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1Unit1MyFatherIdon'treallyknowmyfather.Heisn'teasytogetonwith.He'squiteself-centred,andalittlebitvain,Ithink,andinsomewaysquiteunapproachable.Thepublicmustthinkhe'sveryeasy-going,butathomehekeepshimselftohimself.Hecan'thavebeenathomemuchwhenIwasachild,becauseIdon'tremembermuchabouthim.He'salwaysbeenslightlyoutoftouchwithfamilylife.Hisworkalwayscamefirst,andhewasalwaysoffsomewhereactingorrehearsing.Helovesbeingaskedforhisautograph,helovestoberecognised.Hehaswonseveralawards,andhe'sveryproudofthat.HewasmadeaMemberoftheBritishEmpire,andwehadtogotoBuckinghamPalacetogetthemedal.Itwasincrediblyboring.Therewerehundredsofotherpeoplegettingthesameawards,andyouhadtositthereforhours.Heshowsoffhisawardstowhoevercomestothehouse.Iwenttopublicschool,andbecauseofmytotallackofinterestandnon-attendanceIwasaskedtoleave.Ididn'twanttogothereinthefirstplace.Iwastakenawayfromallmyfriends.Hemusthavebeenverypleasedtogetmeintotheschool,butintheenditwasacompletewasteofmoney.Ilethimdownquitebadly,Isuppose.ItriedseveraljobsbutIcouldn'tsettledowninthem.ThenIrealisedthatwhatIreallywantedtodowasliveinthecountryandlookafteranimals,sothat'swhatInowdo.Asafamily,we'renotthatclose,eitheremotionallyorgeographically.Wedon'tseemuchofeachotherthesedays.MyfatherandIaretotallydifferent,likechalkandcheese.Myinterestshavealwaysbeenthecountry,buthe'sintobooks,musicandaboveall,opera,whichIhate.Iftheydocometoseeus,they'reincompletelythewrongclothesforthecountry-minkcoats,nicelittleleathershoes,notexactlyidealforlongwalksacrossthefields.Hewastotallyopposedtomegettingmarried.Hewashopingwewouldbreakup.Gerald'stoohumble,Isuppose.Hemusthavewantedmetomarrysomeonefamous,butIdidn't,andthat'sallthereistoit.Wedon'twantchildren,butmyfatherkeepsonandontalkingaboutwantinggrandchildren.Youcan'tmakesomeonehavechildrenjustbecauseyouwantgrandchildren.Ineverwatchhimontelevision.I'mnotthatinterested,andanywayheusuallyforgetstotellmewhenhe'son.我实在不了解我的父亲，与他相处很难。在我看来，他总以自我为中心，还有一点自负，在某种程度上难以接近。公众一定以为他很随和，但在家里，他总是拒人于千里之外。在我小的时候，他一定很少在家，因为在我的记忆里关于他的不多。他总有点冷落家庭成员。工作是第一要义，他总是离家去拍戏或排练。他喜欢别人索要他的亲笔签名，喜欢出风头。他获得过几项大奖，并引以为荣。他还被授予英国皇家成员的称号，为此我们不得不去白金汉宫领取勋章。授勋典礼简直无聊透顶。由于有数百人获此勋章，因此你就不得不在那儿等上好几个小时。只要有人来我家拜访，他总不忘向来访的每个人炫耀他的那些奖章。我上的是私立学校，由于对功课毫无兴趣，再加上无故旷课，我被勒令退学。我本来就不愿去那儿上学，因为我不得不离开我所有的朋友。把我送进那所学校父亲一定很满意，可到头来纯粹是在浪费钱。我猜我一定让他失望至极。我试过几份工作，但总无法安下心来。后来，我终于意识到我真正想做的就是在乡下照料家畜，于是一直干到现在。作为一家人，我们不仅住的地方相隔不近，在情感上也不那么亲近。这些天我们很少互相走动。父亲和我性格迥异，或者说是貌合神离。乡村是我的乐趣所在，而父亲却对书本，音乐，尤其是我最讨厌的歌剧感兴趣。就算他们真的来看我，也是穿着及其不合地宜的衣服---貂皮大衣，漂亮小巧的皮鞋，根本不适合在田间远足。对于我的婚姻，他及其反对，且一直希望我们分手。我想是杰拉德出身太卑微了。父亲一定是想让我和名人结合，但我没有，就这么回事。我和丈夫不想要小孩，可父亲却不停地唠叨说想要个外孙。但总不能因为你想要个外孙就让别人生小孩吧。我从不看他演的电视节目，不怎么想看。何况他还常忘了告诉我播出的时间。Unit3SavedbyhismistakesJerryCramsetouttogocoonhuntingthatgloomyafternoon.Withhimwerehisoldshepherddogandtwobeaglehoundpups.Atleasthesaidtheywerebeagles,buthisolderbrotherBobhadroaredwithlaughteramonthearlier,whenJerryhadtoldhimtheyhadcostfivedollars.It'sanotherofyourmistakes,Jerry!Hesaid.Andthat'swhatBobcalledthepupsMistakeNo.1andMistakeNo.2EvenJerryhadtoadmitthatthepupsweren'tmuchhelp,forhehuntedforseveralhourswithoutanyluck,tillatlastheranoutofshells.Then,towardevening,hespottedaracoonhighinabeechtree.Itwasaforty-foottree,anancientonethathaddiedyearsago.Thetopofitstrunkhadbeencarriedawayinsomestorm,andthetrunkitselfhadbeenguttedbyrotandinsects.Still,Jerrywentupafterthecoon,intendingtocapturehimbyhand.Butheneverreachedtheanimal.Justashegotlevelwiththetopofthebrokentrunk,thelimbonwhichhewasstandingcrackedominouslyunderhisfeet.Instantlyhe2jumpedtotherimofthetreetrunk,andatoncetheedgecrumbled.Downheplunged,toosuddenlytomakeasound,intothedeephollowofthedeadtree.HalfwaydownJerry'sfallwasbrokenforamomentbyajuttingpieceofwoodthatcaughthisclothing.Thenhetumbledtherestoftheway.Shaken,dazed,butmiraculouslyunhurt,hepickedhimselfup.Itwasdarkinsidethetree.Abovehimtherewasonlyapalediscofsky.Athisfeetapear-shapedholeframedasmallpatchofgreylight.Hecouldhearthepupssniffingandyelpingtohim,andShepbackedoffandbarkedinalarm.Jerrywasscared.Sometimepassedbeforehecalmeddownandbegantolookforawaytogetout.Therewerenohandholdsontheinsideofthetrunk;thesnagthathadslowedhimuponhiswaydownwasoutofreach.And,thoughhetrieddesperately,hecouldn'tenlargetheholeathisfeetbykicking.Itwoulddonogoodtocall,either;hewasmuchtoofarfromhomeforthat.Atlasttheideacametohimofsendingthedogsforhelp.Gohome,Shep!Gohome!Heshouted.Thedoggaveonesharpbark.Gohome!Heshoutedagain.And,atthat,Shepturnedandstreakedacrossthefield,butthetwopupsremained,yelpingencouragementtotheirmaster.Nightcame.Astormbroke.Lightningwrithedabovehishead,andrainpouredintothehollowcylinderofthetree.TherewasjustroomforJerrytostand,andhewasdrenchedbytherain.Foraminutehewonderedifhewoulddrownthere,butthewaterranoutoftheholeatthebottomasfastasitcameinatthetop.Outside,Jerrycouldhearthepupswhimpering.Theywerefrightenedbythestorm,buttheydidn'tgoaway.Instead,theymovedclosertothetreetocomforthim,andstucktheirmuzzlesthroughtheholetolickhisfeet.MeanwhileShephadrunacrossthefieldstotheCramhome.Barkingfuriously,hegotBobtofollowhimback