Lesson 25



Do the English speak English?



First listen and then answer the question.



Why does the writer not understand the porter?



I arrived in London at last.



The railway station was big, black and dark.



I did not know the way to my hotel, so I asked a porter.



I not only spoke English very carefully, but very clearly as well.



The porter, however, could not understand me.



I repeated my question several times and at last he understood.



he answered me, but he spoke neither slowly nor clearly.



'I am a foreigner,' I said.



Then he spoke slowly, but I could not understand him.



My teacher never spoke English like that!



The porter and I looked at each other and smiled.



Then he said something and I understood it.



'You'll soon learn English!' he said.



I wonder. In England, each person speaks a different language.



The English understand each other, but I don't understand them!



Do they speak English?



railway  [ˈreilwei]  n. 铁路


porter   [ˈpɔ:tə]   n. 搬运工


several  [ˈsevrəl]    几个


foreigner   [ˈfɔrinə]   n. 外国人


wonder   [ˈwʌndə]   v. 感到奇怪