练习材料: L31-2：A lovable eccentric 时长：1’18

Dickie left the shop without a word and returned carrying a large cloth bag. 

ˈdɪki lɛft ðə ʃɑp wɪˈθaʊt ə wɜrd ænd rɪˈtɜrnd ˈkæriɪŋ ə lɑrʤ klɔθ bæg.

As it was extremely heavy, he dumped it on the counter. 

æz ɪt wʌz ɛkˈstrimli ˈhɛvi, hi dʌmpt ɪt ɑn ðə ˈkaʊntər.

The assistant asked him to leave, but Dickie paid no attention to him and requested to see the manager. 

 ði əˈsɪstənt æskt hɪm tu liv, bʌt ˈdɪki peɪd noʊ əˈtɛnʃən tu hɪm ænd rɪˈkwɛstɪd tu si ðə ˈmænəʤər. 

Recognizing who the customer was, the manager was most apologetic and reprimanded the assistant severely. 

ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪzɪŋ hu ðə ˈkʌstəmər wʌz, ðə ˈmænəʤər wʌz moʊst əˌpɑləˈʤɛtɪk ænd ˈrɛprəˌmændɪd ði əˈsɪstənt səˈvɪrli. 

When Dickie was given the watch, he presented the assistant with the cloth bag. 

wɛn ˈdɪki wʌz ˈgɪvən ðə wɑʧ, hi priˈzɛntəd ði əˈsɪstənt wɪð ðə klɔθ bæg.

It contained $300 in pennies. He insisted on the assistant's counting the money before he left 30,000 pennies in all! 

 ɪt kənˈteɪnd $300 ɪn ˈpɛniz. hi ɪnˈsɪstəd ɑn ði əˈsɪstənts ˈkaʊntɪŋ ðə ˈmʌni bɪˈfɔr hi lɛft -- 30,000 ˈpɛniz ɪn ɔl! 

On another occasion, he invited a number of important critics to see his private collection of modern paintings. 

ɑn əˈnʌðər əˈkeɪʒən, hi ɪnˈvaɪtəd ə ˈnʌmbər ʌv ɪmˈpɔrtənt ˈkrɪtɪks tu si hɪz ˈpraɪvət kəˈlɛkʃən ʌv ˈmɑdərn ˈpeɪntɪŋz.

This exhibition received a great deal of attention in the press, for though the pictures were supposed to be the work of famous artists, they had in fact been painted by Dickie. 

ðɪs ˌɛksəˈbɪʃən rəˈsivd ə greɪt dil ʌv əˈtɛnʃən ɪn ðə prɛs, fɔr ðoʊ ðə ˈpɪkʧərz wɜr səˈpoʊzd tu bi ðə wɜrk ʌv ˈfeɪməs ˈɑrtɪsts, ðeɪ hæd ɪn fækt bɪn ˈpeɪntəd baɪ ˈdɪki. 

It took him four years to stage this elaborate joke simply to prove that critics do not always know what they are talking about.

 ɪt tʊk hɪm fɔr jɪrz tu steɪʤ ðɪs ɪˈlæbrət ʤoʊk ˈsɪmpli tu pruv ðæt ˈkrɪtɪks du nɑt ˈɔlˌweɪz noʊ wʌt ðeɪ ɑr ˈtɔkɪŋ əˈbaʊt.

任务配置：L0+L4

知识笔记：

reprimand: (noun) strong official criticism of a person or their behaviour 

eg: His boss gave him a severe reprimand for being late.

elaborate :  

(adj) containing a lot of careful detail or many detailed parts 

eg:  They're making the most elaborate preparations for the wedding.

(verb) to add more information to or explain something that you have said

eg: He refused to elaborate on why he had resigned.

练习感悟：好多细节还是没法把握，注意了细节，失去了语速，还得练习啊