100-year-old pen pals continuing 85-year friendship

2023-08-19山东李培贞

疯狂英语·新读写 2023年7期

山东李培贞

主题语境：友谊篇幅：297词建议用时：5分钟

1Looking back,Geoff Banks from Devon,England can hardly even remember how he first started writing to his American friend,Celesta Byrne.

2Geoff and Celesta were given each other's names and addresses as part of a school pen pal program back in 1938.They're both now 100 years old,and a lot has changed in the past 85 years,but one thing has not: They still write to each other regularly!

3“I honestly struggle to remember how we got in touch,but I was talking to Celesta recently and I think it was something to do with an American school's scheme,”Geoff said.“They matched us up with Americans for a pen pal relationship,and somehow I ended up with a letter from an American girl,and we have just kept corresponding ever since.”

4Geoff and Celesta's relationship never turned romantic,but they have shared a lot over the decades.They kept up their correspondence,sending updates about their families,friends,and work.In 2002,they finally got a chance to meet in person during a trip to New York City.Two years later,they met up again,but ever since then they've gone back to pen and paper.

5Recently,they've switched to digital forms of communication to stay in touch,something that's easier on their eyes and hands.Their children have helped them set up email accounts,and they also have had a video chat.“I have this new thing called Zoom,I think,now to chat with her,but I leave all the technology to younger people,”said Geoff.“They're much better at pressing all the buttons.”

6Geoff says writing to Celesta has been“a source of great satisfaction”for him over the years,and Celesta says their relationship is“like people who live next door”.

Reading Check

Gist 1.What's the main idea of paragraph 3?

1.2.1甲组在神经刺激仪引导下进行麻醉，协助患者保持头偏向健侧体位位，应用穿刺点构造明确肌间沟臂丛神经的方位，设定神经刺激仪的初始电流为1mA，有肌肉刺激后逐步调小至0.48mA，若肌肉还有刺激运动则推注盐酸罗哌卡因(0.5%)2ml，后再调至1mA患者若肌肉刺激运动消失，则缓缓推注15ml罗哌卡因（浓度为0.5%），推完药物后拔出穿刺针；观察患者麻醉效果；

A.Where they are from.

B.What kept them in touch.

C.How they got in touch.

D.When they became pen pals.

Detail 2.What did Geoff and Celesta think of communicating in digital forms?

A.It should speed up their progress.

C.It is a creative way to communicate.

D.It should be more friendly to the old.

Detail 3.What can we learn from Geoff and Celesta?

A.They have been pen pals for several decades.

B.They became lovers after writing letters.

C.They can't remember how they started writing letters.