读美文学英语

1、读美文 学英语PAGE PAGE 15Vanilla Sugar Biscuits香草饼干 A small boy at summer camp received a large package of his favorite vanilla sugar biscuits in the mail from his mother. He ate a few then was careful to place the rest of them under his bed. The next day, after lunch, he went to his tent to get a delicio

2、us biscuit. He discovered that the box was gone and asked if anybody had seen them anywhere. He immediately communicated this information to his camp teacher. That afternoon the teacher saw another boy sitting behind a tree eating the stolen biscuits. “That young man,” he said to himself, “must be t

3、aught not to steal. Whatever it takes for him to prevent this happening again.” He considered a helpful, new method and had a conversation with the boy. He returned to the group and found out the boy whose biscuits had been stolen. “Billy,” he said, “I know who stole your biscuits. Will you help me

4、teach him a lesson?” “Well, yesbut arent you going to punish him?” asked the boy rather surprised at the recent situation. “No, that would only make him hate you,” the teacher said without doubt. “I want you to call your mother and ask her to send you another box of biscuits.” The boy did as the tea

5、cher asked and a few days later received another plastic box of biscuits in the mail. “Now,” encouraged the teacher, “the boy who stole your biscuits is down by the lake. Go down there and share your biscuits with him.” “But,” the boy said understanding this with difficulty, “hes the thief.” “I know

6、. This may require some of your trust and for you to do remain patient. But perhaps you can welcome my suggestion and advice. Dont be nervous. Try itsee what happens.” Half an hour later the camp teacher was glad to see the two come up the hill, arm in arm, in agreement. The boy who had stolen the b

7、iscuits was insisting on getting the other to accept his army knife as a trade for the stolen biscuits, and the other was just as honestly refusing the gift from his new friend, saying that it made no difference, a few old biscuits werent that important anyway, but a lifetime friendship did.NOTES:Un

8、cle Li and Uncle Wang李叔叔和王叔叔 Uncle Li and Uncle Wang are good friends. They are neighbors and their farms are both at the foot of the mountain in the south. So they can help each other. But neither of them likes to use his head, but they like to dream. Theyre both poor laborers, though they are hard

9、 workers and not lazy. Most villagers have built new houses, but they still live in the low and broken houses. They are not very good at mathematics. They seldom had a good idea. Most people thought they were crazy. One early April Monday morning, Uncle Li went east to the town on the coast to buy s

10、ome medicine for his wife. In the town he heard the tomatoes in the city were expensive. He discussed this with Uncle Wang as soon as he went back. They decided to carry some fresh tomatoes to the city market. They borrowed some money from their friends, and brought nearly one thousand kilograms of

11、tomatoes from the village to the city on a tractor. Bad luck! A lot of tomatoes had already been carried there when they arrived. A few days later they had to sell them at a low price. They felt sad and returned to their village, their heads hanging, with only a few dollars and cents to divide and p

12、ut in their drawers. “I cant understand why, while compared to the competition, we lost money in business,” Uncle Li asked one day. “The tractor was probably too small to give us a proper advantage. What a pity.” Uncle Wang mentioned without thinking “Well carry more tomatoes on a truck next time! D

13、ouble the size! The maximum!” “I agree, youre correct! Thats a deal!” Uncle Li said with laughter “How silly we were! We shall prove that we have some sense and can make a big sale.”NOTES:There Is Always a Better Way好方法无处不在 A blind boy sat silently on the stone steps of a tower building in the squar

14、e with a hat by his feet. With his gloved fingers, he put a flat board on the ground. Written in crayon, the handwriting said:”Im blind, please help.” The hat was nearly empty as there were only a few coins in the hat. A stranger was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them i

15、nto the hat. He then took the board, turned it around, and printed some words on it with paint. He put the board back and fixed it at a height so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. Soon that hat began to fill up. That afternoon

16、the man who had changed the board came to see how things were. The boy heard his footsteps and asked, “Were you the one who changed my board this morning? What did you write?” The kind-heart man said, “I only wrote a sentence with the truth. I translated what you said but in a different way to impro

17、ve the message and increase interest for people for your sign. It describes your experience.” He recited the text he had written:”Today is a beautiful autumn day and I cannot see it.” Do you think the first board and the second board had the same meaning? Of course both boards expressed to the peopl

18、e the fact that the boy had no sight. But the first board plainly told people that the boy was blind and to help by putting some money in the hat. The second board told people that they were able to enjoy the fantastic, bright light of the day, but the boy could not enjoy it because he was blind. Th

19、e second board suggested that people were lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second boards choice of words succeeded better to get peoples attention and achieve more action from others?NOTES:The Most Successful Lesson最成功的一课 I grew up in Estepona. I was 16 when one mornin

20、g, Dad told me I could drive him to Mijas on the condition that I took the car in to be serviced at a nearby garage. I readily accepted. I drove Dad to Mijas, and promised to pick him up at 4 p.m., then dropped off the car at the garage. With several hours to spare, I went to a theater. However, whe

21、n the last movie finished, it was six. I was two hours late! I knew Dad would be angry if he found out Id been watching movies. So I decided not to tell him the truth. When I hurried there I apologized for being late, and told him Id come as quickly as I could, but the car had needed some major repa

22、irs. Ill never forget the look he gave me. “I am disappointed you feel you have to lie to me, Jason,” Dad looked at me again. “When you didnt turn up, I called the garage to ask if there were any problems, and they told me you hadnt yet picked up the car.” I felt shamed as I weakly told him the real

23、 reason. A sadness passed through Dad as he listened attentively. “I am angry with myself. I realize Ive failed as a father. Im going to walk home now and think seriously about where Ive gone wrong all those years.” “But Dad, its 18 miles!” My protest and apologies were useless. Dad walked home that

24、 day. I drove behind him, begging him all the way, but he walked silently. Seeing Dad in so much physical and emotional pain was my most painful experience. However, it was also the most successful lesson. I have never lied since.NOTES:The Angel on the Earth天使在人间Once upon a time, there was a child r

25、eady to be born. So one day in a discussion with God before his birth he asked, “They tell me you are sending me to the earth tonight but how am I going to live there being so small?” God replied, “Among the many angels, I chose one a match for you. She will be waiting for you and will take care of

26、you. She will provide you an education and the skills to live.” But the child wasnt certain he had the courage to go. “But tell me, here in Heaven, I dont do anything else but sing and smile, thats enough for me to be happy.” “Your angel will sing for you daily and will also smile for you everyday.

27、And you will feel your angels love and be happy.” “And how can I understand when anyone talks to me,” the child continued, “If I dont know the language that humans speak?” God answered, “Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care,

28、your angel will teach you how to speak. She will help you practice and prepare you for the world and society. She will raise you to be humorous, fair and kind. Do not worry or fear. She will supply you with everything you will need. If she has a cooker, she will cook for you.” “And what am I going t

29、o do when I want to talk to you?” God had an answer for that question too. “Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray and we can be able to connect and have a conference.” “Who will protect me from danger and give me safety?” “Your angel will protect you even if it mea

30、ns putting her own life in danger!” At that moment, voices from earth could already be heard. The child knew he had to start on his passage very soon. He asked God one more question aloud, “Pardon me, God, if I am about to go on my own path now, please tell me my angels name.” God touched the child

31、on the shoulder and answered, “Your angels name is not hard to remember. You will just call her Mommy.”NOTES:Never Give Up Your Dream不要放弃你的梦想 I have a friend named Monty Roberts. He has let me use his horse ranch （养马场） to put on events to raise money for Youth-at-Risk Programs. Last time I was there

32、 he introduced me by saying, I want to tell you why I let you use my house. It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of a horse trainer. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be when he grew up. “That night he wrote a sevenpaper describing h

33、is goal of owning a horse ranch someday. He put all his heart into the project and wrote about his dream in great detail. He even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of the buildings, stables and the track, and even a detailed floor plan for a 4,000-square-foot house on it.” “Th

34、e next day, he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later, he received a large red F on his paper with a note, See me after class. The boy went to see the teacher and asked why. The teacher told him there was no way for a young boy like him to do that because owning a horse ranch required much mone

35、y and resources , and then added If youll rewrite your paper with another goal, I will reconsider your grade.” “The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what to do. His father said, Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. I think its a very important de

36、cision for you.” “Finally, a week later, the boy turned in the same paper without any change and stated, You can keep the F, but I will never give up my dream.” “I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4,000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that sc

37、hool paper over the fireplace.” Dont let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what.NOTES:My Physics Teacher我的物理老师 “Get up, Jim! Its time to wake up! Are you deaf?” mother said on a weekday morning in May while she was pushing me. I opened my eyes and looked at the clock. “Oh, dear!

38、 Its a quarter to eight already. Its not a holiday! Ill be late for school again and the teacher will have my neck!” I thought. I jumped out of the bed, washed my face, then hurried to the bus stop without a shower, breakfast or glass of juice. As soon as I got on the bus, It started running. “Im su

39、re I can get to school on time,” I said to myself. All of a sudden the bus stopped. The bus driver said, “Im sorry, there is something wrong with the bus. Please get off and wait for another one.” Id better race to school, I thought, and then began to run, but wished I could skate. But before I got

40、to school, there was a clap of thunder and it began to rain hard. I lacked a raincoat. It was clear that I was going to be late. I reached the classroom but I was wet and beginning to shake with cold. The physics teacher had already begun his lesson and was standing at the blackboard with a piece of

41、 chalk and an eraser and ruler, drawing a standard diagram, giving a speech. It was Mr. Smith. The students were afraid of him and so was I. I liked neither him nor his physics lessons. I stood feeling shy at the edge of room No. 303, and then I opened the door, “Im very sorry, Mr. Smith. Im late ag

42、ain for first period,” I said with a red face. “Its you again, Jim,” Mr Smith said angrily, “Ive told you not to be late, but you” He suddenly stopped and looked at my wet clothes then he rapidly took off his own jacket and handed it to me. “Now, I dont have a towel, but take off your wet coat and p

43、ut this overcoat on, or youll freeze and catch the flu from the storm and have to see the nurse,” he said kindly with a nod, and went back to talking about the role of physics for a pilot. I went to my seat with Mr. Smiths jacket on beginning to feel the heat. It was a bit large for me but I felt ve

44、ry warm, if not hot, in the material. I was touched by this kind treatment. I found, for the first time, physics was so interesting and how well I could understand it! Next time I hoped to miss P.E. instead.NOTES:Meeting God遇见上帝 There was once a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a lo

45、ng trip to the countryside, so he filled his schoolbag with basic necessary items from the fridge: biscuits, candy, chocolate pie, a pear, a pancake, a kilo of grapes, and also included some bottles of coke and lemonade, even a balloon, and he started his trip down the road. He had not made much pro

46、gress when he met a granny who was sitting beside a tree in the park. The boy sat down next to her and opened his bag. He was about to take a drink from his bag when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her a biscuit. She happily accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so p

47、retty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a bottle of coke. Once again she smiled at him. The boy was pleased! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling in silence, comfortable in each others company, but they never said a word, had no dialogue. It was a quiet, but special p

48、icnic. As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and wanted to go home for dinner. He got up to leave, before he had hardly gone more than a dozen meters, he turned around, ran back to the granny and, with energy, gave her a kiss. She gave him her biggest smile ever. When the boy ran up the

49、 stairs and opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother, a secretary, who was doing housework, was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She stopped her sweeping and tidying and asked him, “What did you do today that made you so happy?” He replied with pride and a laugh, “I h

50、ad lunch with God. You know what? Shes got the most beautiful smile Ive ever seen.” Later, the old woman also returned to her home with pleasure. Her won wondered about the look of peace on her face and he asked, “Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?” She replied with a breath, “I a

51、te biscuits in the park with God. You know, hes much younger than I expected. I wonder how old he it.”NOTES:How Great Love Is爱有多伟大 Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, and all of the others including Love. One day it was said that the island would s

52、ink, so all repaired their boats and left. Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to stay until the last possible moment. When the water was getting high by the inch and the island was almost sinking, Love decided to ask for help. Wealth was passing by Love in a boat. Love said, “Wealth, can

53、you take me with you?” Wealth answered, “No, I cant. There is plenty of gold and silver in my boat. I dont dare let you on or we will sink to the bottom.” Love decided to ask Vanity, who was also passing by in a beautiful boat, “Vanity, please help me!” Vanity answered with an excuse, “I cant help y

54、ou, Love. I cant allow you on. You are all wet and might hurt my boat.” Sadness was close by in the other direction and Love asked for help, “Sadness let me go with you. Lend me some help.” “OhLove, Do not disturb me. I am so sad that I need to be alone!” Happiness passed by Love too, but she was so

55、 happy that she did not even hear when Love called her! Happiness did not even make an effort, and dismissed Love. All of a sudden, there was a voice, “Come Love, I will take you.” It was an elder who brought Love over the smooth surface of the water to safety. Love became very happy that she even f

56、orgot to ask the elder his name. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went on his own way. Love, realizing how much she owned the elder, asked Knowledge, another elder, “Who helped me in this final moment? Who made this great gesture and treated me so well?” “It was time”, Knowledge answered. “T

57、ime?” asked Love “But why did Time help me?” Knowledge smiled, with a deep, wise voice, answered, “Because only Time is able to understand how great Love is.”NOTES:Happiness doesnt need a list幸福不需要列单子 A man and his girlfriend were married. It was a large celebration. All of their friends and family

58、came to see the lovely ceremony and to partake of the festivities and celebrations. All had wonderful time. The bride was gorgeous in her white wedding gown and the groom was very dashing in his black tuxedo. Everyone could tell that the love they had for each other was true. A few months later, the

59、 wife came to the husband with a proposal, “I read in a magazine, a while ago, about how we can strengthen our marriage. Each of us will write a list of the things that we find a bit annoying with the other person. Then, we can talk about how we can fix them together and make our lives happier toget

60、her.” The husband agreed. So each of them went to a separate room in the house and thought of the things that annoyed them about the other. They thought about this question for the rest of the day and wrote down what they came up with. The next morning, at the breakfast table, they decided that they