Text
The former Prime Minister, Mr. Wentworth Lane, was defeated in the recent elections. He is now retiring from political life and has gone abroad. My friend, Patrick, has always been a fanatical opponent of Mr. Lane's Radical Progressive Party. After the elections, Patrick went to the former Prime Minister's house. When he asked if Mr. Lane lived there, the policeman on duty told him that since his defeat, the ex-Prime Minister had gone abroad. On the following day, Patrick went to the house again. The same policeman was just walking slowly past the entrance, when Patrick asked the same question. Though a little suspicious this time, the policeman gave him the same answer. The day after, Patrick went to the house once more and asked exactly the same question. This time, the policeman lost his temper. 'I told you yesterday and the day before yesterday,' he shouted, 'Mr. Lane was defeated in the elections. He has retired from political life and gone to live abroad!"
'I know,' answered Patrick, 'but I love to hear you say it!'
Words & Expressions
*former ['fɔrmɚ] 前任的/昔日的/前者
--former president 前任总统
--former residence 故居
--former name 曾用名
--in former times 从前
--The former proved simple compared with the latter.
*retiring [rɪ'taɪərɪŋ] Someone who is retiring is shy and avoids meeting other people. 害羞的; 孤僻的
--retire from 从……退休
--retire into oneself 退隐，沉默；(沉湎于自己的思想而)离群索居
*fanatical [fə'nætɪkəl] 狂热的 If you describe someone as fanatical, you disapprove of them because you consider their behavior or opinions to be very extreme.
--fanatical Nazis
--a fanatical fan of Mozart
*radical ['rædɪkl] 激进地，彻底地
--Radical people believe that there should be great changes in society and try to bring about these changes.
--They belong to groups of people with radically different beliefs and cultures.
*rigged [rɪgd] (欺骗性地) 幕后操纵 If someone rigs an election, a job appointment, or a game, they dishonestly arrange it to get the result they want or to give someone an unfair advantage.
--We can't tolerate a market rigged for the benefit of insiders and their cronies.
*wear the pants 当家掌权（妇女）
--People always have the idea that men should wear the pants.
*second nature 老习惯，第二天性
--Like any habit it will take practice but over time it will become second nature.
--Our second nature—those better angels of our nature—requires a little coaxing and persuading to come out.
Sentences
hear somebody doing something 听见某个动作的一部分”，或者意为“听见这个动作正在进行”；
hear somebody do something 听到整个动作，或者听到这个动作完成。例如：
When I passed her room, I heard her singing a song. 我路过她房间的时候，听见她在唱歌。
I heard him go downstairs.我听见他下了楼。
Pronunciation
*policeman [pə'lismən]
*political [pə'lɪtɪkl]
*live [laɪv；lɪv]
*answer ['ænsɚ]
