经典英语短文素材.docx

经典英语短文素材.docx

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经典英语短文素材

Joannehadplannedtoleaveworkearlythisafternoon,atthreeo’clock.Butwhenshefinallycameoutofheroffice,alltheotherconductorshadalreadyleft.NowshewascaughtinaheavytrafficincentralBirminghamat5:

30,andat6:

30shewasexpectedtobeatameeting.

Atlastshearrivedatherhome.Assheopenedthedoor,shenoticedsomethingunusualaboutSheba,alargedog.ShecouldseeeasilyShebawasfeelingbadandcouldhardlybreathe.Joanneknewshewouldhavetotakeherdogtothevetimmediately.“Itlookslikethere’ssomethinginherthroat,”saidDr.Stern,“Itshouldn’ttakemetoolongtogetitout.”

Beinginahurry,Joanneleftthedoctorwiththedogandrushedbackhome.Assheoncemoreenteredthehouse,thephonerang.Dr.Stern’sloudandworriedvoicewasheard,“Iwantyoutogetrightoutofthathouseimmmediatly.Thepolicewillbethereanytimenow.Waitoutsideforus.”Joannewassurprisedandafraid.Shequicklyranintothestreet.

Atthatmoment,apolicecarstoppedoutsidethehouse.Twopolicemengotoutandranintothehousethroughthestillopendoor.Thenthedoctorarrived.Justthenthetwopolicemenreappearedfromthehouse,half-carryingawhite-facedman,who,itseemed,couldhardlywalk.Therewasbloodalloverhim.

“Ithinkhemustbeathief,”saidthedoctor,“IknewhewastherebecausewhenIfinallyremovedwhatwasinSheba’sthroat,andfounditwasthreehumanfingers.”

（2）

MissEvanswasgoingtogivealectureonFridayafternoon.ButonThursdaynightshewastoldthatshehadtogotoanimportantmeetingthenextdayatthesametime.“Noonecanbeintwoplacesatthesametime.WhatshallIdo?

”shethought.Butsoon,shehadanidea.AtfivetothreeonFridayafternoon,MissEvanswenttothelectureroom.Thereweretwentystudentswaitingthereforher.“I’msorry,”shetoldthem,“Iwon’tbeabletogivemylecturetoday.”Thestudentslookedsurprised.MissEvansexplainedthatshehadanimportantmeeting.“However”,shewenton,“thoughIcan’tbewithyoumyself,myvoicecan.”Thensheputasmalltaperecorder（录音机）onthedesk,“Yousee,I’verecordedmylectureandyoucanlistentoitwithoutme.”MissEvansturnedontherecorderandleft.

Themeetingendedalittleearly.MissEvansdecidedtogobacktoherstudents.Shestoodforamomentoutsidethelectureroom,listeningtoherownvoice.Thenquickly,sheopenedthedoor.Tohersurprise,theroomwasempty.Asshelookedaround,shesawanumberofsmallrecorders“listening”toherlecture!

“Well”,shethought,“ifIcanbeintwoplacesatthesametime,whycan’tthey?

”

Aboutfivehundredyearsago,anearthquake（地震）happenedinasmallvillage.Luckilyforthem,nothingwasdestroyed（毁坏）andnoonewashurt.Butahugestonefellfromanearbymountainandstoppedinthemiddleoftheroad.

Whentheearthquakestopped,manypeoplecametotheroadandsawthestone.Someofthestrongestmentriedtoliftthestoneoutoftheroad.Buttheycouldn'tmoveit.Theytriedtopushitbutfailed.Theytriedtopullitwithropesbutnothingworked.

“Well,"theysaidsadly,“there'snothingwecandoaboutit.We'llhavetochangetheway."

Atthistimeaboyabout12yearsoldsaid,“IthinkIcanhelpyoutomovethestoneaway."

“You?

"theyshouted.“Whatareyoutalkingabout?

"Themenalllaughedattheboy.

Thenextmorning,somepeoplecameintotheroad.Oneofthemshouted,“Thestoneisgone."Morepeopleranouttoseewhathadhappened.Itwastrue.Thestonewasn'tontheroadanylonger.Itwasn'tevenneartheroad.Theboywalkedovertowherethestonehadbeenandsaid,“Iburiedit."Thepeoplelookedrathersurprised.

“Yousee,"hesaid,“IdugadeepholenexttothestoneandIdugasmallincline（斜坡）uptothestoneandthestonerolled（滚）downintotheholeitself.ThenIcovereditwithearth."

Thevillagersshouted,“Cleverboy!

Cleverboy!

"Andsomeofthemsaid,“Whydidn'twethinkoutthisgoodidea?

"

（4）

Threerichladiesmeteverydaybytheriver.Theysatthereandtalkedthewholeday.Oncethethreeladiesquarreled.Oneofthemsaid."Look,howwhiteandbeautifulmyhandsare!

"Anotheronesaid,"Myhandsaremorebeautiful."Thethirdonesaid,"Minearethemostbeautifulones."Anoldbeggarwomancameuptothem.

"Beautifulladies,"shesaid,"I'moldandcan'twork,I'mhungry.Pleasegivemesomethingtoeat."

Butthethreeladiesgavehernothing.Theyonlyasked,"Tellme,oldwoman,whichoneofushasthemostbeautifulhands?

"

Apeasant（农民）womanwasalsosittingbytheriver.Shewaspoorandherhandswereroughbecauseofhardwork.Theoldwomancameuptoherandsaid,"I'mhungry.Pleasegivemesomethingtoeat."Thepeasantwomantookoutheronlycakeshehadandgaveherahalf.

Theoldwomanateitanddranksomewater.Thenshetookthepeasantwomanbythehand,broughtherbeforetherichladiesandsaid,"Now,Ishalltellyouwhosehandsarethemostbeautiful.Thehandsofthepoorpeasantwomanareroughbecauseofwork,buttheygiveusfood;theyarefarmorebeautifulthanyourhandswhichhaveneverdoneanything."

（5）

I’velovedmymother'sdesksinceIwasjusttallenoughtositabovethetopitasMothersatwritingletters.Standingbyherchair,lookingattheinkbottle,pens,andwhitepaper,Idecidedthattheactofwritingmustbeamostwonderfulthingintheworld.

Yearslater,duringherfinalillness,Motherkeptdifferentthingsformysisterandbrother.“Butthedesk,”shesaidagain,“isforElizabeth.”

Ineversawherangry,neversawhercry.Iknewshelovedme;sheshoweditinaction.Butasayounggirl.Iwantedtohaveheart-to-hearttalksbetweenmotheranddaughter.

Theyneverhappened.Andagulfopenedbetweenus.Iwas“tooemotional（易动感情的）”.Butshelived“onthesurface（表面）”.

AsyearspassedandIhadmyownfamily.Ilovedmymotherandthankedherforourhappyfamily.Iwrotetoherincarefulwordsandaskedhertoletmeknowinanywayshechosethatshedidforgiveme.

Myhopeturnedtodisappointment,thenlittleinterestand,finally,peace—itseemedthatnothinghappened.Icouldn’tbesurethattheletterhadevengottoMother.IonlyknewthatIhadwrittenit,andIcouldstoptryingtomakeherintosomeoneshewasnot.

Butthepresentofherdesktoldme,asshe’dneverbeenableto,thatshewaspleasedthatwritingwasmychosenwork.Icleanedthedeskcarefullyandfoundsomepapersinside—aphotoofmyfatherandaone-pageletter,foldedandrefoldedmanytimes.Itwasmyletter.

“Inanywayyouchoose,Mother,youalwayschosethatactionspeakslouderthanwords.”

Whenanearthquakehitasmalltown，manyhousesfelldown.Aftertheearthquake，allthenewspapersreportedmanystoriesaboutsomeofthefamilieswhowereintrouble.

OneSunday，whenIwasreadinganewspaper，aspecialpicturetouched（触动）me.Itgavetheclothingsizesofeachfamilymember.Ithoughtthatthiswouldbeagoodchancetoteachmychildrentohelpthosewhowerelessluckythanthemselves.Isaidtomyseven-year-oldtwins，BradandBrett，andthree-year-oldMeghan."Wehavesomuch，andthesepoorpeoplenowhavenothing.We'llsharewhatwehavewiththem.”

Ifilledaboxwithfoodsandclothes.WhileIwasdoingthis，Iencouragedtheboystochoosetheirtoysanddonatesomeoftheirlessfavouritethings.Meghanwatchedquietlyastheboystookouttheiroldtoysandgamesandputthemtogether.Thenshewalkedaway.AfewminuteslatershecamebackwithLucy，hermuch-loveddoll.Sheputthedollontopoftheothertoys."Oh，dear，”Isaid.“Youdon'thavetogiveLucy.Youlovehersomuch.，，Meghansaid，“Lucymakesmehappy，Mommy.Maybeshe'llmakeanotherlittlegirlhappy，too.”

IlookedatMeghanforalongmoment.Shetaughtmealesson.It'seasytogivesomethingthatwedon'twantanymore，buthardertogivewhatwecherish（珍爱），isn't?

WhenIwastwelveyearsold,myfamilywerethefirstblackpeopletomoveintoanallwhitepartofGrandRapids,Michigan.Manyofournewneighborsweren’tverywelcoming.Someofthemsaidangrilythatweshouldreturntowherewecamefrom.Thechildrensometimesthrewstonesatmeordrovemehomefromschool.

Mostofmyteacherssimplytooknonoticeofme,butnotDorothyBean,myhistoryteacher.MissBeanwasangryathowbadlyIwasbeingtreated,butshedidn’tsaythistome.MissBeanshowedherrespectformebyteachingmejustlikeanyoneelse.Insteadofbeingunnoticed,IwasgivenachancetoshowthatIwasclever.MissBeanwasthefirstteacherwhoevermademethinkformyself.ShealwayswantedtoknowwhatIthoughtaboutdifficultquestions.WasThomasJeffersonrighttobuyLouisianafromFrance?

Why?

Sheexpectedmetohavemyownidea.MissBeanwasteachingmethatthinkingforoneselfwastherealkeytoeducation.

Oneday,whenIwasnotpayingattentioninclass,MissBeansuddenlythrewaneraseratme.Theeraserhitmerightonthehandandsentmypencilflying.Thewholeclasswereverysurprisedatfirst,thenstartedlaughing.Thiseventbecamefamousintheschooland,becauseithappenedtome,thestudentswantedtogettoknowme.Sothat'sthestoryofhowDorothyBeanmademehertarget（靶子）,andhowIbecamejustanotherkidinschool.

MrClarkeisanofficeworker.HehasasonnamedPhillip.MrandMrsClarkelovehimverymuch.

OnedaywhenMrClarkewasbusyinhisoffice,hiswifecalledhim.Theirsondidn’tcomebackforlunch.AndMissJones,Phillip’steacher,saidonthetelephonethathewasn’tatschoolthatmorning,either.MrClarkefeltveryworried.Hedrovearoundthetowntolookforhisson.

Itwasveryhotthatdayandmostpeoplehopedtostayinthecoolplaces.ButMrClarke