练习材料：

L31-2：A lovable eccentric

Dickie left the shop without a word and returned carrying a large cloth bag. As it was extremely heavy, he dumped it on the counter. The assistant asked him to leave, but Dickie paid no attention to him and requested to see the manager. Recognizing who the customer was, the manager was most apologetic and reprimanded the assistant severely. When Dickie was given the watch, he presented the assistant with the cloth bag. It contained $300 in pennies. He insisted on the assistant's counting the money before he left -- 30,000 pennies in all! On another occasion, he invited a number of important critics to see his private collection of modern paintings. This exhibition received a great deal of attention in the press, for though the pictures were supposed to be the work of famous artists, they had in fact been painted by Dickie. It took him four years to stage this elaborate joke simply to prove that critics do not always know what they are talking about.

/ˈdɪki/ /lɛft/ /ðə/ /ʃɑp/ /wɪˈθaʊt/ /ə/ /wɜrd/ /ænd/ /rɪˈtɜrnd/ /ˈkæriɪŋ/ /ə/ /lɑrʤ/ /klɔθ/ /bæg/. /æz/ /ɪt/ /wʌz/ /ɛkˈstrimli/ /ˈhɛvi/, /hi/ /dʌmpt/ /ɪt/ /ɑn/ /ðə/ /ˈkaʊntər/. /ði/ /əˈsɪstənt/ /æskt/ /hɪm/ /tu/ /liv/, /bʌt/ /ˈdɪki/ /peɪd/ /noʊ/ /əˈtɛnʃən/ /tu/ /hɪm/ /ænd/ /rɪˈkwɛstɪd/ /tu/ /si/ /ðə/ /ˈmænəʤər/. /ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪzɪŋ/ /hu/ /ðə/ /ˈkʌstəmər/ /wʌz/, /ðə/ /ˈmænəʤər/ /wʌz/ /moʊst/ /əˌpɑləˈʤɛtɪk/ /ænd/ /ˈrɛprəˌmændɪd/ /ði/ /əˈsɪstənt/ /səˈvɪrli/. /wɛn/ /ˈdɪki/ /wʌz/ /ˈgɪvən/ /ðə/ /wɑʧ/, /hi/ /priˈzɛntəd/ /ði/ /əˈsɪstənt/ /wɪð/ /ðə/ /klɔθ/ /bæg/. /ɪt/ /kənˈteɪnd/ $300 /ɪn/ /ˈpɛniz/. /hi/ /ɪnˈsɪstəd/ /ɑn/ /ði/ /əˈsɪstənts/ /ˈkaʊntɪŋ/ /ðə/ /ˈmʌni/ /bɪˈfɔr/ /hi/ /lɛft/ -- 30,000 /ˈpɛniz/ /ɪn/ /ɔl/! /ɑn/ /əˈnʌðər/ /əˈkeɪʒən/, /hi/ /ɪnˈvaɪtəd/ /ə/ /ˈnʌmbər/ /ʌv/ /ɪmˈpɔrtənt/ /ˈkrɪtɪks/ /tu/ /si/ /hɪz/ /ˈpraɪvət/ /kəˈlɛkʃən/ /ʌv/ /ˈmɑdərn/ /ˈpeɪntɪŋz/. /ðɪs/ /ˌɛksəˈbɪʃən/ /rəˈsivd/ /ə/ /greɪt/ /dil/ /ʌv/ /əˈtɛnʃən/ /ɪn/ /ðə/ /prɛs/, /fɔr/ /ðoʊ/ /ðə/ /ˈpɪkʧərz/ /wɜr/ /səˈpoʊzd/ /tu/ /bi/ /ðə/ /wɜrk/ /ʌv/ /ˈfeɪməs/ /ˈɑrtɪsts/, /ðeɪ/ /hæd/ /ɪn/ /fækt/ /bɪn/ /ˈpeɪntəd/ /baɪ/ /ˈdɪki/. /ɪt/ /tʊk/ /hɪm/ /fɔr/ /jɪrz/ /tu/ /steɪʤ/ /ðɪs/ /ɪˈlæbrət/ /ʤoʊk/ /ˈsɪmpli/ /tu/ /pruv/ /ðæt/ /ˈkrɪtɪks/ /du/ /nɑt/ /ˈɔlˌweɪz/ /noʊ/ /wʌt/ /ðeɪ/ /ɑr/ /ˈtɔkɪŋ/ /əˈbaʊt/.

任务配置：L0+L4

知识笔记：

without a word 二话没说

dump v.把......砰的一声抛下，重力一扔

counter n.柜台

pay no attention to sb. 对......置之不理

apologetic /əˌpɑləˈʤɛtɪk/ adj.道歉的

reprimand /ˈrɛprəˌmænd/ v.训斥

severely adv.严厉地

present v.展现

on another occasion 还有一次

critic n.评论家

press 报社

receive a great deal of attention 引起广泛注意

joke n.闹剧

stage v.暗中策划

elaborate adj.精心构思的

练习感悟：

想了想stage本来就有舞台的意思，感觉一变成动词，整个词的感觉又有些不一样了。stage an elaborate show精心策划一场节目，其实汉语也有很多精彩的表达，只是我没去多了解和练习。