初中英语 美文阅读（本站推荐）

第一篇：初中英语 美文阅读（本站推荐）

Andy's Hobbies Andy is always watching animal programs on TV．When he was a child his favorite books were Gerald Durrel's animal books．He also wrote down something about animals when he heard them — especially the ones that were about loving animals．

He has always had pets．His first animal friends were pigs．And then he tried his best to persuade his parents to get a dog．For some reasons they did not seem to believe Andy would walk the dog three times a day，no matter how Andy promised he'd do it．

He did his best to persuade them：he was good at drawing and left drawings of dogs all over the place．He ran to the library，borrowed all the dog books he could find，and left them lying around as well．His parents were quite used to his books lying around everywhere．

Then Andy's mother was told a friend's cat had kittens and they could go and get one．At first Andy was a little disappointed．As time went by，he learned to love the cat so much he has had cats ever since． Cats let us know when it is time to change the sofa．Either when the fabric starts to look like Einstein's hair that has been combed with cat paws，thanks to the generous donation of cat hair．

安迪的爱好

安迪总是看电视节目上的动物频道。当他还是个孩子的时候，他最喜欢的书就是杰拉尔德·达雷尔写的有关动物的书籍。每当他听到一些关于动物的事情，尤其是那些有关爱护动物的故事，他都会记录下来。

他一直爱养宠物，他的第一个动物朋友是猪。后来他尽自己的最大努力去说服他父母为他买一只狗。由于某些原因，无论安迪怎样承诺，他们似乎并不相信安迪会每天出去遛狗三次。

他尽自己的最大努力说服他们：他擅长画画，到处都放着狗的素描。他跑到图书馆去借他能找到的所有关于狗的书籍，也把它们丢得到处都是。他的父母已经习惯他把书丢得到处都是了。

后来安迪的母亲得知一个朋友家的猫生了小猫，他们可以去抱一只回家。起初安迪感到有点失望，但自从有了猫之后，随着时间的推移他学会给猫很多爱护。

猫让我们知道什么时候该换沙发了，也就是当沙发织物开始看起来像用猫爪梳理过的爱因斯坦的头发时，这其实多亏有了慷慨捐赠的猫毛。

Larry Schwarz's Hobbies Larry Schwarz has played with toys all his life．As a child，he often pulled his toys apart，and then glued them back together．He made toy rockets，cars，and buildings out of boxes．Although he put his toys away long enough to become a lawyer，he never lost his childhood passion for toys．Schwarz dreamed up many toys while in school．Instead of taking notes in class，he filled 26 notebooks with toy sketches!Still，he managed to get his lawyer degree． Today，instead of working in a courtroom，Schwarz skateboards around his Rumpus's headquarters in New York City．In 1997，he started the Rumpus Toy company and invented all kind of crazy toys，like Gus Gutz，a doll with 12 spongy organs，and Sy Klops，a one-eyed doll．Even the boxes are playful．Printed instructions on Rumpus toy boxes allow kids to turn them into club houses，buses or airplanes．He loves to ride around in his Rumpus Road Rocket，a multi-colored school bus．He visits hospitals and schools，bringing toys，happiness and advice．Says Schwarz，“If you believe in something strongly enough and think you can do it，you really should give it a try．” 拉里·施瓦茨的爱好

拉里·施瓦茨这一生都在玩玩具。他小时候就经常把玩具拆开，然后再用胶水重新拼合。他用盒子制造玩具火箭、汽车和楼房。尽管为了成为一名律师，他不得不长时间把玩具放在一边，但他从未丧失童年时对玩具的那种热情。上学时施瓦茨梦想拥有很多玩具。他上课不做笔记，反而在 26 个笔记本上画满玩具草图。不过，他还是设法取得了法律专业学位。

现在，施瓦茨不在法庭工作，而是滑着滑板在他位于纽约的拉姆普斯公司总部转悠。1997 年，他创办了拉姆普斯玩具公司，发明了各种各样的疯狂玩具，比如有 12 个海绵器官的玩偶格丝·古茨、独眼玩偶赛·克洛普斯，甚至连包装盒都可以玩。玩具盒上印着的说明书可指导孩子们把盒子变成俱乐部会所、公共汽车或飞机。他喜欢乘坐一辆名为“拉姆普斯公路火箭”的彩色校车四处跑。他参观医院和学校，给大家带去玩具、快乐和忠告。施瓦茨说：“如果你特别相信某件事，而且觉得自己可以做好的话，你真的应该试一试。”

Molly Makes a Change about Her Business Molly Boylan is one of the most successful businesswomen in Canada after setting up her cosmetic company Blazes in 1992．Though she is very successful，she says that she finds it harder every year in balance her business with her family life．She sometimes feels that her two children know more about their baby-sitter than they do about her．

Molly employs around eighty people in her factory and warehouse，and ten others in her two new fashion stores，but her newest employee is the most important one for her．After years of worrying about her business more than her family，she has decided to make Sally Pamonte new general manager in her company．Molly will still be involved in decision-making，and she's going to stay in touch with the people who work for her，but Sally is going to look after day-to-day running of the business so that Molly can spend more time with the kids．

The new arrangement is going to start on Monday，and both of them are already excited about it．Sally says，“I'm very nervous，actually，but I'm sure Molly will help me a lot in the early days，even though I hope she feels she can trust me not to make too many mistakes．” Molly，on the other hand，seems quite relaxed about the whole thing．“I know that Sally's going to be a very nice manager．” she says，“She's only been here a couple of days and she's already shown me how to work out a few problems we were having．The best thing though is that I feel a hundred times happier than I've been in years．I mean，I honestly can't remember the last time I felt as relaxed as this，and my kids are really excited about my being at home more．To be honest，I wish I had made this decision years ago．” 莫莉改变了公司的业务安排 1992 年莫莉·博伊兰创办了她的 Blazes 化妆品公司，自此她便成了加拿大最成功的女企业家之一。虽然她很成功，但她说她发现每年在事业与家庭之间很难取得平衡。有时她感到她自己的两个孩子对保姆的了解比对她了解的还要多。莫莉为她的工厂和仓库雇用了大约八十人，为两个新时装店雇用了十人，但她最新的员工对她最为重要。她多年为家庭操心，为生意更操心之后，决定任命萨莉·帕蒙特为公司的新总经理。莫莉仍参与决策，并与为她工作的人保持联系，但是萨莉要照料公司业务的日常运行，这样莫莉能有更多的时间跟孩子们在一起。

新的工作安排将于星期一开始运作，他们俩都已经很兴奋。萨莉说，“我真的很紧张，但我确信在早期阶段莫莉将会给我很多帮助，尽管我希望她可以相信我不会犯太多错误。”另一方面，莫莉对整个事件似乎很轻松。“我知道萨莉将成为一个非常好的经理，”她说，“她来这里只有几天时间，她已经向我展示了如何解决我们遇到的一些问题。最棒的是，我觉得我比以前幸福了一百倍。我的意思是，我真的不记得上次我感到像这次这样的轻松是什么时候了，我的孩子们对我有更多的时候待在家里真的感到格外兴奋。老实说，我希望我在多年前就应该这做出这样的决定。”

Jon's Working Situation — Dull Axe Jon likes his job and he used to be quite good at it．In fact，ten years ago when he began working at IT，he was considered one of the best in the company．However，over the past few years Jon's performance at work has been slipping．Jon got more and more frustrated as his friends progressed and he didn't．

Finally，one day Jon asked a friend for some advice．“I don't understand．I try so hard but I can't get up in the company．” His friend looked serious and asked，“When was the last time you sharpened your axe?” Jon looked at his friend as though he was crazy and said，“What are you talking about?” His friend replied，“When was the last time you took courses to upgrade your skills? You work in a competitive industry．If you don't update your skills，you will fall behind．” Jon felt silly and laughed “I have spent all of my time trying to cut trees with a dull axe．All I needed to do was sharpen it!” 乔恩的工作现状——钝了的斧头

乔恩热爱工作，他曾经是这一行的高手。事实上，十年前他开始在 IT 行业工作时，他被认为是公司里的顶尖高手。可是几年过去了，乔恩的工作表现往下滑落。看着朋友突飞猛进，而他自己一点长进也没有，乔恩越来越感到沮丧。

有一天乔恩终于向一位朋友寻求忠告，“我不明白，我在公司里如此努力，却无法升职。”

他的朋友表情严肃，问道，“你上次磨利你的斧头是什么时候的事?”

乔恩看着朋友，好像他的朋友有点疯了并说，“你在说什么?”

朋友回答，“你上次什么时候去上课提高你的技术? 你在极具竞争性的行业里工作，如果不更新你的技术，你就会落后的。”

乔恩觉得自己很蠢，大笑，“原来我一直在拿一把钝了的斧头在砍树，却忘了需要磨利它!”

The Meanest Mother I had the meanest mother in the whole world．While other kids ate candy for breakfast，I had to have porridge，eggs or toast．When others had Cokes and candy for lunch，I had to eat a sandwich．But at least I wasn't alone when I was sad．My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did．

My mother preferred to know where we were all the time．She had to know who our friends were and where we were going．We had to clean clothes and take a bath every day．The other kids got to wear the same clothes for days．We could not lie in bed “sick” in order to miss school．

The worst is yet to come．We had to be in bed by nine each night and get up at eight the next morning．We couldn't sleep till noon like our friends．So while they slept，my mother was brave to break the Child Labour Law．She made us work．We had to wash dishes，make beds，and learn to cook and all sorts of things at home．I believe she lay awake thinking up all things for us to do． My mother was a complete failure as a mother．Two of her children received higher education．None of us have ever been arrested(taken away by the police)or divorced．She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults．I am trying to raise my three children this way．I am filled with pride when my children call me “mean”．Why? Because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the world．

最无情的母亲

我有一个算得上世界上最无情的母亲。当其他小孩早餐可以吃糖的时候，我却只能吃麦片、鸡蛋或烤面包。别的孩子午餐可以喝可乐吃糖，我却只能吃三明治。但至少并不是只有我这样，我的姐姐、两个哥哥与我一样，都有同一个这样无情的母亲。

我母亲一直喜欢了解我们的行踪，我们和哪些朋友在一起，要去哪里。我们每天都得穿干净的衣服，而且每天必须洗澡，而其他孩子一件衣服能穿上好几天。我们不能躺在床上“生病”以逃避上学。

最糟糕的事还在后头呢。每天晚上我们必须在 9 点之前睡觉，第二天早上 8 点必须起床。我们不能像其他朋友那样睡到中午。当他们想睡到中午时，我母亲就会勇敢地违反童工法。我母亲让我们干活：洗碗、整理床铺、做饭以及各种各样的家务事。我认为我母亲躺在床上不睡觉，一直在想着要求我们去做的那些事情。

作为母亲，我的母亲完全是一位不称职的母亲。但她的两个孩子接受了高等教育，我们中没有一个人被警察逮捕或离婚，她迫使我们长成有教养的、诚实的成年人。我想用这种教育方式培养我的三个孩子。我的孩子说我“无情”时我心中充满了自豪。为什么呢? 因为现在我每天都在感谢上帝给了我世界上最无情的母亲。

My Faithful Father My father used to work in the city and seldom stayed at home．But he would come back help to harvest rice every year．

One autumn，he promised to help our neighbor，who lost his arms in a traffic accident in 1999，to harvest his rice．After Father harvested our own，his little rice picker broke．What's worse，he had to return to work the next day because his partner was ill in hospital．It meant that Father wouldn't be back in a few days．It now seemed impossible to help out the neighbor． Father told us that he wouldn't let the neighbor's rice rot in the field．He decided to harvest it by hand without a machine．“If tonight's weather is clear，I think I can do it．” added my father．In fact，he was rather tired after a day's harvest work． After dinner，Father had a short rest and made his way to the field．A full moon was glowing in the sky and the weather was cold but clear．He spent the whole night keeping his word． I would never forget the image：Father was cutting rice in the light of the harvest moon．Behind him，row after row of rice stocks stood at attention，showing respect for a man who kept his word．

信守诺言的爸爸

我的父亲过去在城里工作，很少待在家里，但每年都会回来帮助收割水稻。

一个秋天，他答应帮我们的邻居收割水稻，邻居在 1999 年的一次交通事故中失去了双臂。在爸爸收割完我们自己的水稻之后小割稻机坏了。更糟糕的是，爸爸第二天必须赶回去上班，因为他的搭档生病住院了。这意味着爸爸在几天内不再回来，现在帮邻居收割水稻似乎不可能了。

爸爸告诉我们，他不能让邻居家的水稻烂在地里。他决定没有机器就手工收割水稻，他又加上一句“如果今晚天气晴朗，我想我能做到。”事实上，他在一天的收割工作之后已经是相当累了。

晚饭后，爸爸休息了片刻，然后就去了田地。天空一轮明月，天气寒冷却明亮，他用了一整夜时间帮邻居收割水稻，实现了他的诺言。

我永远不会忘记这样的画面：在满月的月光下爸爸正在割水稻。在他身后，一排排的水稻秆立正站着，以示对一个信守承诺的人的尊重。Unit Two Daily Routines

My Weekends I don't like staying at home all alone on the weekend．I'd like to go out even there's nothing special to do． Yesterday was Sunday．I went to the bank in the downtown and then met my friend．It was already noon，so we had lunch together and then we went to a KTV and sang songs．There were just two of us．And we sang all the time．When we got bored，we went to the shopping center and bought something she needed．I felt tired．I didn't have a nap．I usually sleep for about 30 minutes or so on weekdays．After I got back home at around 5:30 pm，I started to think “did I really enjoy myself in this way?” The answer should be “NO”．So I think maybe next time I should stay at home，do something I really enjoy，like watching movies，doing some reading，or just doing cross-stitching．And I still could sleep at noon．Just do the thing I like and can make me relaxed．What about you? Do you always spend weekends at home or you think like I thought before that we should spend the weekend outside our house? I hope you enjoyed your last weekend． For me，I prefer to stay at home rather than going out with my friends．You know，compared with hanging out with others，I really tend to stay at home and surf on the Internet．Yes，nowadays，I have gotten interested in making money online through various kinds of ways．For example，I often spend much time on myLot on the weekend．Even if for something，such as shopping，I will still choose to go shopping online．

我的周末

周末我不喜欢独自一人待在家里。即使没有什么特别的事情，我也想外出。

昨天是星期天，我去了市中心的银行，然后遇到了我的朋友。那时已经是中午了，所以我们一起吃了午饭，然后就去 KTV 唱歌。歌厅里只有我们两个人，我们一直唱呀唱。当我们唱得无聊了，就一起去购物中心买她需要的东西。我感到很疲倦，因为我没有午睡，平常我通常会睡 30 分钟左右。下午 5:30 左右回到家，之后我就开始想，“这样我过得真的快乐吗?”答案应该是“不”。于是我想，下一次也许我应该待在家里做一些我真正喜欢的事情，像看电影、阅读或仅仅绣十字绣，而且我中午仍然可以睡觉。做我喜欢的事情，并让自己放松一些。你呢? 你总是待在家里过周末，还是像我之前想的那样，我们应该到外面去过周末? 我倒希望你上个周末过得很开心。

对我来说，我宁愿待在家里，也不想和我的朋友一起到外面去。你知道，比起和其他人一起在外面闲逛，我真的更倾向于待在家里，在互联网上冲浪。是的，现在我开始对在网上通过各种方式赚钱很感兴趣。例如，周末我经常花很多时间在 myLot 网站上。即使是做某些事情，比如购物，我还是会选择在网上购物。

A Day of Working with My Dad This Thursday，across the US，kids are skipping school and going to work with their parents．They'll be making copies，sending faxes and sweeping floors．This is because April 28 is Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day all over the US．This holiday shows kids what it means to be a grown-up in the working world．

I still remember when this day started，I was very happy．Not only did I have the chance to miss school，but I also got to sit in my dad's taxi all day long and we would go to a restaurant for lunch． But after only 20 minutes of driving around the city．I was very bored．I couldn't read my book in the car as I would get carsick and my dad didn't like to turn on the radio．I got hot and uncomfortable．People wouldn't get into his taxi because they thought he already had a passenger：me — so nothing happened．It seemed years before we went out for lunch．I actually started to miss school．

While the point of the day is to give kids a chance to experience real-life jobs and give them an idea of the possibilities for their futures，I got something completely different from the day．I learned to appreciate school．Where else do you get to play with your friends，do science experiments，read great books and write stories all in one day? Just as you'll have to learn to love your job later in life，learn to love school now．If you don't already，try spending the day at work with your dad．

同爸爸一起工作一天

这个周四，全美国的孩子们都不去上学，而是和父母一起去工作。他们将会去复印材料、发送传真以及扫地。这是因为 4 月 28 日是全美国的“带子女上班日”。这个节日向孩子展示，作为工作领域中的成年人意味着什么。

我仍旧记得，当这一天开始的时候我是多么高兴。我不仅不用去上学，而且还可以一整天坐在爸爸的出租车里，还能去餐馆吃午饭。

但是，在开车绕城仅仅 20 分钟后我就感到厌烦了。我不能在车里看书，因为那样会晕车；我爸爸又不喜欢打开收音机。我越来越热，也越来越不舒服。人们不愿上爸爸的车，因为他们以为车里早已有了乘客——也就是我，所以没有什么生意。似乎过了很久很久我们才去吃午饭。我真的开始想念学校生活了。

尽管“带子女上班日”的目的是要给孩子们一个体验真实工作的机会，以及给他们一个对未来的想法，我却从那一天得到了完全不同的体会。我学会了重视学校生活。你还可以在其他什么地方能在一天内和朋友玩耍、做科学实验、读很棒的书以及写故事呢?正如在以后的生活中你必须学会热爱工作一样，现在学会热爱学习吧。如果你还没有这么做，尝试和爸爸一起工作一天吧!

How to Make Children Do Housework It is difficult for the parents of every family to teach their children to be responsible for housework．

The Shatian School in Shanghai is making its students do housework for their parents．The third graders must learn how to cook and clean；the sixth graders do the laundry，and the seventh and the eighth graders cook balanced meals with 15 yuan． Many parents think it's a good way for children to try housework，but they don't know how to do it at home．With the following ideas，you can really get your children to help at home．

If you want to make your children think that they can do everything quite well，please don't always scold them but give them lots of praise at home．Talk more about what he did right，not about what he didn't do．If your child finishes some difficult work，give him or her a Sunday trip or a ball game with dad as a reward．

如何让孩子做家务

对每个家庭的父母来说，教育孩子分担一些家务劳动是很困难的。

上海沙田学校让该校的学生为父母做家务。三年级学生必须学会如何做饭和打扫卫生，六年级的学生必须学会洗衣服，七年级和八年级的学生必须学会用 15 元钱来做出营养均衡的饭菜。

许多父母认为试着让孩子做家务是一种很好的方式，但是他们不知道如何让他们在家做家务。试试下面这些办法吧，你真的可以让你的孩子在家帮忙做家务。

如果你们想要让你的孩子们觉得他们能做好每件事，请不要总批评他们，而要多表扬他们。多谈论他们做过的正确的事情，不要谈论那些他们没有做过的事情。如果你的孩子完成了一些困难的工作，给他／她一次周日旅行或者让他／她和爸爸一起看球赛作为奖励吧。

The First Day of School It is school time again，a new start of a new period．

You are probably feeling excited and a little sad that summer vacation is over．Some kids feel nervous or a little scared on the first day of school because of the new things，new teachers，and maybe even a new school．Luckily，these new worries only stay for a little while．

On your first day，most teachers start the school year by introducing themselves and talking about all the things you'll do that year．Maybe you'll have a chance to tell something about yourselves to the others of the class．The most important thing for you is to learn new rules and follow them．After all，rules can make the school life better．Besides，the most exciting thing for you is to meet more new friends in a new place．The first day of school doesn't sound bad，but there is some advice for you to make you a better person，such as developing good learning habits，making a good plan and taking your new schoolwork seriously．The last but not the least is to have fun in your new school．

As the saying goes：Good beginning is half done．

开学第一天

又开学了，一个新学期的开始。

你可能感到兴奋，并且有点儿难过，暑假结束了。在开学的第一天，有些孩子觉得紧张或有点儿害怕，因为多是新事物，新老师，甚至可能是新学校。幸运的是，这些新的烦恼仅仅是暂时的。

在开学的第一天，大多数老师开始介绍自己，谈论你们在这一年里要做的所有事情。也许你有机会向班里其他人讲述你的事情，对你来说，最重要的事就是学习新规则并且遵守它们。这些规则毕竟能使学校生活更美好。除此之外，对你来说，最兴奋的事就是在一个新地方遇见更多的新朋友。开学第一天似乎不错，但还有一些建议使你变得更好，例如，培养良好的学习习惯，制定一个好计划，认真做好你的新功课。最后但同样重要的是，在你的新学校里玩得很开心。

正如谚语所说：良好的开端是成功的一半。

School Lunches In the UK，most children have their lunches at school，but in some schools，parents can choose what their children eat．The children can have a school lunch — a hot，cooked meal；or they can take a packed lunch with them，which usually includes cold food like sandwiches．

Often parents know what their children want．Cathy，a mother of three children，told us，“My children have packed lunches because they say they hate school lunches．So I make three packed lunches every morning．” However，another mother，Susan，made a different choice．She said，“My daughters have always had school lunches．I think they probably get healthier food at school than a few sandwiches I made for them．” But how healthy are school lunches? Kaz，a father，thought poorly of them．He said，“Fizzy drinks were offered and I think there were lots of chips．” Jamie Oliver spent a year working in a school kitchen．He was worried about the unhealthy food which included burgers，pizzas and chips．So he tried to cook healthy food such as good stews and curries for the children instead． So Jamie improved the school lunches，and trained the lunch ladies to cook healthy food in that school．Then he advised the government to improve school food across the country．And it seems now that the changes have begun．

Anna，a pupil，told us，“We used to have a fast food window where you got chips and coke，but they stopped that this year．There's a salad restaurant，which is good，so it's healthier than it was．” 学校午餐

英国的大部分孩子都在学校里吃午餐，但在有些学校，父母能够选择让孩子们吃什么。孩子可以吃学校(食堂)里的午餐——热乎乎的熟食；他们也可以自带盒饭，其中一般会包括三明治这样的冷食。

父母通常知道他们的孩子们想吃什么。凯西是三个孩子的母亲，她对我们说，“我的孩子们自带午餐的原因是他们讨厌学校里的伙食。所以，我每天早上都会做三份盒饭。”

可是，另一位名叫苏珊的妈妈的选择不同。她说：“我的女儿们总是吃学校食堂。我觉得她们在学校吃的饭大概比我为她们做的那几个三明治更有营养。”

但是，学校里的午餐到底健康吗? 一位名叫卡兹的父亲认为学校的饭菜很差。他说：“学校供应汽水，而且我认为学校里的炸薯条也太多了。”

杰米·奥利弗在一个学校食堂工作过一年。他对汉堡包、比萨饼和炸薯条这样的非健康食品感到担忧。所以，他想方设法为孩子做健康的食品，如炖菜和咖喱饭。

因此，杰米改善了学校的午餐食品，并对那个学校食堂的女工进行培训，教她们制作健康的食品。然后，他建议政府提高全国的学校伙食质量。目前来看，似乎已经有了变化。

一个名叫安娜的小学生告诉我们，“我们(食堂里)以前有一个快餐窗口，可以买到炸薯条和可乐，但是今年停售了。现在那里开了一个不错的沙拉餐厅，比过去更有益于健康。”

Disciplining Students In Several Ways In the United States，headmasters and teachers discipline students in several ways．The teacher often writes to or calls the students' parents．Sometimes students have to stay at school for one hour．If a student behaves very badly，the headmaster can stop the student having classes．The students can't go to school for one，two or three days．Mr．Scott，the headmaster of a middle school in Ohio，did not like to do so．When he didn't let the students come to school，they were happy．“A three-day holiday!” They thought．

One day，a boy was in Mr．Scott's office．The boy was not behaving well in class．Mr．Scott telephoned the boy's parents．“If you come to school with your son，I won't stop him having classes，” he said．The boy's father came to school and went with his son to every class．Other students looked at the boy and his father．The boy was embarrassed．After that he behaved better．And，of course，other students behaved better，too．

Now headmasters all over the USA are trying Mr．Scott's idea．They，too，think that students behave better when parents come to school．

惩罚学生的几种方法

在美国，校长和老师有几种方法惩罚学生。老师经常给学生家长写信或打电话。有时候学生必须在学校里待上一个小时。如果有一个学生表现很不好，那么校长可以停止该学生上课，这个学生在一两天，有时三天内不许来学校。斯科特先生是俄亥俄州一个中学的校长，他并不喜欢这么做。当他不允许学生来学校时学生会很高兴，他们到会认为“这是一个三天的假期!”

有一天，一个男孩在斯科特先生的办公室里。这个学生上课时表现不好，斯科特先生给他的父母打电话说，“如果你和孩子一起来学校，我不会给他停课，”男孩和他的父亲一起来到学校并一起上每一堂课。其他的学生看见了他们父子俩，这个男孩感觉很尴尬。在那之后，这个男孩的表现越来越好。当然，其他孩子也表现得越来越好。

现在全美国的校长都在尝试着斯科特先生的点子。他们同样也认为，有学生的家长陪伴的时候学生表现会变得更好。

Mother's Love A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper，and handed her a piece of paper that he had been writing on．After his mom dried her hands on an apron，she read it，and this is what it said： For cutting the grass：$5.00 For cleaning up my room this week：$1.00 For going to the store for you：$0.50 Baby-sitting my kid brother while you went shopping：$0.25 Taking out the garbage：$1.00 For getting a good report card：$5.00 For cleaning up and raking the yard：$2.00 Total owed：$14.75 Well，his mother looked at him standing there，and the boy could see the memories flashing through her mind．She picked up the pen，turned over the paper he'd written on，and this is what she wrote：

For the nine months I carried you while you were growing inside me： No Charge For all the nights that I've sat up with you，doctored and prayed for you： No Charge For all the trying times，and all the tears that you've caused through the years： No Charge For all the nights that were filled with dread and for the worries I knew were ahead：

No Charge For the toys，food，clothes，and even wiping your nose： No Charge Son，when you add it up，the cost of my love is： No Charge．

When the boy finished reading what his mother had written，there were big tears in his eyes，and he looked straight at his mother and said，“Mom，I sure do love you．” And then he took the pen and in great big letters he wrote：“PAID IN FULL”． Lessons：You will never know how much your parents' worth until you become a parent．Be a giver not an asker，especially with your parents．There is a lot to give，besides money．

Advice：If your mom is alive and close to you，give her a big kiss and ask her for forgiveness．If she is far away，call her．If she passed away，pray for her．

母亲的爱

一天晚上当母亲正在厨房准备晚餐时，小男孩来到母亲身边，把他已经写好的一张纸递给母亲。母亲在自己的围裙上擦干双手后看到纸上写着：

割草：5.00 美元

本星期打扫自己的房间：1 美元

替你去商店：0.50 美元

在你去购物时照看我的弟弟：0.25 美元

清除垃圾：1.00 美元

获得优异的成绩单：5.00 美元 清理打扫庭园：2.00 美元

总计：14.75 美元

嗯，母亲看着站在旁边的男孩。男孩似乎能看到她正在回忆什么，然后她拿起笔，把那张纸翻过来写道：

在我肚子里怀你九个月，让你慢慢长大：

分文不取。

为你熬的每个夜晚，照料你，为你祈祷：

分文不取。

多年来由你引起的难熬时光以及为你流的泪：

分文不取。

为了你而充满恐惧和担心的日日夜夜：

分文不取。

给你提供玩具、食物、衣服，甚至给你擦鼻子：

分文不取。

儿子，当你把这些加起来，我的爱的代价：分文不取。当那个男孩读完他妈妈写的这些，他的眼睛中闪烁着泪花，他抬头看着他妈妈说：“妈妈，我真的爱你。”然后，他拿起笔写了几个大大的字：“全部付清。”

教训：

直到你成为父母时，你才会懂得你父母的价值。

做一个给予者，而不是索取者，特别是对你的父母。除了金钱外，还有很多东西可以给他们。

忠告：

如果你母亲还健在，并且就在你身边，深深地亲吻她并求得她的谅解。如果她离你很远，那就打电话给她。如果她已经去世，那就为她祈祷吧。

The Feeling of Coming back Home After finals，I was ready to move out．It wasn't too hard for me，but for a lot of my friends，it was a big event．After packing my suitcase and helping my friends move，it was time to say goodbye．I had reached the end of my first year in the university!A friend from Chinese Taipei who is studying in Washington D.C．came to visit，so my brother and I took him sightseeing．But these were not this month's highlights．The high point was coming back home，a moment I'd been expecting since the day I left．

I arrived home early on the morning of May 15th．When I saw my parents，I gave them a big hug and kiss．Being at home with my parents，standing on this land，and feeling the humid and hot air，I knew I was home．The first thing I did was to go to Mei & Mei for a big breakfast．It was so much better than the school cafeteria!Mei & Mei was just a start．There are so many foods I have to eat and so many friends I want to see．

The hot air is burning my face and the sweat is evaporating from my skin．I love this feeling．This is where I belong．

回家的感觉 期末考试结束后，我就准备离校了。这对我来说不是什么难事，但是对我的许多朋友而言，离校是件大事。收拾好自己的箱子，帮着朋友们离校之后，该是说再见的时候了。现在已经到了我大学第一年的最后几天了!一位在华盛顿市读书的中国台北的朋友来看望我们，于是我兄弟和我带他去观光。但这还不是本月的最重要的事，本月最激动人心的是回到家的那一刻，从离家那天起我就一直期盼这一时刻。

月 15 日清晨我回到了家。一看到父母，我给了他们一个紧紧的拥抱和深深的吻。在家里跟父母一起，站在这块土地上，感受着湿热的空气，我知道——我回家了。我做的第一件事就是去“美美”餐厅吃了一顿丰盛的早餐，这顿饭比学校食堂里的饭好吃多了。到“美美”餐厅吃饭还只是个开始，我还有好多食物要吃，还有好多朋友要见。

灼热的空气炙烤着我的脸，汗水从我的皮肤上蒸发出来。我喜欢这种感觉，我是属于这里的。

The Weather Influences People's Emotions For hundreds of years，scientists have been trying to answer what things have an effect on people's emotions．How your feel is controlled by many things．Your emotions can be affected by your personality，by the actions of others and by events around you．Perhaps you don't know your emotions can be influenced by the weather as well． People often say they feel good when the sun is shining and sad when it is cloudy．In fact，sunlight makes us feel good．When sunlight hits our skins，our bodies produce a vitamin．Vitamins are natural chemicals which we all need to stay healthy．Sunlight helps our bodies produce vitamin D．Vitamin D helps our bodies make a special chemical．This special chemical affects our brains and makes us feel happy．For example，there are long，dark winters of little sunlight in Sweden and Norway，so many people in these countries often feel sad．Without much sunlight，their bodies produce less vitamin D．Without enough vitamin D，their bodies make less of this special chemical which makes them feel good．To help the people in these countries feel better，special “sunrooms” with artificial lights have been built．People can go there and get “sunlight” for an hour or two!The weather can also affect people's emotions in other ways．Hot weather can make people angry because people feel uncomfortable when they are hot．In the same way，rain can make people angry because being wet can be unpleasant．As you can see，the weather can have an effect on the chemicals which control our brains．Through these ways，the weather can influence our emotions．Sadly，while the weather can change us，we can hardly change the weather．

天气影响人的情绪

几百年来，科学家一直试图揭开什么东西可以影响人情绪的奥秘。你的感受被许多事情所控制，你的情绪可以被你的个性、他人的行为以及你周围的事情所影响。也许你还不知道你的情绪也可能受天气的影响。

人们常说，当太阳照耀时他们感觉很好，而当阴天时他们就感觉难过。事实上，是阳光使我们感觉良好。当阳光照到我们的皮肤上，我们的身体会产生维生素。维生素是我们保持健康所需要的天然化学物质，阳光有助于我们的身体产生维生素D。维生素D帮助我们的身体产生一种特殊的化学物质，这种化学物质影响我们的大脑，并使我们感到快乐。例如，在瑞典和挪威，有漫长漆黑的冬季，几乎没有阳光，因此在这些国家生活的许多人经常感到难过。没有多少阳光，他们的身体则产生较少的维生素D，而没有足够的维生素D，他们的身体产生较少让它们感觉良好的这种特殊化学物质。为了帮助这些国家的人感觉更好，产生人造光的特殊“太阳房”已建成，人们去那里就可以得到一两个小时的“阳光”!另一方面，天气也能影响人的情绪。炎热的天气会使人生气，因为他们热时会感到不舒服。同样，下雨会使人生气，因为潮湿会使人不愉快。正如你所看到的，天气对支配我们大脑的化学物质会有影响，通过这些方式，天气会影响我们的情绪。但可悲的是，虽然天气可以改变我们，我们却很难改变天气。

A Bad Dream Mr．King was the owner of a large company．One day，he went into his office early in the morning to get ready to go to the airport and set out for a city．

He was leaving his office when Bill，a night watchman，came in．Bill just came off work．After saying “Good morning” to Mr．King，Bill told the owner about his bad dream．Last night he dreamed Mr．King's plane crashed after it took off．Mr．King was surprised to hear this．He decided to go by land．

Bill's dream came true．That morning the plane really crashed just after it had taken off．Later Mr．King returned to his office and heard the accident．To express his thanks，Mr．King gave Bill 5,000 dollars with a letter．Mr．King told Bill that a man like him should be sent away．Bill was surprised and asked，“Why?” Mr．King said，“Go home and read the letter，and you'll know why．” Bill went home and opened the letter in a hurry．After he read it，he became very sad．In the letter there was only one sentence．But it was enough to tell the reason．Can you guess why? 噩梦

金先生是一家大型企业的老板。一天早晨他很早就来到了他的办公司，准备去机场乘飞机去另一个城市。

他刚要离开办公室，一个名叫比尔的守夜人走了进来。比尔刚下班，在对金先生说了声“早上好”之后，比尔告诉金先生他做了一个噩梦。昨夜他梦见金先生乘坐的飞机起飞后坠毁了。金先生听到这些感到吃惊，他决定由陆路前往目的地。

比尔的梦变成了现实。那天早晨，飞机真的在起飞后不久坠毁了。后来金先生回到办公室并听说了这起事故。为了表达他的谢意，金先生给了比尔 5000 美元，并附一封信。金先生对比尔说，像他这样的人应该被打发走。比尔感到惊讶，问道：“为什么?”金先生说：“回家后读读给你的信，你就知道为什么了。”比尔回家后急忙打开信，当他读完后感到很伤心。信里只有一句话，但这一句话已经告知了原因。你能猜出为什么吗?

Making Friends Have you ever heard the saying “If you want a friend，be one”? Here is a story about one new teacher making friends with the girls and boys in her class on the first day of school．As the bell rang，the teacher came in smiling at each girl and boy．Then she said in a quiet voice，“Good morning，girls and boys!How happy I am because I have all of you in my class this year．I'd like to know each of you．I am sure we will enjoy working together．I am sure that the more we get together the happier we'll be．” Her voice was so sweet and her looking was so friendly．Everyone believed what she said．

She told the girls and boys her name and wrote it on the blackboard．She told them some of the things she liked to do and she was hoping to do with them during the year． Then she said to the whole class，“Now you know my name and the things I like．Next I want to know your names and the things you like．Then I will feel that I know you．” Could you make friends by doing the same as this teacher did? One way of getting to know girls and boys in our class is to know more about them．It is usual to be friends with those people who have the same interests with you．You can play the same games and go on journeys together．

You may find that some new comers in your class miss their old friends and feel strange lonely．You can invite them to take a walk or to ride bikes with you．You will find many things in common to talk about．It is one good way to make friends just by talking together in a friendly manner．

交朋友

你听说过“你想有一个朋友，就得成为一个朋友”这句谚语吗? 这是一个有关一位新老师与学生开学第一天在课堂上交朋友们的故事。当铃响时，老师微笑着走进教室，然后她平静地说：“同学们，早上好!我很高兴，因为你们所有的人今年都在我的班上，我想了解你们每个人。我相信我们在一起工作学习将会很愉快，我相信我们生活在一起的时间越长，我们就会越高兴。”她的声音很甜美，态度很友好，每个人都相信她说的。

她把她的名字告诉了同学们，并写在黑板上。她告诉他们一些她喜欢做的事情，她希望在这一年里能与同学们一起去做。

然后她对全班同学说，“现在你们知道了我的名字以及我喜欢的事情，下面我想知道你们的名字以及你们喜欢的事情，那样我就会觉得我认识你们了。”

你能像这位老师那样去交朋友吗? 在我们班上，设法了解同学的一个方法就是更多地知道他们的情况。通常同与你有相同兴趣的人成为朋友，你们可以玩同一个游戏，一起去旅行。

你可能发现，你们班上有些新来的人会想念自己的老朋友，他们感到陌生和孤独。你可以邀请他们同你一起散步或骑自行车，你将会发现你们有许多共同的事情可以谈论。通过友好交谈交朋友是一种很好的方法。

Best Friends Are Forever “You're my best friend．” It's the nicest thing you can say to someone．And it's also the nicest thing you can hear from someone．Good friendships begin in middle school．It's the place you begin to develop your own personality．You talk with them；you work with them and you become friends with them．But not all of them will become your “best” friends．

Best friends are the people who like you and understand you the most．They are easy to work and have fun with．But sometimes it's not easy to find a best friend．Sometimes you can feel a little lonely，because you don't have a best friend now．That doesn't mean you won't have one in the future．Best friends seem to find each other as if by magic．And when you find your best friend，the magic will last forever．

最好的朋友是永恒的“你是我最好的朋友。”这是你可以对别人说的最动听的话。而且，它也是你可以听到别人对你说的最动听的话。良好的友谊开始于中学时期，中学是你开始培养自己个性的地方。你和他们聊天，你和他们一起学习，你成了他们的朋友。但并不是他们中的所有人都能成为你“最好的”朋友。

最好的朋友就是那些最喜欢你，也最了解你的人。他们很容易在一起工作，也会玩得很开心。但是，有时要找到最好的朋友也是不容易的。有时你会觉得有点儿孤独，因为你现在还没有最好的朋友，那并不意味着你将来也不会有。最好的朋友好像有魔力一样能够找到彼此。当你找到你最好的朋友时，这种魔力就会永远持续下去。

How to Be the Favorite Do you want to be the most popular person in the class? You don't need to change your character，you just need to improve your personality．In fact，the most popular people are trusted and loved because they stay normal but still have something that makes them different from the rest of us．Here are some pieces of advice about becoming the most popular person in the class．

If you want others to like and respect you，you have to start by liking and accepting yourself．Do not change yourself in order to please others．

Be helpful to everyone and do it happily．Being nice to people is almost like helping them，because by being nice you make others happy．

Be active and have a positive attitude towards life．Develop confidence in yourself． Stay clean and wear fresh clothes．Do not try to follow fashion to please others． Respect cannot be bought with big words and power．You have to get it by being honest．It also helps your personal growth．You must be a person that can be trusted to get respect．

怎样成为最受欢迎的人

你想成为班上最受欢迎的人吗? 你不需要改变你的性格，你只需要养成你的良好人格。事实上，最受欢迎的人是值得信赖而且被人们所喜爱，因为他们在保持正常的同时，还具有某种让他们与我们其他人有所不同的东西。下面是如何成为班上最受欢迎的人的一些建议。

如果你希望别人喜欢并尊重称，你必须从喜欢并接受你自己开始，不要为了讨好别人而改变你自己。

要对大家有所帮助，并愉快地做到这一点。对别人友善几乎同帮助他们一样，因为通过对人友善，你可以让别人感到快乐。

要活跃，要保持积极的生活态度，对自己要有信心。

保持清洁，着装干净。不要试图追随时尚来取悦他人。

说大话和有权力并不代表可以得到尊重，你必须通过诚实才能受到尊重，这还有助于你的个人成长。你必须是一个可以值得信任而受到尊重的人。

Communication Between Boys and Girls Wu Yifan in Shandong seldom talks to the girls in his class except when he turns in homework to the girl group leader．The 13-year-old said he doesn't “know how to talk to girls，or what to talk to girls about”．

Wu is not the only student in the country who faces problems communicating with the opposite gender．Earlier this month，Beijing announced that more schools in the city will try new classes in sex education later this year．For junior high school students，the program will teach them how to communicate with the opposite gender． Chen Jie of Wuhan welcomes the idea．The 13-year-old girl thinks it is important to get along well with boys． “You may feel that it's not necessary to talk to boys in school．But，in the future when we grow up，men and women will work together and build families．How can you make things right if you never want to understand them?” she said．

Chen shared her impressions of boys：they cherish brotherhood；they don't care about small things；they usually look at the bigger picture．

As a boy，Song Jia thinks girls are “careful and patient”．And，through talking to girls，the 13-year-old from Anhui said he could get some “fresh and interesting ideas”．

Song suggests that boys should be natural while talking to girls．“Don't be shy or try to be cool．Just relax，” he said．

How about girls talking to boys? Wang Xiuli，13，of Beijing has some advice — choose the topics that boys like．“Computer games such as Plants vs Zombies work best．Boys are also crazy for sports，” she said．

男孩与女孩之间的交流

山东的吴一凡除了交作业给女生组长外很少和他班上的女孩子说话。13 岁的他说，“不知道该怎么和女孩子沟通，也不知道该和她们说些什么。”

吴一凡不是唯一一个在与异性交流上存在问题的学生。本月早些时候，北京宣布今年晚些时候将尝试在更多学校的班级里推行性教育。对于初中学生，这些课程将教会他们如何与异性沟通。

武汉的陈洁对这项提议表示欢迎。这个 13 岁的女孩认为与男孩子融洽相处是很重要的。

“你可能觉得在学校里没必要和男孩子说话，但是在将来我们长大后，男人和女人会在一起工作，并组建家庭。如果你不了解他们，你又怎么能够把事情做好呢?”她说。

陈洁谈了男孩子给她的印象：他们珍惜兄弟情谊，不拘小节，眼光开阔。

男生宋佳觉得，女孩子“细心，有耐心”。13 岁的安徽男孩说，通过同女孩们交谈他总能获得一些“新鲜且有趣的想法”。宋佳建议男孩在同女孩交流时应自然点。“不要害羞，或是试图耍酷，放松就好。”

那女孩们和男孩们如何沟通呢?来自北京的 13 岁女孩王秀莉给出了一些建议——选择男孩们喜欢的话题。“像《植物大战僵尸》这样的电脑游戏话题效果很好。男孩们对运动也很感兴趣。”

Some Advice on How to Talk to Parents Here are some good suggestions on how to talk with your parents． Try to start your talk with something fun．This will make talking easier．For example，ask your parents questions about their day：“How's work?” They love this． Make it clear what you want to tell your parents．If they have an opinion，let them finish，and don't interrupt．Ask them to do the same for you．

Show them your respect by listening to them carefully．Look them in the eye． Be honest．Honesty builds trust．Life is good when your parents trust you． If your parents don't understand，that's OK．It doesn't mean they don't love you or they are not trying．Sometimes you have to explain things to them again or in a different way． When you finish the talk，thank them for listening．Say something like “Thanks．That helped．” It will let them know this is important to you，and make them want to do it more often．

If you feel like there is still something to talk about，set up a time with them to talk about it in another way．

如何与父母交谈的一些建议

下面是一些如何与父母交谈的好建议。

尽量以有趣的事情来开始你们的交谈，这会使谈话更简单。比如，问一些与他们的日常生活有关的问题：“工作怎么样?”他们喜欢这个话题。

清楚表明你想告诉你父母什么事情。如果他们有意见，要让他们说完，而不要打断他们，要求他们为你做同样的事情。

以认真听他们讲话的方式来表达你的尊重，看着他们的眼睛。

要诚实。诚实能够建立信任。如果你的父母信任你，生活将会是美好的。

如果你的父母不理解你，那也没有关系。那并不意味着他们不爱你，或者他们没有尝试去爱你。有时你不得不反复或者以一种不同的方式对他们解释一些事情。

当你们结束交谈的时候，要谢谢他们的倾听。说一些“多谢。那很有帮助。”之类的话。这会让他们知道这对你很重要，也会使他们想更加频繁地与你交流。

如果你觉得还有事情要谈，和他们约一个时间，以另一种方式交谈吧。

Shopping through the Internet Is Very Popular Recently，many people have begun to try a new way of doing shopping through the Internet．They are very interested in it．Why is it becoming more and more popular now? There are some reasons．First，more and more people have their own computers and their computers can be joined with the Internet．So it is possible for many of them to do shopping through the Internet．Second，shopping through the Internet can save them some money and a lot of time．Third，they don't need to go to the shop themselves．Because of these good facts，few people refuse it． On the other hand，some people don't like this new way of shopping．They are worried about the safety of shopping online．Customers can only see the pictures of a product on the Internet．And they can't enjoy the pleasure of buying things in a large supermarket or a wonderful shopping center．These are the reasons why they do not like it． But I think more and more people will like this new kind of shopping in the future．

网购很流行 最近，很多人都开始尝试一种新的网上购物方式。他们对网上购物非常感兴趣。为什么现在网上购物会变得越来越流行呢?这里列出了一些原因。第一，越来越多的人拥有自己的电脑，他们的电脑可以与互联网连接。因此，他们中很多人都可以在网上购物。第二，网上购物可以节省一些金钱和大量的时间。第三，他们并不需要亲自去店铺。由于这些优点，很少有人拒绝网上购物。

另一方面，也有些人不喜欢这种新的购物方式，他们担心网上购物的安全性。顾客只能在互联网上看产品的照片，而无法享受在大型超市或极好的购物中心里购买东西的乐趣。这就是他们不喜欢网上购物的原因。

但我认为，将来会有越来越多的人喜欢这种新的购物方式。

Being a Clever Clothes Shopper When you want to go shopping，decide how much money you can spend on new clothes，think about the kind of clothes you really need．Then look for those clothes on sale．There are labels inside all new clothes．The labels tell you how to take care of your clothes．The label for a shirt may tell you to wash it in warm water．A sweater label may tell you to wash it in cold water．The label on a coat may say “dry-clean only”．Washing may ruin this coat．If you do as the directions say on the labels，you can keep your clothes looking their best．

Many clothes today must be dry-cleaned．Dry-cleaning is expensive．When buying new clothes，check to see if they will need to be dry-cleaned．You will save money if you buy clothes that can be washed．You will save money if you buy clothes that are well-made．Well-made clothes last longer．They look good even after they have been washed many times．Clothes that cost more money are not always better-made．They don't always fit better．Sometimes cheaper clothes fit better than more expensive clothes．

做一个精明的衣服购买者

当你想要去逛街购物时，确定你可以在新衣服上花多少钱，想好你真正需要什么样的衣服。然后去寻找那些正在出售的衣服，新衣服里子上都有标签，这些标签就能告诉你如何爱护你的衣服。一件衬衫的标签可以告诉你衬衣要在温水中洗它；一件毛衣的标签可以告诉你毛衣要在冷水中洗；一件外套上的标签可能会说“只能干洗”。洗衣机可能会毁掉这件外套。如果你按照标签上的洗涤说明进行操作，你可以让你的衣服保持在最好的状态。

现今很多衣服都必须干洗，但干洗很贵。当买新衣服的时候，看看它们是否需要干洗。如果你买的衣服可以水洗，你可以节省些钱。如果你买的衣服做工很好，你可以省些钱，因为做工很好的衣服可以穿得更久。即使已经洗过很多次，它们看起来还是不错。花钱较多的衣服并不总是做工较好的，这些衣服也并不总是更合身的。有时便宜的衣服比贵的衣服更合身。

Honesty Day Be honest．That's all you have to do on Honesty Day．It would be great if we were all honest every day of the year．It's good that there is a day to encourage honesty．M．Hirsh Goldberg started Honesty Day．He chose the last day of April because the first day is April Fool's Day，which celebrate lies．On Honesty Day，anyone may ask you any question and you should give a true and honest answer．That means that you have knowledge of Honesty Day．

M．Hirsh Goldberg wrote a book on telling lies．He said in his book that almost all persons lie about 200 times a day．In our daily life，a typical life for a man is “I did not drink that much” and for a woman is “Nothing is wrong，I'm fine．” It is found that nurses are the most honest people，while sales people and politicians are the biggest liars．

Every Honesty Day，M．Hirsh Goldberg hands out prizes to honest people．

诚信日

在诚信日你要做的就是以诚相待。如果我们每天都能做到诚心实意，那世界将无比美好。有一个鼓励诚实的日子是好的。赫什·戈尔德贝尔格开创了“诚信日”，他选择了 4 月的最后一天，因为 4 月 1 日是愚人节，那是庆祝撒谎的节日。在诚信日，任何人都可以向你随便问问题，你要直言不讳地进行回答，这说明你了解“诚信日”。

赫什·戈尔德贝尔格写了一本有关说谎的书。他在书中说，几乎所有人都在撒谎，一天 200 次左右。在我们的日常生活中，男性平常会说“我喝不了这么多”，而女性会说“一切正常，我很好。”据调查发现，护士是最诚实的人，而销售员和政客鬼话最多。

每个诚信日，赫什·戈尔德贝尔格都为诚实的人颁奖。

Thanksgiving Traditions Each year，Americans celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday on the fourth Thursday of November．Most families follow traditions，but many have their own traditions that they follow each year．Here are some of the common traditions associated with “Turkey Day”． Travel One of the best things about Thanksgiving is spending time with family．Many people live far from family members and travel long distances by car，train，or plane to be with their loved ones．Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year!The Feast Traditional foods are a large part of Thanksgiving celebrations．Many families include the whole family in the food preparation．Traditional foods include turkey，sweet potatoes，mashed potatoes，and cranberry sauce．Many people serve pie for dessert at the end of the meal．Popular pie flavors are pumpkin，pecan，sweet potato，and apple．

Helping Others Many generous folks use Thanksgiving as an opportunity to help the less fortunate．Some people volunteer to serve food at homeless shelters on Thanksgiving Day and others donate to shelters in canned food drives． TV Television also plays a part in Thanksgiving celebrations．Many families watch the New York City Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade．The parade includes marching bands，floats，songs and performances from Broadway musicals，and giant balloons!People may also enjoy televised football games． After the Meal After the feast families often do other activities．Some like to take walks after eating such a large meal．Some people take naps．Others sit down together to play card games together．

感恩节的习俗

每年美国人在十一月的第四个星期四庆祝感恩节。大多数家庭都依照传统庆祝感恩节，但许多人每年都依照自己的传统庆祝。下面是与“火鸡节”相关的一些常见的传统。

旅行

感恩节最美好的事情之一就是与家人一起度过节日。许多人住在离家人很远的地方，他们乘汽车、火车或者飞机长途跋涉，就为了与自己的亲人团聚。感恩节是一年中最繁忙的旅游日。

盛宴

传统食物是庆祝感恩节的一个主要组成部分。许多家庭让全家人都参与到食物准备中来。传统食物包括火鸡、红薯、土豆泥和蔓越莓酱。在盛宴结束时许多人会端上一些馅饼作为甜点，受欢迎的馅饼有南瓜、大胡桃、红薯和苹果口味的。

帮助他人

许多慷慨的人把感恩节作为帮助那些不幸人们的一个机会。一些人在感恩节自愿为无家可归者收容所提供食物，还有一些人在罐装食品捐赠活动中为收容所捐献食品。

电视

电视也是感恩节庆祝活动的一部分，许多家庭都观看纽约市的梅西感恩节大游行。游行队伍包括游行乐队、花车、百老汇音乐剧的歌曲和演出以及巨型气球!人们还可以享受电视里转播的足球比赛。

饭后

享用盛宴之后，各个家庭常常会进行一些其他活动。在一顿大餐后有些人喜欢散散步，有些人则会小睡一会儿，还有一些人喜欢坐下来一起玩纸牌游戏。

Eating Fast Food A large number of people in the world eat fast food．Whenever you go into a fast food restaurant，you can see lots of people enjoying their meals there．How do you know in which country people like fast food best? The English people are the world's biggest fans of fast food，while the French are the least interested in quick meals，according to a survey done last year． The survey of thirteen countries shows 45％ of the English people say they can't give up fast food because it's delicious．And 44％ of Americans and 37％ of Canadians say the same．

The French，proud of their delicious and high-class cuisine，don't like fast food．81％ of them think it is unhealthy，followed by 75％ of the Japanese． How about the Chinese? How often do you have hamburgers or fried chicken? It doesn't matter whether you like Western fast food or Chinese food．The most important thing is to keep a balanced diet．

吃快餐

世界上很多人吃快餐。每当你走进一家快餐店，你都可以看到很多人在享用快餐。你怎么知道哪个国家的人最喜欢快餐呢? 根据去年进行的一项调查显示，英国人是世界上吃快餐人数最多的国家，而法国人对快餐最不感兴趣。

根据对 13 个国家的调查显示，45％的英国人说因为快餐美味，所以他们不能拒绝快餐食品，同时44％的美国人和37％的加拿大人说法一致。

以美味和一流的美食引以为傲的法国人不喜欢快餐。81％的人认为快餐不健康，75％的日本人也这样认为。

中国人又如何呢? 你多久吃一次汉堡包或炸鸡? 不管你喜欢西式快餐还是中餐其实都不要紧，最重要的是保持一种饮食均衡。

The Advantages of Eating Fruits You know eating fruit and vegetables is good to your health．But did you know it can also make you look good? People who increased their intake over just six weeks developed a healthy glow and appeared more attractive，researchers found．

Scientists at St．Andrews University found eating them subtly increased yellow and red pigments in the volunteers' skin．They monitored the food intake of 35 people and took pictures of their faces，arms and hands using a sensitive camera at the start，and after three and six weeks．

Increasing their intake of greens by 2.9 portions a day was found to make the person look healthier and extra 3.3 portions could enhance their attractiveness，when their photographs were rated by others．

Fruit and vegetables are rich in carotenoids，which are known to protect against cell damage from pollution and UV rays，and can also prevent age-related diseases including heart disease and cancer．

But while it was known eating extreme amounts of certain vegetables such as carrots could turn skin orange，it was not known a small increase was perceptible to others — and was seen as appealing．

A camera measured changes to the skin's redness，yellowness and lightness，and found it significantly changed in people who naturally increased their intake．These changes were not evident in three weeks．

多吃水果，益处多多

你知道吃水果和蔬菜有益健康，但你可知道多吃水果蔬菜还会让你变得漂亮? 研究人员发现，增大水果蔬菜的摄入量，只需六周就能让你焕发出健康的光彩，看起来更有魅力。

圣安德鲁斯大学的科学家发现，吃水果蔬菜能微量增加自愿测试者皮肤中的黄色素和红色素。他们监测了35人的食物摄入量，并在开始、三周后和六周后用高灵敏相机给他们的脸、胳膊和手拍了照片。

研究发现，从他人对照片的评估打分来看，每日增加 2.9 份的蔬菜摄入量将让人看起来更健康，再增加 3.3 份摄入量将使人看起来更有魅力。

水果和蔬菜的类胡萝卜素很丰富。据我们所知，类胡萝卜素可以保护细胞免受污染和紫外线的损害，还可以防止心脏病和癌症等老年疾病。

不过，尽管人们知道某些蔬菜如胡萝卜摄入过量会让皮肤变成橘黄色，但是还不知道这种细微变化会被他人察觉到，而且这种皮肤颜色还被视为很有吸引力。

研究人员通过相机拍照来测量皮肤的红色、黄色和明亮度的变化，发现那些以自然的方式增加蔬菜水果摄入量的人的皮肤发生了明显改变。不过，这些改变在三周内还不明显。

Festival Foods Vary from Culture to Culture Around the world，people have different traditional foods to celebrate different festivals．Traditional foods also show a new year of good luck and good health． An English Christmas dinner has a meal of turkey，and it also includes pies and plum puddings．In Germany，Christmas is celebrated with bread cookies and cakes，which are made like Christmas trees．In France，Christmas dessert is a cake filled with butter cream．

In southern parts of India，there is a three-day festival in mid-January called Pongal．It includes rice and a dish of rice cooked with sugar that is shared with families and friends．

Japan celebrates New Year with a seven-day festival．It begins from January 1st．Food is prepared before the festival so people don't need to cook during the festival．On New Year's Day，various dishes called Osechi ryori are served-each dish is a wish for the New Year．

People in China prepare their food ahead of time to avoid the possibility that using a knife during New Year's time might “cut luck”．Foods with lucky names are popular，such as fish，which sounds like “yu”(surplus)．Chinese people always get together with their families and have a good dinner during Chinese New Year's Day．The most famous food at that time is dumpling．

节日食品因文化不同而不同

全世界的人们用各式各样的传统食物来庆祝不同的节日。传统食物也可代表新的幸运健康的一年。

英国的圣诞大餐包括一道火鸡肉，还包括各种派和李子布丁。在德国，人们用做成圣诞树模样的面包曲奇和蛋糕来庆祝圣诞节。法国的圣诞甜点是一个填满奶油夹心饼的蛋糕。

在印度南部，1 月中旬有一个节日叫作“丰收节”，人们会连读3天庆祝这个节日。人们在庆祝这个节日时所吃的食物包括米饭以及用糖和米做的一道菜，供全家人和朋友们一起享用。

日本庆祝新年时会放假 7 天，从 1 月 1 日开始。食品在过节前就已做好，这样一来，过节期间人们就不用做饭了。在新年这天，人们会奉上叫作“御节料理”的很多道菜——每道菜都代表一个新年祝愿。

中国人会提前备好食物，避免在新年时动刀从而“砍掉福气”的可能。名字带有喜气的食物很受欢迎，如鱼(意为“余”)。在中国新年时，中国人通常会与家人团聚一堂，享用大餐。这个时候，最有名的食物就是饺子。

Ways of Eye Care Many of us don't pay much attention to the importance of eye care．It is said that if you take care of your body，then you can surely be healthy．That is why our eyes should be given a lot of care．Natural eye care should be put in a number one place．

There are several causes leading to poor eyesight like not enough food，genes and aging．Televisions，computers and reading are also the causes of having poor eyesight．If you happen to work in front of the computer，it is best to take a break every once in a while．Something dirty can cause redness and they will make you feel uncomfortable．It is bad for your eyes，too．If this happens，the best way is to clean your eyes by using cold water．You must also try your best to protect your eyes from harmful things．For example，sunglasses are not just for fashion but they can also serve as a great way to protect your eyesight from UV rays．

Eating healthy foods will be good for your eyesight．Remember that vitamins A，C and E are good for eyes．Try to eat food groups that have these vitamins．And you should do eye exercises because exercise protects your eyesight，too．If a person exercises regularly and eats the right kind of food，his eyes will stay in good condition for a long time． All above are natural ways of eye care that help us keep healthy eyes．Being happy all the time can be helpful to a person's eyesight，too．In a word，eye care is very important，no matter how old a person is．

保护眼睛的方法

我们中的许多人不重视眼部保健的重要性。据说，如果你注意保重你的身体，那么你肯定是健康的。这就是为什么我们要给予眼睛大量的护理。自然的眼部保健应放在首要位置。

下面几个原因会导致视力下降：食物短缺，基因和衰老。电视、电脑和阅读也会造成视力不好。如果你在电脑前工作，最好每隔一段时间休息一下。脏东西可以引起眼睛红肿并会让你觉得不舒服，对眼睛也不好。如果发生这种情况，最好的办法是用冷水清洗眼睛。你也必须尽力保护你的眼睛免受伤害。例如戴太阳镜不仅时尚，也可以作为保护您视力免受紫外线伤害的好方法。

吃健康食物对你的视力有好处。请记住，维生素 A，C 和 E 对眼睛有益，尝试吃富含这些维生素的食物。你应该做眼部保健操，因为眼部保健操也可以保护您的视力。如果一个人经常锻炼并且吃合适的食物，你的眼睛就会长时间保持在良好的状态。

以上就是眼部保健的自然方式，能帮助我们保持眼睛的健康。快乐对视力也有帮助。一句话，无论多大年纪，眼部保健都是非常重要的。

The Teenage Smoking Has Become a Serious Problem Wang Bing's father began smoking when he was a freshman in college．His friend passed him his first cigarette．He has now been smoking for more than 30 years． It's a classic example of how young people are introduced to cigarettes，except that nowadays smokers develop their habit at an even younger age． It has become a major concern in China that many teenagers begin to smoke．A survey showed that 22.5％ of the middle school students questioned had tried smoking and 15.8％ of them smoked regularly． For many teenagers，smoking is a symbol of being an adult，independence，maturity and attractiveness because the images who they love best often smoke on screen． The social environment also plays an important role in attracting teenagers to smoking．They are used to seeing their elders，especially male family members，smoking at home．Many of them imitate adult behavior and become new smokers．

To increase the price of cigarettes is an effective way to reduce the number of young smokers，as teenagers have limited money to spend on them． Another way is to educate the teenagers to voluntarily refuse cigarettes．A survey shows that 92.5％ of the students know smoking will be bad for their health．If we persuade them in a proper way，most of them may give up smoking．

All in all，the society，the government，the school and the family should join together to take the responsibility for an anti-smoking campaign aimed at teenagers，not just to put empty slogans and warnings on cigarette packs．

青少年吸烟已经成为严重的问题

王兵的爸爸在上大学一年级的时候就开始吸烟了。他的朋友递给了他第一根烟。迄今为止他的烟龄已有 30 多年了。

这是年轻人开始吸第一根烟的典型例子，只不过如今的年轻人养成吸烟习惯的年龄更加提前了。

在中国青少年吸烟已经成为一个令社会担忧的主要问题。一项研究显示，接受调查的中学生中有22.5 ％的吸过烟，其中有15.8％的学生会经常吸烟。

对许多青少年来说，吸烟是成年、独立、成熟和有魅力的象征，因为他们最喜爱的偶像在银屏上都吸烟。

社会环境也是促使青少年吸烟的一个重要原因。他们经常看到其长辈，尤其是男性家庭成员在家里吸烟，他们中的很多人开始模仿这种行为，成为新的烟民。

提高香烟的价格是减少青少年烟民数量的一个有效途径，因为青少年没有足够的钱买烟。

另外一种方法就是教育和鼓励青少年主动远离香烟。一项研究表明，92.5％的学生都知道吸烟有害健康。如果我们用恰当的方式劝说他们，他们中的大多数也许会放弃吸烟。

总之，社会、政府、学校和家庭都有责任参与到禁止青少年吸烟的活动中来，而不只是在香烟的外包装上印上口号和警语。

How to Be a Healthy Kid Do you know how to be a healthy kid? Here are some rules you should follow． First，eat different food，especially fruits and vegetables．You may have a favorite food，but you'd better eat something different．If you eat different food，you will probably get more nutrients your body needs．

Second，drink water and milk as often as possible．When you are really thirsty，you should choose cold water is first．Milk is a great drink that can give you more calcium your body needs． Third，listen to your body．How do you feel when you are full? When you're eating，notice how your body feels and when your stomach feels comfortably full．Eating too much will not make you comfortable and will make you fat．

Fourth，pay attention to your screen time．Screen time is the time you watch TV，DVDs and videos，or using computers．It is good to take more exercise such as basketball，bike riding and swimming．You can't watch TV for more than two hours a day．

Fifth，be active．One thing you'd like to do，as a kid，is to find out which activity you like best．Find ways to be active every day． Follow these rules and you can be a healthy kid．

如何成为一个健康的孩子 你知道如何成为一个健康的孩子吗?下面是一些你应该遵循的规则。

首先，吃不同种类的食物，特别是水果和蔬菜。你可能有一种最喜欢吃的食物，但你最好吃不同种类的东西。如果你吃不同种类的食物，你可能会得到更多身体所需要的营养物质。

其次，尽可能经常喝水和牛奶。当你真的渴了，你应该先选择喝凉白开。牛奶是一种很棒的饮料，它能给你提供更多人体必需的钙。

第三，听信你的身体。当你吃饱的时候会有什么感觉?当你正在吃饭时，要注意自己身体的感受，你还要注意什么时候刚好吃饱。吃太多你会感到不舒服，还会使你发胖。

第四，注意你的屏幕时间。屏幕时间是指看电视、DVD和视频或使用电脑的时间。多运动，如打篮球、骑自行车和游泳都很有益。一天看电视不能超过两个小时。

第五，要活跃起来。作为一个孩子你要做的一件事就是找出自己最喜欢的活动，每天都要找到一些方法使自己活跃起来。

遵循这些规则，你会成为一个健康的孩子。

Schoolchildren Keep Kunqu Alive When Zhu Linyan went on stage，everybody laughed．The 14-year-old boy was carrying two wine barrels and dancing．His face was painted in different colours．He sang funny songs and spoke in a Suzhou dialect． Zhu was acting in Shan Ting，part of a Kunqu opera，at a student art show in Shanghai on Sunday．In the play，he plays a wine seller．Another person，Lu Zhishen，tries to take away his wine and drink it．

Kunqu is one of China's oldest arts．It started in Kunshan，part of Suzhou，in the time of the Ming Dynasty．In 2001，the United Nations called it a big part of world cultural heritages． Today，few people enjoy it．But some teachers and students at Shanghai's Minhang No．3 Middle School do．They want to keep it going．

“Kunqu takes me back to old China and teaches me a lot of stories from history，” Zhu said．

Zhu also likes Kunqu's light music and poetic words．“You have to understand the words to act．” he said．“And learning them makes me a better speaker．” Cao Jiayuan，a Junior 3 at the same school，plays Lu in the play．He says it is hard to learn how to use your eyes when acting．“In Kunqu，every move makes a nice picture．Your eyes can tell many things．” 学生们让昆曲延续

当朱林岩走上舞台时，大家都笑了。这个 14 岁的男孩正担着两桶酒跳舞。他的脸涂成了不同的颜色，用苏州方言唱着滑稽的歌曲。

朱正在演《山亭》，是昆曲的一部分，于上星期日在上海的一个学生艺术展上演出。在剧中他扮演了一位酒商，另一个人物鲁智深，正试图把他的酒拿走去喝。

昆曲是中国最古老的艺术之一。昆曲在明朝时始于昆山，昆山是苏州的一部分。2001年，联合国将它确定为世界文化遗产的重要组成部分。

今天，很少有人喜欢昆曲。但是，上海闵行3中的一些教师和学生喜欢昆曲，他们想让它继续传承下去。

“昆曲把我带回了旧中国并给我讲授了很多历史故事，”朱说。

朱也喜欢昆曲的轻音乐和诗词。“演出前你必须理解这词语的意思。”他说：“学会这些词语使我成为了一个更出色的演讲者。”

曹佳缘，该校初三同学，在剧中扮演鲁智深。他说，在表演时怎样用眼睛很难学。“昆曲，一举一动都是动人的场景。你的眼睛能诉说很多事情。”

Chai Jing and Her Film A new film，Under the Dome，is very popular．Lots of people have watched the film on the Internet．It is not a science fiction．It's a documentary about the pollution problems in China．

As a smog documentary，Under the Dome explains the dangers of pollution，what causes pollution and what should be done to solve the problem．Now，more and more people are worried about air pollution．So they are more interested in the film，Under the Dome．Since the film was released online，it has already been watched by 100 million people within one week．

The film was made by Chai Jing，who is a former CCTV reporter．She made the film with her own money．Chai Jing wanted to make such a film because the pollution problem in China has become a personal issue with her．Chai's daughter was born with a tumor．She believes that her daughter's illness is related to Beijing's bad air．She also worries about millions of other children's health problems．

Everyone knows that pollution is a big problem and the government has made the fight against pollution a priority．Chai Jing hopes that her film will encourage people to join together to solve China's pollution problems．

柴静与她的电影

一部新影片——《穹顶之下》很受欢迎。许多人在互联网上看过这部影片。它不是一部科幻小说，而是一部关于中国污染问题的纪录片。

作为一部雾霾纪录片，《穹顶之下》对污染的危害、污染的成因以及应该做什么来解决这个问题做出了解释。现在越来越多的人担心空气污染，所以他们对《穹顶之下》这部影片更感兴趣。自从这部影片在网上发布以来，在一周之内已经有一亿人观看过。

这部影片是由前央视记者柴静拍摄的。她自费拍了这部影片。柴静之所以要拍摄这样一部影片是因为中国的污染问题已经成了和她之间的私人恩怨。柴静的女儿出生时就患有肿瘤。她认为女儿的病与北京糟糕的空气有关。她同样担心数以百万计的其他孩子的健康问题。

人人都知道污染是一个很严重的问题，政府已优先考虑对抗污染问题。柴静希望她的影片会鼓励人们共同努力，一起解决中国的污染问题。

The First-day Work No one wants to look silly or do the wrong thing at a new job．It is important to make the right impression，not the wrong one，from the very first day．You will face new people．You will be in a new place．It may be difficult to know what to do．Here are seven tips to help you make it through the first day at a new job：

(1)First impressions can last forever．Make sure you make a good one．Before your first day，find out if your new job has a dress code(rules about what you can wear to work)．If so，be sure to follow it．No matter what，always be neat and clean．(2)Get to work on time．Bosses value those who come to work right on time．Give yourself an extra 15 minutes to make sure you arrive on time．

(3)Pay attention to introductions．One of the first things that your supervisor may do is to introduce you to co-workers．These co-workers will be important to you．They are the ones who will answer your questions when the boss is not around．(4)Ask plenty of questions．Make sure that your supervisor has told you what is expected of you．If he or she has not told you your duties，ask for a list．Set daily and weekly goals for yourself．

(5)Do not take too long for lunch．What is the lunch-hour policy at your new job? You can find out from your supervisor or others．For example，do people eat at their desks or does everyone take a full hour outside the workplace?(6)Do not make personal phone calls．You should never make personal phone calls to your friends or family unless it is an emergency．

(7)Never be the first one to leave．Observe what your co-workers do around quitting time．It does not look good for you to be eager to leave．

第一天的工作

刚刚走上新的工作岗位，没人希望自己看起来傻里傻气或笨手笨脚。从工作的第一天起，给人留下一个良好的，而不是不适当的印象是很重要的。进入新环境，面对新同事，你可能有些不知所措。下面教你几招，可以让你轻松应对新工作开始的第一天。

(1)第一印象是难以磨灭的，所以你务必要留下个好的印象。第一天上班之前，要搞清楚你的公司是否有着装要求。如果有，一定要规范着装。不管怎么样，始终要保持整洁优雅。(2)准时上班。老板一般都很赏识准时上班的员工。你要额外留出 15 分钟确保自己能够准时到达。

(3)注意听介绍。你的顶头上司可能要做的事情之一就是把你介绍给同事。这些同事对你很重要，老板不在时，他们可以帮你答疑解惑。(4)多问些问题。一定要搞清楚上司交代给你的工作。如果他只是口头交代了你的工作职责，跟他要一张工作明细表。然后确定自己每日、每周的工作目标。

(5)午餐不要花费太多时间。你可以向你的上级或同事了解一下你新单位的午餐时间规定。例如，员工是在自己的写字台就餐，还是有一小时的时间到外边就餐?(6)不要打私人电话。如非情况紧急，一般不要给自己的朋友或者家人打电话。

(7)绝对不要第一个离开。快要下班的时候，留意一下其他同事的举动，如果一下班你就急忙忙走人，那可就不太妙了。

Wearing in Britain and the US These days，most people in Britain and the US do not wear very formally．But sometimes it is important to wear the right thing．

Many British people don't think about clothes very much．They just like to be comfortable．When they go out to enjoy themselves，they can wear almost anything．At theatres，cinemas，and concerts you can put on what you like from beautiful suits and dresses to jeans and sweaters．Anything goes，as long as you look clean and tidy． But in Britain，as well as in the US，men in offices usually wear suits and ties，and women wear dresses or skirts(not trousers)．Doctors，lawyers and business people wear formal clothes．And in some hotels and restaurants men have to wear ties and wear tidy clothes． In many ways，Americans are less formal than British people，but they are careful with their clothes．At home，or on holiday，most Americans wear informal or sports clothes．But when they go out in the evening，they like to look nice．In good hotels and restaurants，men have to wear jackets and ties，and women wear pretty clothes． It is difficult to say exactly what people wear in Britain and the US，because everyone is different．If you are not sure what to wear，watch what other people do and then do the same．You will feel more comfortable if you don't look too different from everyone else．

英美国家的穿着

当今，大多数英国人和美国人的穿着不再那么正式，但有时穿着也很重要。

许多英国人对他们的服装不是很在意，他们只喜欢穿得舒服，当他们出去娱乐时，他们会穿任何东西。在剧院、电影院或者音乐会上，他们会穿他们喜欢的服装，从漂亮的套装和裙子到牛仔裤和毛衣。什么都可以，只要看起来干净整洁。

但是在英国和美国，男士在办公室里通常要穿西装打领带，女士穿裙子和衬衫(不是裤子)。医生、律师和商务人士都穿正式服装。在一些宾馆和饭店，男士需要打领带，穿着整齐。

在许多方面，美国人要比英国人随意得多，但是他们比英国人更在意自己的服饰。在家里或放假时，大部分美国人穿休闲服或运动服。但他们晚间外出时，则看起来十分体面。在一些高档的饭店餐厅，男士必须穿夹克打领带，女士们必须穿得漂亮。

因为每个人都不一样，所以很难准确地说英国人和美国的服饰衣着。如果你不知道你要穿什么衣服，你可以看看并模仿周围的人的穿着。如果你在人群中穿着不是太另类，你会觉得很舒服。

Do One's Best to Help Others Once there was a rich man in a village．He never gave anything to help others．The villagers didn't like him．The rich man knew that，so he said to them．“I will give everything I have to you after I die．” He thought everyone would be happy，but nobody believed him．The rich man couldn't understand why they didn't believe him． One day he went for a walk by the lake．Under a tree he happened to hear a pig and a cow talking．

The pig said to the cow，“Everybody likes you and nobody likes me．Why? After I die，I will provide people all the things of my body，but you give only one thing — milk．” The cow said，“Look，I give them milk while I'm alive，but you don't give them anything before you die．People don't believe in the future；they believe in the present．If you give while you are living，people will like you．It is quite simple．” From that moment on，the rich man did all his best to help the poor．

尽力帮助别人

从前，一个村庄里有一个富人，他从不帮助别人，村里人都不喜欢他。富人知道这事，所以他对他们说：“等我死后，我把我所有的财物都给你们。”他以为大家会很高兴，但没有人相信他，这个富人也不知道为什么人们不相信他。

有一天他去一个湖边散步，在一棵大树下，他碰巧听到一头猪和一头奶牛在交谈。

猪对奶牛说：“每个人都喜欢你，但没有人喜欢我，为什么?我死后我把我身上的所有一切都给人了，但你仅给了一样东西——牛奶。” 奶牛说：“瞧，在我活着的时候我给他们牛奶，但你在死前没给他们任何东西。人们对未来感到渺茫，他们只相信现在。如果你在活着的时候就有所奉献，人们就会喜欢你的，这很简单。”

从那时起，这个富人就尽自己最大的努力去帮助穷人了。

Lincoln's Favorite Story It has been said that Lincoln was always ready to join in a laugh at himself．There is one particular story that he always told with great delight．

In his early days as a lawyer，Lincoln went from town to town to hear and judge legal cases．During one of these many trips，he was sitting in a train when a strange man came up to him．The stranger looked at the tall clumsy lawyer and said that he had something he believed belonged to Lincoln．Lincoln was a bit puzzled．He had never seen the man before．He didn't see how a total stranger could have something of his．Lincoln asked him how this could be．The stranger pulled out a pocket knife and began to explain．Many years before，he had been given the pocket knife．He had been told to keep it until he was able to find a man uglier than himself．

Lincoln's eyes always sparkled when he reached this part of the story．The story always brought smiles to the faces of those who heard it．The tale itself was funny．But even more delightful was the fact that a man as great as Lincoln could still laugh at himself．

林肯最喜欢的故事

据说，林肯总是随时准备和别人一起笑话自己。他经常饶有兴趣地讲这么一个故事。

林肯年轻时当过律师，经常奔波于各地听取案情并做出判断。在多次的旅行过程中曾发生过这样一件事。他正坐在火车上，一个陌生人朝他走来。陌生人看着这位个子高挑、举止笨拙的律师说，他认为自己有一样东西是属于林肯的。林肯有些莫名其妙。他从未见过这个人，想不通一个完全陌生的人怎么可能有自己的东西。林肯问他是怎么回事，那人掏出一把小折刀开始解释：许多年前，有人给了他这把小折刀，并让他一直保留着，直到找到比他更丑的人为止。

每当故事讲到这里，林肯总是两眼放光。听故事的人无不面露微笑。故事本身很有趣，但更有意思的是像林肯这样伟大的人还能自我解嘲。

Mr．Young and the Old Woman Mr．Young worked in a factory．One day he broke an important part of a machine and was sent away．He couldn't find any work any longer．He had to roam here and there．One day when he was walking by a river，an Englishman fell into it and the water would nearly wash him away．In the time of danger，Mr．Young jumped into the river and saved him．The Englishman thanked him very much and took him to England and helped him find a job in London．A few years later，he could speak English but could neither read nor write．It brought him a lot of difficulties．He decided to learn reading and writing．He found an Englishwoman lived next to him．He came to the old woman and asked her to teach him．

“All right，young man．” said the old woman．Then she brought out a pencil and an exercise-book and wrote A，B，C，D on it．Pointing to A，the woman said，“It's A．” “How can I know it's A?” Mr．Young asked．The woman didn't know how to answer．She had to say，“It's A．And it's B．” “How can I know it's B?” he asked again．The old woman didn't answer．She thought for a while and began to pull him by the ear． “Ah，my ear．” The young man called out．“How do you know it's an ear?” “Everyone knows it's an ear．” “All right，” the old woman said with a smile，“Everyone knows it's B．Let's go on!” 杨先生与老妇人

杨先生在一家工厂工作。一天，他弄坏了机器的重要零件而被开除了。他无法再找到工作，不得不到处流浪。有一天，当他走在河边时，一个英国人掉进河里并差点被淹死。在危急时刻，杨先生跳进河里救了他。这个英国人非常感激杨先生，将他带到英格兰并帮他在伦敦找到一份工作。几年后，他能说英语，但既不能读也不能写，这它给他带来了很多困难，他决定学习读写。他发现挨着他住的是一位英国女人，他来到老妇人家，请她教他。

“好吧，年轻人，”老妇人说。然后她拿出一支铅笔和一本练习本，在本上写了 A、B、C、D，然后指着 A 说，“这是 A，“我怎么知道它是 A?”杨先生问。妇人不知道如何回答。她说，“这是 A，这是 B。”“我怎么知道它是B?”他又问。老妇人没有回答，她想了一会儿，开始扯他的耳朵。

“啊，我的耳朵，”年轻人喊道。“你怎么知道这是耳朵?”

“每个人都知道它是耳朵。”“好吧，”老妇人笑着说，“每个人都知道它是 B，我们继续!”

You Can Give Me Two Chickens Mr．Clarke is about sixty．He has no child and lives in a short，broken house．He has some chickens，pigs and sheep．And he grew many orange trees around his house．He does his best to save everything and now has a lot of money．But he never buys anything expensive for himself．

One day he worked in his garden and his jacket got caught on a branch and it was broken．He wouldn't mend it but would not pay any money for mending it．Looking at the jacket，he did not know what to do．Suddenly he remembered an old woman just lived next to him．He wanted to go and ask her to come to mend it for him，but he was afraid she would drink something．So he had to go to see her with the broken jacket． “Excuse me，Mrs．White，” said the old mad．“Could you mend the jacket for me，please?” “Certainly，Mr．Clarke，” said the old woman．

After half an hour the jacket was mended．Mr．Clarke said，“Thank you very much．Mrs．White!I should give you something as a reward．None of the oranges is ripe enough to eat．The tomatoes are green．Though I should give you a chicken，they're all small． The old woman knew him well and said with a smile，”It doesn't matter，Mr．Clarke．You can give me two chickens!“ 您可以给我两只鸡

克拉克先生快60岁了，他没有子女，住在一个低矮破旧的房子里。他养了一些鸡、猪和羊，他还在屋子周围种了许多橘子树。他总是很节省，积攒了很多钱，但他从来也不为自己买贵的东西。一天他在园子里工作，他的夹克衫挂在了树枝上被弄破了。他不是不想修补衣服而是不愿意花钱去修补。看着夹克衫他不知道怎么办才好。突然，他想到有一位老妇人住在他隔壁，他想去请她来他家给他补衣服，却又担心她会喝家里的饮料，于是他不得不带着破夹克衫去找她。

“打扰了，怀特夫人，”他说。“您可以为我补一下这件夹克衫吗?”

“当然可以，克拉克先生。”老妇人说。

半小时后夹克衫补好了。克拉克先生说：“非常感谢，怀特夫人，我应当给你一些东西作为酬谢，可橘子还没熟，西红柿也是青的。我应该给您一只鸡，可它们都还小。”

老妇人很了解他的为人，微笑着说：“没关系，克拉克先生，您可以给我两只鸡!”

A Famous Legend — The Loch Ness Monster In northern Scotland there is a long，deep lake called Loch Ness．More than 200 meters deep，it is the largest lake in the UK．People say a big monster lives in its dark，cold waters．It weighs more than 1000 kilos and is at least ten meters long．Some people say it has a head like a horse．Others say it looks like a snake．Many people travel to Loch Ness to look for this strange monster，but only a few people have seen it．At least，they say they have seen it．

The Loch Ness Monster is a famous legend．The first story about a monster in Loch Ness was told over 500 years ago，but the legend of the monster spread widely only in the twenties century．In 1933，a husband and wife reported that they saw a big monster in the middle of the lake．Since then，a number of people have said that they have seen a monster in Loch Ness．Several people have taken photos，but at least one of them was a hoax．During the 1960s，a team was formed to look for the monster．They took many photos and made movies，but they were never able to find a monster． There is no real fact that a monster lives in Loch Ness，but there is also no fact that one doesn't live．One thing is true about Loch Ness：there are a lot of tourists there．

一个著名的传说——尼斯湖怪兽

尼斯湖是苏格兰北部一个又长又深的湖，深度超过 200 米，它是英国最大的湖。人们说在又黑暗又冷的湖水中生活着一个巨大的怪物，重量超过 1000 公斤，长度至少有 10 米。一些人说它的头像马头，另外一些人说看起来像一条蛇。许多人来尼斯湖旅游只为寻找这种怪物，但仅有少数几个人说他们看见过它。不管怎样，他们说他们已经看到过它。

尼斯湖怪物是个著名的传说。人们首次谈论这种怪物是在 500 多年前，但是传说却在 20 世纪流行起来的。在 1933 年，一对夫妻报告说他们在湖中央看到了一个大怪物。从那时起，许多人说他们也在湖中看到过怪物。几个人还拍了照片，但他们中至少有一个是假的。二十世纪六十年代，人们组建了一个专门寻找怪物的小组，他们拍了很多照片，录了很多视频，但还是没能找到传说中的怪物。

没有什么可靠的证据证明尼斯湖中有怪物，但是也没有证据证明没有怪物。关于尼斯湖有一件事是真的：那儿有很多的旅游者。

Father Christmas and Christmas presents It snowed again．My seventh Christmas was round the corner．I dreamed of getting the present from Father Christmas until my elder sister dropped the bomb．”There is no Father Christmas．“ I ran to my grandmother's house，for she always told the truth．Grandmother was at home．I told her everything．”No Father Christmas?“ she was a little angry．”Don't believe it．Put on your coat，and let's go．“ ”Go? Where，Grandma?“ I asked． ”Kerby's Store．“ As we walked through its doors．Grandma handed me twenty dollars and said．”Take the money and buy something for someone who needs it．I'll wait for you in the car．“ Then she turned and walked out of the Kerby's．

For a few seconds I just stood there，holding the money，wondering what to buy，and who to buy it for． I thought of everyone I knew：my family，my friends，my neighbours...I suddenly thought of Bobbie Decker，a boy with bad and messy hair．He sat right behind me in Mrs．Pollack's class．

Bobbie never went to any party during the winter．His mother always wrote a note，telling the teacher that he had a cough，but we all knew that he didn't have a cough，and he didn't have a coat．I decided to buy Bobbie a red warm coat that he would like． That evening，grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper and ribbons，and write ”To Bobbie，From Father Christmas“ on it．Grandma told me Father Christmas never let people know that he helped them．Then she drove me over to Bobbie's house，telling that I was helping Father Christmas give away the presents． Grandma parked the car along the street，and we hid behind the trees near Bobble's house．Then Grandma said to me．”All right，Father Christmas，get going．“ I took a deep breath，rushed to his front door，put the present down outside the door，rang the doorbell and flew back to the safety of the trees and Grandma．We waited breathlessly in the dark for the front door to open．Finally it did，and there stood Bobbie．

That night，I realized that Father Christmas was alive and well，and we were on his team．

圣诞老人与圣诞礼物

天又下雪了，我的第七个圣诞节就要来临。我一直梦想着收到来自圣诞老人的礼物，直到后来姐姐向我扔了“一枚炸弹”，“世上根本就没有什么圣诞老人!”

我跑向奶奶家，因为她总是说实话。奶奶在家，我把一切都告诉了她。“没有圣诞老人?”她有点生气，“不要相信，穿上上衣，咱们出去!”

“出去? 去哪，奶奶?”

“克尔比商店。”

当我们走过门口时奶奶递给我二十美元，并说，“拿着这钱，给真正需要它的人买点什么。我在车里等你。”然后她转身走出了克尔比商店。

我只是在那儿站了一会儿，拿着钱却不知道要买什么，买给谁。

我想到了我认识的每个人：家人、朋友、邻居…突然，我想到了博比·德克——波拉克老师班里的一个头发乱糟糟的男孩，他恰恰坐在我后面。

博比从来没在冬天参加过聚会，他妈妈总是写张纸条告诉老师说博比咳嗽。但是我们都知道他没有咳嗽，而是因为他没有大衣。我决定给博比买一件他想要的暖和的红大衣。那天晚上，奶奶帮助我用圣诞包装纸和丝带把大衣包起来，并在上面写上“给博比——来自圣诞老人。”奶奶告诉我圣诞老人从不让人们知道他在帮助他们。然后她开车送我去博比家，并告诉我，我是在帮助圣诞老人赠送礼物。

奶奶把车停在路边，我们躲藏在博比家附近的树后。接着奶奶对我说：“好的，圣诞老人，出发!”

我做了一下深呼吸，冲向他家的前门，把礼物放在门外，摁响门铃，飞奔回到奶奶和树所在的安全地带。我们在黑暗中屏住呼吸等着前门被打开。最后门开了，博比站在那儿。

那天晚上，我意识到圣诞老人真实存在而且很健康，我们都是他队伍中的一员。

Finding Anyone Selling Watermelons John and Bobby joined the same company together just after they completed their university studies the same year．Both of them worked very hard．Several years later，however，the boss promoted Bobby to manager but John was still a worker．John could not take it，and gave his resignation to the boss．He complained that the boss did not think much of those who were hard-working，but promoted only those who flattered him．

The boss knew that John had worked very hard for the years．He thought a moment and said，”Thank you for what you said，but I hope you will do one more thing for our company before you leave．“ John agreed．The boss asked him to go and find anyone selling watermelons in the market．John went and returned soon． He said he had found a man selling watermelons．The boss asked how much they cost every kilogram．John shook his head and went back to the seller to ask and returned to tell the boss $1.2 every kilogram． The boss told John to wait a second，and he called Bobby to come to his office．He asked Bobby to go and find anyone selling watermelons in the market．Bobby went and returned，saying，”Boss，only one person is selling watermelons．$1.2 every kilogram，and $10 for 10 kilograms．The seller has 340 melons．On the table there are 58 melons，and each weighs about 2 kilograms．They were brought from the South two days ago．They are of good quality．" Hearing what Bobby said，John realized the difference between himself and Bobby．He decided to stay and learn from Bobby．

寻找卖瓜人

约翰和鲍比同年刚大学毕业，两人就一起进入同一家公司。他们两人工作都很努力，然而几年后老板提拔鲍比为经理，约翰仍然是一名普通员工。约翰不能接受这个事实，向老板递交了他的辞职信。他抱怨说，老板没有多考虑那些勤劳的员工，而只是提拔那些奉承自己的人。

老板知道约翰几年来工作很努力。他想了一会儿说：“谢谢你所说的，但我希望在你离开之前再为我们公司做一件事。”

约翰答应了。老板让他去寻找在市场上卖西瓜的人。约翰去了并很快返回。他说他发现了一名卖西瓜的男子。老板问西瓜每公斤多少钱。约翰摇摇头，又回去问卖西瓜的人，回来后他告诉老板每公斤 1.2 美元。

老板让约翰等一会儿，他把鲍比叫到他的办公室。他让鲍比去寻找在市场上卖西瓜的人。鲍比去了，回来后说：“老板，只有一个人正在卖西瓜，西瓜每公斤 1.2 美元，10 美元可以买 10 公斤。卖瓜人有 340 个瓜。桌子上有 58 个瓜，每个瓜重约 2 公斤。这些瓜是两天前从南方运回来的，瓜的质量很好。”

听完鲍比的话，约翰意识到自己和鲍比之间的差异。他决定留下来，向鲍比学习。

第二篇：初中英语美文

(B)The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island.He prayed every day for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.But then one day, after searching for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky.The worst had happened;everything was lost.He was stunned with grief and anger.“God, how could you do this to me!” he cried.Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island.It had come to rescue him.“How did you know I was here?” the man asked one of his rescuers.“We saw your smoke signal,” they replied.It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad.But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering.Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer for it.1.What kind of accident was the man involved in? 2.How did the rescuers find him?

第三篇：初中英语美文欣赏

A Simple Gesture 只是举手之劳

Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed that the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder.Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles.一天放学后，马克正走在回家的路上，突然看到前面的小男孩绊倒了，他带的东西撒了一地，其中有很多书、两件羊毛衫、一个棒球拍、一只手套，还有一个小型录音机。看到这种场景，马克不禁蹲下身，帮助男孩捡拾起来。

Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden.As they walked Mark discovered that the boy's name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, that he was having a lot of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.由于他们同路，马克便帮男孩拿着一些东西。他们边走边聊。马克了解到男孩名叫比尔，他喜欢玩电脑游戏，喜欢打棒球；他很喜欢历史课，但其他科目却学得一塌糊涂。马克还了解到他刚跟女朋友分了手。

They arrived at Bill's home first and Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television.The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mark went home.They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school.They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years.Finally the long awaited senior year came, and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.他们先是到了比尔的家里，比尔邀请马克喝可乐，并一起看电视。那个下午过得非常愉快，他们交流看法，还时不时地开怀大笑。然后，马克回家了。从此以后，他们继续往来，在学校附近相见，一起吃过一两次午餐，并一起初中毕业。后来，他们升入同一所高中，并始终保持着简短的接触。最后，终于盼到中学快要结束了。就在毕业前的第三周，比尔问马克，他们是否可以谈一谈。

Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met.“Do you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill.“You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn't want to leave a mess for anyone else.I had stored away some of my mother's sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide.But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow.So you see, Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more.You saved my life.”

比尔提到了多年前他们第一次相遇的那一天。“你有没有想过为什么那天我会带着那么多东西回家？”比尔问道。“事实是，那天我把自己的橱柜全部清理干净了，因为我不想给任何人制造乱七八糟的场面。我存下了妈妈吃的很多安眠药，本想回家自杀。但是当跟你呆在一起又说又笑的时候，我意识到如果我自杀了，我就会错过那些愉快的时光，也就欣赏不到以后随之而来的许多其他的美好时光了。所以，马克，你看，那天你帮我捡书的时候，你不只是在帮我捡书，实际上还为我做了很多。你拯救了我的生命。”

Every little hello, every little smile, every helping hand saves a hurting heart.There s a miracle called Friendship that dwells in the heart.Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed.They make you smile and encourage you to succeed.They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their heart to us.Show your friends how much you care...每一句小小的问候，每一个浅浅的笑容，每一只援助之手，都会拯救一个伤痛的心灵。友谊常驻心间会铸就奇迹，朋友确实是稀世珍宝。他们带给你欢笑，鼓励你成功。他们会倾听我们的心声，与我们分享每一个赞扬，总是与我们坦诚相待。一定要让你的朋友知道你有多么在乎他们„„

阳光的声音

老师破天荒布置了一篇自由作文。

The teacher delivered a free writing amazingly.孩子高兴极了，想：终于可以摆脱讨厌的命题作文，写写自己心里的东西了。

The child was so happy by thinking that he can finally write about his thought in his inner heart instead of the thesis writing.他躺在柔软的草地上，阳光暖暖地照着，想啊想，然后一跃而起，一篇很满意，甚至是很得意的文章便跃然纸上——《阳光的声音》。

Lying on the soft grass land with the sunshine sprinkling over his body warmly, he jumped up after thinking and composed a satisfactory article------The Sound of the Sun.孩子满怀信心地把作文交了上去，然后陷入了无尽的期待。

The boy handed in the composition with his fulfilled confidence, and then, he met the endless waiting.作文本发下来了。

At last, the paper was returned.春暖花开的日子里，孩子竟忍不住打了一个寒战。

After seeing the result, the boy was trembled in the bloomy spring days.老师在作文后面批了一个大大的“差”字。

The teacher gave him a “poor”in the last as the evaluation..老师说：“可笑！阳光怎么会有声音呢？！以后再也不能这样写了，要扣分的！”

孩子觉得很委屈，也很难过。

The teacher said, “How amuse you are!How can the sun make any noise?!You are not allowed to write the composition in this way any more..The marks you get will be very low in this way.那个“差”字像一个张牙舞爪的魔鬼，时时出现在他的梦里。

The„poor‟evaluation is like a clewing devils, which will appear in his dreams sometimes.几年以后，老师还是老师，孩子还是学生。只不过孩子长大了一些，成了老师家长眼中公认的好孩子，再也不会想一些不着边际的事，说一些莫名其妙的话了。

Several years passed, the teacher is still who he is, and the student is himself the same but grows older.Meanwhile, he has been regarded as a good boy who will not talk about the ill-advised things or say the strange words.一天的阅读欣赏课，老师讲解的一位著名作家的文章里有一句：我听见了阳光的声音。

老师滔滔不绝地分析着这句话多么的优美，多么的富有哲理，可孩子一句也听不进去。

But one day in an reading appreciation course, the teacher interpreted the sentence “I have heard the call of the sun” written by a famous author.His teacher spouted how graceful this sentence was, and how sensible it was, but he can hardly focus himself on even a word of it.孩子望了一眼窗外刺眼的阳光，想：阳光怎么会有声音呢？

想到这，他冷冷地笑了。

Then, the boy faced the dazzling sunshine thinking that: how can the sun make the sound? And then, he made a smile coldly.“You are the only one who can make you happy.” We have all heard that so many times in our lives.There are times it is a pretty tough pill to swallow.In reality, the people that surround you have a huge impact on your current mood.When your children are grumpy in the morning, you find a nice pile the dog left you over night, you hit the road and the traffic won‟t allow you your normal speed, then when you get to work and your co-worker called in sick...these are all things that might contribute to your overall Happiness of the day.However, moods and temporary emotions are not the same as happiness.Happiness exists when you look at the overall picture of your life and you smile, that is happiness.You know those times when you can‟t wait for your children to go to bed, then later you check on the kids and you almost cry because they look exactly like angels...YOUR ANGELS, sleeping so sweetly and soundly.You can hardly remember a time of irritation with them.That is Happiness.As life progresses and changes, we realize that who we are,(what makes us, us)...that is what we are responsible for.We know that immediate gratification or irritation only pacifies or deteriorates our emotional stimuli short term.Our global view of how we see ourselves determines our state of mind.Our state of mind determines our Happiness.So, how do we take control of our emotions and find the path of Happiness? This seems to be the million dollar question.There are tons of books on or related to the subject.You could read and practice until you are completely confused.Or, we could spend the rest of our life introspectively evaluating what makes us happy.Which might take more time and energy and actually frustrate us more.How about this? What if we looked at ourselves and decided what we liked and didn‟t like and set about making changes.It doesn‟t have to be major alterations.Maybe you are tired of your house but can‟t afford to move.Try painting the living room or buying flowers to set on the kitchen table.If you haven‟t had a vacation for awhile and just can‟t afford to take that cruise, go camping instead.Maybe the issues are more personal or internal.Do you get mad too easily? Learn yoga or meditation.Are you having marital problems? Visit a counselor.Are the kids having discipline issues? Determine the major issues, establish guidelines on how you are going to correct the problem and stick to it.You may be saying, ‟Sure, that sounds so easy but...‟ Of course it sounds easy.Problems are always easier to talk about than to take the obvious actions to fix them.But, for the most part, things are as difficult or as easy as we determine them to be.Sometimes we just make things harder than necessary.If your unHappiness stems from a situation beyond your control then find other ways to compensate.If, for example, money is so tight and no apparent windfall is coming your way any time soon, find inexpensive entertainment.Backyard ballgames, picnics in the park, movie night with popcorn and snacks in your bedroom are a few alternatives to an expensive night out.If the issues are more serious and you feel powerless, that is the time to seek professional help.Otherwise, look in the mirror and be glad.If you don‟t like what you see, change it.Make the solution that simple!

“你是唯一一个可以让自己幸福的人。”我们总是听到有人说我们还有很多的时间。

那些时间就像在吞咽一颗苦涩的药片让人无奈。事实上，你围绕在你周围的人会对你的心情会有相当大的影响。例如，早晨你的孩子很不听话，一夜过后你的够给你留下一堆特别的东西，你撞到墙上然后交通又限制你正常速度，当你开始工作时你的同事打电话说他身体不适等等，这些事情都将会影响你一整天的幸福感觉。

然而，心情和暂时的情感都是不能和幸福相提并论的。幸福存在于你看到你生活的整个画面时，你面带微笑。是的，这才是幸福。你知道的，你没能等到你孩子去睡觉，但是当去检查他们睡得是否安好时，你几乎能流泪，因为他们睡得是如此的香甜，就像是天使„„你的天使。你似乎不记得他们曾有让生气的时候了。这才是幸福。

随着生活的变化和提高，我们开始认识到我们是谁，（是什么早就了现在的我们，我们„）„我们的责任是什么。我们知道一时的满足和烦恼只是使我们使情绪得到短暂安慰或恶化。我们对我们自己的整体看法才会决定我们精神状态，而我们的精神状态又决定我们的幸福。

于是，我们要如何来控制我们的情绪，进而发现通往幸福的捷径呢？这似乎是一个价值连城的问题。已经有成吨重的书对这个主题进行了阐述或涉及。你可以读读这些书并依此付诸实践，知道你彻底迷茫；或者，我们可以用我们余下的时间来反思和评估是什么让我们幸福。这些可能占有我们更多的时间和精力和带给我们更多的挫败。

那么如果我们这样做呢？我们如果先自我审视一番，然后决定什么是我们喜欢的，什么是我们不喜欢的，接着开始改变。没有必要一定是大的变化。例如，可能你已经厌倦了你现在的房子，但是你又没有钱新买房搬家。那么你可以试着给你的房间刷上新的油漆，或者买一些花放到你的餐桌上。可能你没有一个完整的长假去做长途旅行，那么你可以尝试去露营。

这些话题可能太个人化或者内心化。你太容易发火吗？那就学习瑜伽或者尝试沉思吧！你有婚姻问题吗？那就去咨询一下婚姻顾问吧！你的孩子存在一些纪律问题吗？那你可以找出主要问题，然后列出你打算改正这个问题的纲领并持之以恒。

你可能会说，“是的，这些听起来很简单，但是„„”这听起来当然简单。谈论问题总是比付诸行动去解决问题要简单的多。然而，问题是困难的还是简单的全凭我们解决的决心的大小。有时我们可能把问题复杂化了。

如果你不幸福的原因是来源于一种你无法控制的情形，那你可以寻找其他方法来加以弥补。譬如，如果你生活拮据并且不太有可能会突然大发横财，那就找比较便宜的娱乐方式。比如，后院足球，公园野餐，看电影吃爆米花或者在卧室享受零食，做一些选择来期待一次昂贵的外出。如果问题比较严重而你有感到无力，这时你就应该向专业人士来寻求帮助。

然而，看着镜子中的你很快乐。如果你不喜欢你所看到的，那就改变它。解决的方法很简单。

英语美文赏析：呼唤自由的鹦鹉

A man, a great man, a fighter for freedom was traveling in the mountains.He stayed in a caravans for the night.He was amazed that in the caravans there was a beautiful parrot in a golden cage, continually repeating “Freedom!Freedom!”.And it was such a place that when the parrot repeated the word “Freedom!” it would go on echoing in the valleys, in the mountains.一个人，一个了不起的人，一个为了自由而战的斗士，正在山峦间穿行。今晚他留在一个大旅店里过夜。旅店里有一个金鸟笼，里面有一只漂亮的鹦鹉在不停地反复呼喊着“自由！自由！”，这让他很震惊。那里是这样的一种地方，当这只鹦鹉不断地反复呼喊“自由！”的时候，这个词便会在山峦间、在深谷中久久回荡。

The man thought: “I have seen many parrots, and I have thought they must want to be free from those cages„ but I have never seen such a parrot whose whole day, from the morning to the evening when he goes to sleep, is spent in calling out for freedom.” He had an idea.In the middle of the night, when the owner was fast asleep, he got up and opened the door of the cage.He whispered to the parrot, “Now get out.”

这个人想：“我看到过很多鹦鹉，也曾想过他们一定想从这些笼子里飞出去获得自由„„但是，我从没有见过这样的鹦鹉，从早到晚，直到入睡，一整天都在呼喊着自由。”他有了一个想法„„午夜，当店主熟睡的时候，他悄悄起身，打开了鸟笼门，小声地对鹦鹉说：“现在，出去吧。”

But he was very surprised that the parrot was clinging to the bars of the cage.He said to him again and again, “Have you forgotten about freedom? Just get out!The door is open and the owner is fast asleep;nobody will ever know.You just fly into the sky;the whole sky is yours.”

但是令他吃惊的是这只鹦鹉竟抓着鸟笼的横木不放。他对它一遍又一遍地说：“你忘了自由了吗？快出去！门开着，店主熟睡着，没有人会看到。你只要飞向天空，整片天空就是你的了。”

But the parrot was clinging so deeply, so hard, that the man said, “What is the matter? Are you mad?” He tried to take the parrot out with his own hands, but the parrot started pecking at him, and at the same time he was shouting, “Freedom!Freedom!” The valleys in the night echoed and re-echoed, but the man was also stubborn；he was a freedom fighter.但是鹦鹉仍然牢牢地用力抓着横木不放，于是他说：“怎么了？你疯了吗？”他试图用手把鹦鹉弄出来，但是鹦鹉却开始啄他，同时大喊：“自由！自由！”深夜的山谷里荡起了一声又一声的回音，可是这个人也一样地顽固，谁让他是个自由之士呢。

He pulled the parrot out and threw him into the sky;and he was very satisfied, although his hand was hurt.The parrot had attacked him as forcefully as he could, but the man was immensely satisfied that he had made a soul free.He went to sleep.他把鹦鹉拽出来，扔向空中。他很满意，尽管他的手受伤了。虽然鹦鹉全力地攻击他，但是他却心满意足，因为他使得一个灵魂自由了。他便回去继续睡他的觉。

In the morning, as the man was waking up, he heard the parrot shouting, “Freedom!Freedom!” He thought perhaps the parrot must be sitting on a tree or on a rock.But when he came out, the parrot was sitting in the cage.The door was open.早上，他睡醒了，听见鹦鹉正在大喊：“自由！自由！”他想也许鹦鹉正落在一棵树上或一块石头上呢。但当他出来的时候，鹦鹉正在笼子里，笼门还开着。Life is Like a Cafeteria 生活就像自助餐

A friend‟s grandfather came to America from Eastern Europe.After settling down at Ellis Island, He went into a cafeteria in lower Manhattan to get something to eat.He sat down at an empty table and waited for someone to take his order.Of course nobody did.Finally, a woman with a tray full of food sat down opposite him and informed him how a cafeteria worked.“Start out at that end,” she said.“Just go along the line and pick out what you want.At the other end they‟ll tell you how much you have to pay.” “I soon learned that‟s how everything works in America,” the grandfather told a friend.“Life‟s a cafeteria here.You can get anything you want as long as you are willing to pay the price.You can even get success, but you‟ll never get it if you wait for someone to bring it to you.You have to get up and get it yourself.”

一个朋友的祖父从东欧到美国来。在埃利斯岛安顿下来后, 他去曼哈顿一家抵挡的自助餐厅吃饭.他在一张空桌子边坐下，等待侍者拿来菜单。没有人来招呼他.最后，一位女士拿着满满一托盘食物走过来坐在他对面, 并告诉他自助餐厅怎样进餐的。她说：“着手去做吧，去要你想要的东西，在餐厅的另外一端会有人告诉你该付多少钱。” 他对一个朋友说：“接着我很快了解到这就是美国人的工作方式”.生活就像自助餐, 你可以去要你想要的任何东西, 只要你能付得起他们的价格.你也可以想要成功, 但是如果你什么都不做等着别人能把它送到你身边的话是永远都不可能得到的.你必须勤劳，必须自己去追求它。

第四篇：初中英语美文欣赏

Don't judge a life by one difficult season 不要用一段艰难的时光来判定人生。

There was a man who had four sons.He wanted his sons to learn to not judge things too quickly.So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in the summer, and the youngest son in the fall.从前有一个人,他有四个儿子。他希望儿子们能学会不急于对事物下结论,于是依次派四个儿子出去,让他们去远方看一棵梨树。就这样,大儿子冬天前往,二儿子春天启程,三儿子夏天出发,而小儿子则是在秋天动身的。

人生如树,也有春、夏、秋、冬四季之分。树之四季皆有不同,更何况人之四季呢?所以凡事不要急于定论。

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.等儿子们都去过回来之后,这位父亲把他们叫到一起,让他们描述各自的所见。The second son said noand the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life-can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.他告诉他们:不应仅凭一个季节来判断一棵树,一段时间来看一个人;最后,到所有的季节都已终结时,才能衡量一个人的本质--以及他生命中的快乐、喜悦和爱。

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.如果你在寒冬时放弃,你将失去春之希望,夏之灿烂,秋之收获。所以,不要让一时的痛苦毁弃你所有其他的快乐。

第五篇：初中英语美文背诵

(1)

Just for today

Just for today I will try to live through this day only and not tackle my whole life problem at once.I can do something for twelve hours that would appall me if I had to keep it up for a lifetime.Just for today I will be happy.This assumes to be true what Abraham Lincoln said, that “Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

Just for today I will adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires.I will take my “luck” as it comes.Just for today I will try to strengthen my mind.I will study.I will learn something useful.I will not be a mental loafer.I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.就为了今天，我将尽力只度过今天而不立刻去解决终身的问题。对一件令我沮丧而又必须坚持一辈子的事，我只能坚持十二个小时。

就为了今天，我会很快乐。亚伯拉罕?林肯说过，“大多数人都是决定想怎么高兴就怎么高兴。”这已经被认为是真理。

就为了今天，我会做自我调整适应事物本来的面目，而不是想方设法使每一件事满足自己的欲望。当机会来临的时候我会抓住它。

就为了今天，我会尽力心强志坚。我会学习，学一些有用的东西。我不会做一个精神上的流浪汉。我会读一些需要努力、思考和注意力集中的东西。

Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways.I will do somebody a good turn and not get found out: If anybody knows of it, it will not count.I will do at least two things I don’t want to do—just for exercise.I will not show anyone that my feelings are hurt: they may be hurt, but today I will not show it.Just for today I will be agreeable.I will look as well as I can, dress becomingly, talk low, act courteously, criticize not one bit, and try not to improve or regulate anybody but myself.Just for today I will have a program, I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it.I will save myself from two pests: hurry and indecision.Just for today I will have a quiet half hour all by myself and relax.During this half hour, sometime, I will try to get a better perspective of my life.Just for today I will be unafraid.Especially I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful, and to believe that as I give to the world, so the world will give to me.就为了今天，我会用三种方法来磨炼我的灵魂。我会做对某人有利的事但不能被发现，若有人发现了就不算数。我将会做至少两件我不愿做的事情——只为了磨练。我不会让任何人感到我的感情受到了伤害：它们可能受到了伤害，但今天我不想表现出来。

就为了今天，我会过得很惬意。看起来我达到了最佳状态，穿着得体、讲话谦虚、行为礼貌、一点不吹毛求疵，尽量改进和调节自己而不是别人。

就为了今天，我会制定一个计划，我也许不会严格地遵守它，但我一定要有计划。我会 避免两种错误：仓促行事和优柔寡断。

就为了今天，我将会独自静静地呆上半小时放松。在这半小时里，某个时刻，我会日后对我的生活有个更好的看法。

就为了今天，我将不再害怕。尤其我不会再害怕享受美丽的事物，并且相信我给予世界的，世界也会给予我。

(2)The Poor The poor are very wonderful people.One evening we went out and we picked up four people from the street.And one of them was in a most terrible condition，and I told the sisters: You take care of the other three.I take care of this one who looked worse.So I did for her all that my love can do.I put her in bed, and there was such a beautiful smile on her face.She took hold of my hand as she said just the words “thank you” and she died.I could not help but examine my conscience[良心]before her and I asked what would I say if I was in her place.And my answer was very simple.I would have tried to draw a little attention to myself.I would have said I am hungry, that I am dying, I am cold, I am in pain, or something, but she gave me much more-she gave me her grateful love.And she died with a smile on her face.As did that man whom we picked up from the drain[阴沟、下水道], half eaten with worms, and we brought him to the home.“I have lived like an animal in the street, but I am going to die like an angel, loved and cared for.” And it was so wonderful to see the greatness of that man who could speak like that, who could die like that without blaming anybody, without cursing anybody, without comparing anything.Like an angel-this is the greatness of our people.And that is why we believe what Jesus had said: I was hungry, I was naked, I was homeless, I was unwanted, unloved, uncared for, and you did it to me.穷人是非常了不起的人。一天晚上，我们外出，从街上带回了四个人，其中一个生命岌岌可危。于是我告诉修女们说：“你们照料其他三个，这个濒危的人就由我来照顾了。”就这样，我为她做了我的爱所能做的一切。我将她放在床上，看到她的脸上绽露出如此美丽的微笑。她握着我的手，只说了句“谢谢您”就死了。我情不自禁地在她面前审视起自己的良知来。我问自己，如果我是她的话，会说些什么呢？答案很简单，我会尽量引起旁人对我的关注，我会说我饥饿难忍，冷得发抖，奄奄一息，痛苦不堪，诸如此类的话。但是她给我的却更多更多――她给了我她的感激之情。她死时脸上却带着微笑。我们从排水道带回的那个男子也是如此。当时，他几乎全身都快被虫子吃掉了，我们把他带回了家。“在街上，我一直像个动物一样地活着，但我将像个天使一样地死去，有人爱，有人关心。”真是太好了，我看到了他的伟大之处，他竟能说出那样的话。他那样地死去，不责怪任何人，不诅咒任何人，无欲无求。像天使一样――这便是我们的人民的伟大之所在。因此我们相信耶稣所说的话――我饥肠辘辘――我衣不蔽体――我无家可归――我不为人所要，不为人所爱，也不为人所关心――然而，你却为我做了这一切。