比声音还快！
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
How fast did the winning car go?
Once a year, a race is held for old cars.
A lot of cars entered for this race last year
and there was a great deal of excitement
just before it began.
One of the most handsome cars was
a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost.
The most unusual car was a Benz
which had only three wheels.
Built in1885, it was the oldest car taking part.
After a great many loud explosions,
the race began.
Many of the cars broke down on the course
and some drivers spent more time
under their cars than in them!
A few cars, however, completed the race.
The winning car reached a speed of forty miles
an hour-----much faster than any of its rivals.
It sped downhill at the end of the race
and its driver had a lot of trouble trying to stop it.
The race gave everyone a great deal of pleasure.
It was very different from modern car races
but no less exciting.
生词和短语
sound n. 声音
excitement n. 激动，兴奋
handsome adj. 漂亮的；美观的
Rolls-Royce 罗尔斯--罗伊斯
Benz n. 奔驰
wheel n. 轮子
explosion n. 爆炸，轰响
course n. 跑道；行程
rival n. 对手
speed v. 疾驶（过去式sped, 过去分词sped）
downhill adv. 下坡
课文注释
1 once a year，每年一次。
2 A lot of cars entered for this race last year.去年许多车参加了这项比赛。
3 a great deal of，大量的，后面接不可数名词。
4 break down，抛锚，出故障。
5 some drivers spent more time under their cars than in them！有些驾驶员花在汽车底下的时间比坐在车子里面的时间还长。 under the car是指在车下面修理，in the car是指正常驾驶。句中的under和in都是斜体，主要是用来对比，有强调的意味，要重读。
6 its driver had a lot of trouble trying to stop it, 驾驶员费了很大劲才把车停了下来。
7 but no less exciting, 但激动人心的程度并不亚于现代汽车大赛。这是一句省略句，完整的句子应是 but it was no less exciting than modern car races。
参考译文
旧式汽车的比赛每年举行一次。去年有很多汽车参加了这项比赛。比赛开始之前，人们异常激动。最漂亮的汽车之一是罗尔斯---罗伊斯生产的银鬼汽车，而最不寻常的一辆则要属只有3只轮子的奔驰牌汽车了。该车造于1885年，是参赛车中最老的一辆。在好一阵喧闹的爆炸声之后，比赛开始了。很多汽车在途中就抛了锚，而有些驾驶员花在汽车底下的时间比坐在汽车里面的时间还长。然而还是有几辆汽车跑完了全程。获胜的那辆车达到了时速40英里---远远超过任何对手。它在接近终点时，冲下了山坡，驾驶员费了好大劲才把车停下来。这次比赛使每个人都挺开心。它虽然与现代汽车比赛大不相同，但激动人心的程度并不亚于现代化汽车大赛。
