A glass envelope 玻璃信封
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
How did Jane receive a letter from a stranger?
My daughter, Jane, never dreamed of receiving a letter from a girl of her own age in Holland. Last year, we were travelling across the Channel and Jane put a piece of paper with her name and address on it into a bottle. She threw the bottle into the sea. She never thought of it again, but ten months later, she received a letter from a girl in Holland. Both girls write to each other regularly now. However, they have decided1 to use the post office. Letters will cost a little more, but they will certainly travel faster.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
dream v. 做梦，梦想
age n. 年龄
channel n. 海峡
throw v. 扔，抛
参考译文
我的女儿简从未想过会接到荷兰一位同龄姑娘的来信。去年，当我们横渡英吉利海峡时，简把写有她姓名和住址的一张纸条装进了一只瓶子，又将瓶子扔进了大海。此后她就再没去想那只瓶子。但10个月以后，她收到了荷兰一位姑娘的来信。现在这两位姑娘定期通信了。然而她们还是决定利用邮局。这样会稍微多花点钱，但肯定是快得多了。
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自学导读
1．A glass envelope, （标题）玻璃信封。
因为第一封信是装在瓶子里的，瓶子便成了那张写有地址的纸条的玻璃信封。
2．My daughter, Jane, never dreamed of receiving a letter from a girl of her own age in Holland. 我的女儿简从未想过会收到荷兰一位同龄姑娘的来信。
文中 dreamed of后面的部分都是宾语。动名词 receiving带有自己的宾语 a letter。（ cf. 第 20课语法）receive… from…表示“从……收到……”。
3．Last year, we were travelling across the Channel and Jane put a piece of paper with her name and address on it into a bottle. 去年，当我们横渡英吉利海峡时，简把写有她姓名和住址的一张纸条装进了一只瓶子。
（1）在写到过去的事情时，一般过去时和过去进行时可以连用。过去进行时往往用来表示背景，一般过去时表示发生的动作。
在这句话中，travelling across the Channel是个持续时间较长的背景动作。
（2）the Channel=the English Channel（channel如果大写，并且除了the以外没有其他定语时，则指英吉利海峡）。
（3）with在这里表示“有”、“带有”、“具有”等，指纸条上写的内容。
4．She never thought of it again…
此后她就再没去想那只瓶子……
think of指“考虑”、“想”、“想起”等：
Do you ever think of the girls you met at a party?
你会想起你在一个晚会上遇到的姑娘们吗？
5．Both girls write to each other regularly now. 现在这两位姑娘定期通信了。
both的用法在第14课词汇学习中已经讲过。它用在名词前面时，of可有可无。在both girls中，both为形容词；在both of the…结构中，both为代词。each other指互相，一般作宾语。
6．Letters will cost a little more, but they will certainly travel faster. 这样会稍微多花点钱，但肯定是快得多了。
（1）more和faster都是副词的比较级。这里隐含的比较成分是邮局寄信与海上漂瓶。
（2）动词cost意为“（使）花费”、“价钱为……”，其主语通常为某物或某件事情：
It costs a lot to buy a house.
买一所房子要花许多钱。
The dress cost me twenty pounds.
这件连衣裙花了我20英镑。
