星火英语15篇文章贯通5-6级词汇 Unit10-Part1

[00:00.00]UNIT10
[00:13.65]A Solitary Quest
[00:15.83]From my suite of rooms
[00:18.78]atop the Holiday Inn
[00:20.40]I surveyed the narrow alleys below me.
[00:23.58]Only yesterday had I left
[00:26.97]my frantic North American life behind,
[00:29.70]to avail myself of an opportunity
[00:31.89]to travel to China.
[00:33.64]I wished to spend time
[00:36.49]researching material for my thesis
[00:39.11]pertaining to Eastern religions.
[00:41.30]The hotel was in close proximity
[00:45.46]to the heart of the old downtown.
[00:48.19]Innumerable activities were happening below me.
[00:52.57]People surged along the street sometimes
[00:55.96]stopping to bargain with street vendors.
[00:58.91]Cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, oranges
[01:03.95]and grapes were heaped on hand carts.
[01:06.68]The variety of fruit available
[01:09.86]provided a virtual feast for the eyes.
[01:13.03]Deliverymen jogged along
[01:16.20]pulling enormous loads of cardboard.
[01:18.71]To a Westerner's eyes cars merged
[01:22.43]unbelievably without incident.
[01:24.85]It appeared to be a dubious process
[01:28.35]to negotiate the traffic
[01:30.31]and even cross the street.
[01:32.06]However, rather than lounging indoors,
[01:36.55]I decided to venture outside
[01:39.18]to explore the colorful world below.
[01:41.58]I was interested in
[01:44.53]locating a church to attend,
[01:46.18]as today was Sunday.
[01:47.93]On the street I made tentative enquiries
[01:52.30]about locating a Christian chapel.
[01:55.25]At times the congestion of people
[01:58.54]hampered my progress.
[02:00.29]Stares from passers-by made me feel conspicuous.
[02:04.78]The weather was hot and humid
[02:07.73]and there was some possibility of a typhoon
[02:10.46]reaching the city later in the day.
[02:13.09]After several false leads
[02:16.85]I found myself standing
[02:18.60]in front of a very old Christian Church,
[02:22.21]established by missionaries during the last dynasty
[02:26.04]and at the beginning of the last century.
[02:28.99]With the onset of a light sprinkle,
[02:32.16]I made a hasty retreat to shelter
[02:34.90]in the doorway of the church.
[02:36.87]The familiar refrain of well-known hymns
[02:40.70]rang out within the church.
[02:42.34]I felt drawn inside to
[02:44.96]join the fellowship in a foreign land.
[02:47.48]Even though our languages differed,
[02:50.66]my gracious hosts nonetheless,
[02:53.17]made room for me,
[02:54.48]and made me feel welcome.