In February of 2005, Phil Belfiore was teaching one of Robert Frost’s poems Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. He liked it that he recorded it on his home answering machine, which would lead to one of the most unusual friendships of his life.
When Phil returned from Easter vacation, he listened to his voice messages, one gentleman caller apologized for dialing the wrong number. But, he added that he’d really enjoyed the poem. Phil just laughed and thought nothing more of it——until the phone rang a enjoyed the poem few days later.
Phil recognized John’s unique voice immediately. John said sorry to bother, but he said the poem was impressive and he was eager to hear it once more. The two men talked. It turned out that John’s brother’s phone number was different from Phil’s by one digit (数字) thus the wrong number. Before hanging up, Phil told John to call back anytime, whether to hear the poem or just to have a chat.
That was years ago. They’ve spoken on the phone a few times a month ever since. It is John who is still the starter of most calls. However, Phil will ring if a long while has passed. Not surprisingly, John has been in poor health. And his special voice is just the contribution of some heart trouble. They seem to always connect when there has been a big sports event. The men like to discuss football most, John will also update Phil about his life. Slowly, their conversations have grown much more personal. When asked what drew them together. Phil said that they were born to be friends. They planned to meet twice, but circumstances went against them. Their friendship is based on the simple act of picking up the phone. “My best friend is someone I’ve been in touch only on the phone,” says John.
【小题1】How did Phil react to John’s first voice message?| A．He took it seriously. | B．He felt bothered by it. |
| C．He cared little about it. | D．He appreciated it |
| A．He planned to make an apology. | B．He meant to bring a surprise to Phil. |
| C．He failed to call the right number. | D．He intended to hear the poem again. |
| A．A Special Link Between Two Poets | B．A Friendship Starts With a Wrong Call |
| C．Best Friends Share a Beautiful Poem | D．A Call Can Bring About Big Changes |
