By Sophie Mach

塵然 注

Your clock never works.

Mary overslept because her alarm clock didn’t go off this morning...

Mary: Mary overslept because her alarm clock didn’t go off this morning.... .

Frank: Again?

Mary: That’s right, even though I did set the alarm last night.

Frank: Your clock never works. Perhaps you should buy a new one.

Mary: Well, if it breaks down again tomorrow, I’ll definitely buy a new one.

Frank: Maybe by then it’ll be too late.

Mary: What do you mean “too late”?

Frank: By that time you’ll be fired.

Spring forward, fall back.

Joyce is late everytime... it is daylight savings time because she always forgets to put the clock forward one hour....

Sophie: Ha, Joyce, you’re late.

Joyce: Yeah. Each time we switch to daylight savings time, I always forget to put the clock forward an hour.

Sophie: Well, then later this year when we switch back to normal time, don’t forget to set the clock back one hour.

Joyce: I just can’t win! Each time we switch back to normal time, I always forget to put the clock back an hour, so I always come to work an hour early.

Sophie: So, just remember. Spring forward, fall back.

Joyce: So, that’ll make it even.

Gains 10 minutes and lose 10 minutes a day.

Janice’s watch gains ten minutes a day, while Mary’s watch loses ten minutes a day. Janice can put up with her watch, but Mary seems to be tired of hers....

Janice: My watch always gains ten minutes a day.

Mary: That’s funny. My watch always loses ten minutes a day.

Janice: No kidding.

Mary: I’m serious. Every morning I set my watch by the radio, but it still loses ten minutes.

Janice: You know what you can do?

Mary: Throw it away and buy a new one?

Janice: No, you don’t have to. You only need to put your watch back ten minutes everyday.

Mary: So you put your watch back ten minutes everyday?

Janice: Yeah, that’s what I’m doing.

Mary: Why bother? Just buy a new watch. It doesn’t cost much. Besides, I just can’t put up with this thing any more.

Vocabulary

bother 麻煩，費心

break down 出毛病，失效

definitely 肯定地，確切地

gain （鐘表）走得快

go off （鈴聲）響起

lose （鐘表）走得慢

oversleep 睡過頭

put up with 容忍，忍受

switch 轉換，改變

Useful Key Vocabulary

Please fill in each blank with the correct form of a word or phrase given below:

forward lose switch definitely gain break down

1.All the students that work hard can ____ pass the exam.

2.The telephone system has ____.

3.He is ____ in his English.

4.He is always ____ jobs.

5.This clock neither ____ nor ____.

Answers:

1. definitely

2. broken down

3. forward

4. switching

5. gains;loses

（來源：英語學習雜志）