Unit16StoriesWarm-upTapescript1Itwasadarkandfoggynight.Wedroveanddrove.Atmidnight,justaswethoughtwewerelost,wesawalightbehindsometrees.Aswegotnearer,wecouldseeahouse.Itlookedabandoned.Weknockedontheheavydoor.Itopenedslowly.Atallmandressedentirelyinblackstoodthere.“Goodevening,”hesaidinaslow,deepvoice.“I'vebeenexpectingyou.”2Weweretravellingthroughdeepspaceatthespeedoflight.Suddenly,thespaceshipsloweddownandimmediatelythesystemcameintoview–abrightstarwithtwentyormoreplanets.Oneofthesewouldbeournewhome,fivelightyearsfromourownplanet.3Oneofmyearliestmemoriesisofmyfatherrunningalongthebeachwithourdog,Tess.Imusthavebeenaboutthreeyearsold.Irememberthedogjumpinguponmeandknockingmeoverintothewater.4Themanlayonthegroundnexttoawhitetruck.Therewasnodoubt.Hewasdead.Iquicklylookedinthepocketsofhisjacket–somemoney,ahandkerchiefandatheatreticketwithaChicagophonenumberwrittenonit.Threemurdersinthreeweeksandthevictimsallkilledinthesameway.5Onceuponatime,therelivedabeautifulprincess.Shewasanonlychildandherfatherandmother,thekingandqueen,lovedherverymuch.Oneday,anoldwomancametothecastle.Whenshesawtheprincess,shesmiledandlaughedinastrangeandhorribleway.Lesson1StoriesfromHistoryPompeii:ThecitythatbecameatimecapsuleAroundtheendofthefirstcenturyAD,aRomanwritercalledPlinywroteaboutaterriblevolcaniceruptionthathehadwitnessedasayoungman.TheeruptionhadoccurredonAugust24th,79AD.TheearthbegantotrembleandavolcanonamedVesuvius,nearPompeii,Italy,erupted.Plinydescribedacloudcomingdownthemountain,blockingoutthesunandburyingeverythinginitspath,includingwholevillagesandtowns.ThisparticularlysadeventleftadeepimpressiononPlinywhohadlostanuncleintheeruption.Yet,overthecenturies,therewasagreaterloss.Thepeople,townsandvillagesthathaddisappearedundertheasheswereentirelyforgottenbytheworld.However,morethan1,600yearslater,somescientistsfoundthelosttownsthathadbeenburiedundertheashes.By1748,theyhadfoundanawesomehistoricalsite.TheyhadstartedtodigouttheancientcityofPompeii.Inaway,Pompeiiislikea“timecapsule”preservingafrozenmomentinhistory.Beforetheeruptionoccurred,ithadbeenaboomingRomancitywithtemples,markets,restaurantsandtheatres.Nowasyouwalkalongthestreetsofthecity,timerewinds.Youcanadmiretheancientarchitecture,statues,decoratedwallsandauthenticobjectscharacteristicofthetime.However,muchmorethanbuildingsandobjects,itistheformsofthepeoplewhowerecaughtinthedisasterthathavemadethecityamonumenttohumanhistory.ThebodiesofpeoplewhohaddiedinPompeiileftimpressionsintheashthatshowedtheirexactshapes.Asyouwalk,youwillpasspeoplegatheredtogetherforprotectionintheirlasthoursoflife.Oneperson,sittingalone,lookslikeheispraying.Anotherman,lyingonhisside,looksasifheistryingtogetup.Onecanonlyfeelsorrowanddeepsympathyfortheseonce-livingstatues.Today,morethan250yearsafterscientistsfoundthecity,thousandsoftouristsandhundredsofscientistsvisitPompeiieveryyeartolearnmoreabouttheancientworld.Inthisway,thecity,whichtheworldhadonceforgotten,livesonnearly2,000yearsafteritsloss.Lesson2NameStoriesTapescriptWangJiannan:MynameisWangJiannanandlikemanyChinesenames,Jiannandoesn'thavejustonespecificmeaning.Whenmyparentswerelookingforanameforme,theycameacrossthecharacter“Nan”.“Nan”isatypeofwoodthatisusedtoholduptheroofintheconstructionoftraditionalChinesehouses.Thereforemyparentschosethischaracterformebecausetheywantedmetogrowuptobea“pilla...
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