练习材料：

Lesson 24 It could be worse

I entered the hotel manager's office and sat down. I had just lost￡50 and I felt very upset.' I left the money in my room,' I said, 'and it's not there now.' The manager was sympathetic, but he could do nothing. 'Everyone's losing money these days,' he said. He started to complain about this wicked world but was interrupted by a knock at the door. A girl came in and put an envelope on his desk. It contained￡5o. 'I found this outside this gentleman's room' she said. 'Well,' I said to the manager, 'there is still some honesty in this world!’

ɪt kʊd bi wɜrs

aɪˈɛntərd ðəhoʊˈtɛlˈmænɪʤərzˈɔfəs ænd sæt daʊn. aɪhædʤʌst lɔst￡50 ænd aɪfɛltˈvɛriˈʌpˌsɛt.' aɪlɛft ðəˈmʌniɪn maɪrum,' aɪsɛd, ændɪts nɑt ðɛr naʊ.'ðəˈmænɪʤər wʌzˌsɪmpəˈθɛtɪk, bʌt hi kʊd duˈnʌθɪŋ.ˈɛvriˌwʌnzˈluzɪŋˈmʌniðiz deɪz,' hi sɛd. hiˈstɑrtɪd tu kəmˈpleɪnəˈbaʊtðɪsˈwɪkəd wɜrld bʌt wʌzˌɪntəˈrʌptɪd baɪənɑkæt ðədɔr.əgɜrl keɪmɪn ænd pʊtənˈɛnvəˌloʊp ɑn hɪz dɛsk.ɪt kənˈteɪnd￡5oʊ. aɪfaʊnd ðɪsˈaʊtˈsaɪd ðɪsˈʤɛntəlˌmʌnz rumʃi sɛd. wɛl,' aɪsɛd tu ðəˈmænɪʤər, ðɛrɪz stɪl sʌmˈɑnəstiɪnðɪs wɜrld!’

任务配置：L0+L4

知识笔记：

upset 心烦的

sympathetic 同情的

can do nothing 无能为力

wicked 邪恶的

contain 包含

honesty 诚实；诚信