Sometimes, as they say, there is a very thin line between the greatness and the ridiculous. I never really thought about it until a clear winter morning when I was relaxing in the sun and burying my nose in a novel. Suddenly and rudely, I was pulled back to reality.
“Madam!” It was a strange cry. I put my book down. “Madam!” It was coming from the kitchen. I hurried in to it and found Ramu, our soldier.
“I found him, madam! And I’ve got him!” He cried and pointed to a drawer that was shaking.
A human could not hide in a drawer. A snake wouldn’t make sound like that, I thought. Ah! It must be that rat! “Good for you, soldier, I thought. But now what?”
He smiled and said, “I’ll bag it.” Expertly, he caught the rat, tied its neck, like the way you’d put a rope on a dog.
Something must have shown on my face. “Cannot kill the rat, madam,” Ramu apologized softly. “I’ll take it to the other side of the river and leave it.” Clearly, he did not think it was necessary to hurt this small rat.
Before I could reply, he had let the rat out of the bag, and — to my surprise — began walking it out of the kitchen.
“Wait!” I shouted, “it’s just going to come back.”
Ramu stopped and turned back to me. “Then I’ll catch it again, madam.” He promised.
I watched, as the two, man and rat, set off, and walked together? It was a sight I’d never seen: a small rat walking down the road behind a strong man.
When I calmed down, I looked over the wall to make sure they were really going all the way to the river. Then, to my amazement, Ramu handed over the rope to a boy on the bike. I watched to my further surprise as the rat began to run to keep up with the boy.
When I retell this story at parties I often play up the funny part. As I write this, however, I thought deeper: the unexpected kindness I saw, between man and the rat, proved the soldier’s deep belief —
| A．Soldier. | B．Snake. | C．Rat | D．Boy. |
| A．The writer felt angry for letting the rat go. |
| B．The rat has been around for many times. |
| C．The soldier gave the rat to the boy as a gift. |
| D．The boy finally took the rat home on his bike. |
| A．All men are born equal | B．Two heads are better than one |
| C．Time waits for no man | D．Life is fall of ups and downs |
相似题推荐
The great thinker Liu An gave the famous story of The Old Man at the Fort (《塞翁失马》). An old man lived a poor life with his son at the top of a hill. They lost their horse which they made a living with.
His neighbors came to express their pity for his bad luck. The old man asked, “How do you know this is bad luck?” After several days, his horse returned with many wild horses. His neighbor came to congratulate him on his good luck. The old man replied, “How do you know this is good luck?” A few days later, his son learned to ride horses. However, he fell off the horseback and broke his leg. The old man thought, “How can’t this be a good thing?” The next year, there was a war. The son didn’t have to join the army because of that accident.
Nothing in the world is absolutely (绝对地) good or bad. Just as an old saying goes, “Good luck and bad luck come in turn.” Bad things can lead to good results. And good things can lead to bad results. When you are lucky, you’d better keep calm, or you may get into trouble at last. When you are in trouble, you should see it in a good way and you can turn it around with a strong will.
Task I: Finish the mind map according to the article. Fill in each blank with no more than 3 words.| The story of the Old Man at the Fort | An old man lived with his son in a |
| They lost their horse, and later the horse | |
| His son broke his | |
| The next year, because of the broken leg. his son needn’t | |
| The story was given by a thinker who named |
66. What did the old man live on?
67. When did the man’s lost horse come back?
68. What can you learn from this passage? Explain your idea(s) in about 20 words.
One day the grandson asked, “Grandpa! I try to read books just like you, but I don’t understand it, and I forget what I do understand as soon as I close the books. What good does reading do?” The grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and answered, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.”
The boy did as he was told, but all the water was out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, “You’ll have to run a little faster next time,” and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the same took place. The old man said, “You’re just not trying hard enough. Try again.” The boy again put the basket into the river and ran very very hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was empty again. He said disappointedly, “ See Grandpa, it’s useless!”
“So you think it useless?” The old man said.“Look at the basket.” The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been changed from a dirty old coal basket into a clean one, inside and out. “ You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you’ll be changed, inside and out.”
根据短文内容，回答下列问题。
1. Where did the old man and his grandson live?
_____________________________________________________________________
2. What did the grandfather ask his grandson to do when he heard the grandson’s words?
_____________________________________________________________________
3. How many times did the grandson go and get the water?
_____________________________________________________________________
4. Did the boy feel excited when he saw the basket was still empty for the last time?
_____________________________________________________________________
5. What good does reading do according to the grandfather?
_____________________________________________________________________
【推荐3】Mary Moe looks like a common(普通的) grandmother. But she is not. She learned how to fly a plane at the age of 91.
When Mary was a child, she dreamed of being a pilot(飞行员). But she couldn’t find time to make her dream come true all the time. At the age of 34, she was just too busy－busy fighting with a serious illness. She was also busy with her job to raise her family. There was simply no time to think about flying a plane. And it was difficult for her to drive to the airport. The price of lessons was very high. Everything seemed to work against Mary, so her dream had to wait.
One day when she was 91, she learned about Wish of a Lifetime. It is a non-profit organization and its aim is to change the way the society thinks about old people. It also sends the message that it is never too late for a dream. With the help of it, Mary received three flying lessons. And on the big day of her first flight, her family and friends all came out to cheer her up. Mary’s success made everyone around her excited and proud.
The new pilot was excited and said to everyone, “It is never too late to spread your wings and try something new.”
Mary Moe’s experience | |
As a child | She |
At the age of 34 | She was She was busy She didn’t have lessons because she couldn’t Everything seemed to work |
At the age of 91 | She All of her family and friends were excited because she was |
| It is a non-profit organization. Its goal is to change the thinking way of the It helps Mary make her dream come | |
Genesis Butler has been vegan (素食主义者) since she was 6. Now 15, her dream is to protect animals and the environment, and she has been encouraging other kids to join her.
“When I first became a vegan, I knew animals were killed to produce our food and felt sorry about it. Then I found out how eating too many animals was also bad for our planet. I wanted more people to know that when they’re eating animal products, they’re making a choice that influence how the future will be for everyone,” she said.
To spread her ideas, Genesis presented for the TED program at age 10, becoming one of the youngest TED speakers ever.
In 2020, Genesis started her own nonprofit organization (非营利性组织), Genesis for Animals. And it raises money to support animal sanctuaries (收容所) around the world. She also led Youth Climate Save, a campaign (运动) that asks people to buy fewer animal products. “It’s important that kids speak up, because it shows they’re really worried about their future,” said Genesis.
“A lot of young people are thinking, ‘What can I do about climate (气候) change?’ I started Youth Climate Save because there were kids who needed support to become activists and get the word out there.”
Genesis has a strong feeling of wanting to save the environment. Marvel (漫威) discovers that she is the hero they are looking for. She is now a member of Marvel’s Hero Project. Her story will be made into a movie and shown on Disney. It shows how a young hero can work to make a difference in the world.
1. When did Genesis become a vegan?2. How did Genesis spread her ideas of protecting animals and the environment?
3. What is Youth Climate Save?
4. Why did Genesis start Youth Climate Save?
5. Will there be a movie about Genesis in the future?
Canada Geese are large blue and white birds. When autumn arrives, they have to fly south where the weather is warmer. The winters are so cold in Canada that the birds die if they stay there.
Last spring, Bill Lishman found sixteen young Canada Geese on his farm. They had lost their parents. Bill thought, “These young birds won’t know what to do in the autumn.”
Bill had a small plane and he decided to teach the birds to follow him. All through the summer, he went on short trips in his plane and the young geese flew after him.
When the cold weather arrived in autumn, Bill flew to Virginia in the United States, 600 miles south from his home in Canada. The geese followed him all the way. Bill left the geese in Virginia and he returmed home.
This spring, Bill was waiting for the birds to come back. They didn’t arrive, so Bill flew to Virginia to get them. He looked for them for two weeks but he couldn’t find them.
When he arrived back home, Bill found the geese waiting for him. They had found their way home without him!
1. What’s the weather like in winters in Canada?2. What do Canada Geese look like?
3. How many birds did Bill find on his farm last spring?
4. How did Bill teach the birds to fly?
5. When did Bill send the birds to Virginia?
Connecting with Nature
How do you feel when you hear birds singing freely in the trees? What’s your feeling when you see butterflies dancing slowly and lightly in the wind? Whether you love researching the outdoors or watching far away, getting close to nature can take your mind off your worries and make you feel relaxed.
What is nature?
Nature means the world around us that is not man-made, including birds, mountains, trees, the sea and the stars. It’s also a force that controls things like weather. We can find nature wherever we are and wherever we go —beaches, gardens, parks, rivers, and even unexpected places like cracks (裂缝) in the stones.
Why does nature make us feel good?
Spending time in nature brings peace, joy and wonder to our lives. It takes us outdoors, gets us active and lets us care more about the environment. Even a little gift of nature can make us feel free and hopeful, such as breathing in fresh air, listening to the wind in the trees or standing at a mountain. Ralphie, who is 10, likes being close to nature on a bike with his family. He says, “It makes us feel happy and takes our mind off things because we have to pay attention. We are away from traffic and we hear more birdsong and see more wild animals.”
How can we feel closer to nature?
Feeling closer to nature is easy. We can build a connection with nature wherever we are using our senses. Try listening closely to birdsong, smelling flowers and feeling sand between our fingers. Paint a picture and take photos of the natural places that we like best. They may help us feel closer to the natural world. It’s important to try and connect with nature, notice its beauty and how it makes us feel.
Connecting with Nature | |
Introduction | ★ Take your ★ Make you feel relaxed |
Definitions (定义) | ★ The world ★ A |
| ★ Bring peace, joy and wonder to our lives ★ Take us outdoors, get us active and let us ★ Feel free and hopeful when breathing in fresh air, | |
Ways | ★ ★ Use our ★ Listen closely to birdsong, smell flowers and ★ Paint a picture and take photos of our |
【推荐1】Zhang Zihua, 14: Are you a big fan of hiking? One year ago I went hiking with my father. We started from Nantong in the morning. And we got to the city Haimen at noon. It was my first hike. I was so excited and didn’t feel tired at all. This picture was taken in Haimen.
Zhang Xiaoyu, 14: Smell the flowers. They are really good. It was Sunday and I had a spring outing with my friend Vanilla. The sun was shining and these yellow flowers were blooming by the side of the road. We both loved the smell of the flowers. Aren’t they beautiful?
Cao Yue, 15: Everybody likes delicious food. And I like cooking food too. In this picture, I was learning to cook from my mum. She taught me what sauces(调料) I should use and when to turn the fire down or up. I took the picture to remember the day. Now I can cook some dishes by myself. And I often invite my classmates home and cook for them.
Li Chaoze, 15: Let me introduce my team “Super Boys” to you. We are a three-on-three basketball team. We took this picture before a game. The tall guy on the left is our leader(队长) Zhao Ziliang. He is the centre(中锋). The one on the right is Xi Yifeng. He is our forward(前锋). I’m the one in the middle. I’m fast and strong. I play as the guard(后卫). When we are together, we never lose.
Picture Perfect Memory | |
Zhang Zihua | I went hiking with my father from Nantong to Haimen. It was my first time to |
Zhang Xiaoyu | I had a spring outing on |
Cao Yue | I like cooking food. In this picture, I was |
Li Chaoze | I would like to introduce my team “Super Boys” to you. We are a three-on-three basketball team. We took this picture before a game. We have |
【推荐2】Once upon a time, there was a rich man. ①他非常喜爱他的儿子。Because he wanted to make his son have a happy life, he decided to send him to see a smart old man for advice on happiness. When the old man knew about this, he gave the boy an empty bowl and asked him to go to the river and fill the bowl with water. “If no water is spilt (洒) when you come back, I will tell you about it.”
The boy walked to the river and came back with a bowl of water. The old man asked him, “②Did you notice the beautiful flowers along the road and the birds singing in the trees?” The boy could say nothing about them because he paid much attention to the bowl in his hands. The old man smiled and said, “Bring me another bowl of water and enjoy the flowers and the singing of birds.”
When he came back, the boy could describe everything he had seen to the old man. But when he looked at his bowl, he found most water was gone. He forgot all about his bowl when he enjoyed the beautiful things along the road.
“Well, young man,” the old man said. “Enjoy the beauty of the world, but never forget your dream in your heart. This is the secret of happiness.”
1. 请将①处划线句子译为英语。2. What did the old man ask the boy to do?
3. 请在文中找出与所给句子含义相同的一句。
I won’t tell you unless the bowl is full when you returned.
4. 请将②处划线句子译为汉语。
5. What can you learn from the passage?
Mrs. Brown had a small garden behind her house. And in March she grew some vegetables in it. She looked after them very carefully, and when summer came, they looked very nice.
One evening Mrs. Brown looked at her vegetables and said, “Tomorrow I will pick them, and then we can eat them.” But early the next morning, her son ran into the house and shouted, “Mom, Mom! Come quickly! Some chickens from next door are in the garden and they are eating our vegetables.”
Mrs. Brown ran out, but it was too late! All the vegetables were finished! Mrs. Brown cried, and the owner（主人）of the chickens was very sorry, but it was too late.
Then a few days before Christmas, the owner of the chickens brought a small bag. In it was a beautiful fat chicken, and on it was a piece of paper with the words “Please enjoy your vegetables!”
1-2题完成句子；3-4题简略回答问题；5题将文中划线句子译成汉语。
1. Mrs. Brown’s house is
2.
3. How did the owner of the chickens feel when the vegetables were finished?
4. What did the owner of the chickens give Mrs. Brown?
5.
A few days ago, a baby in England saved her mother by using a mobile phone. The baby named Amelia was only 11 months old. How could she save her mother at such a young age?
On that day, the twenty-year-old mother called Elizabeth became unconscious (昏迷的) at home. At that moment, the mobile phone rang. Amelia, the 11-month-old baby picked it up and answered it. The call was from Elizabeth's mother, Linda Wright. Linda heard “Who's that?” and “mama” on the other end of the line. She knew that her daughter had a history of fainting (昏厥) and she also knew her daughter didn't let the baby play with the phone. So she called 999.
Elizabeth was in hospital when she woke up. The doctor said that she was all right after the examination. Elizabeth was __________ to find herself in hospital. When she knew that Amelia had saved her, she said she was lucky to have her baby. “She is clever,” Elizabeth said. “I am proud of her.”
根据短文内容完成下列各项任务。任务一：回答问题。
1. How old is Amelia's mother?
2. Who made the call?
任务二：用适当的词填空。
3. Amelia calls Linda
4.
任务三：选词填空。
5. Elizabeth was __________ to find herself in hospital.
| A．surprising | B．surprised |
Last week, my father and I went back to my hometown—Zibo in Shandong to try Zibo barbecue（烧烤）. (A) Recently, the local food has become so popular that people all over China travel there to taste it.
On the way to Zibo, my father told me a story. Last year during the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of college students were stuck in Zibo. The local government helped (B) them to get through that period and offered a great barbecue dinner when the quarantine（隔离）was over. The government officers also invited the students to come back to Zibo again when spring came. I was moved when I heard this.
At 5 p.m., we arrived at the restaurant. My father had booked a table two days earlier. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be any seats for us. There are some differences between Zibo’s barbecue and the ones in other cities. Zibo’s barbecue restaurants have a small grill（烤架）on each table. People need to cook on the grill by themselves. When the food is ready, you put it onto a small pancake, and then add scallions（葱）and sauce before eating.
People in the restaurant didn’t know each other before. But we just talked naturally about daily life and sang together. The boss of the restaurant even danced. (C) Some local people even put off their orders when they heard there weren’t enough seats. They wanted tourists from other places to have the chance to eat.
After eating the delicious food, I kept thinking about why Zibo became popular. Is it the promise between the government and the college students, or the unique, tasty food, or the warmhearted people?
1. 把文中（A）处画线句子翻译成汉语。2. 写出（B）处画线单词指代的内容。
3. 把文中（C）处画线句子翻译成汉语。
4. 找出文中提到的吃烧烤时除了肉之外所需的食材。
5. 简要概括本文大意。
A 70-year-old Japanese was believed to be the oldest man to climb Qomolangma.
Takao Arayama was 70 years and 225 days old when he reached the world’s highest mountain and made a new record.
Arayama said he suffered from headaches and breathing difficulties during his trip to the top. And he said he felt excited when he finally reached the top of the 8844.43-meter mountain. “I am very happy to be the oldest man to climb the world’s highest mountain,” the strong old man said.
The previous(先前的) record holder was Yuichiro Miura. He reached Qomolangma in May of 2003 when he was 70 years and 222 days old, according to Guinness World Records(吉尼斯世界纪录). “I stayed for 30 minutes on the top of the mountain and took some pictures and left a picture of my dog, Pacu,” Arayama said. “It was a wonderful feeling. Everything was below me, all the mountains and the world, when I reached the top,” he said.
At the age of 12, he first climbed an 800-meter/800-metre mountain near Tokyo. From then on he has had great interest in it and planned to continue his interest.
1. How old was Arayama when he reached the top of Qomolangma?2. What did Arayama suffer from during his trip to the top?
3. How long did Arayama stay on the top?
4. 将短文中画线的句子译成汉语
5. 请给短文拟一个适当的标题
