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】 **
【Sharing seconds】分享时刻
生活中总有那么些事情经不起等待，因为一旦错过，可能就是永远的失去。
Reading
How many times have we said to ourselves, “Oh, I’ll do that tomorrow.” Sometimes tomorrow never comes and we find ourselves saying, “Oh, I wish I hadn’t put that off.”
Our family was friends with Betty for many years. Over the years, we shared phone calls, birthday cards, and much more. Every year, Betty sent our youngest son Brandon a birthday card with five dollars in it. She did this until he graduated (毕业) from high school.
One year, not long after her birthday, I called to see how she was and ask her if she did anything special for her birthday. I was surprised when Betty didn’t answer the phone. Instead, her daughter Carol did. Carol told me that her mom was ill and had gone downhill fast. She was in hospice care (临终关怀). Carol gave the phone to Betty. I talked to her and let her know that we loved her.
As soon as I got off the phone, I sent a text to Brandon and let him know Betty wasn’t doing well. Brandon stopped what he was doing and sent flowers to Betty.
You can imagine how proud I was of Brandon when Carol called the next day. She told me that Betty loved the flowers very much. Just a few days later, Betty died.
It’s never “too soon” to be kind to others. You never know when it might be “too late” instead.
【Treasure Box】
Word work
- share v. 分享；共享
- send v. 送；邮寄
- instead adv. 相反
- imagine v. 想象
- die v. 去世
Difficult sentences:
As soon as I got off the phone, I sent a text to Brandon and let him know Betty wasn’t doing well.
释义：我一挂电话，就给 Brandon 发了条短信，告诉他 Betty 的情况不太好。
点拨：as soon as 引导时间状语从句，意为“一……就……”。
send sth to sb = send sb sth 给某人送某物。
As soon as I saw the police car, I knew there was something wrong.
我一看到警车，我就知道肯定有什么事情发生了。
You can imagine how proud I was of Brandon when Carol called the next day.
释义：你可以想象，当 Carol 第二天打电话来的时候，我为Brandon 感到多么地骄傲。
点拨：how proud I was of Brandon 可以看作一个整体，作imagine 的宾语，how 用来强调 proud 的程度，表示“多么地”。
be proud of sb 意为“以某人为傲”。
Can you imagine how lovely she is? 你能想象她有多可爱吗？
Well done! I am proud of you, my dear. 亲爱的，你太棒了！我为你感到骄傲！
【Comprehension】
Choose the answer:
1. From Paragraph 2, we learn that _____.
A. Betty didn’t have many friends
B. Betty was living a poor life
C. Betty didn’t have a son of her own
D. Betty was a nice and caring person
2. Who is Carol?
A. The writer. B. The writer’s son.
C. Betty’s daughter. D. Betty’s doctor.
3. What did the son do after he got the bad news?
A. He visited Betty at once.
B. He sent Betty some flowers.
C. He sent a text to Betty.
D. He called and talked to Betty.
4. What does the writer want to tell us?
A. Don’t wait to show love for your friends.
B. Be smart to put off certain things.
C. It’s too late to visit a dying person.
D. It’s never too late to make new friends.
Vocabulary in use
Fill in the blanks:
5. 我迟迟不肯去看医生，现在真是宁愿早去。
I _________ __________ going to the doctor, but I __________ I hadn’t.
6. 我们家和他们家世代交好。
Our family __________ __________ _________ _________ theirs for generations.
7. 我生日时，她送了我一份礼物，但我没收到。
She _________ __________ __________ __________ on my birthday but I didn’t get it.
8. 你可以想象成千上万的人们一起拥抱吗？
__________ __________ __________ thousands of people hugging?
9. 得知父亲的病情极速恶化，我赶紧放下手中的事情，急匆匆赶回家。
__________ __________ __________ I got the news that my dad _________ _________ __________ __________, I stopped what I was doing and hurried back home.
Keys:
1-4 DCBA
5. put off; wish
6. has been friends with
7. sent me a present
8. Can you imagine
9. As soon as; had gone downhill fast
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