Lesson 36 A chance in a million 百万分之一的机遇

Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What was the chance in a million?
We are less credulous than we used to be. In the nineteenth century, a novelist would bring his story to a conclusion by presenting hisreaders with a series of coincidences ---- most of them wildlyimprobable. Readers happily accepted the fact that an obscure maidservant was really the hero's mother. A long-lost brother, who was presumed dead, was really alive all the time and wickedlyplotting to bring about the hero's downfall. And so on. Modern readers would find such naive solutions totally unacceptable. Yet, in real life, circumstances do sometimes conspire to bring about coincidences which anyone but a nineteenth century novelist would find incredible.
When I was a boy, my grandfather told me how a German taxi driver, Franz Bussman, found a brother who was thought to have been killed twenty years before. While on a walking tour with his wife, he stopped to talk to a workman. After they had gone on, Mrs. Bussman commented on the workman's close resemblance to her husband and even suggested that he might be his brother. Franz poured scorn on the idea, pointing out that his brother had been killed in action during the war. Though Mrs. Bussman was fullyacquainted with this story, she thought that there was a chance in a million that she might be right. A few days later, she sent a boy to the workman to ask him if his name was Hans Bussman. Needless to say, the man's name was Hans Bussman and he really was Franz's long-lost brother. When the brothers were reunited, Hans explained how it was that he was still alive. After having been wounded towards the end of the war, he had been sent to hospital and was separated from his unit. The hospital had been bombed and Hans had made his way back into Western Germany on foot. Meanwhile, his unit was lost and all records of him had been destroyed. Hans returned to his family home, but the house had been bombed and no one in the neighbourhood knew what had become of the inhabitants. Assuming that his family had been killed during an air raid, Hans settled down in a village fifty miles away where he had remained ever since.
New Words and Expressions生词和短语
credulous (1. 1) /'kredjul+s/ adj. 轻信的
improbable (1. 4) /im'pr&b+b+l/ adj. 不大可能的
obscure (1. 4) /+b'skju+/ adj. 不起眼的
maidservant (1. 5) /'meid?s*:v+nt/ n. 女仆，女拥
presume (1. 6) /pri'zju:m/ v. 假定
wickedly (1. 6) /'wikidli /adv. 心眼坏地，居心叵测地
plot (1. 7) /pl&t/ v. 密谋
downfall (1. 7) /'daunf&:l/ n. 倒台，垮台
naive (1. 8) /nai'i:v/ adj. 天真的
unacceptable (1. 8) /?)n+k'sept+b+l/ adj. 不能接受的
conspire (1. 9) /k+n'spai+/ v. (事件)巧合促成
incredible (1. 9) /in'kred+b+l/ adj. 难以置信的
resemblance (1. 13) /ri'zembl+ns/ n. 相似
scorn (1. 13) /sk&:n/ n. 嘲弄，挖苦
acquaint (1. 15) /+'kweint/ v. 使了解
reunite (1. 18) /?ri:ju:'nait/ v. 使团聚
assume (1. 22) /+'sju:m/ v. 假定，认为
Notes on the text课文注释
1 bring… to a conclusion，作“使……结束”讲。
2 bring about，造成，导致。
3 and so on，等等，诸如此类。
4 do sometimes conspire中，do为助动词，对谓语动词起强调作用。
5 while on a walking tour…,
while后面省略了主谓结构he was。在表示时间、地点、条件、让步等的状语从句中，从句的主语如与主句的主语相同，常省略从句的主语和谓语。
6 pour scorn on…，作“讥笑……”讲。
7 point out，指出，提请注意。
8 be acquainted with，已知道。
9 needless to say，不用说，当然。
10 become of，结果如何，发生了……情况。
参考译文
我们不再像以往那样轻易相信别人了。在19世纪，小说家常在小说结尾处给读者准备一系列巧合——大部分是牵强附会，极不可能的。当时的读者却愉快地接受这样一些事实：一个低贱的女佣实际上是主人公的母亲；主人公一位长期失散的兄弟，大家都以为死了，实际上一直活着，并且正在策划暗算主人公；如此等等。现代读者会觉得这种天真的结局完全无法接受。不过，在现实生活中，有时确实会出现一些巧合。这些巧合除了19世纪小说家外谁也不会相信。
当我是个孩子的时候，我祖父给我讲了一位德国出租汽车司机弗朗兹·巴斯曼如何找到了据信已在20年前死去的兄弟的事。一次，他与妻子徒步旅行。途中，停下来与一个工人交谈，接着他们继续往前走去。巴斯曼夫人说那工人与她丈夫相貌很像，甚至猜测他可能就是她丈夫的兄弟。弗朗兹对此不屑一顾，指出他兄弟已经在战争中阵亡了。尽管巴斯曼夫人熟知这个情况，但她仍然认为自己的想法仍有百万分之一的可能性。几天后，她派了一个男孩去问那人是否叫汉斯·巴斯曼。不出巴斯曼夫人所料，那人的名字真是汉斯·巴斯曼，他确实是弗朗兹失散了多年的兄弟。兄弟俩团聚之时，汉斯说明了他活下来的经过。战争即将结束时，他负伤被送进医院，并与部队失去联系。医院遭到轰炸，汉斯步行回到了西德。与此同时，他所在的部队被击溃，他的所有档案材料全部毁于战火。汉斯重返故里，但他的家已被炸毁，左邻右舍谁也不知原住户的下落。汉斯以为全家人都在空袭中遇难，于是便在距此50英里外的一座村子里定居下来，直至当日。
Comprehension理解
Give short answers to these questions in your own words as far as possible. Use one complete sentence for each answer.
1 How did many nineteenth century novels end?
2 Why was Mrs. Bussman struck by the workman's appearance?
3 How did Mrs. Bussman find out the identity of the workman?
Vocabulary词汇
Explain the meanings of the following words and phrases as they are used in the passage: credulous (1. 1); a conclusion (1. 2); improbable (1. 4); presumed (1. 6); plotting(1. 7); totally (1. 8); bring about(1. 9).
Summary writing摘要写作
In not more than 80 words write an account of what happened to Hans Bussman from the time he was wounded to the time he was reunited with his brother. Use your own words as far as possible. Do not include anything that is not in the last paragraph.
Composition作文
In not more than 250 words write an imaginary account of Franz Bussman's life story up to the time he was reunited with his brother. Use the ideas given below. Do not write more than four paragraphs.
Title: The past.
Introduction: Tried to get information about Hans ---- none available ---- gave up search.
Development: Found it hard to settle down ---- moved from place to place and from job to job ---- how he met Mrs.
Bussman ---- marriage ---- settled down at last ---- became a cook ---- disliked the work ---- went into partnership with a friend ---- became a taxi driver ---- once visited home town ---- block of flats where his house used to be ---- no one remembered him.
Conclusion: Future plans now that Hans has been found.
Letter writing书信写作
Write a letter of about 100 words in three paragraphs to your employer informing him that you will be absent from work for a few days because you are ill. Point out anything important that should be attended to in your absence and say when you hope to be back.
Key structuresandSpecial difficulties关键句型和难点
Exercises练习
1 We are less credulous than we used to be. In the nineteenth century, a novelist would bring his story… (11. 1-2). Supply used to and would in the following:
When I was young I ______ have a lot more free time than I do now. I ______ live near my work and … always get home early. Sometimes I ______ do a bit of gardening or go for a long walk. (IKS 55b) (参见第2册第55课关键句型b)
2 Readers happily accepted the fact. (1. 4) Write two sentences illustrating the difference between accept and agree. (ISD 65b) (参见第2册第65课难点b)
3 the hero's mother (1. 5). Supply apostrophes in the following: Georges umbrella; that womans handbag; Keats poetry; the childrens clothes; the soldiers uniforms; in six hours time; a hundred pounds' worth. (ISD 13) (参见第2册第13课难点)
4 After having been wounded… (1. 18). Write two sentences beginning with After having been… (IKS 69) (参见第2册第69课关键句型)
Multiple choice questions多项选择题
Choose the correct answers to the following questions.
Comprehension理解
1 What would a modern reader find totally unacceptable in a novel today?
a．Having for a hero a man once presumed dead.
b．The happiness a hero might feel on being reunited with his mother.
c．Any character being so wicked as to plot against the hero.
d．Two brothers, each presuming the other long since dead, meeting again by chance.
2 When Mrs. Bussman suggested that the workman might be Franz's brother ______ .
a．she was told for the first time that Hans had been killed
b．Franz objected to the idea of being associated with a workman .
c．Franz was so sure his brother was dead he did not take her seriously
d．they were both too shy to ask the workman if this was so themselves
3 What did Hans Bussman do immediately after the war was over?
a．He went to hospital to have his wounds attended to.
b．He deserted his unit and walked back to his home town.
c．He inquired after his family's whereabouts but found no trace of them.
d．He settled in a village near his home, hoping his family would find him.
Structure结构
4 ---- his readers with a series of coincidences ______ wildly improbable. (11. 2-4)
a．mostly being
b．most of which were
c．most of them were
d．which would be most
5 A long-lost brother had not in fact died and ______ to bring about the hero's downfall. (11. 5-7)
a．wickedly plotting
b．wickedly plotted
c．been wickedly plotting
d．had been wickedly plotting
6 He stopped ______ . (11. 11-12)
a．in order to talk to a workman
b．a workman for a talk
c．talking to a workman
d．so that he talked to a workman
7 She sent a boy to ask the workman ______ . (1. 16)
a．what was he called
b．what he was called
c．how he was called
d．if he was called
8 Meanwhile his unit was lost and ______ had been destroyed. (11. 20-21)
a．each of his records
b．all records of him
c．all records of his
d．every record of his
Vocabulary词汇
9 He found a brother who was thought to have been killed twenty years ______ . (11. 10-11)
a．ago
b．back
c．before hand
d．previously
10 Mrs. Bussman told her husband that he and the workman ______ … (11. 12-13)
a．had a close look
b．had the same look
c．looked very alike
d．looked the same way
11 ---- there was the ______ chance she might be right. (1. 15)
a．remotest
b．scarcest
c．greatest
d．lightest
12 ---- how it had ______ that he was still alive. (1. 18)
a．become
b．arrived
c．resulted
d．come about

Lesson 36 A chance in a million

Listening comprehension
1 Introduce the story
T : Today we'll talk about an incredible coincidence.
2 Understand the situation
T : What do you think is happening in the picture?
3 Listening objective
T : Listen to the passage (or read it silently) and see if you can answer this question:
What was the chance in a million?
4 Play the tape or read the story or wait for the students to finish reading silently
5 Answer the question
After the reading, ask the question again: What was the chance in a million?
Train the students not to shout out the answer. Instead, ask one student, then ask the others to agree or disagree with a show of hands.
Answer: The chance in a million was the fact that Franz found his brother Hans who was thought to have been killed twenty years before.
6 Intensive reading
Play the tape or read the text again, pausing after every sentence to check students understand. Obtain brief explanations to difficulties in the text from the students themselves. Only use Chinese if a confirmatory translation is necessary.
7 Play the tape or read the story again
8 Reading aloud
Ask one or two students to read the text aloud.
Comprehension questions
1 Are we less credulous than we used to be? (Yes, we are.)
2 When did novelists often end their stories with a series of coincidences? (In the nineteenth century.)
3 Would readers happily accept unusual coincidences? (Yes, they would.)
4 Would modern readers find such solutions acceptable? (No, they wouldn't.)
5 But do strange coincidences occur in real life? (Yes, they do.)
6 Who told the writer about Franz Bussman? (His grandfather did.)
7 Who was Franz Bussman? (He was a German taxi driver.)
8 When did he think his brother had been killed? (Twenty years before.)
9 What was Franz doing when he stopped to talk to a workman? (He was on a walking tour with his wife.)
10 What did Mrs. Bussman comment on? (The workman's close resemblance to her husband.)
11 Did she suggest the man might be her husband's brother? (Yes, she did.)
12 Did Mr. Bussman agree with her? (No, he didn't.)
13 Nevertheless, Mrs. Bussman thought she might be right. What did she think the chances were? (A chance in a million.)
14 Who did she send to ask the workman his name? (A boy.)
15 What was the workman's name, and who was he? (Hans Bussman, Franz's long-lost brother.)
16 When had Hans been wounded? (Towards the end of the war.)
17 What had happened to the hospital he was in? (It had been bombed.)
18 How had he made his way back to West Germany? (On foot.)
19 When he got back home, were there any of his family in the neighbourhood? (No, there weren't.)
20 What did Hans assume about his family? (He assumed they had been killed in an air raid.)
Asking questions: Ask me if …
T : Ask me if we are less credulous than we used to be.
S : Are we less credulous than we used to be?
T : Why …
S : Why are we less credulous than we used to be?
1 we are less credulous than we used to be. (Why)
2 novel readers used to accept wildly improbable endings. (What)
3 modern readers could accept such solutions. ( Why couldn't)
4 incredible coincidences occur in real life. (When)
5 Franz recognized his brother when he first met him. ( Why didn't)
6 Mrs. Bussman discovered that the workman was Franz's long-lost brother. (How)
7 Hans had been sent to hospital after he had been wounded. (When)
8 the hospital had been bombed. (What)
9 all records of him had been destroyed. (What)
10 Hans had settled down in a village fifty miles away. ( Where )
Tell us how Franz Bussman found his long-lost brother
1 Walking tour with wife ---- talked to workman
2 Mrs. Bussman thought ---- workman looked like husband ---- suggested might be long-lost brother
3 Franz said ---- idea ridiculous ---- brother killed in action ---- war 20 years ago
4 Mrs. Bussman still thought ---- chance in million
5 Sent boy to workman ---- ask if name Hans Bussman
6 Yes, name Hans Bussman ---- yes, Franz's long-lost brother
7 Brothers reunited
Topics for discussion
1 Tell us about any amazing coincidences that you know about or that have happened to you personally.
2 If you wanted to find a long-lost relative, how would you go about it?
3 ‘Fact is stranger than fiction, they say.’ What do you think?
Key to Comprehension
1 Many nineteenth-century novels ended with a series of wildly improbable coincidences.
2 Mrs. Bussman thought that the man resembled her husband.
3 Mrs. Bussman sent a boy to ask the workman if his name was Hans Bussman, and it was.
Key to Vocabulary
A possible answer
credulous (1.1) willing to believe without proof
a conclusion (1.2) an ending
improbable (1.4) not likely to happen, unlikely
presumed (1.6) believed to be, assumed to be
plotting (1.7) secretly planning
totally (1.8) completely
bring about (1.9) cause to happen
Key to Summary writing
Points
1 Wounded towards end of war ---- hospital ---- separated from unit
2 Hospital bombed ---- back to West Germany on foot
3 Unit lost ---- all records destroyed
4 Returned to family home ---- house bombed ---- no information about family
5 Assumed all killed ---- settled in village 50 miles away
6 Lived there ---- then met Franz and wife
Summary
Hans had been wounded towards the end of the war, taken to hospital and separated from his unit. When the hospital had been bombed, he had returned to West Germany on foot. Meantime, his unit had been lost and all records of him destroyed. He returned to the family home to find the house bombed.
Assuming all his family were dead, he settled in a village 50 miles away where he had lived until he met Franz and his wife. (80 words)
Key to Composition
A possible answer
The past
When the war finished, Franz Bussman did everything he could to get information about his brother Hans. With no information, he reluctantly assumed his brother was dead, and gave up the search.
With no family, and having been unable to find his brother, Franze found it difficult to settle down. Over the years he moved from place to place and from job to job, never staying very long in one place.
When he met Anna (now Mrs. Bussman), he was working as a waiter in a hotel. He and Anna got married and Franz settled down at last. He moved from the dinning room into the kitchen of the hotel and became a cook. But this did not last very long. He was talking to a friend one day, a taxi driver, who suggested that they should go into partnership. So they did, and Franz became a taxi driver. He and the friend drove taxis themselves, but they also soon owned four more taxis and employed four drivers.
He visited his home town once to visit his old house, but it was a sad visit. There was a large modern block of flats where his family house used to be. And although he spoke to some of the apartment owners, no one remembered him or his family. Now that he has finally found his brother Hans, he and Anna are planning to invite Hans to come and live near them and work as a taxi driver in the company. (250 words)
Key to Letter writing
A possible answer (body of letter only)
For the past few days I have been ill and, on the advice of my doctor, have had to spend some time in bed. I am therefore writing to inform you that I shall unfortunately be absent from work for the next few days. Naturally I hope to return to work as soon as possible.
In the meantime, however, there is one thing that should be attended to in my absence. Before I fell ill, I was in the process of checking the proofs of the new brochure and would be grateful if someone could complete the job.
I look forward to seeing you in a few days' time. (109 words )
Key structures and Special difficulties
Key to KS and SD exercises
Possible answers
1 used to, used to, would
2 We'd like you to accept this present from the class./I agreed to go immediately.
3 George's umbrella, that woman's handbag, Keats' poetry, the children's clothes, the soldiers' forms, in six hours' time, a hundred pounds' worth
4 After having been discovered, he gave himself up to the police./After having been told the way, found the place with no problem. we
Repetition drill
The gerund
Chorus, group or individual repetition
To elicit statements involving the use of the gerund after the verbs go and come.
T: Drill 36. Listen. Do not speak.
(1) T: They're going to the shops. Why don't you go too?
S : Yes, I'd love to go shopping with them.
(2) T : We're going to fish in the lake. Why don't you come too?
S : Yes, I'd love to come fishing with you.
(3) T : They're going to ski in the Alps. Why don't you go too?
S : Yes, I'd love to go skiing with them.
T: Now you do the same. Ready?
1 As in (1) above.
2 As in (2) above.
3 As in (3) above.
4 T : We're going to ride all afternoon. Why don't you come too?
S : Yes, I'd love to come riding with you.
5 T : They're going to dance at the Palais. Why don't you go too?
S: Yes, I'd love to go dancing with them.
6 T : We're going to have a swim in the lake. Why don't you come too?
S : Yes, I'd love to come swimming with you.
7 T : They're going to shoot all afternoon. Why don't you go too?
S : Yes, I'd love to go shooting with them.
8 T : We're going to climb in the Alps. Why don't you come too?
S : Yes, I'd love to come climbing with you.
9 T : They're going to skate at the ice rink. Why don't you go too?
S : Yes, I'd love to go skating with them.
10 T : We're going to sail across the lake. Why don't you come too?
S : Yes, I'd love to come sailing with you.
11 T : They're going to have a walk in the country. Why don't you go too?
S : Yes, I'd love to go walking with them.
12 T : We're going to have a picnic in the country. Why don't you come too?
S : Yes, I'd love to come picnicking with you.
13 T : They're going to explore the river bank. Why don't you go too?
S : Yes, I'd love to go exploring with them.
14 T : We're going to tour Europe. Why don't you come too?
S : Yes, I'd love to come touring with you.
15 T : They're going to camp at various places this summer. Why don't you go too?
S: Yes, I'd love to go camping with them.
Key to Multiple choice questions
1 d 2 c 3 c 4 b 5 d 6 a
7 b 8 b 9 a 10 c 11 a 12 d

Lesson?36 A?Chance in a Million 百万之一的机会
New words and expression 生词和短语
学习词汇时仅知道汉语语义是不够的，要把单词放在语句中体会其应用
学习关键句结构是则要把它放在段落结构或文章里
credulous adj.轻信的
improbable adj.不大可能的
obscure adj.不起眼的
maidservant n.女仆，女佣
presume v.假定
wickedly adv.心眼坏地，居心叵测地
plot v.密谋
downfall n.倒台，垮台
naive adj.天真的
unacceptable adj.不能接受的
conspire v.(事件)巧合促成
incredible adj.难以置信的
resemblance n.相似
scorn n.嘲弄，挖苦
acquaint v.使了解
reunite v.使团聚
assume v.假定，认为

credulous adj.轻信的 (多修饰人)
区分 credible:可信的,可靠的,多修饰事物 eg. The story he told us is credible.
incredulous / incredible
反义词believable以已知事实为根据 eg. He demanded for believable explanation.
(反)unbelievable

improbable adj.不大可能的

obscure adj.
1)不起眼的，不出名的 eg. The bus stopped at an obscure little town.
2)令人费解的 not clearly An obscure figure can be seen through the fog. 模糊不清的
通过大雾我们可以看到模糊不清的身影.
vague:多用于比喻意,指不明确说明而造成的模糊不清
eg. what he said is vague.

maidservant n.妇女仆,女佣

presume v.假定 take sth. as true 经常用的表达方式presume that
根据过去的经验或感觉作出推断
assume 与事实不相符合 eg. Let us assume that your words are fact.
suppose 最普通的用词猜想\陈述自己的看法 I suppose that it was my fault.

wickedly adv.心眼坏地,居心叵测地

plot v.密谋 一人或多人秘密谋划伤害他人.
eg. The criminals were plotting to rob the bank.
conspire 众多人合谋做重大的犯法勾当 犹指反叛
scheme 某人暗中设计狡诈的手段来谋求自己的私利
eg. The man is scheming for power.图谋夺权.
本文中conspire指事件巧合促成
eg. The weather and car trouble conspire to spoil our vacation.

downfall n.倒台,垮台

naive adj.天真的
unacceptable adj.不能接受的
conspire
incredible

resemblance n.相似的
like ness bear a strong resemblance to sb. or sth.
have a close resemblance to sb. or sth.
eg. The girl bears a strong resemblance to her sister.
such a resemblance
resemble
likeness最普通的用语,比resemblance意味要强
resemblance 特别是指外观或外在性质的相似
similarity 性质\物色\程度的相似
similar to sth. sb.

scorn n.嘲弄,挖苦
短语 pour scorn on
pour contempt on
pour ridicule on
pour heap
eg. He poured scorn on his wife's suggestion.
look down upon 瞧不起，蔑视
辨析：
think scorn of
contempt:蔑视,强烈谴责某人或某事低贱\卑鄙,语气强于scorn
despite 语气较弱,表示嘲弄 His suggestion was dismissed with scorn.
His face showed the scorn/despite he felt.

acquaint v.使了解 be acquainted with sth.
eg. I have been acquainted with the secret.
acquaint sb. with sth.
acquaint sb. of sth.
make a person acquainted with sb :介绍某人同另一个人认识
Let me make... acquainted with you.
acquaintance 熟人

reunite n使团聚
assume v.假定,认为

Text 课文
a chance in a million one chance in a thousand可能性小
eg. It is a chance in a million to meet you here.在这儿见到你可真是不容易呀
----He let out a scream that must can be heard in Peru.
典型的夸张,目的是加强语气

We are less credulous than we used to be.
这是明显现在与过去的对比
eg. We are less credulous than we used to be. 我们不再像以前那样轻信于人了。
are 表示现在的情况 / used to be 过去的情况
eg. We are not so honest as we used to be.我们不像过去那么诚实了.
谓语动词是be动词的时候用used to be,而不用used to
谓语动词是使役动词的时候用used to
eg. He works less hard than he used to.

In the nineteenth century, a novelist would bring his story to a conclusion be presenting his readers with a series of coincidences – most of them wildly improbable.
19世纪的小说家通过给读者们提供一系的巧合事件结束…..
破折号后面的语句是对前作者的一个观点。
Them 指一系列的巧合 而其中大部分的巧合事件发生的机率是极小的
bring sth. to a conclusion 结束
eg. They decided to bring the meeting to a conclusion.
bring sth. to a close (比较正式的)
eg. It was ...who brought meeting to a close.
present sb. with sth. 给某人提供…
present sth. to sb.

Readers happily accepted the fact that an obscure maid-servant was really the hero’s mother. Along-lost brother, who was presumed dead, was really alive all the time and wickedly plotting to bring about the hero’s downfall.
wickedly plotting to… ------居心叵测的密谋把这个英雄搞下台来……
bring about:产生,引起
eg. Modern science has brought about great changes in life.
And so on. Modern readers would find such na?ve solutions totally unacceptable.
现在的读者已经不愿意接受这样的结尾
find such naive solutions totally unacceptable 觉得这种解决办法很天真不能够被接受
find sth. interesting 觉得什么有意思
find sb. beautiful 觉得某人漂亮

Yet, in real life, circumstances do sometimes conspire to bring about coincidences which anyone but a nineteenth century novelist would find incredible. *牢记此句
do—加强语气,really

A German taxi-driver, Franz Bussman , recently found a brother who was thought to have been killed twenty years before.
who was thought…….
who 所引导的定语从句修饰brother

While on a walking tour with his wife, he stopped to talk to a workman. After they had gone on , Mrs. Bussman commented on the workman’s close resemblance to here husband and even suggested that he might be his brother.
he was on a walking tour………..省略了he
comment on sth 就...作出评论\评价--remark on
Bussman夫人对工人作出评价说长得和他的兄弟很像，甚至暗示说就是他的兄弟…
eg:I can't explain how it is that he is still here.
be separated from
make one's way

Franz poured scorn on the idea, pointing out that his brother had been killed in action during the war. Though Mrs. Bussman was fully acquainted with this story, she thought that there was a chance in a million that she might be right.
…..她认为有百万分一的机会证明她所说的是正确的……..

A few days later, she sent a boy to the workman to ask him if his name was Hans Bussman. Needless to say , the man’s name was Hans Bussman and he really was Franz’s long-lost brother. When the brothers were re-united, Hans explained how it was that he was still alive.
……explained how it was…..汉斯解释说他依旧活着是怎么一回事。

After having been wounded towards the end of the war, he had been sent to hospital and was separated from his unit. The hospital had been bombed and Hans had made his way back into Western Germany on foot.
Make one’s way…力尽艰辛……….

Meanwhile , his unit was lost and all records of him had been destroyed. Hans returned to his family home, but the house had been bombed and no one in the neighbourhood knew what had become of the inhabitants. Assuming that his family had been killed during an air-raid, Hans settled down in a village fifty miles away where he had remained ever since.
………all records of him had been destroyed….他所有的资料都被毁掉了

become of :happen to :发生遭遇\不幸的事件,多用于疑问句,主语必须是what或
whatever
eg. Whatever became of that girl?
Please explain what became of you yesterday.
用assuming,而不用presuming:主观上的臆断\无事实根据的

Multiple choice questions 多项选择
What would a modern reader find totally unacceptable in a novel today?
答案d—Having for a hero a man once presumed dead.
根据课文内容知道现在的读者是不能接受一些巧合的事件

When Mrs. Bussman suggested that the workman might be Franz’s brother
答案c—Franz was so sure his brother was dead he did not take her seriously.

What did Hans Bussman do immediately after the war was over?
答案c—He inquired after his family’s where abouts but found no trace of them.背熟
(打探某人的情况,但是没有发现任何踪迹)

-his readers with a series of coincidences…wildly improbable.(lines 3-6)
答案b—which would be most

A long-lost brother, who was presumed dead, had not in fact died and…to bring about the hero’s downfall.(lines 8-12)
答案d—had been wickedly plotting.

He stopped…(line 25)
答案a—in order to talk to a workman

She sent a boy to ask the workman…(lines 25-26)
答案b—what he was called

Meanwhile his unit was lost and …had been destroyed. (lines 31-32)
答案b—every record of his
(他所有的记录都被毁掉了)

-who was thought to have been killed twenty years…(lines 18-19)
答案d—previously
previously: before 同义 完成时的标志

Mrs Bussman told her husband that he and the workman…(lines 20-21)
答案c—looked very alike
look表示人的外貌\长相应该采用复数形式
look alike 看起来像

-there was the …chance she might be right.(lines 24-25)
答案a—remotest
remote 既表示"遥远\偏僻的",也表示"微弱的",特别用来修饰chance

-how it had …that he was still alive. (lines 28-29) *
答案d—come about
come about: happen
多用于疑问句,尤其是How does it come about that?结构中

补充：
一、词组
标题：a chance in a million one chance in a thousand可能性小
less credulous not so gullible 不怎么轻信于人(殆无可能)
we used to be we were 像我们往常那样
bring……to a conclusion:
bring…… to an end
to a close 把……告一结束
presenting(sb.) with offering (sb.) with 给（人）以
a series of a train of 一系列
wildly improbable extremely absurd 荒诞不经，十分荒唐
was presumed was supposed 人们以为
all the time all the while 一直
plotting to conspiring to 图谋
bring about (one's ) downfall=bring about(one's) failure
把（人）搞垮，叫别人日子不好过
and so on and so forth,等等，诸如此类的事
conspire to bring about conspire towards
不期而然地发生，导致……许多事凑在一起，引起了，合力促成
was thought to have 原来人们认为已经was believed to have
on a walking tour 徒步旅行 on a walking excursion
stopped to talk to 停下来然后向……讲话=stopped walking and talked to
commented on made observations on 置评，评论
close resemblance to great likeness to 酷像
poured scorn on scoffed at 嘲笑
pointing out that indication clearly that明白指出，说道……
killed in action fallen in battle阵亡
was acquainted with 熟知，熟悉 was familiar with
needless to say 不用说 it goes without saying , it is a matter of course
how it was that 怎么会……怎么搞的……=how(跟主语) came 或how it came that……
(be) wounded be injured 受伤
was separated from 隔绝，失去联系 was out of touch with, lost touch (contact) with
made his way back into=went his way back into/to 返回
on foot by walking 步行
family home old home, home town 老家
in the neighbourhood 在街坊邻里 in the residential district
what had become of 变为什么样子，变成什么样的一种现状（命运，结果）= what had happened to (或befallen)
assuming that presuming that 料想
settled down 定居 established one's residence
ever since 打那以后 the whole period from some specified time.

二、关于conspire to
(有一种这样的含意：许多事，情况或人凑在一起造成了…&hellip 后接V
1) Events conspire to bring about great difficulties for government
2) They conspire to bring about the meeting of the two people.
3) They conspire to make it a success.
4) The bad weather conspired with a dirty hotel to make my holiday a resounding failure.
三、表达法对比
a) Hans explained how it was that he was still alive.
how things happened that he was still alive.
the whole story of his being still alive.
b) conspire to bring about 可写成 conspire towards(合力促成)
conspire against(凑在一起反对)
例：一切事情都和我作对
All things conspire against me.
一切因素都促成那种结果。
All things conspire towards that result.

c) a例所示 how it was,是说“原委”，“事情之究竟”。所以我们说“原来是这样”，就可写成So that's how it is.