We really have homemade music when we play the TapaGlass.Why？We make the instrument—that’s the TapaGlass.This takes some time.
First，we hunt for drinking glasses that have a good ring to themWe tap them with a spoon to find out.We need eight glasses，one for each tone of the scaleHow do we get different tones？By putting water in the glasses.The more water，the lower the tone.After a while，we have all eight tones of the scale.Now the TapaGlass is ready.
One person takes the spoon and taps out a simple tune.It might be “Twinkle，Twinkle，Little Star”or “Mary Had a Little Lamp”or even “Jingle Bells”.We always give the player time to practice a little bit first.Then we try to guess the name of the song.
Sometimes we do echo signing.In echo singing，everybody sings the same song.We pick a simple tune like “John Brown’s Body”.One person begins to singThen a second person starts—right after the first singer！And sometimes a third person starts right after him.Sure enough，we have homemade music with a homemade echo！
Yes，our family has fun with homemade music.Sometimes we get all mixed upSometimes we have to stop because we are laughing so hardBut most of the time we made music.To us it sounds greatAfter all，we made it ourselves！
全体合唱，开始！
你听过家造的音乐吗？不错——我说的是家造音乐。家里制造的音乐可能是非常有乐趣的，家里所有的人都可以参加。
你也许会说，“我家里人参加不了。”为什么参加不了呢？你不必有一副好嗓子，也不需要买乐器。惟一需要的是家里的人有演唱的音乐愿望，这就足够了。
我们家里人喜欢的一种唱歌游戏，叫做“疯狂之声”。每个人唱的歌不一样，但都在同一时间唱！我们声音听起来确实有点疯狂。但不同的曲调却完全互相协调。
秘诀在于选的歌曲恰当。我们唱《纽约的人行道》《俩人骑的自行车》和《过去美好的夏季》时，其乐无穷。
有时，我们都搞混了，于是，我们便只哼曲调，或用手捂住耳朵。（用这种办法，每个歌唱者只听到自己的声音。）而后，我们再试一次，这时空气中充满了疯狂似的声音！
我们家里有小孩，我们为他们搞了个节奏乐队。我们没有任何高档的乐器，用的东西只是打蛋器，薄纸和梳子，水瓶，哨子，煎锅一类的东西。我们最好的歌曲是《扬基·杜多尔歌》。一人给我们起头。他用脚轻轻敲打着节拍。于是，我们开始了。
当我们演奏敲玻璃杯时，我们的家制音乐才真正是完全像家造的。为什么这样说呢？因为连乐器——玻璃杯编钟——都是自己做的。这要花一些时间。
首先，我们收集响声好听的酒杯，我们用羹匙轻轻敲打它们，听声音是否好听。我们需要八只杯子——音阶的每个声音各一只。我们如何得到不同的音呢？在杯子里装上水。水越多，音越低。不一会儿，音阶的八个音我们就有了。玻璃杯编钟已准备就绪了。
一个人拿起羹匙，轻敲出简单的曲调。它可能是《闪烁，闪烁的小星星》，或《玛丽有只小羔羊》，或《铃儿响丁当》。我们总是先给表演者时间去练习一会儿，然后，我们试着猜出歌的名字。
有时，我们搞回声歌唱，在回声歌唱里，大家唱同一首歌。我们挑选像《约翰·布朗的遗体》这样简单的曲调。一个人领唱，接着第二个人开始——紧接在第一个歌唱者的后面！有时，第三个人马上接着他开始。的确，我们的家造音乐中还有家造的回声呢！
是的，家造音乐使我们家充满乐趣。有时，我们都搞得乱糟糟的。有时，我们不得不停止，因为我们笑得太厉害了。但绝大多数时间，我们都创造出音乐来。对我们自己来说，它听起来很美妙。说来，它毕竟是我们自己造出来的！
On Strike
Busmen have decided to go on strike next week.The strike is due to begin on Tuesday.No one knows how long it will last.The busmen have stated that the strike will continue until general agreement is reached about pay and working conditions.Most people believe that the strike will last for at least a week.Many owners of private cars are going to offer “free rides”，to people on their way to work.This will relieve pressure on the trains to some extent.Meanwhile，a number of university students have volunteered to drive buses while the strike lasts.All the young men are expert drivers，but before they drive any of the buses，they will have to pass a special test.The students are going to take the test in two days’time.Even so，people are going to find it difficult to get to work.But so far，the public has expressed its gratitudegratitude to the students in letters to the Press.Only one or two people have objected that the students will drive too fast！
罢工
公共汽车司机决定下周罢工。罢工定于星期二开始，谁也不知道罢工会延续多久。司机们声称罢工将持续到工资和工作条件问题达成全面协议为止。许多人相信罢工将至少持续一周。许多有私人轿车的人准备给去上班的人们提供“免费乘车”，这在一定程度上会减轻对火车的压力。与此同时，许多大学生在罢工持续期间自愿去驾驶公共汽车，所有这些青年人都是驾驶汽车的能手。但他们在驾驶公共汽车之前得通过一种专门的考试，学生们准备在两天后去参加考试。即使是这样，人们仍将感到上班困难。但是到目前为止，公众已写信给报社，向大学生表示了谢意。只有一两个人提出反对，说大学生会把车子开得太快！
Never Too Old to Learn
I have just received a letter from an old school informing me that my former headmaster，Mr.Reginald Page，will be retiring next weekPupils of the school，old and new，will be sending him a present to mark the occasion.All those who have contributed towards the gift will sign their names in a large albumalbum which will be sent to the headmaster’s homeWe shall all remember Mr.Page for his patience and understanding and for the kindly encouragement he gave us when we went so unwillingly to school.A great many former pupils will be attending a farewell dinner in his honour next Thursday.It is a curious coincidencecoincidence that the day before his retirement，Mr.Page will have been teaching for a total of forty years.After he has retired，he will devote himself to gardening.For him，this will be an entirely new hobby.But this does not matter，for，as he has often remarked，one is never too old to learn.
学不嫌老
我刚接到一封母校的来信，通知我老校长Reginald Page先生将于下周退休。学校里的新老学生都将给他送礼以表敬意，所有送礼的人都将在一本大纪念册上签名，这本大纪念册送到校长家。我们不会忘记Page先生对我们的耐心和谅解，以及当我们很不愿意上学时，他给我们的那种慈祥的鼓励。下星期四，他以前的许多学生都将参加为他举行的告别宴会。到他退休的前一天，他正好教了四十年的书，这是一个奇妙的巧合。退休后，他将专心于园艺，对他来说这完全是个新的爱好。但这不要紧，因为，正如他常说的，一个人应该活到老，学到老。
After the Elections
The former Prime Minister，Mr.Wentworth Lane，was defeated in the recent elections.He is now retiring from political life and has gone abroad.My friend，Crawley，has always been a fanaticalfanatical opponent of Mr.Lane’s Radical Progressive Party.After the elections，Crawley went to the former prime Minister’s house.When he asked if Mr.Lane lived there，the policeman on duty told him that since his defeat，the exPrime Minister had gone abroad.On the following day，Crawley went to the house again.The same policeman was just walking slowly past the entrance，when Crawley asked the same question.Though a little suspicious this time，the policeman gave him the same answer.The day after，Crawley went to the house once more and asked exactly the same question.This time，the policeman lost his temper.“I told you yesterday and the day before yesterday，”he shouted，“Mr.Lane was defeated in the elections.He has retired.”
“I know，”answered Crawley，“but I love to hear you say it！”
大选之后
前首相Wentworth Lane 在最近的一次大选中失败了。他现在退出了政界，并已出国。我的朋友Crawley一直是Lane先生激进党的一名狂热反对者。大选后，Crawley到前首相家去。当他询问Lane先生是否住在那儿时，值班警察告诉他，这位首相落选后就到国外去了。第二天，Crawley又跑到住宅前，还是那个警察在大门那儿慢慢踱着，Crawley又问他同样的问题。警察这次虽然有点怀疑，但还是照样回答了他。又过了一天，Crawley又去了，而且问的是完全相同的问题。这一次警察发火了，他喊道：“昨天和前天我都告诉过你，Lane在大选中失败了，他退出政界到国外去住了！”
“我知道，我就是喜欢听你说这个。”Crawley回答道。
Mask，the Bandit
John George came into the kitchen
“I’m not the only one who lets the big fish get away.”he said，laughing