Notes on the text课文注释
1 they are more likely to be ours than theirs，这些错误往往是我们而不是铁路当局造成的。
they 指mistakes; ours, theirs此处用斜体字表示强调，应该重读。
2 I could not help noticing that…，我不禁注意到……，can't help doing是“禁不住……”的意思。
3 strike me as odd，使我感到奇怪。
4 take advantage of，利用。
5 Neither was I surprised，这是以neither开头的句子，要用倒装语序。
6 It suddenly dawned on me…，我突然明白了，……。
7 a note of triumph，胜利者的调子。
8 in black and white，白纸黑字。
参考译文
我们已经习惯于相信火车总是准点的。经过多年的适应，大多数人对火车时刻表产生了一种不可动摇的信念。轮船船期可能因风暴而推延，飞机航班可能因恶劣天气而取消，唯有火车必然是准点的。只有非同寻常的大雪才可能暂时打乱铁路运行。因此，一旦铁路上真出了问题，人们便不加思索地责备铁路当局。事实上，差错很可能是我们自己，而不是铁路当局的。
我查看了列车时刻表，满意地了解到有一趟去威斯特海温的快车。这是趟直达车，旅途总共才需1小时17分钟。上车后，我不禁注意到许多当地人也上了车。一开始，我并不感到奇怪，我想除我之外，想利用快车之便的也一定大有人在。火车开出几英里即在一个小站威德里停了下来。对此，我不觉得奇怪，因为即便是特别快车也可能被信号拦住。但是，当火车一站接着一站往前蠕动时，我便产生了怀疑。我突然感到这趟快车并没以时速90英里的速度呼啸前进，而是卟哧卟哧地向前爬行，时速仅30英里。1小时17分过去了，走了还不到一半路程。我问一位乘客，这是不是开往威斯特海温的那趟快车，他说从未听说过有这么一趟快车。我决定一到目的地就给铁路部门提意见。两小时后，我气呼呼地同威斯特海温站站长说起此事。他说根本没有这趟车。于是我借了他本人的列车时刻表，我带着一种胜利者的调子告诉他那趟车白纸黑字、明明白白印在时刻表上。他迅速地扫视了一眼，让我再看一遍。一个小小的星形符号把我的目光引到了那页底部的一个说明上。上面写着：“此趟列车暂停运行。”
Multiple choice questions多项选择题
Choose the correct answers to the following questions.
Comprehension理解
1 When the writer consulted his railway timetable ______ .
a．he wanted to find out how long the express train to Westhaven took
b．he wanted to know the quickest way of getting to Westhaven by rail
c．he did not notice how many stations there were on the way to Westhaven
d．he misread the information concerning the time the journey took
2 At what point did the writer realize that the train was not travelling at the speed of an express train?
a．When the train had reached the station after Widley.
b．When the train had been held up by signals.
c．After the train had stopped at several small stations.
d．After the train had covered a distance of thirty miles.
3 When the writer went to the station master, he complained about ______ .
a．the train scheduled as an express train having in fact been a slow one
b．the lack of colour in the timetable
c．the lack of any express trains from his local station to Westhaven
d．the fact that the Westhaven express had been suspended from service