線上學英文| 線上英文家教| 線上英文教學 - Our ABC Online

This story compares what you KNOW to what you CAN DO.

Who had the most useful knowledge in this situation?

A man once had an old boat, which he used to ferry people across the river. One day, he was taking a university professor to the opposite bank.

"What is eight times nine?" asked the professor.
"I don't know," answered the man.
"How do you spell telephone?" asked the professor.
"I have no idea," replied the man.
"Didn't you study anything at school?" demanded the professor, surprised.
"No," said the man.
"Then you wasted half your life," said the professor.
The man was silent for a little while. Then he said:
"Can you swim?"
"No," said the professor.
"Then you wasted ALL of your life," said the man. "We are sinking."

-     ferry : to carry people or goods in a boat across the river

-     the opposite bank = the other side

-     eight times nine = 8X9(Answer: Eight times nine equals seventy-two.)

-     demand : to ask strongly

-     sink : to go down below the surface of the sea