First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
When will the writer see the play?
美式发音：
英式发音：
‘The play may begin at any moment, ’ I said.
‘It may have begun already, ’ Susan answered.
I hurried to the ticket office. ‘May I have two tickets please?’I asked.
‘I'm sorry, we've sold out, ’ the girl said.
‘What a pity!’Susan exclaimed.
Just then, a man hurried to the ticket office.
‘Can I return these two tickets?’ he asked.
‘Certainly, ’ the girl said.
I went back to the ticket office at once.
‘Could I have those two tickets please?’ I asked.
‘Certainly, ’ the girl said, ‘but they're for next Wednesday's performance. Do you still want them?’
‘I might as well have them, ’ I said sadly.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
hurry (1. 3) /'hʌri/ v. 匆忙
exclaim (1. 6) /ik'skleim/ v. 大声说
ticket office (1. 3) 售票处
return (1. 8) /ri'tə:n/ v. 退回
pity (1. 6) /'piti/ n. 令人遗憾的事
sadly (1. 13) /'sædli/ adv. 悲哀地，丧气地
Notes on the text 课文注释
1 The play may begin at any moment，剧马上就要开演了。在这句话中，说话人指的并不是一种确信不疑的事实，而是可能发生的事情，因此用了may +动词的结构。
2 It may have begun already. 可能已经开始了。这句话同样表示可能发生的事情，但与上句的区别在于它指的是可能已经发生的事情，因此，要用“may +动词的完成时”的结构。
3 we've sold out，票已售完。
4 What a pity! 真遗憾！
5 at once，立刻。
6 Could I… please? 这里could是代替can的一种比较委婉地提出请求的用法。在时间上和can没有区别。
7 might as well…作“还是……好”、“不妨”讲，与may as well的意思完全相同，只是前者更为委婉。
参考译文
“剧马上就要开演了，”我说。
“也许已经开演了呢，”苏珊回答说。
我匆匆赶到售票处，问：“我可以买两张票吗？”
“对不起，票已售完。”那位姑娘说。
“真可惜！”苏珊大声说。
正在这时，一个男子匆匆奔向售票处。
“我可以退掉这两张票吗？”他问。
“当然可以，”那姑娘说。
我马上又回到售票处。
“我可以买那两张票吗？”我问。
“当然可以，不过这两张票是下星期三的，您是否还要呢？”
“我还是买下的好，”我垂头丧气地说。