英语写作三步骤

英语写作三步骤蒋平 训练指导者方针的好坏是一个前提条件。合理地设置 训练程序，使英语习作从初级到高级沿着一条循序渐 进，由简到多的进程发展是成功训练者必须具备的指 导思想。本篇认为，在习作训练的初期，应采纳一条 从有材料可依的习作方式过渡到脱离本本进行自由写 作方式的途径。从有材可依到无材可依的训练过程应 包括三个阶段：一、短文缩写（Smmary）阶段。短文缩写可以是就所学课文进行缩写，也可以采用其它 阅读材料，但要求被缩写的材料难易程度不超过所学课 本。被用于进行缩写的课文或其它材料必须观点明确， 层次分明，叙述有条理。缩写时应做到简明扼要，抓 住重点，不要拖泥带水，没有主次。初学阶段的被缩写 材料不宜太长，以不超一千词为佳，缩写文以不超过2m 词为佳。以下就一篇短文进行缩写，限于篇幅，短文 内容有所节略。Most shops in Britai open at 9.00 a.m. and close at 5.00 or 5.30 in the evening. Small shops usually close for an hour at lunchtime. On one or two days a week-usually Thursday and/or Friday-some large food shops stay until about 8.00 p.m. for late night shopping.Many shops are closed in the afternoon on one day a week. The days is usually Wednesday or Thursday and it is a different day in different towns. Nearly all shops are closed on Sunday. Newspaper shops are open in the morning, and sell sweets and cigarettes as well. But there are legal restrictions on selling many things on Sundays. Many large food shops(supermarkets)are self-service. When you go into one of these shops you take a basket and you put the things you wish to buy into it. You queue up at the cash-desk and pay for everything just before you leave. If anyone tries to take things from a shop without paying they are almost certain to be caught. Most shops have store detectives who have the job of catching shoplifters. Shoplifting is considered a serious crime by the police and the courts. When you are waiting to be served in a shop, it s important to wait your turn. It is important not to try to be served before people who arrived before you. Many people from overseas are astonished at theBritish habit of queuing.将短文缩写如下：This article tells us about British shops. British shops usually open at 9.00 a.m. and close at 5.00 or 5.30 p.m. Many shops are closed in the afternoon one day a week. Nearly all shops are closed on Sundays. In Britain, many large food shops are self-service. And when you wait to be served in a shop, you have to wait patiently for your turn.这是一篇不超过100词的缩写，句子基本上由原文各段落 的主要内容构成。个别段落被完全删除以保证缩写重点 突出，前后连贯。缩写是一种“依材剪贴”的习作方式， 基本上采用原材料中的词语和句子，仅作了部分调整， 是最初级的习作方式。二、短文评论（Brief Comment）阶段。短评是就所学课文或阅读材料进行评论。通过分析原文中 的内容和观点，提出一定的看法。短评可以是对原文观 点表示赞同，也可以提出异议或不同看法。如对前文便可 作以下评论：From the article we learned about British shops, about their opening and closing time and their service. But we find that there are something inconvenient with British shop service. First is the time. Shops in Britain open very late and close too early. Second is that there is almost no Sunday service. Where can people go if they suddenly need to buy something? The last is the habit of queuing. It will be a waste of time if the queue is too long.初学阶段，短文评论的字数一般也应在150字左右，不宜 写大多。短评是一种“一半依材，一半发挥”的习作方 式。在内容上，一部分取自原文，一部分靠自己的思考。 在用词上，可以部分地依赖原文，也需使用一些其它词 汇。此外，短评的行文布局和用句也是一半模仿，一半 创造。短评的这种特点使它非常适合承接短文缩写阶段， 而又为后期阶段打下一定的基础。三、引导写作(Guided Writing)阶段。引导写作可分为重新编排句子顺序。规定情景作文。 看图作文。提纲作文。关键词作文等形式。这些形式 均可以用于训练，但以提纲作文和关键词作文多用 为佳. 提纲作文是一种给出题目和段落提纲的习作方 式，其段落写作提纲可以采用段落主旨句的形式，也 可以是短语。关键词作文是一种给出作文题目和一些 关键词或词组的命题作文形式。由于有段落写作提纲 或主旨句等，进行习作时，减少了审题环节，且写作 思路受到引导。在训练初期，引导写作的命题应尽量 与所学英语书本的内容挂钩，使学生能够参照一部分 课文所学的词汇与结构，避免大多生词。如针对上篇 短文便可出一道相关命题引导学生习作： 题目：shops in China提纲：（1）中国商店的作息时间（2）中国商店的周未服务情况（3）中国商店服务态度的好坏以上是关于英语习作初级阶段的训练步骤。 三个步骤的三种形式，相承相继，循序渐进，为进入 自由命题写作打下了良好的基础。既适合教师指导学 生习作课使用，也适合学习者自我训练。事实证明， 这三个步骤是英语习作人门的有效做法。   英语写作中选词的准确性肖 妹 一个词的意思有两方面：denotation和connotation。Denototion 是词的字面意思，正如字典上所定义的一样；Connotation 是由词引申联想到的意思和情感。例如country，nation，state 和land，它们的字面意思多少有相似之处，都可以译成“国 家”,但它们的涵义却相差甚远。Country主要指国土及国民； Nation强调民族，种族；state多指国家的政府及政府机构； 而land指国家虽不够精确，但更富有文学的色彩，比country 一词带有更多的感情。初学写作的人有时会选错词，但更多 的时候是选词不全错，而是不够准确、地道，导致词不达意， 甚至导致冒犯和误解。固此在英语写作中要学会选择准确的 词来表达自己的思想。 一般来说，要把握选词的准确性, 可以从下面三方面入手。一、要有广泛的阅读积累，才能了解词与社会、历史、文化 及政治因素的关系，选词时才能符合语言习惯并与社会文化 诸多背景一致。例如，英美人对landlord和peasant两词的理解与 中国人截然不同。英美人对前者的理解首先是“房东”，然后 才是“地主”；而peasant一词对他们来说意味着“粗俗”与 “无知”，此词多少带有贬义色彩。再如propaganda一词在中 国并不带有西方人所理解的贬意；而First lady（第一夫人）绝 不能理解为汉语的原配夫人，因此在写作中应特别注意这类 词，否则会导致冒犯和误解。由于东西方社会历史文化的差异，许多词所引申或代表的内容也大相径庭，Phoenix在西方象征“复活”、“再生”，而 汉语的这一词却表示“祥瑞”。Peach在汉语中象征“长寿” 而在英语中却用以指代“特别讨人喜爱的人或物”。又比如 在表示色彩的词中green是青春的颜色，常表示希望、活力， 但在英语中green又与“妒忌” （to be green with envy， green-eyed）和“没有经验的”（a greeh horn）联系起来。如果 没有广泛的阅读积累，养成经常查字典的良好习惯，单凭想当 然地选词，势必会词不达意。即使同一事物，在美国和英国也可能有不同的表达。例如： corn一词在美国指“玉米”而在英国泛扮“谷物”；“地铁” 在英国用tube或undergroud美国则用subway。此类的例子还有pave-ment/sidewalk, Chemists' shop/drug store等。 二、在英语写作中特别要注意区分同义词，选词时要考虑主题。对象及情景（subject, audi-enc, situation） 由于历史的原因，现代英语除本族语外，还包括大量的法语 和拉丁来源的词，这就使英语的同义词相当丰富。总的来讲，英语本族语大多是短词，小词，听起来朴素）亲切，大量用于口头表达：法语来源的词庄重文雅，多与行政、宗教、军 事、服饰等有关；拉丁来源的词，书卷味浓, 如ask，question，inter－rogate这三个不同来源的同义词在不同的主题、对象、情景下用法就不一样。 同义词除了来源的不同会影响措词的选择外，它们在程度、 感情色彩上也有不同。比如“瘦”可以用slender，slim，lean, thin，underweight，gaunt, lanky，skinny等来表达，而sleder表示“苗条”是褒义的，skinny却是贬义的，underweight则是中性 的词。即使同是褒义词，表达的感情色彩也不同。比如little和petite两个同义词当用来描绘女子时，都意为“个子小”的，但petite 同时还有“匀称”的意义，而little更强调“可爱的”或“可怜 的”，根据不同的上下文，它还有“纤小”、“娇小”或 “弱小”等不同意义。因此在选词表达思想时，一定要分清 主题，对象及情景。 另外让中国学生头痛的是一些同义词的习惯搭配。比如large 和big都指“大”但large通常用来修饰诸如number，amount及 quantity（a large nunlber of students，a large almount of money，a large quantity of wine，etc）。但象“勇气”，“信心”，”能 力”、“智慧”等表示个人素质的名词，人们通常用呷碰而 不用big或large来修饰。由此可见，在英语写作实践中，区分 同义词的用法是相当重要的。三、选择措词应把握好英语和汉语词汇无法对应的部分不是所有的英语词汇都有相应的汉语表达，一些不同的英语 词汇也有可能用同样的汉语来表达，这就使我们在用英语来 表达思想对面临更多选择上的困难。比如family和home两词 都可译成汉语的“家”，但它们却不是同义词。Family主要 指家庭成员，与人有关，而home主要指所居住的地点、住 宅。Except和besides有时都译成同样的汉语“除了”,但他们 的意思却是相反的。因此我们不能依赖于单纯的汉语译意。 否则我们可能会被误导。尽管许多英语对应的汉语词汇都能 表达它们真正的思，但往往有些英语词汇没有准确的汉语对 应词；所以只有在不同的上下文中才能确定它们真正的 意思，比如send一词，如果单把它理解成汉语的“送”的 话，象这样的句子“她送信给我”也许会被写成she sent me the letter.而英语准确的表达应是she brought me the letter. 再如“他将送朋友去机场”，如果写成He will send his friend to the airpot。就又错了。正确的表达应该是He will go to the airpot with his friend to see him off. 实际上send sth to a place 应该是请别人送去，自己不去。因此，要确定我们所选的词是否准确、 恰当，单凭查词典还不行。   What does a woman want? 文章类型：英语学习文章 文章加入时间：2002年9月26日21:48   Once a man confessed, "The great question I have not been able to answer is What does a woman want?" Many husbands and boyfriends wonder the same thing today. But modern psychologists--and women--know the answer. A woman wants most everything a man wants: success, power, status, money, love, marriage, children, happiness, and fulfillment. 一位男士曾坦白地说；"一个我无法回答的大问题是：女士想要的是什么？"今天，许多丈夫和男朋友仍为这同一问题而感到困惑。不过，现代心理学家--和女士们--知道 答案 八年级地理上册填图题岩土工程勘察试题省略号的作用及举例应急救援安全知识车间5s试题及答案 。女士们想要的同男士们想要的几乎没有什么两样。她们需要的是：成功、权力、地位、金钱、爱情、婚姻、孩子、幸福以及自我价值的实现。 Women need to communicate this more clearly. Here are five things that should be told to men. 女士们需要的是将这些要求明确地说出来。这里有五点该对男士们谈一谈。 1. Women need genuine, personal displays of affection. 女士们需要真诚的、发自内心的感情。 The breed of women who lives off the expensive gifts a man gives her is vanishing. A woman who values love for its own sake tends to be wary of gifts that are too costly. An expensive gift can make her feel that a man is trying to buy her affections and sees her as a prize rather than a person. 那类以男士送贵重礼品为其择偶 标准 excel标准偏差excel标准偏差函数exl标准差函数国标检验抽样标准表免费下载红头文件格式标准下载 的女性正在销声匿迹。珍视爱情本身价值的女性对太昂贵的礼物持审慎的态度。贵重的礼品使她们感到男士是在试图购买她们的感情，把她们看成是赢得的奖品而不是一个人。 Gifts that give women genuine pleasure are those with a personal touch-an item of clothing, for example--because such gifts, when chosen properly, are statements of caring and high form of flattery, demonstrating recognition of a loved one's special tastes. The best gifts, from a woman's point of view, are those that are on going, rather than flamboyant. In fact, what's missing from a lot of lives is romance, such as doing small chores for her, sharing a laugh with her. These are the "gifts" that really count. 能给女士们带来真诚快乐的礼物是那些具有个人感情特色的物品，比如一件衣服，因为这类礼物若挑选得当，能体现出关心和爱慕之情，表明你了解心爱人的特殊喜好。从女性角度来看，最好的礼物是那些普通的小礼品，而不是什么花哨艳丽的东西。实际上，生活之中缺乏的是浪漫之情，比如说，为她做些家务，同她一起开怀大笑。这些"礼物"才是真正有价值的。 2. Women need a sympathetic ear. 女士们需要一位具有同情心的听众。 A simple conversation can be different event to a man and a woman. For a man, a conversation is a way to define a problem, debate the rights and wrongs, and find a solution. To do that, he may repeatedly interrupt the woman until she "understands" the point he's making. But a woman would rather have a friendly ear from a man, instead of advice. Women more often view conversation as a way of sharing their emotions with the listener. They talk until they feel better. A man who wants to get through to a woman conversationally needs to tap into emotions rather than solutions. And, often, that can mean just listening. 一次普通的谈话对男士和对女士来说可以是两码事。对男士来说，谈话是弄清问题，明辨是非，找出解决问题办法的方式。为了达到此目的，他可能多次打断女士，直到她"明白"他的意图为止。但是，女士却宁愿男士友好地听她谈话，而不要给她提意见。女性常常把谈话看作是同听者分享情感的方式．她们往住要说到自我感觉较好的地步才收住话题。男士若想在交谈中与女士沟通，就需要把注意力集中在情感上，而不是在解决问题的办法上。这常常就意味着应当做一个好的听众。 3. Women don't fall in love as easily as men do. 女士不像男士那样快地坠入情网。 Men tend to be romantics, often falling in love more quickly than women, who tend to focus on practical considerations in choosing a mate. Women are looking for long-term qualities in a partner. Far more than men, they allow their heads to control their hearts. Even though women may ache for love, they carry around an inner evaluator who asks, Can I count on this man? So any man who hopes to sweep a woman off her feet had better lengthen his timetable, and pay as much attention to characteristics such as kindness and dependability as he does to his hair, his clothes and his adaptability. 男士在爱情上倾向于浪漫，比女士更易坠入情网。女士的择偶倾向则侧重于许多实际的考虑。她们重视伴侣身上持久的好品质。与男士相比，她们更多的是用理智控制自己的情感。即使女士们在遭受爱情的折磨不能自拔时，她们也会在内心问自己："我能够指望这个男人吗？"所以，任何希望很快就能赢得女士芳心的男士最好放慢速度，延长自己的日程表，并且对善良、可靠性此类方面的人身品质给予足够的重视，就像注重自己的发型、穿着和适应性一样。 4. Women are good problem-solvers. 女性善于处理问题。 Men and women solve problem in different ways. A man tends to be direct--line up all his options, select one, then proceed. Women are more likely to simply let problems solve themselves-for example, by giving a child more time to adjust to a new teacher, rather than insisting on an immediate classroom change. 男士和女士以不同的方式处理问题。男士倾向于直接的方法-一摆出所有的观点，选择一个，然后去处理问题。女士更有可能只采取让问题自行得以解决的方法。例如：给予孩子更长点时间去适应一位新老师，而不是坚持要求立刻换班。 5. A woman wants to be friends with her husband. 女性想要的是成为丈夫的朋友。 "Few women relish being a mother, secretary or general picker-upper for their husbands. A woman wants the man in her life to be a true equal, someone who respects her strength, treats her weaknesses with kindness, and expects her to be the same for him. In short, she wants a friend, a lover and a partner who understands her. 没有多少女性乐于当专业妈妈，当丈夫的专业文秘，或者当个临时凑合的女人。女士希望她生活中的男士是她真正的平等伙伴，他会尊重她的长处，用善意对待她的短处。同时，他希望她也这样对待他。总而言之，她想要的是一位朋友，一位爱人和一位理解她的伴侣。   文章出处：英语网校新闻中心 文章作者：黄年根   Straight into 5th grade A first grade teacher was having trouble with one of her students. One day she asked Johnny what his problem was. He replied, "I'm too smart for the first grade, my sister is in the third grade and I'm smarter than her ." The teacher took him to the principals office and explained the situation to the principal. The principal told her that he would give Johnny a test, and if he failed to answer one question he would have to go back to the first grade and be quiet. The teacher and Johnny both agreed. Principal: "What is 3 x 3?" Johnny: "9" Principal: "6 x 6?" Johnny: "36" And so it went on like this, the principal asked him every question a third grader should know. Finally after about an hour he told the teacher "I see no reason Johnny can't go to the third grade, he answered all of my questions right." The teacher asked if she could ask him some questions. The principal and Johnny agree. Teacher: "What does a cow have 4 of that I only have 2 of? Johnny: "Legs" Teacher: "What do you have in your pants that I don't have?" The principal gasps (气喘）but before he can stop him from answering Johnny says, "pockets" Teacher: "What does a dog do that a man steps into?" Johnny: "Pants" Teacher: "What starts with F and ends with K and means a lot of excitement?" Johnny: "Firetruck" The principal breaths a big sigh of relief and says "Put Johnny in the fifth grade, I got the last 4 questions wrong myself Sons' Gifts to Mother Three sons left home, went out on their own and prospered. Getting back together, they discussed the gifts they were able to give their elderly mother. The first said, "I built a big house for our mother." The second said, "I sent her a Mercedes with a driver." The third smiled and said, "I've got you both beat. Remember how mom enjoyed reading the Bible? And you know she can't see very well. I sent her a remarkable parrot that recites the entire Bible. It took elders in the church 12 years to teach him. He's one of a kind. Mama just has to name the chapter and verse, and the parrot recites it." Soon thereafter, mom sent out her letters of thanks. "Milton," she wrote one son, "the house you built is so huge. I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house." "Gerald," she wrote to another, "I am too old to travel. I stay most of the time at home, so I rarely use the Mercedes. And the driver is so rude!" "Dearest Donald," she wrote to her third son, "you have the good sense to know what your mother likes. The chicken was delicious." Unfaithful 3 times Sam & Becky are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and Sam says to Becky, "So, Becky, I was wondering... Have you ever cheated on me?" Becky replies, "Oh Sam, why would you ask such a question now? You don't want to ask that question..." "Yes, Becky, I really want to know. Please..." "Well, all right, 3 times..." "3, hmmm, well when were they?" "Well, Sam, remember when you were 35 years old and you really wanted to start the business on your own and no bank would give you a loan?... Remember, one day the bank president himself came over the house and signed the loan papers, no questions asked?... Well..." "Oh, Becky, you did that for me?! I respect you even more than ever, to do such a thing for me... So when was number 2?" "Well, Sam, remember when you had that last heart attack and you were needing that very tricky operation, and no surgeon wanted to touch you?... Remember how Dr. DeBakey came all the way up here to do the surgery himself and then you were in good shape again?... Well...." "Oh my god!! Becky, you should do such a thing for me, to save my life... I couldn't have a more wonderful wife... To do such a thing, you must really love me darling... I couldn't be more moved... So, all right then, when was number 3?" "Well, Sam, remember a few years ago, when you really wanted to be president of the school board.... And you were 47 votes short...." \ Too much noise in class It was the first day of school. As the principal made his rounds, he heard a terrible commotion coming from one of the classrooms. He rushed in and spotted one boy, taller than the others, who seemed to be making the most noise. He seized the lad, dragged him to the hall, and told him to wait there until he was excused. Returning to the classroom, the principal restored order and lectured the class for half an hour about the importance of good behavior. "Now," he said, "are there any questions?" One girl stood up timidly. " Please sir," she asked, "May we have our teacher back?" Ugly Baby A man sits down on a Boeing 747 next to a mother holding her new baby. Proudly showing off her baby, she turned and angled him to her companion who'd just sat down next to her. "Excuse me ma'am," said the man, "I don't mean to offend you, but that is the ugliest baby I've ever seen in my entire life." Stunned at what she'd just heard and not sure she'd heard correctly the woman asked, "Excuse me?" "I mean I've seen bad before, but this one's a real killer," answered the man. Horrified and angered at the rudeness and audacity that had just been spat in her face, the woman started shrieking as loud as she could. "I'm going to file a law suit against this airline and everyone who is on this plane! How dare someone insult me and my whole family like that and get away with it!" At hearing the tumult, a stewardess hurried over to help out the screaming woman and try to calm her down. "Excuse me ma'am why don't you just settle back while I get you a hot cup of tea, a pillow for your head, and a banana for your monkey." Shaving off his beard A married man was visiting his girlfriend one day, when she requested that he shave his beard. "Oh James, I like your beard, but I would really love to see your handsome face." James replied, "My wife loves this beard, I couldn't possibly do it. She would kill me!" "Oh, please?" the girlfriend asked again, in a sexy little voice. "Oh really, I can't," he replied. "My wife loves this beard!" The girlfriend asked once more, and he sighed and finally gave in. That night, James crawled into bed with his wife while she was sleeping. The wife woke up somewhat, felt his face and replied "Oh, Michael, you shouldn't be here. My husband will be home soon!" Frenchmen... Three guys, an Englishman, a Frenchman and an American are walking along the beach together one day. They come across a lantern and a genie pops out of it. "I will give you each one wish, " says the genie. The American says, "I am a farmer, my dad was a farmer, and my son will also farm. I want the land to be forever fertile in America." With a blink of the genie's eye, 'FOOM'  -  the land in America was forever made fertile for farming. The Frenchman was amazed, so he said, "I want a wall around France, so that no one can come into our precious country." Again, with a blink of the Genie's eye, 'POOF'  -  there was a huge wall around France. The Englishman asks, "I'm very curious. Please tell me more about this wall. The Genie explains, "Well, it's about 150 feet high, 50 feet thick and nothing can get in or out." The Englishman says, "Fill it up with water." Al Gore... Al Gore and the Clintons are flying on Air Force One.  Bill looks at Al, chuckles and says, "You know, I could throw a $10,000 bill out the window right now and make one person very happy." Al shrugs his stiff shoulders and says, "Well, I could throw ten $1,000 bills out the window and make 10 people very happy." Hillary tosses her perfectly sprayed hair and says, "Of course, then, I could throw one hundred $100 bills out the window and make a hundred people very happy." Chelsea rolls her eyes, looks at all of them and says, "I could throw all of you out the window and make the whole country happy." Rules for surviving Web addiction 1. I will have a cup of coffee in the morning and read my newspaper like I used to, before the Web. 2.I will eat breakfast with a knife and fork and not with one hand typing. 3.I will get dressed before noon. 4.I will make an attempt to clean the house, wash clothes, and plan dinner before even thinking of the Web. 5.I will sit down and write a letter to those unfortunate few friends and family that are Web-deprived. 6.I will call someone on the phone who I cannot contact via the Web. 7.I will read a book...think I still remember how. 8.I will listen to those around me and stop telling them to turn the TV down so I can hear the music on the Web. 9.I will not be tempted during TV commercials to check for e-mail. 10.I will try leave the house at least once a week, whether it is necessary or not. 11.I will remember that my bank is not forgiving if I forget to balance my cheque book because I was too busy on the Web. 12. I will remember I must go to bed sometime...the Web will always be there tomorrow! My comments about the above rules, and how they'll never work for me. ======================================================= 1. Drinking coffee ??!! Yeeuuurrkk !!! I hate coffee !!  And reading the newspaper.. no way.. what a waste of a tree !I can get the same information via the web. 2.Who has time for breakfast these days ??? If i have time for breakfast, then I have time to sleep-in just a few minutes longer! - 3.I don't even get up before noon!. - Some days i don't go to bed either! 4. Cleaning the house ?? - That's woman's work !.. That's why I get my brother to do it !.. He acts like an old woman sometimes. - Washing my clothes ? - Hell.. i only put these things on four days ago... there's at least another weeks wear I can get out of them before i think about washing them. Planning dinner? For me that is remembering where i put the Dial-a-kebab leaflet... 5. I can't write properly, my joined up writing is illegible, even I have trouble reading it sometimes. As for having friends who don't own a computer.. well.. last time I saw them was the day before I left college... in the late 1980's ! 6. As I said in reply (5), I don't know anyone who doesn't have access the the Web, Why would I want to contact someone who is technically challenged anyway?? 7. Ok.. I do still read books, but that is only during my lunch break, as they don't let staff use the works computers for surfing the web during the lunch time break, and calling the web via my laptop and my mobile phone costs an arm and a leg. 8. Hell.. I don't have that problem... I have my own special sound-proofed room as my computer room, where I can cut-out all external noise coming from the rest of my house. 9. I more likely to be tempted to go and check what's on the TV, while I wait for my e-mail to download. 10.Leave the house ? - Don't you know all web addicts are really Agoraphobic, which is how they got to be a web addict in the first place ! 11.That one is no problem, with all this modern up-to-date internet banking, I can balance my chequebook while I am on the web. 12. Bed.. what is that then ??? - Does crashing out on the sofa count ?? JOKE 1Ali,who was working a long way from home,wanted to send a letter to his wife ,but he could nerther read nor write,and he had to work all day,so he could only look for somebody to write his letter late at night. At last he found the house of a letter-writer whose name wad Nasreddin.Nasredin was already in bed. 'It is late,' he said. 'What do you want?' 'I want you to write a letter to my wife,' said Ali. Nasreddin was not pleased. He thought for a few seconds and then said, 'Has the letter got to go far?''What does that matter?' answered Ali.'Well, my writing is so strange that only I can read it , and if I have to travel a long way to read your letter to your wife , it will cost you a lot of money.'Ali went away quickly. JOKE 2 An old man died and left his son a lot of money.But the son was a foolish young man, and he quickly spent all the money, so that soon he had nothing left. Of course,when that happened,all his friends left him. When he was quite poor and alone, he went to see Nasreddin, who was a kind, clever old man and often helped people when they had troubles.'My money has finished and my friends have gone,' said the young man. 'What will happen to me now?''Don't worry, young man,' answered Nasreddn. 'Everything will soon be all right again. Wait, and you will soon feel much happier.'The young man was very glad. 'Am I going to get rich again then?' he asked Nasreddin.'No, I didn't mean that,' said the old man. 'I meant that you would soon get used to being poor and to having no friends.'   JOKE 9There was a big garden near Nasreddin's house, and it had a lot of fruit trees in it. One day Nasreddin saw some beautiful apples on one of them. He went home and got a ladder, put it against the high wall of the garden. Just then a gardener came round a corner and saw him.'What are you doing here?' he shouted.Nasreddin thought quickly and them said, 'I am selling my ladder.''Selling your ladder? In somebody else's garden? Do you think I believe shch a stupid story?' said the gardener and came towards Nasreddin with a stick.'It is my ladder,' said Nasreddin, 'and I can sell it where I like. You needn't buy it if you don't want to.' And he took his ladder and climbed over the wall again. JOKE 10Nasreddin woke up in the middle of the night and saw something white in his garden. It seemed to be moving towards the house.'That is a thief!' he thought, and he took his gun and shot at him. Then he went back to bed, because he was too frightened to go out of the house in dark.The next morning Nasreddin went out and saw one of his white shirts hanging on the clothes-line in the garden. His wife had washed it the day before and hung it out to dry. Now it had a bullet-hole right through the middle of it.'My God,' said Nasreddin, 'I was lucky last night. If I had been wearing that shirt, the bullet would have killed me!' And he called his neighbours together and asked them to thank God for saving him.