Stephanie和Damon希望有一个不一样的暑期社会实践，于是他们来到了偏远贫困的地区做调查，想尽办法改变当地居民的生活状况，然而却处处碰壁……

（Two friends sit at a table going through paperwork.）

Stephanie： Hey Damon， can I get your input on something？

Damon： Sure Steph， go ahead， shoot.

Stephanie： Ive been going over all the data weve collected so far， and while we knew there were gonna be some 1）discrepancies， these figures seem a bit off.

Damon： Thats what happens when you interview people who have no interest in being interviewed. Your data is bound to get a bit 2）skewed in the process.

Stephanie： Do you mean skewed， or 3）screwed？①Cause thats what we are if we cant get to the bottom of this cover-up.

Damon： This isnt like CSI or Law & Order. We have to be patient and keep knocking on doors until something 4）materializes. We already know the lengths that these businesses will go to， to hide their shady practices. So all we need is proof. The polling weve been doing in local communities has helped， ②but its not the kind of game-changer were looking for here.

Stephanie： ③I just wish these locals werent so tight-lipped about the whole thing.

Damon： Weve only been here a short time. Why should these people believe that a couple of visiting foreign students are spending their summer trying to save the lives of some lowly rural townsfolk.

Stephanie： But thats exactly what we are trying to do； save the lives of people who are too 5）downtrodden， or simply too 6）complacent to save their own.

Damon： The circumstances in which many poverty-stricken rural residents find themselves in are completely and utterly unavoidable. Many of their families have lived here all their lives， for generations even， so their roots have grown too deep to move.

Stephanie： Even when the soil underfoot contains dangerously poisonous chemicals， which have been making people sick for decades.

Damon： Again， thats why we are here. To raise awareness about the issue. They simply lack the means to improve their quality of life. This isnt just about 7）contaminated soil samples. Its about gathering all the information we can， and presenting it in a proper way， to someone， or a group of someones， who can actually do something about it. ④Rome wasnt built in a day！

Stephanie： I know youre right. Its hard. Seeing people suffer undeservingly. It hurts to watch. But being face-to-face with injustice has really lit a fire under me. ⑤Im ready to go the extra mile―to take on the powers that be， and hopefully make a difference in this world. I wont rest until 8）bogus companies like this， who dump industrial waste on innocent people， and 9）intimidate them to keep their mouths shut， are all closed down for good.

Damon： I love how passionate you are about all this. Thats probably why we make such a good team. Im the calculated one， who follows patterns and trends， and you lead with your heart. I think thats how we gotta get people to open up to us.⑥If you plead our case to the local authorities with the same 10）vigor and determination you just showed me， theyll have no choice but to at least hear us out.

Stephanie： Lets do it！ Who knew a little social practice， on our summer vacation， would lead us into an 11）all-out 12）crackdown on illegal practices. Once we get the police on our side， ⑦I can wait to give those 13）sneaky 14）weasels at that murderous comapny a piece of my mind， and a five-by-five room with metal bars to boot. CS

Smart Sentences

① Cause thats what we are if we cant get to the bottom of this cover-up. 因为这就是我们不能查清这背后真相的结果。

get to the bottom of： solve a problem by finding its real cause（探明真相，弄清起因）。例如：

It will take months to get to the bottom of this mess.要花上几个月的时间才能找出问题的根源。

cover-up： an effort or strategy of concealment， especially a planned effort to prevent sth. potentially scandalous from becoming public（掩饰，掩盖手段）。例如：

The pharmaceutical manufacturing company is a cover-up for drug production.

制药公司是制毒的伪装。

② But its not the kind of game-changer were looking for here. 但这不是我们在这里寻找的有利证据。

game-changer： sb. or sth. that is critical and has the potential to alter the overall outcome（举足轻重的人或事）。例如：

It turned out that the Macintosh computer was the game-changer for Apple.

结果，Macintosh电脑改变了苹果公司的形势。

③ I just wish these locals werent so tight-lipped about the whole thing. 我只是希望这些当地人不要对整件事守口如瓶。

tight-lipped： unwilling to give information about sth.（守口如瓶）。例如：

I expect everyone will be tight-lipped about what happened to John.

我希望所有人都对约翰的事守口如瓶。

④ Rome wasnt built in a day！ 冰冻三尺非一日之寒！

Rome wasnt built in a day.： it takes a long time to do an important job（罗马城非朝夕建成；伟业非一日之功）。例如：

―Sometimes it feels like itll take forever to save up for a house.

有时候觉得为买房子存钱要耗上一辈子。

―Well， Rome wasnt built in a day.

这个嘛，事情总是非一日之功。

⑤ Im ready to go the extra mile―to take on the powers that be. 我已经准备好付出更多的努力，与那些恶势力抗衡。

go the extra mile： willing to make a special effort to do or achieve sth. （以额外的付出或努力来完成某事）。例如：

Some students will always go the extra mile for good grades.

有些学生总是愿意为取得好成绩付出额外的努力。

the powers that be： the people who are in authority（当局，掌权者）。例如：

The powers that be have decided to move all the manufacturing plants to the outskirts of the city.

当局决定把所有生产厂迁往市郊。

⑥ If you plead our case to the local authorities with the same vigor and determination you just showed me， theyll have no choice but to at least hear us out. 如果你用刚才在我面前显示的精神与决心向当地政府提出申诉，他们将别无选择，至少能够听我们把话说完。

plead sb.s case： offer reasons for or against sth.（为支持或反对某事提出理由，据理力争）。例如：

I pleaded my case to the dean about my unjust chemistry grades.我向系主任就我化学成绩提出申诉。

hear sb. out： listen to sb. without interrupting them until they have finished saying everything that they want to say（听完某人要说的话）。例如：

If you hear us out， you may reconsider your decision.

如果你听我们把话说完，你可能会改变你的决定。

⑦ I can wait to give those sneaky weasels at that murderous company a piece of my mind， and a fiveby-five room with metal bars to boot. 我一定会等不及痛骂那些卑鄙无耻的商人，并把他们送进大牢。

give sb. a piece of ones mind： give sb. frank and severe criticism（严厉责备，教训某人）。例如：

How rude. I cant wait to give him a piece of my mind.

太无礼了，我得去好好说说他。

to boot： in addition（除此以外）。例如：

She overcooked the turkey and broke two plates to boot.

她把火鸡煮过火了，还打碎了两只盘子。