instead he said: ‘Our son's first birthday, how could I forget that? What kind of father do you think I am?' His voice was light, cheerful as he continued. ‘I just wasn't sure what to do for his birthday. I mean, this is a special day, for him, for all of us, and I just wanted to do something special and...'
The idea came to him as he spoke to her. Of course, it would be perfect.
‘And I have an idea. Let's go to Ireland for a little holiday. Let's go back to our place, to the little island. I can't think of a better place to spend Patrick's birthday.'
‘Wow! Are you serious? Can we? Can you really get time off work? When do we go?'
He laughed at her questions. One moment she didn't believe him, the next moment she was organising it all.
‘Yes. Yes. Yes, my boss loves me. At the end of the week.' John answered the questions in turn and then added, 'l'll book tickets now and I'll tell you why my boss loves me later, when I get home.'
Ireland, the cliffs and the tiny island off the west coast.They had gone there for their first ever holiday together.A holiday where they had danced together at the top of the Cliffs of Moher, cliffs that stood straight out of the sea to a height of over one hundred metres. They had danced to the music he sang in her ear. Rachel was wearing a light white summer dress and he changed the words of a popular song and sang instead to his 'lady in white'.
‘Ireland will be cold,' he had warned her. But he was happy to be wrong and he had held her close and felt her warm and soft against him. On that holiday they had decided to get married, and Patrick had been born less than nine months after the holiday. And so they called him Patrick, an Irish name. Yes, Ireland was a very special place for them.
‘And you really can get time off work?'
‘Yes, yes, yes. I told you, my boss loves me. I'm just going to have lunch with Jenny now and then I'll come home and we can plan our trip.'
‘Let's hire a car when we get there and then we can drive around a bit.'
A car. It was her suggestion. She had seemed afraid of cars for the last few weeks and now she had suggested hiring one. She really was herself again, thought John,and he felt very pleased.
……
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