英语小文章

Today I saw a butterfly,
as it floated in the air;
Its wings were spread in splendor,
Unaware that I was there.

It was such a thing of beauty,
It was a sight to see;
It was the perfect masterpiece,
Full of grace and majesty.

I found myself thinking,
to what can this compare?
And then, of course, I thought of you,
And I wished that you were there.

God sure was extra careful,
When He formed and fashioned you;
You too, became a masterpiece,
Yet God is still not through.

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 She wanted to have two babies—one boy and one girl. She wanted to have the boy first and the girl a year later. That way they could grow up together. He said that was okay with him. She said, "What do you mean, 'okay'? It shouldn't be 'okay' with you. You should say that you want two babies just as much as I do. If you don't want two babies as much as I do, then forget it."

He asked, "Forget it? You mean that we won't have two babies unless I really want to have two babies?"

She said, "Yes, that's right. If you don't really want two babies, then we won't have two babies."

"Okay," he said, "then let's not have two babies."

"Are you sure about that?" she asked.

He nodded his head, "Yes, I'm sure. We can't afford even one baby."

"Okay," she said. "Goodbye."

"What do you mean, 'goodbye'?" he asked.

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Philip is 55 and blind. He has been blind since birth. He says he does not feel like he is missing anything, because he cannot imagine what sight is like. He can smell a rose, but he cannot tell if it is red, white, or blue. It does not matter to him; he enjoys the beauty of the scent itself.

People sometimes take pity on him, but he tells them he is a contented man; he does not feel cheated by Mother Nature. The doctors never figured out why he was born blind.

But his life is not a bed of roses. It is difficult for him to travel. He cannot drive, of course; he travels by bus. At home, he cannot just look out of the window to see what the weather is like, and then dress appropriately. He can’t look at the clock on the wall to see what time it is. He uses his Braille watch or a special radio for that.

He must always put everything in the same spot in his apartment. If he doesn’t, “I’ll spend forever looking for it,” he laughs.

Philip can look for and look at, but he cannot see. He says strangers often correct themselves when talking to him. They’ll say, “I see,” meaning “I understand.” But then they think they’ve been rude, so they’ll correct themselves and say, “I mean, I understand.”

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Here are some typical phrases that you can use in a telephone conversation.

Answering the phone   

    * Hello? (informal)
    * Thank you for calling Boyz Autobody. Jody speaking. How can I help you?
    * Doctor's office.

Introducing yourself   

    * Hey George. It's Lisa calling. (informal)
    * Hello, this is Julie Madison calling.
    * Hi, it's Gerry from the dentist's office here.
    * This is she.*
    * Speaking.*

    *The person answering says this if the caller does not recognize their voice.

Asking to speak with someone   

    * Is Fred in? (informal)
    * Is Jackson there, please? (informal)
    * Can I talk to your sister? (informal)
    * May I speak with Mr. Green, please?
    * Would the doctor be in/available?

Connecting someone   

    * Just a sec. I'll get him. (informal)
    * Hang on one second. (informal)
    * Please hold and I'll put you through to his office.
    * One moment please.
    * All of our operators are busy at this time. Please hold for the next available person.

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