Lesson 9: A cold welcomeKey words and expressionsTown Hall 市政厅crowd 人群gather 聚集strike 敲打the minute hand 分针refusewelcomelaughQuestions on the textWhere did people gather on the last evening of the year?The people gathered under the Town Hall clock.What happed to the clock?The minute hand did not move.How do you understand the title of the story ‘A cold welcome’?A double meaning.Language pointsA large crowd of people had gathered under the Town Hall clock.Please gather round. 请大家聚拢过来。The tour guide gathered the visitors in the lobby. 大厅It would strike twelve in twenty minutes’ time.I will be back in five minutes.I’ll be with you in a moment.Fifteen minutespassedand then, at five to twelve, the clock stopped.pass / pastThe riverpassesthrough the city. v.He walked past that building. prep.The big minute hand did not move.the face of a clock 钟的面盘The big clock refused to welcome the New Year.refuse to do sth.: be unwilling to do sth.Politely he refused my request.Key structures and usagepast / to 用在时间上At five to twelve, the clock stopped.It’s two minutes past twelve.ten to threea quarter to ninetwenty-five minutes past foura quarter past elevenhalf past ten (不说 half to eleven)anything 一般用在问句和否定句中。Everything is fine.There is something I want to tell you.Nothing has changed.Is there anything I can do for you?He did not say anything. (He said nothing.)Extension