Story : Weekend Joyride
【明報專訊】It's a busy weekend for the Bear family. Mother Bear is doing the laundry, dusting the furniture and mopping the floor. Father Bear has just gone shopping and is now busy making lunch. The two little bears are doing their homework but they want to go out to play. At last, they finish their homework.
"Let's go ride our bicycles!" suggests Brother Bear.
"My bike has a flat tire..." says his little sister sadly.
"Cheer up, Father will fix the puncture when he has time. Why don't we go play ping pong instead?"
"Good idea!" replies Sister Bear. "Do you think we can find a table that's free?"
"Probably not — most sports facilities are fully booked on weekends. Hey, let's go on a tram ride! Have you ever been on a tram?"
"No, I've never been on a tram. Have you?" asks Sister Bear.
"Only once last year when mother took me to visit her friends.It was so much fun! The tram was moving quite slowly and we had lots of time to see the sights. The windows were open and we could hear all the sounds of the busy streets. Very different from the MTR."
"That sounds wonderful! Let's go now and ask mother."
So off they go to find their mother, who is busy dusting and cleaning. With the Covid pandemic around, the family home must be kept extra clean. This means extra work for everyone, especially housewives.
"Mother, will you take us on a tram ride, please?" beg the children.
"Of course," replies their mother."What a wonderful idea! A joyride is just the thing to do on a lovely day like today. We'll leave right after lunch. Go tell your father."
The siblings rush to tell their father the good news.
"Father, have you ever been on a tram?" they ask.
"Oh, countless times!" laughs Father Bear. "When I was working on the island, I took the tram many times to get from place to place. When the tram wasn't crowded and I could get a seat, I found it relaxing and enjoyable. The tram is one of the earliest forms of public transport in our city — it's cheap, efficient, clean and green too."
"I know what that means, father," says Sister Bear. "We learned in class that transportation which does not harm the environment is called 'green' transport."
After lunch, the Bear family put on their face masks and set off for a tram ride. First, they catch a bus. Next, they take a ferry. Finally, they get on a tram. They all climb to the upper deck, sit in the front and enjoy all the sights and sounds of the city. They go all the way from east to west and then back again. What a fun ride!
Q1 Have you ever been on a tram?
Q2 Have you ever been on a ferryboat?
Q3 Have you ever been on an aeroplane?
■Vocabulary
Household chores
to do the laundry, to dust the furniture, to mop the floor, to go shopping, to make lunch.
■Glossary
joyride (n) 兜風
sight (n) 風景
crowded (adj) 擁擠
harm (v) 傷害
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[Smarties' Power English 第358期]
