Did you want to tell me something?

　　你想对我说什么吗?

　　Dentists always ask questions when it is impossible for you to answer. My dentist had just pulled out one of my teeth and had told me to rest for a while. I tried to say something, but my mouth was full of cotton wool. He knew I collected match boxes and asked me whether my collection was growing. He then asked me how my brother was and whether I liked my new job in London. In answer to these questions I either nodded or made strange noises. Meanwhile, my tongue was busy searching out the hole where the tooth had been. I suddenly felt very worried, but could not say anything. When the dentist at last removed the cotton wool from my mouth, I was able to tell him that he had pulled out the wrong tooth.

　　参考译文

　　牙科医生们总是在你无法作出回答的时候向你提出问题。我的牙科医生刚刚给我拔掉了一颗牙，叫我休息一会儿。我想说点什么，但我嘴里塞满了药棉。他知道我收集火柴盒，于是问我收藏的米柴盒是否在增加。接着他又问我的兄弟近来如何，问我是否喜欢伦敦的新工作。作为对这些问题的回答，我不是点头，就是发出奇怪的声音。与此同时，我的舌头正在忙着寻找刚拔掉的那颗牙的伤口。我突然非常着急起来，但却什么也说不出来。当那位牙医最后将药棉从我嘴中取出时，我总算有可能告诉他，他拔错了牙。

　　精讲笔记：

　　1. Dentists always ask questions when it is impossible for you to answer.

　　牙科医生们总是在你无法作出回答的时候向你提出问题。

　　真题测试 测试语言点：状语从句

　　I was halfway back to the cottage where my mother lived___Susan caught up with me. (2001年1月 CET4,第68题)

　　A. though B. until C. when D. while

　　答案：选C

　　分析：本题考查状语从句的用法。根据句意，A和B两项不合适;D选项多用在表示持续性的动作或状态的句子中;C项when,既可以和延续性动词连用，也可以和瞬间性动词连用，既可以表示从句和主句动作同时发生，也可表示主句动作在从句之后或之前发生所以入选。

　　翻译：苏珊追上我的肘候，我正在回我妈妈住的小屋的途中。

　　2. My dentist had just pulled out one of my teeth and had told me to rest for a while.

　　我的牙科医生刚刚给我拔掉了一颗牙，叫我休息一会儿。

　　真题测试 测试语言点：just的位置与过去完成时

　　We___ our breakfast when an old man came to the door. (1990年1月CET-4，第53题)

　　A. just have had B. have just had C. just had D. had just had

　　答案：选D

　　分析：just一词的位置一般在助动词之后，A和C明显错误。B为现在完成时与时间状语从句的过去时不符合，因此D选项是正确答案。

　　翻译：当一个老人进门的时候，我们刚好吃完早饭。

　　3. I tried to say something, but my mouth was full of cotton wool.

　　我想说点什么，但我嘴里塞满了药棉。

　　4. He knew I collected match boxes and asked me whether my collection was growing.

　　他知道我收集火柴盒，于是问我收藏的火柴盒是否在增加。

　　真题测试 测试语言点：whether引导宾语从句

　　Elephants have their own way to tell the shape of an object and ___ it is rough or smooth. (2005年高考天津卷，第2题)

　　A.不填 B. whether C. how D. what

　　答案：选B

　　分析：whether引导的宾语从句和the shape of an object并列，都作tell的宾语;whether...or...意为“是....还是”。

　　翻译：大象有自己的方法来辨别物体的形状，它还可以辨别物体是粗糙的还是光滑的。

　　5. He then asked me how my brother was and whether I liked my new job in London.

　　接着他又问我的兄弟近况如何，问我是否喜欢伦敦的新工作。

（编辑：何莹莹）