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