英文教授 Dr.Frances Boyd 發下兩篇短文，要我們看看其中有何不尋常之處。
第一篇文章是這麼寫的：ABRAHAM LINCOLN﹝1809-1865﹞.
He became the 16th President of the United States in
1861, just 14 years after he was first elected to the
House of Representatives. On Fridy, April 14,1865,
he and his wife planned to go to see a play at Ford's
Theater. His secretary named Kennedy, advised him
not to go, but he went anyway and was shot in the head
as he watched the play. He died the next day, and
Vice-president Andrew Johnson﹝1808-1875﹞
became President.
The man who shot Lincoln,John Wilkes Booth,
shot him in a theater. He escaped to a warehouse ,
but was shot ,or killed himself, before being captured.
第二篇：JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY﹝1917-1963﹞
He became the 35th President of the United States in
1961, just 14 years after he was elected to the House
of Representatives. In November 1963, he and his wife
planned to go to Dallas. His secretary, named Lincoln,
advised him not to go , but he went anyway, and was shot
in the head on Fridy, November 22,1963, as he drove
through Dallas in a Ford Lincoln Continental. He died
almost immediately, and Vice-president Lyndon Johnson
﹝1908-1973﹞became President.
The man who probably shot Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald,
shot him from a warehouse and escaped to a theater. He
died before he came to trial.
原來是描述林肯總統及甘迺迪總統遇刺的文章。但這有何不尋常呢？
仔細一看，嘿，是有些不尋常。例如：
一、兩人都是當過十四年的國會議員之後，當選美國總統的。
二、兩人就任美國總統的時間剛好相差一百年，林肯是一八六一年，甘迺迪是一九六一年。
三、兩人被殺害前的秘書的名字很特別，林肯的秘書叫甘迺迪，甘迺迪的秘書叫林肯。
四、兩人的秘書都曾勸告老闆不要去後來他們被槍殺的地方。
五、兩人被槍殺的時間都是在星期五。
還有............
六、兩人都是頭部中槍致死的。
七、兩人遭槍擊時太太都在身邊，但都沒事。
八、兩人被槍殺時，都與福特有關。林肯是在福特戲院被殺，甘迺迪是在一輛福特的林肯汽車上被殺。
九、殺林肯的兇手在劇院內射擊，然後躲到一間倉庫內；殺甘迺迪的兇手從一間倉庫上射擊，然後躲到一間劇院內。
十、兩個兇手都在伏法前即已死亡。
還沒完呢............
十一、接替總統大位的當時的副總統都叫詹森，林肯的副總統叫安卓.詹森，甘迺迪的副總統叫林頓.詹森。
十二、兩位繼任者都只比他們多活了十年，林肯死於一八六五年，安卓.詹森是一八七五年；甘迺迪死於一九六三年，林頓.詹森是一 九七三年。
聽完大家的七嘴八舌之後，Boyd教授這才幽默地說，現在你們知道coincidence〔巧合﹞這個字的意思了吧。接著她便解釋coincidence這個字的含意：Usually we interpret the meaning of "coincidence" as a fortuitous or unexpected event. It refers to something amazing,which doesn't seem to have a normal cause. 哇塞！人家老美是這樣在教英文的呀，佩服！佩服！
我還留意到兩篇短文中的用字都很小心。例如射殺林肯的兇手John Wilkes Booth在被抓到前就已死亡，但不能確定是怎麼死的，所以就說was shot ,or killed himself. 提到射殺甘迺迪的兇手 時，因兇手是否為Lee Harvey Oswald迄今仍有爭議，所以就乾脆說The man who probably shot Kennedy.
對曾經處理過三一九槍擊事件新聞的我來說，這堂課學到的不僅是英文，還有更多、更多別的