拇指英语说， 分享英语学习心得，技巧和方法。让英语学习变得更有趣，更简单。
在英语学习中，阅读是学生获得英语知识，提高英语能力与素养的重要途径。通过阅读，学生们可以增强语感、积淀文化知识，提高学生跨文化交际能力，从而整体提高他们的英语综合能力。
为增加阅读素材的多元化，拇指英语说特推出“报刊时文阅读素材积累系列”。众所周知，报刊阅读的材料内容丰富，真实感和时效性强，语言地道，话题轻松活泼，贴近学生生活。因此，报刊阅读是对校内英语教材的有益补充，有利于培养学生的阅读兴趣，提高阅读技能。本系列适合小学高年级至初中年级学生。按阅读难度，分为一星（小学高年级），二星（初中低年级）和三星（初中高年级）。
[来源】Teens
[难度系数】 **
Reading
Mrs Thompson was a primary school teacher. As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told her students that she loved them all the same.
But that was impossible because Teddy Stoddard sat in the front row. Mrs Thompson saw the little boy at school the year before. She noticed that he didn’t play well with other children. His clothes were always messy and he needed a bath. Teddy could be unpleasant.
So, she was surprised when she read Teddy’s first grade teacher’s comment, “Teddy is a bright child with a cheerful laugh.”
His second grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is an excellent student. He is troubled because his mother is sick. Life at home may be hard.”
His third grade teacher wrote, “His mother’s death has been hard on him.”
Teddy’s fourth grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is lonely and doesn’t show much interest in school.”
By now, Mrs Thompson saw the problem and felt bad for judging Teddy. That day, she didn’t teach reading, writing or math. Instead she started teaching her students how to be kind to each other.
Over the school year, Mrs Thompson paid lots of attention to Teddy. His mind seemed to come alive and his grades improved. By the end of the year, Teddy was doing better in school. He also had more friends than before.
Years later, Teddy wrote to Mrs Thompson. “Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.”
Mrs Thompson, with tears in her eyes, replied, “Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”
【Treasure Box】
Word work
- row n. 排；行
- cheerful adj. 快乐的
- trouble v. 烦扰
- judge v. 评判
- come alive 活跃起来
Difficult sentences:
Mrs Thompson saw the little boy at school the year before.
释义：Mrs Thompson 一年前就见过 Teddy。
点拨：the year before 译为“前一年”，常指过去某一不确定时间之前的那一年；the year before last 专指去年之前的那一年，即“前年”。
例句： There were more birds in the park the year before. 前一年公园里有更多的鸟。
We celebrated the festival together the year before last. 前年我们一起庆祝了这个节日。
You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference.
释义：是你让我知道我可以有所作为。
点拨：the one 指“那个人”， 有强调的意味。who 引导的定语从句修饰 the one。make a difference 对……有意义、有所改变、有作为。
例句： Sometimes it feels like there’s nothing we can do to protect our planet, but you can make a difference by sorting your waste. 有时候我们会感觉我们做不了什么来保护我们的地球，但是通过把你的垃圾分类你其实可以有所作为。
【Comprehension test】
Choose the answer:
1. What surprised Mrs Thompson when she looked at Teddy’s past records?
A. Teddy was slowly making progress.
B. Teddy was once a bright and cheerful boy.
C. Teddy had no friends when he was younger.
D. Teddy grew up without parents.
2. How did Mrs Thompson feel after she saw Teddy’s file?
A. Proud.
B. Interested.
C. Nervous.
D. Ashamed.
3. What was Teddy like at the end of that year, in Mrs Thompson’s opinion?
A. He was dirty and rude.
B. He was lonely and unpleasant.
C. He was an improved student.
D. He was the most popular student.
4. In what way did Mrs Thompson change?
A. She became more strict with her students.
B. She no longer liked her job as a teacher.
C. She worked harder than ever before.
D. She learned how to be a better teacher.
Vocabulary in use
Fill in the blanks:
5. 今天早上你心情不错嘛。
You’re in a __________ mood this morning.
6. 我奶奶为疾病和年老所困扰。
My grandma is __________ by sickness and old age.
7. 我们应该密切关注环境问题。
We should __________ __________ __________ __________ environmental problems.
8. 她是一位真正懂得如何把人物塑造得栩栩如生的作家。
She’s __________ __________ __________ really knows how to make her characters __________ __________.
9. Two men were in a forest when a lion came walking toward them. One of them threw sand into the lion’s eyes and ran away. The second man stayed there. The first man looked back and shouted, “Why aren’t you running?” The second man answered, “Why should I be running? _________________________________ (你是那个扔沙子的人啊). The tiger will run after you, not me.”
Keys:
1-4 BDCD
5. cheerful
6. troubled
7. pay close attention to
8. a writer who; come alive
9. You’re the one who threw the sand
更多英语学习，欢迎关注“朗声英语课堂” 微信公众号-（学员中心）
喜欢我的文章，欢迎关注和转发。
