Section_ⅠIntroduction_&_Reading_-_Pre­reading

　　A Trip Along the Three Gorges

　　In August 1996，Peter Hessler, a young American teacher of English①， arrived in the town of Fuling on the Yangtze River. He and a colleague② were to③ spend two years there teaching English④ at a teacher training college. They were the only foreigners in the town.The first semester finished at the end of January and they had four weeks off⑤ for the Spring Festival. They could go anywhere they wished⑥. They decided to⑦ take a boat⑧ downstream⑨.

　　We decided to buy tickets for⑩ the Jiangyou boat. Our colleagues said, "You shouldn't go on those ships.They are very crowded. They are mainly for⑪ goods⑫ and people trading⑬ along the river⑭. They don't stop at the temples⑮ and there won't be any other foreigners."That sounded⑯ fine to me. We just had to show our passports and they let us get on the boat.

　　①a young American teacher of English 作同位语，进一步说明Peter Hessler 的身份。

　　②colleague/'kɒli：ɡ/n.同事　

　　③be to do sth. 打算做某事

　　④spend some time (in) doing sth. 花费时间做某事

　　⑤have (...weeks) off 有(几周的)假期

　　⑥they wished 为省略了that的定语从句，修饰先行词anywhere。

　　⑦decide to do sth. 决定做某事　　⑧take a boat 坐船

　　⑨downstream/ˌdaʊn'striːm/adv.向下游；随波而下

　　\s\up1(10(10)tickets for ......的票 for 表示对象、用途。

⑪be mainly for 主要是为了