初中英语阅读经典美文:Betting Big in Vegas
编者按：提高英语阅读能力的关键是要养成良好的阅读习惯，享受阅读的乐趣。以下是一篇适合初中生阅读的英语短文，想要提高阅读能力的小伙伴们赶紧看过来!
Betting Big in Vegas
(在拉斯维加斯要更强大)
The last time they were there was 10 years ago.
他们上一次去那里都是10年前的事了。
The city had changed greatly in those 10 years.
在这10年里，城市发生了巨大的变化。
For one thing, the all you can eat buffets were $15, instead of $3.
首先，你只能吃到15美元自助餐，而吃不到3美元的。
And traffic was much worse, of course.
当然，交通状况更糟了。
But now Las Vegas had a monorail that stopped at all the major hotels.
但是现在拉斯维加斯有一条单轨铁路在所有主要的酒店都有停靠。
No more walking in the hot sun
你不再需要顶着烈日行走。
Jasper's dad loved the buffets.
贾斯帕的爸爸喜欢自助餐。
"Even at $15, he'll still eat $20 or $30 worth," Jasper's mom said. "
即使要付15美元，他还是会吃20元或30美元的食物，" 贾斯帕的妈妈说。
Jasper asked his dad what games he was going to play.
贾斯帕问他爸爸他要玩什么游戏。
Blackjack, he replied, if he could find a $2 table.
他爸爸回答说，二十一点，如果他能找到一张2美元起价的赌桌的话。
Jasper told him that he might have to go downtown to a real old casino.
贾斯帕告诉他，他可能要到市中心去找一个真正的老赌场。
Most casinos, he said, require a $5 minimum nowadays.
他说，大多数赌场， 现在最低也都需要5美元。
That didn't surprise his dad.
父亲对此并不感到惊讶。
After he lost a hundred dollars, he was finished anyway, he said.
不管怎样，他输了一百美元后，他都不会再继续了，他说。
He was never one to throw good money after bad.
他决不会在犯错之后还扔大钱。
Jasper's mom had no use for anything except slot machines.
贾斯帕的妈妈除了老虎机没有玩其他的项目。
She loved the slots, as long as she could find nickel machines and dime machines.
只要是她能找到有五分镍币的机器和一角硬币的机器,她就爱硬币的投机口。
"Are any of those left?" she asked Jasper. "
有遗留的吗?"她问
He said he wasn't sure, but there had to be some, somewhere.
但我们贾斯帕一定遗漏了一些硬币，一些地方。
She said she was going to play differently on this visit: she would wait till someone used a machine for at least 15 minutes.
她说她这次来要去玩点不同的：她要等到有人至少玩了15分钟，
Then she would play that machine when that person got up and left.
她说她这次来要去玩点不同的：她要等到有人至少玩了15分钟，等那个人起身离开后，她才会玩。
Maybe, she hoped, the jackpot would hit on the first nickel that she put in.
也许，她希望，大运会打在她放入的第一个镍币上。
That's a good idea, Jasper thought.
贾斯帕心想，这是一个好主意。
Unfortunately, it's the same trick that everyone who plays the slot machines does.
不幸的是，这是每个玩老虎机的人都会用的伎俩。
And almost everyone goes home broke.
而且每个玩的人几乎都会输的光溜溜的回家。
重点知识解析
今天给大家讲一下直接引语。
直接引语就是引述说话内容的句子。分为以下三种情况。
1.当句首为 “引述者说” 如he said, he asked等词时，后面一般用逗号，有时也可用冒号，引号内的引语可根据需要用不同的标点。
【例如】
Mary said, “Come here, you two!”
玛丽说：“你们两个到这儿来!”
He asked, “Why not have a drink?”
他问：“干吗不喝一杯?”
2.如果 “引述者说”置于句末，那么句末用句号(.)，而引号内的陈述句句末用逗号(,)，疑问句后用问号(?)，感叹句后用感叹号(!)，在任何情况下都不能用句号。
【例如】
“You’re very lucky,” said Dr. Smith.
“你很幸运，”史密斯医生说。
“Have you done your homework?” asked the mother.
“你的家庭作业做了吗?”母亲问到。
3.如果直接引语被“引述者说”所切断，那么如果切断之处一个句子未完, 则用逗号，“引述者说”后也用逗号，后一部分引语开头用小写(例1)。如果切断之处是一个句子结束，仍用逗号，“引述者说”后用句号，后一部分引语开头用大写(例2)。
【例如】
“Well,” said Tom, “he’s been a teacher in Sichuan for fifty years.”
“喔，”汤姆说，“他在四川当了50年的老师。”
“It’s better to close the windows,” said the woman. “It’s far too cold here.”
“最好把窗关上，”那妇女说。“这儿太冷了。”
知识讲解老师：Linda
公众号：小橙少儿英语
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