20090428 -- Shortcut to Friendship (2)

Shortcut to Friendship

"I have wool," cried Lampchop.
"We all do," the others added.

Then Fluff stepped out in front.
"But my wool is the best." She tossed her curly head.
"It's curly. It's white. It's soft. And it's ..."

"Perfect!" the farmer cut in.
And he stepped up to Fluff and put his arms around her.

"See," she bragged, "I'm cut out for something special. Not like ..."
Suddenly the farmer threw her to the ground.
"Oh!" she screamed.
"What are you doing? Cut it out!"

The farmer took scissors from his back pocket.
He began cutting away at Fluff's curly coat.
He clipped. He snipped. Then he clipped again. Finally, he finished.
"Thanks," he smiled and went whistling down the lane, carrying the sack of wool.

Fluff tossed her head, but there were no curls.
She looked awful. She felt even worse.
"Now, I know. I'm no more special than anyone else," She said tearfully.
"I'm not sure if I can cut it without my curls."

"Fluff's finally cut down to size," the others joked.
"Now she knows she's no better than the rest of us." Lambchop didn't laugh.
"Don't feel bad," he told her. "I like you better this way."

"Stop trying to pull the wool over my eyes," she said. "I look really bad."

"But", he said. "it's not the fluff on the outside that's important.
It's the stuff on the inside.
And now I can tell, you really are cut out for something special."

"Just like you!" she said sheepishly. "Come on, let's go play."



brag v. 自誇
brag bragged bragged
brag about something
brag that 子句
eg: I brag because I am smart, good-looking, talented and wealthy.
eg: He always brags about how successful he is.
eg: Victor bragged that he was the best quarterback(四分衛) the team ever had.

sheepishly adv. 羞卻地/難為情地
-> a little embarrassed
eg: Herbert was embarrassed and walked away sheepishly.
eg: When she spilled(打翻) the coffee, she smiled sheepishly and apologized.

cut in 插嘴


cut something out (phr v) 停止做某事

cut it (idiom) 應付/處理(大都用在否定句)
eg: If he can't cut it, we might need to get someone else to take over the case.
eg: I don't understand why such a talented guy just can't cut it.

cut down to size (idiom) 挫掉某人的銳氣

pull the wool over one's eye (idiom) 欺矇某人
-> trick somebody

fluff n. 蓬鬆毛(或物)


wolf in sheep's clothing 披著羊皮的狼


//== Chat room ==//

"I have wool," cried Lambchop.
cried -> shout loudly

Fluff screamed.

shout, scream, cry, yell, holler, shriek
-> calling/speaking very loudly

"We all do," the others added (附和/補充說明).
the others joked. ( making fun of somebody) 嘲笑


//== Grammer on the go ==//

But it's not the fluff on the outside that's important.
-> The fluff ont the outside is not important. (normally)

sentence pattern:
But it's not noun phrase that is adjective (強調)

eg: Henry's comment doesn't bother me. (normal)
-> It's not Henry's comment that bothers me. (強調Henr's comment)

eg: The price of your gift does not matter.
-> It's not the price of your gift that matters. (強調the price of your gift)