Mr. James Scott has a garage in SIlbury and now he has just bought another garage in Pinhurst. Pinhurst is only five miles away from Silbury, but Mr. Scott cannot get a telephone for his new garage, so he has just bought twelve pigeons. Yesterday, a pigeon carried the first message from Pinhurst to Silbury. The bird covered the distance in three minutes. Up to now, Mr. Scott has sent a great many requests for spare parts and other urgent message from one garage to the other. In this way, he has begun his own private 'telephone' service.
James Scott先生在Silbury有一个汽车修理部，现在，他刚在Pinhurst买下了另一个车库。Pinhurst距离Silbury只有5英里，但Scott先生未能为他的新车库搞到一部电话机，因此他刚买了12只鸽子。昨天，一只鸽子把第一封信从Pinhurst飞到了Silbury。这只鸟只用了3分钟就飞完了全程。到目前为止，Scott先生已经从一个汽车修理部向另一个发送了大量索取备件和其他紧急函件。通过这种方式，他建立了自己的私人“电话“服务。
- The bird covered the distance in three minutes.
这里用介词 in 表示用多长时间或多长时间内做完了某事。
语法精析——现在完成时与一般过去时的区别
1. 意义上的区别
两种时态的动作都发生在过去，现在完成时强调动作对现在的影响或结果；过去时则着眼于过去的动作或状态本身，而不是对现在的影响。
I have seen this film. （说明我了解电影的内容）
I saw the film yesterday. （叙述昨天做了什么，与现在无关）
She has taught English for ten years. （说明她是个有经验的英语老师）
She taught English for ten years. （叙述她的经历，与现在做什么没有关系）
2. 时间状语的区别
与过去时连用的状语通常为： two days age，last week，yesterday 等时间，而现在完成时连用的时间状语则为：since+时间，for+时间，so far，up till now等。
He died ten years age.
He has been dead for ten years.
She has gone abroad. She left last week.
We haven't met each other since she left last week.
3. 特殊句型
- 在“This/It is the first time + 句子”后面只能用现在完成时。
This is the first time I have traveled by air.
- 在“It is/has been a long time since + 句子”后面通常用一般过去时。
It has been a long time since we parted.
- 在“It/This is + 最高级形容词 + 名词 + 从句”，从句只能用现在完成时。
He is the most interesting person I have ever met.
