100 Short Articles For English Reading

100 Short Articles for English Reading
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1. Poor Man!
Look at this man. What is he doing? He's carrying a very big box. The box is
full of big apples. He wants to put it on the back of his bike and take it home. Can
he do that? No, I don't think so. Why not? Because the box is too full and too
heavy. Look! What's wrong? He drops the box. Poor man!
New Words and Expressions(新单词和短语)
why 为什么 because 因为 drop 落下 poor 可怜的
2. Kate
Kate is a new student. She is twelve. She is from America. She can speak
English very well and she can speak a little Chinese. She is in Nanjing. Her
parents are doctors. Kate is studying in a school near her home. She has classes
from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays and Sundays, she often plays games with
her Chinese friends. She loves China and her Chinese friends.
parents 父母亲 work 工作 doctor 医生 study 学习
a little 一点儿
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3. Can You Find Bob?
Hello, Betty. Please meet Bob at the station at nine o'clock tomorrow morning.
Go to the big clock. Carry a green bag and wear a white hat.
He's not very tall but quite fat. He has short black hair and brown eyes. He
also has glasses. He likes wearing blue trousers and a red sweater. Can you find
him, Betty?
station 车站 tomorrow 明天 wear 穿,戴 brown 棕色的
4. My Room
This is my room. Near the window there is a desk. I often do my homework at
it. You can see some books, some flowers in a vase, a ruler and a pen. On the
wall near the desk there is a picture of a cat. There is a clock above the end of my
bed. I usually put my football under my bed. Of course here is a chair in front of
the desk. I sit there and I can see the trees and roads outside.
homework 家庭作业 vase 花瓶 end 末端,终点
of course 当然
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5. What Are They Doing?
The White family is at home. Mrs White is in the kitchen. She is cooking. Mr
White is sitting in a chair and reading the newspaper. Tom and his friend Dick are
cleaning the bicycle. Jane and her friend Mary are in Jane's bedroom. They are
listening to a tape.
kitchen 厨房 cook 烹调,煮 bicycle 自行车 tape 磁带
6. My Family
I am Tom. I'm eleven years old. I live near the school. I go to school every day.
In my family there are three people. My father, my mother and I. My father is a
bus-driver. He is friendly. He has a lot of friends. My mother is a teacher. She
works at my school. She does housework every day. I love them.
bus-drive 公共汽车驾驶员 friendly 友好的 housework 家务活 a lot of 许
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7. An Outing
Father: Today is Sunday. Tom, I would like to take you to the park.
Lucy: Can I come, too?
Father: Oh no, you must look after your sister. And your mother is at work.
Lucy: I can take my sister to the park, too. She can play games with other
children.
Father: OK. Go to your bedroom and put on your new dress in the box.
Lucy: OK.
Father: It's about nine o'clock. Let's go.
Lucy and Tom: All right. Let's go.
outing 郊游 bedroom 卧室,房间 dress 连衣裙,女服
would like to 想要…… look after 照顾，照管
at work 在上班，在工作
8. Our Class
This is a picture of our class. There are fifty students in our class. You can
see twenty-five boys and twenty-five girls. There is an American student in our
class. Her name is Mary. Her English is very good. We all like her. She likes eating
bread and cakes. She likes drinking milk and orange juice. We like eating rice and
drinking tea. We are very happy together.
bread 面包 like 喜欢 together 一起 eat 吃 drink 喝
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9. Never Late
In the morning I get up at six. I wash my face and put on my clothes. Then I
eat my breakfast with my family at six thirty. At six forty I go to school by bike. I am
never late, but Tom is sometimes late and Mary is always late. They often run to
school.
wash 洗，洗涤 late 迟的，晚的 never 从未，未曾
sometimes 有时候 always 一直，总是
10. In the Classroom
This is a classroom. You can see some girls, a boy and a teacher in it. The
boy is Tom. He has golden hair and blue eyes. He if from America. He is a new
pupil. The girls are Chinese. They can speak a little English. They are talking with
Tom in English. Miss Li is writing something on the blackboard.
golden 金的，金制的 write 写，书写 hair 头发
something 某事，某物 blackboard 黑板
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11. A Football Match
It's Sunday tomorrow. We are going to watch a football match. It's between a
Japanese team and a Chinese team. The football match is going to be at four
o'clock in the afternoon. Our teachers Mr Li and Mr Wang are going to watch the
football match with us. We are going there by bike. We think we can come back at
about six in the evening.
match 比赛 by bike 骑自行车 come back 回来
12. My Parents
My parents work in a shoe factory. They get up at five thirty. They first get
breakfast ready. Then they go to work by bus. They work there from eight to five.
They come home at about six and prepare supper for us. Mother washes clothes
in the evening. Father often makes toys for us. They are busy all day.
prepare 准备 supper 晚餐 toy 玩具 busy 繁忙的，忙碌的
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13. A Riddle
I'm a word. I have three letters. My first is in "snow " but not in "ice ", my
second is in "rose" and also in "rice", my third is not in "pencil" but in "paper", my
whole is a place where there is a lot of water. What am I?
riddle 谜语 letter 字母，信件 first 第一 second 第二
third 第三 whole 整个
14. Jim's Bedroom
This is Jim's bedroom. It's new and nice. A bed and a chair are in it. A desk is
on the floor. Some flowers are on it. A bookshelf is behind the bed. Some English
books are on the bookshelf. A picture is on the wall. Some people are in the
picture. The man is his father. The woman is his mother. Who is the boy? Do you
know?
bookshelf 书架 floor 地板 flower 花
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15. Daydream
It's very nice day in October. The students are having a maths class. But Bob
is looking out of the window and watching the clouds move across the blue sky.
"Boy, what a day to play football! " he thinks. Just then the bell rings and wakes
him from his daydream. He closes his notebook sadly, stands up, and walks
slowly to his next class.
daydream 白日梦，幻想 cloud 云 sky 天空 bell 钟，铃 ring（钟、
铃等）鸣，响 close 关，关闭 notebook 笔记本
sadly 悲哀地，伤心地
16. A Picture of a Park
Look, this is a picture of a park. It is not black and it is not white. It is red,
yellow, blue, and green. Is there a lake in the park? Yes. Are there any trees and
flowers there? Yes, there are many. They are so beautiful. And we can see some
people, too. They are sitting near the lake. They are looking at some goldfish.
picture 图片，照片 lake 湖 beautiful 美丽的
fish 鱼 goldfish 金鱼
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17. Going to the Zoo
Today is Sunday. Bob is going to the zoo with his classmates. He puts on his
new white T-shirt and yellow cap. He says goodbye to his parents and goes to the
bus stop. The bus stop is near his home. He is going to meet his classmates there.
The zoo is very far but a No. 57 bus will take them right there. The children are
going to see a lot of animals at the zoo and they are going to have a good time.
zoo 动物园 animal 动物 have a good time 玩得很高兴
the bus stop 公共汽车站
18. Mike and Tom
Mike and Tom are in the same school. They are in the same grade, too. Mike
has English classes in the morning, but Tom has English classes in the afternoon.
After school, they play games. They often play basketball, play football, fly kites
and ride bikes. They can jump, swim, and sing, too. They are good students. They
love their school.
jump 跳,跃 swim 游泳 play basketball 打篮球
play football 踢足球 fly kites 放风筝 ride bikes 骑自行车
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19. At Lunchtime
It is eleven thirty. Deborah and her friends are not having lunch. They are
having "morning coffee". They are talking about their husbands. One of them is
wearing a very strange hat. Frank is Deborah's husband. He is eating in the
factory now. He always eats there. A lot of men are standing in a queue. They are
waiting for their lunch. It is raining outside.
coffee 咖啡 husband 丈夫 strange 奇怪的,陌生的
factory 工厂 queue 队伍,行列
20. Two Pictures
Come here and look at these pictures. This is a picture of a man, Mr Brown,
and a boy, Richard. Mr Brown is the father of Richard Brown. And Richard Brown
is the son of Mr Brown. That is a picture of a woman, Mrs Brown, and a girl, Marry
Brown. Mrs Brown is the wife of Mr Brown and the mother of Mary Brown. Mary
Brown is Richard's sister.
son 儿子 daughter 女儿 sister 姐,妹 brother 兄,弟
wife 妻子
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21. A Nice Girl
Li Ying likes English very much. She works hard. She reads English every
morning. She likes speaking English. She often listens to the radio. She watches
TV only on Saturday evening.
Does she like dancing? No, she doesn't. But she likes drawing and singing.
Her parents like her. And all the teachers and her friends like her, too.
radio 广播,收音机 work hard 工作(学习)努力 watch TV 看电视
22. On Sunday
It is Sunday today. The weather is fine. Mingming and Dongdong are in the
park. It is a big park. They can see many people there. They come here to have a
rest after a week's hard work and study. Some boys are playing football on the
grass. Some girls are singing and dancing. An old man is reading a newspaper
under a big tree. A young woman and her little son are playing with a toy bus. How
happy they are!
hard 辛苦的,艰辛的 grass 草,草地 toy 玩具 have a rest 休息
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23. Mr Black
Mr Black teaches us English this term. He is a tall man. He likes wearing a
white shirt and black trousers. He speaks English very well. We like his lessons
very much.
His home is near the school. Sometimes Mr Black walks to his home. He has
two little sons. They look the same. They often wear the same clothes. He loves to
see them and play with them. Mr Black calls the two boys Da Mao and Xiao Mao.
teach 教,教授 term 学期 shirt 衬衫 lesson 功课
24. A Clock and Watch
We can tell the time by a clock or by a watch. A clock is big; it is usually on
the wall or on the table. A watch is small; we can put it in the pocket, or wear it on
the wrist! A clock or a watch usually has a round face. It has two hands, a long one
and a short one. Tom's clock can speak and call him to get up every day. His
watch has a picture of a lovely dog on the face. He likes it very much.
pocket 衣袋 wrist 手腕 long 长的 short 短的,矮的
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25. Meet Lily
Kate: Look, Mary! A girl is over there. Can you see her?
Mary: Which girl?
Kate: The one in the red coat under the apple tree. Do you know her?
Mary: Sorry. I don't know her. I think she is new. Let's go and meet her.
Kate: All right. (under the apple tree )
Mary: Hello! I'm Mary. What's your name, please?
Lily: My name is Lily. Nice to meet you.
Mary: Nice to meet you, too. Lily, this is Kate, my good friend. We are in the same
class.
Lily: Kate, how do you do?
Kate: How do you do? I'm English. Are you English, too?
Lily: No, I'm American.
Kate and Mary: We're glad we have a new friend.
which 哪个,哪些 under 在……下面 over there 在那儿
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26. A Happy Family
Mike comes from America. He is twelve. His father Mr Brown works in a big
shop in Beijing. Mike has a sister. Her name is Kate. She is only four.
It is Saturday today. Mike's family is all at home. Mr Brown is sitting in a chair
and reading today's newspaper. Mrs Brown is out of the house ; she is watering
the flowers. Is Mike with his mother? No, he is cleaning his new bike. Where is
Kate? She is in her room. She is playing with her cat. What a happy family!
only 仅仅，只有 water 浇水 clean 把……弄干净
newspaper 报纸
27. A Good Time
Today is Sunday. It is a fine day. The sky is blue. Mr White is with his family.
There are four people in his family. They are Mr White, Mrs White, May and Jim.
They are walking on the bridge. There are some boats on the river. Mr and Mrs
White are looking at them. May is not looking at the boats. She is looking at a big
ship. Jim is looking at the birds in the sky. They have a good time.
bridge 桥 boat 小船 river 河,江 ship 轮船
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28. Aunt Jane's Birthday
Aunt Jane's birthday is coming. She will be 40 years old. Dad and Mum are
going to take me to her house. We are going to go there by train. We are leaving
on Friday evening, and we are coming back on Sunday afternoon. The birthday
party will be on Saturday. I am going to give my dear Aunt Jane a card. I am
making it now. I am using my color pencils to draw some nice flowers on the card.
I am going to draw Aunt Jane a small cat on it, too. Because she likes cats. The
card will be very nice. Dad says his sister will like it very much.
leave 离开 party 宴会,聚会 card 卡片 by train 乘火车
29. Mary and Her Sisters
Mary has four sisters. They are Betty. Holly, Rose and Ann. Mary is the oldest
of the five. Betty is thirteen years old. She is two years younger than Mary and
one year older than Holly. Rose is nine and Ann is seven.
Mary and Betty study in a middle school. Holly, Rose, and Ann study in a
primary school. The primary school is near their home. They walk there. The
middle school is very far. Mary and Betty go there buy bus.
oldest 最年长的 younger 较年轻的 study 学习 primary 最初的 far 遥远
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30. An Accident
I walk very slowly with big, heavy box in my hands. A boy runs very fast
towards me. He is too fast. And he can't stop. Oh, dear! My box drops to the
floor and the books are everywhere.
What can I do? I want to cry. The boy says, "Sorry. " And he helps me to
pick up all the books. He then helps me to carry the box of books to our
classroom.
Who is he? He is new classmate. His name is Jimmy and he is from
England. We are good friends now.
accident 事故 slowly 慢慢地,缓慢地 heavy 重的,沉的 everywhere 到处,每
一处 cry 哭, 大叫 pick up 捡起,拾起
31. Back to School
It's the first day of school. Tom wants to go back to school. He wants to see
his friends. He wants to meet his new teacher.
Tom gets up early in the morning. He washes and eats his breakfast. Then he
rides his bike to school. He sees his friends on the playground. He plays
hide-and-seek with them. In the classroom, Tom meets his new maths teacher.
Her name is Mrs Green. Tom likes Mrs Green. She can speak English very well.
He thinks she is a nice teacher.
first 第一 early 早的 maths 数学 hide-and-seek 捉迷藏
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32. Shirley and Tina
There are Twenty-one boys and nineteen girls in my class. Two of them are
Americans. One is Shirley. The other is Tina. They are in the same school. They
are in the same class, too. Where are they? They are on the playground.
Shirley is wearing a yellow sweater and a blue skirt. Tina is wearing a white
blouse and a pair of black trousers. Look! Shirley and Tina are playing games
with their classmates.
playground 操场,游乐场 blouse(女式)衬衫 trousers 裤子 classmate 同班同
学 a pair of 一对,一双
33. About George
George studies at the No.3 Primary School. There are about eight hundred
students and fifty teachers in his school.
George is in Class One, Grade Five. He likes English and music best.
His English teacher is Mr Brown. He comes from England. He is a nice man.
He can speak a little Chinese, but he doesn't know how to write Chinese. He likes
his work in China but he doesn't like Chinese food. Mr Wu teaches George music.
He can sing very well. He is George's big friend.
music 音乐 food 食物 England 英国
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34. In the Park
There is a park near our school. We can see many trees and flowers there.
Some flowers are red, and some are yellow. We can see a hill behind the park, too.
At the foot of the hill we can see a river. There are some boats on it. Children like
to go there. It is Monday today. There are many Young Pioneers in the park. Some
are walking and singing. Some are dancing or playing games. Ann and her sister
Kate are flying a kite. Tom and his brother Sam are throwing a frisbee. Their father
and mother are sitting under the tree. All the family are having a good time.
hill 小山,丘陵 children 孩子(child 的复数) frisbee 飞盘
Young Pioneer 少先队员
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35. Two Girls' Parents
Linda and Mary are good friends. Linda is thirteen. She comes from America.
Mary is twelve. She is from London. They study in the same school, but in
different classes. Linda's father teaches in a middle school. Her mother drives a
car. Mary’s mother works with machines. Her father makes cars. They can speak
English, French and a little Chinese.
Linda's mother likes cooking. She like eating rice. But Linda's father doesn't.
He likes drinking mild and eating bread. Mary's mother doesn't like cooking. But
she likes making clothes. She can make beautiful blouses and dresses. Mary's
father likes doing housework and mending things. Now he is cleaning the room.
Look! Mary is helping her father.
London 伦敦(英国首都) Machine 机器 mend 修理,修补
36. A Dog for My Daughter
We buy our daughter a little dog. There are not many children of her age and
we think a dog would make her happy. We are right. They play together happily.
Our daughter smiles and laughs a lot more. Both of them are very dirty. But the
dog is easier to look after than my daughter. He always eats up all his food and we
needn't wash his clothes. My wife is also very happy because I don't smoke any
more. The dog doesn't like the smell.
age 年龄 happily 高兴地 smoke 抽烟 smell 气味 eat up 吃光
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37. An Exact Man
Mr Smith likes to be exact. One day when he is walking in the street, a man
comes over and asks him, "Excuse me, but where's the nearest bookshop? "
"The nearest bookshop? You have to cross a bridge and then turn to the
right. "
" Is the bridge long? "
"Yes. It's about thirty meters. "
The man thanks him and goes towards the bridge. Suddenly he hears
someone running after him.
"Stop! " Mr Smith is shouting. "I'm sorry. I just remember the bridge is forty
meters long. If you go thirty meters and then turn to the right, as I told you to do,
you'll fall into the river. "
exact 精确的,正确无误的 bookshop 书店 cross 穿过 bridge 桥 run after
追赶
38. A Beautiful Sunny Day
It is a beautiful sunny day. There isn't cloud in the sky. Greg wants to have
lunch at once. But we decide to have a swim first. After swimming, we have a
picnic lunch under the trees. Then we lie in the sun for a while. In the afternoon in
begins to get cloudy. At four o'clock, we have to go back because it starts to rain.
sky 天空 decide 决定 picnic 野餐 lie 躺
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39. Mr Zhang
Mr Zhang is now at his desk. He is busy writing something on a piece of
paper.
On the right side of his desk he has some flowers and some books. On his
left side there is a light and a cup. He has a phone in the middle of his desk, too.
Now Mrs Zhang is coming to him. She has a book in her hand. She's going to
give it to Mr Zhang.
On the wall there is a map of China and two pictures. Mr Zhang likes those
pictures very much. But his wife doesn't like them at all.
right 右边的 left 左边的 light 灯 phone 电话 middle 中间
40. Make Other People Happy
In class the teacher asks a question, "Do you often make others happy? "
"Yes! " one boy answers loudly.
"How nice, Sandy! " said the teacher who is very glad. "And Sandy, would
you like to tell us that happy thing? "
"All right. Every Sunday I go to my grandmother's house. I often play with my
grandmother for three hours. And when I say, "Granny, I'm going home now. "she
often says, "Well, I'm so glad. "
question 问题 grandmother(外)祖母 granny(口)奶奶,外婆 loudly 大声地
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41. The Old Mouse
An old lady has a cat. The cat is now very old. She cannot run fast, and she
cannot bite. When the old cat sees a mouse, she jumps to it and catches it, but
the mouse still gets out of her mouth and runs away. Then the old lady is very
angry. She begins to beat the cat. The cat says to her, "Don't beat me. Please be
kind to me. When I was young, I gave you l lot of help ".
lady 女士,太太 catch 抓住,接住 mouse 鼠 angry 生气的,愤怒的 beat 敲,
42. Two Shoes
Lucy looks up from her book. The whole class is laughing at something. She
turns around and asks Maureen what is funny. Maureen tries to explain, but she
can't stop laughing. Everyone is looking at Lucy's feet. Lucy looks down at her
feet and sees a red shoe one foot and a green shoe on the other foot. Lucy's face
turns red. She runs out of the classroom at once.
funny 滑稽可笑的,有趣的 explain 解释,说明 laugh at 因……而发笑 turn
around 转身 at once 立刻，马上
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43. The First Question
One day after school the teacher says to his students, "Tomorrow morning, if
anyone of you can answer my first question, he or she can go home early. "
The next day, when the teacher comes into the classroom, he finds the
blackboard very dirty. He is very angry and asks, "Who did it? Please stand up! "
"It's me, " says Bob. "Now, I can go home. Goodbye, sir! "
early 早 dirty 肮脏的 answer 回答
44. The Farmer and the Snake
It is a cold day in winder. A farmer finds a snake on the ground. It is nearly
dead with cold. The farmer is a kind person. He brings it carefully to his house and
puts it near the fire. Soon the snake begins to move but it raises its head and tries
to bite the farmer. "Oh ", says the farmer, "I save your life, but you thank me like
this. You must die and the sooner the better. "Then he kills the snake with a stick.
snake 蛇 fire 火，炉火 stick 棍，棒 dead 死的，无生命的 nearly 几乎，
近乎 kill 杀死
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45. A Careless Grandfather
My name is Jane. My grandfather is very careless. He is a very clever man,
but he never remembers little things.
April 27th is my birthday. My grandfather says to me, "I'm going to your home,
and give you a present! "I'm very excited. I wait for him all day, but he doesn't
come, so I phone him and ask why. He answers, "Sorry, I went to the other
granddaughter's house. "
What a careless grandfather!
April 四月 birthday 生日 careless 不专心的，粗心的
excited 兴奋的，激动的 granddaughter（外）孙女
46. Fish? Milk?
Fred is in his room. He is doing his homework. "Homework isn't nice, " he
says to Tiger. "Tiger is my friend ", he writes. "He is my cat. He is small and black
and his eyes are green. I give him fish and milk. " Tiger looks at Fred. "Fish? Milk?
"Fred says, "I can't come now. I can't give you food now. I'm working. "He writes,
"He comes to my room and looks at me. And I give him fish and milk. "Tiger says
"Miaou. " "No, Tiger ", Fred says, " I can't come now. I'm doing my homework ".
work 工作 write 写，书写 give 给，送给
do one's homework 做家庭作业
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47. Looking for a Pen Pal
My name is Bill Smith. I'm American and I'm a student in a middle school. I'm.
My hobbies are music and football. My two sisters are students, too. We live in
Washington, D. C. now. My mother is a teacher and my father is a manager of a
small company. I'd like a pen pal from China or Japan. Please write to 101West
Street, Washington, D. C. , 921081, USA.
pen pal 通信朋友，笔友 hobby 业余爱好，癖好 Washington, D. C 华盛顿（美
国首都） manager 经理 company 公司
48. On a Bus
The bus stops at the next stop. A mother and her child get on the bus and sit
down. the conductor comes to them for the tickets. The mother says, "One ticket
to the Children's Park. "The conductor looks at the small child, then says to him,
"How old are you, little boy? "
The mother wants to speak, but the conductor stops her. The boy says,
"Mother says I'm four years old at home and two on the bus. "All the other people
laugh.
conductor 售票员 ticket 票，券 laugh 大笑，发笑
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49. Two Holes
Mr Black has two cats. One is big and the other is small. He likes them very
much. One day his friend Mr Green comes to see him. He is very surprised. He
finds there are two holes in the door, a big hole and a small one. He says, "My
dear friend, why are there two holes in your door? "" To let them in and out, " Mr
Black answers. "But why are there two holes? " asks his friend. "How can the big
cat go through the small hole? " he says.
hole 洞 surprised 惊人的，惊奇的 answer 回答
go through 通过，穿过
50. Making a Telephone Call
How do you make a telephone call in English? Do you know? Let me tell
you. If you want to ask someone to come to the telephone, you cannot say,
"Please ask Mr. . . to answer the telephone ". You should say, "May I speak to
Mr. . . ? "If you want to ask who is answering the telephone, you should say, "Who
is this, please? ""Is this Mr. . . (speaking)? " You cannot say, "Who are you? "If you
want to tell the other one who you are, you should say, "This is. . . (speaking ) ".
You cannot say, "I'm. . . "
telephone 电话，电话机 should 应当，应该
make a telephone call 打电话
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51. Cutting the Cake
Dick is seven years old, and his sister Mary is five. Today their mother takes
them to their grandma's house and then she goes out.
The children play for an hour, and then at four thirty their grandma takes Dick
into the kitchen. She gives him a nice cake and a knife and says, "Like a
gentleman, give the bigger piece to the other. "Dick thinks about this for a moment.
He says to Mary, " You cut this cake, Mary ".
knife 小刀 gentleman 绅士，有教养的人 bigger 较大的，更大的 piece 块，
片 moment 片刻，瞬间 half 半，一半
52. The Lu Xun Museum
We are at the Lu Xun Museum, boys and girls. You know, Lu Xun was a great
writer and thinker. From the exhibits in the museum, I'm sure you will know more
about Lu Xun.
We will stay here for an hour and will leave at one thirty. The bus will be
waiting for you in front of the museum. Please remember the bus number and be
back on time. Don't forget to close the windows before you leave the bus.
museum 博物馆 writer 作者，作家，文学家 thinker 思想家 exhibit 展览品
forget 忘记 leave 离开
- 28 -
53. A History Question
"Who is the first president of the United States? "a history teacher asks one
of her pupils.
The pupil thinks for a long time, but he doesn't say anything. Then the
teacher gets angry and shouts, "George Washington ".
The pupil begins to walk towards his seat.
"Come back! " the teacher says. "I didn't tell you to go. "
"Oh, I'm sorry, " says the student. "I thought you called the next student".
president 总统，长官 history 历史 shout 大声说，喊叫
seat 座位 come back 回来
54. Streets of Water
There is a city in the world. People do not drive cars in that city. It is called
Venice. Venice is in Italy. There are no streets in Venice. But there are canals. The
canals look like streets. There is much water in those canals. In Venice people
ride about the city in boats. Your father and mother may ride in a bus to work. In
Venice, fathers and mothers ride in boats.
world 世界 drive 开车，驾驶 Venice 威尼斯（意大利港市）
Italy 意大利 street 街，街道 canal 运河，水道
- 29 -
55. Who Puts Ink on My Chair
Tom is seven. He goes to school every day. The school is near his home. So
he goes there on foot and comes back home on time. But today he is late. His
mother asks him, "Why are you late today? "
"I am in the headmaster's office. " " Why do you go to the headmaster's office?
"
"Because my teacher asks us a question in class, and nobody can answer it,
but I can. ""It's good to answer the teacher's questions. ""But the question 'Who
puts ink on my chair? "
headmaster 校长 office 办公室 nobody 谁也不，没有人
56. Cinema Tickets
Two little boys go to a cinema, buy the tickets and go in. But after two minutes
they come out, buy two more tickets and go in again. After a few minutes they
come out again and buy two more tickets. The girls in the ticket office says to
them at last, "Why are you buying all these tickets? Are you meeting friends here
all the time? "
"No, we're not doing that, " answer the two boys. "But a big woman always
stops us at the door and tears out tickets up. "The girl smiles and sells them two
more tickets.
cinema 电影院 buy 买,获得 ticket 票,券 sell 卖 smile 微笑 tear up 撕
裂,撕掉 all the time 一直,始终
- 30 -
57. A Stammering Bird
John lives on a small farm. He cannot speak well. He stammers a lot when he
speaks.
One day he goes to a shop. He wants to buy a parrot. He says to the
shopkeeper, "D-d-do you have a p-p-parrot? "
"Yes, sir, " answers the shopkeeper. "Here is a fine green one. It understands
everything. "
So John buys it and goes home with his bird. But some days later he takes it
back to the shop.
"This b-b-bird can't t-t-talk, " he says. "It can only st-t-tammer. "
stammer 结结巴巴地说 , 口吃地说 parrot 鹦鹉 shopkeeper 店主
understand 懂得,明白 remember 记得,想起
- 31 -
58. Seven Days
There are seven days in a week. They are Sunday, Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Most children go to school from
Monday to Friday. Most people don't work on Saturday or Sunday and most shops
are closed in England on Saturday afternoon and Sunday. But in China, shops are
open every day. Sunday is always a holiday. It's the first day of the week. Some
people go to church on that day. The time between Friday evening and Monday
morning is the weekend. It is the time for rest. We can't work all the time. We have
to rest from time to time.
Monday 星期一 Tuesday 星期二 Wednesday 星期三 Thursday 星期四
Friday 星期五 church 教堂
between 在…（两者）之间 from time to time 有时, 不时
- 32 -
59. Tom Is Late
It's 7:30 on Monday morning. It's time for Tom to go to school. Classes begin
at7:40. Tom is still in his room. His mother says, " Hurry, Tom. You must be quick
or you'll be late. "Mum, where's my pencil box? I can't find it. I can't go to school
without my pencil box, " cries Tom.
Look at Tom's room. What a mess! His books are lying all over the room.
His football socks are on the desk. A kite and some clothes are on his bed. Tom's
mother comes to help him. She asks Tom to put his book away and Tom's pencil
box is under the books on the floor.
"You must look after your things, Tom ", says Mrs Read.
still 还，仍旧 hurry 匆忙，赶紧 without 无，没有
mess 混乱，复杂 lie 躺，放 sock 短袜
- 33 -
60. A Letter
Dear Cindy,
Thanks for your letter. It's always nice to hear from you. Today is the last day
of my exams. The maths exam is very difficult, but the other exams are easy. I'm
waiting for the holidays now, and I'm very anxious to see you and to be with you
again.
I'm going to spend my Christmas and New Year holidays in New York with my
sister.
Right now I'm going downtown. I'm going to shops for Christmas gifts. I'm
excited about Christmas, and about seeing you again.
Yours,
Jack.
last 最后的 difficult 困难的 anxious 急切的
spend 度过，过日子 Christmas 圣诞节 gift 礼物
downtown 住（或在）市商业区 New York 纽约（美国城市）
- 34 -
61. Bill and Sue
Bill and Sue are brother and sister. They are both middle school students and
go to the same school.
They go to Mr Zhang's shop and see some nice rabbits. They love the rabbits
very much, but they have no money to buy them. Sue has a good idea. She and
Bill help their father pick apples on the farm every Saturday and Sunday. So their
father gives them each a hundred dollars.
Sue and Bill go to Mr Zhang's shop. Each of them buys a rabbit. One is white
and other is black. They call the black rabbit Bunny and the white one Judy. They
like them very much.
rabbit 兔子 money 钱，货币 buy 买，获得 idea 主意
on the farm 在农场
- 35 -
62. A Crow and a Fox
One day a crow finds a piece of meat. She picks it up in her mouth and flies
to a tall tree. She is just going to eat the meat when a fox sees her. He comes and
stands under the tree and says, "How pretty you are! You must be the prettiest
bird in the world.
"The crow is very pleased by these words. Then the fox speaks again, " I
can see your pretty face, but I have not heard your voice. Why don't you sing a
song?
"This makes the crow very happy. She opens her mouth and begins to sing.
As she opens her mouth, she drops the meat. The fox picks up the meat at once
and goes away with it.
Kind words are not always as kind as they seem.
crow 乌鸦 pretty 漂亮的，标致的 hear 听到，听见
voice 声音，嗓子 seem 看起来，似乎
- 36 -
63. Jimmy
Jimmy lives in the country, and he loves playing in the river near his house.
But his father gets a job in a big city, and he moves there with his family.
Their new house has a garden, but the garden is very small. Jimmy isn't
happy. "Is there a river near here? "He asks his mother on the first morning. His
mother answers, "No, there isn't, but there's a nice park near here and there's a
pool in it. We're going there this afternoon. "Jimmy is happy now.
After lunch Jimmy and his mother go to the park. Jimmy wants to walk near
the pool, but there is a sign before it. His mother reads it to him, "Warning: This
pool is dangerous, 367 people fell into it. " Jimmy looks the pool carefully, and he
says, "But I can't see them. "
country 乡下，农村 job 工作 pool 水池，游泳池
- 37 -
64. A Boxer and a Runner
Once a great boxer, Tom Brown, goes to a restaurant for dinner. He takes off
his coat and leaves it at the door, but he is afraid that somebody will take it. So he
takes a piece of paper and writes on it: The great boxer, Tom Brown, leaves his
coat here. He will come back in a few minutes. "He puts the paper on his coat and
goes to have his dinner. When he returns, his coat is not there, but he finds a
piece of paper in its place. It says: " A great runner takes away your coat, and he
will not come back at all. "
boxer 拳击手，拳击家 runner 赛跑的人 dinner 正餐，宴会
take away 拿走，取走 come back 回来
- 38 -
65. To Be Modest
Two little children come to a new city. Their names are Peter and Tom. Of
course they live with their parents. Their family is very rich. They have a driver and
a lot of servants.
Peter and Tom are going to a new school. On the first day their parents say to
them, "Peter and Tom, be modest at your new school. Don't say we are rich. " And
they say, "Yes, Dad, Mum. "
So they go to school. They see their new teacher. And they sit down with the
other children. The teacher says, "Hello, children. The first exercise today is a
composition. The subject of the composition is 'My Family. 'So all the children
write a composition. This is Peter's composition.
"My name is Peter. My family is very poor. Both my father and my mother
are very poor. Our driver is very poor and all the servants are poor. . . . "
rich 有钱的，富裕的 servant 仆人，佣人 modes 谦虚的，谦让的 composition
作文，作品 subject 主题，题目
- 39 -
66. Birds
Birds live almost everywhere in the world. Many birds live in trees. They build
their nests there. They lay their eggs in the nests. Baby birds do not have strong
wings. They can't fly with their parents. They just stay at home. Some birds make
their nests in the fields. But others build their homes on the roofs or in the
chimneys. Chickens are birds. They usually lie in chicken houses. Ducks and
turkeys are birds, too. Some ducks and turkeys live in farmyards. But others live in
the woods and fields.
build 建造，建筑 nest 巢，窝 wing 翅膀 roof 屋顶
chimney 烟囱 farmyard 农家的庭院
67. Three Gardens
Mr Green has a small garden in front of his house. There are lots of flowers in
it. But he has only a few trees.
His neighbor Mr Black has a garden, too. Mr Black's garden is smaller than
Mr Green's garden. He has fewer flowers than Mr Green but more trees.
Mr Brown is Mr Green's another neighbor. Mr Brown's garden is the smallest
garden of the three. He has the fewest flowers of them all, but the weeds in his
garden are the longest. There is always a lot of work in the garden, but Mr Brown
doesn't have enough time to work in his garden. So his garden is the worst.
neighbor 邻居 garden 花园 weed 杂草 fewer 较少（小）的 longest 最
长的 worst 最坏的，最糟糕的
- 40 -
68. A French Student
A French student goes to London for his holiday. He knows a little English,
but he can't speak very well.
One day he goes to a restaurant. He wants to have some eggs, but he can't
remember the English word for "egg". He looks around and sees a picture of a
hen. He shows the picture to the waiter. "What do you call her children? " he asks.
" Chicks sir" "And what do you call chicks before they're born? ""Eggs, sir. " " Very
well, " says the French student. "Bring me two eggs and a cup of tea, please. "
French 法国的，法国人的 hen 母鸡 chick 小鸡
before 在……之前
69. Under the Ground
Above the ground there are many things. We can see flowers, trees, animals,
birds, and mountains. There are also a lot of things under the ground. We bring
coal and oil up from under ground. We use coal and oil in many ways. We can
heat houses and run trains and machines with coal and oil. In some places,
beautiful stones are under the ground. They are jewels. In some places there is
iron, gold, and silver under the ground. We also can find animals under the ground.
Some animals build their home under the ground.
ground 地，地面 oil 石油 coal 煤，煤块 heat 把……加热 stone 石，石
头 jewel 宝石 iron 铁 silver 银
- 41 -
70. One Man in a Boat
Fishing is my favorite sport. I often fish for hours without catching anything.
But this does not worry me. Some fishermen are unhappy. Instead of catching fish,
they catch old boots and rubbish. I am even less lucky. I never catch anything, not
even old boots. After having spent whole mornings on the river, I always go home
with an empty bag. "You must give up fishing! " my friends say. "It's a waste of
time. " But they don't realize one important thing. I'm not really interested in fishing.
I am only interested in sitting in a boat and doing nothing at all!
favorite 喜爱的，偏爱的 fisherman 渔人，钓鱼的人 boot 皮靴 rubbish 垃圾，
废物 realize 领悟，明白 give up 放弃
71. One Dog or Two?
One day a dog has a nice piece of meat for his dinner. He goes home happily
with the meat in his mouth. On his way home, there is a stream. The water is still
and clear. He stops to take a look at it. What does he see? There is a dog as big
as himself and he has some meat in his mouth, too. I'll try to get it. What a feast I
will have today! "He opens his mouth to get it, but just then his own piece falls into
the stream. He goes sadly home. What does the dog have for dinner that day?
stream 小河，溪流 himself 他自己 feast 盛宴，享受
- 42 -
72. A Funny Man
Mr Green has a holiday, so he says, "I'm going to the mountains by train. "He
puts on his best clothes, takes a small bag, goes to the station and gets into the
train. He has a beautiful hat, and he often puts his head out of the window during
the trip and looks at the mountains. But the wind blows his hat off. Mr Green
quickly takes his bag and throws that out of the window, too.
The other people in the carriage laugh, " Is your bag going to bring your
beautiful hat back? " they ask.
"No, " Mr Green answers. "But there's no name and no address in my hat,
and there's a name and an address on the bag. Someone is going to find both of
them, and he's going to send me the bag and the hat ".
mountain 山，山岳 station 车站 during 在……期间
trip 旅行；行程 carriage（火车）客车厢
- 43 -
73. The Dawsons' House
Whose house is this? It's the Dawsons' new house in the village. The name
of this village is Belmont. It's a little village near the big city. There are two small
lakes in Belmont, and they live near one of them. They like it very much.
Mrs Dawson is usually busy because she does her housework. She gets the
meals, she cleans the house, she washes the clothes, and she does the shopping
for the family. Her daughter Ann helps her a little every day. Mr Dawson
sometimes helps his wife, too.
Many people here are moving from the cities to the villages. A village is like a
little town. It's usually more quiet and more friendly. It also has many new houses
with big yards.
village 乡村，村庄 meal 一餐，膳食 city 城市 town 镇，城镇 quiet 安静
的 yard 院子，围场
- 44 -
74. An American Girl
Mary is an American schoolgirl. She is now in Beijing with her parents. Mary
doesn't know Chinese, but she is studying Chinese. She often speaks Chinese to
her Chinese friends. Sometimes they don't understand her because she can't
speak Chinese well.
It's Sunday morning. She goes out. She is walking in the street. She is going
to the zoo to see elephants and monkeys, but she doesn't know how to get there.
She asks a Chinese boy. The boy can't understand her. Then she takes out a pen
and a piece of paper. She draws an elephant on it, and shows the picture to the
boy. The boy understands now, and he shows Mary the way to the zoo.
elephant 象 monkey 猴子 draw 画，划 zoo 动物园
75. The Sea
What do you know about the sea? Some people have seen it, but others
haven't. The sea looks beautiful on a fine sunny day and it can be very rough
when there is a strong wind. What other things do we know about it?
Of course, the sea is very large. In the world there is more sea than land.
If you swim in the sea, you know that the water is salty. Rivers take salt from
the land into the sea. Some places of the sea are more salty than other places. Do
you know the Dead Sea? Fish can't live in it!
rough 狂暴的，剧烈的 large 大的 swim 游泳 place 地方
the Dead Sea 死海（西南亚一个大咸湖）
- 45 -
76. Billy's Drawing
Billy is very small, and he loves pictures. His mother often draws some for
him on old pieces of paper. She is very bad at drawing, but Billy likes her pictures
and always wants more.
Then, when he is a little older, Billy's mother gives him some pencils and a
drawing book, and he begins drawing pictures too, but none of them is beautiful.
Now Billy is five years old. His mother brings out a small blackboard and
some pieces of chalk. She asks him to draw a picture of his father. The boy draws
and draws. It takes him more than two hours to finish drawing the picture. But he
is not happy when he looks at it.
"Well, " he says at last to his mother, " I'll put a tail on it and make it a horse. "
bad 坏的，差劲的 none 谁也不 tail 尾巴 horse 马
- 46 -
77. Our School Library
This is our school library. It's a busy place. It's open from 8:30 to 11:30 in the
morning and from 2:30 to 4:30 in the afternoon.
Our school library isn't very big. Only three assistants work there. In the
library we can find all kinds of books. But few of them are in English. We often
come here and borrow or return books after class.
When we borrow books, we must obey the library rules. We can borrow only
one book at a time and keep it for two weeks. If we can't finish it in time, we may
come and renew it. There's a reading-room in the library. It's bright and clean. We
can read magazines and newspapers there, but we can't take any of them out.
library 图书馆，图书室 borrow 借，借用 return 还，归还
obey 听从，顺从 finish 结束，完成 bright 明亮的
magazine 杂志 renew 续借 reading-room 阅览室
- 47 -
78. A Naughty Boy
Tom has some bad habits. He is often late for class. Tom seldom cleans his
room. He loves watching TV before he finishes his homework. He loves football
and always breaks the windows of the neighbors. His mother is very angry with
him. She tries to change his bad habits and Tom does not listen to his mother. So
they sometimes quarrel with each other.
Today Tom comes back from the football field. He washes his hands before
coming to the dinner table. His mother is very surprised. He tells his mother that
this is good for his health. He wants to be a strong football player. He has to be
more careful with his health and everything else.
naughty 顽皮的，淘气的 habit 习惯 seldom 很少，不常
change 改变 quarrel 争吵 careful 仔细的，小心的 health 健康 else 另
外，其他
- 48 -
79. Saying Goodbye
Many people are waiting for the train. Some are reading newspapers and
some are saying goodbye to their friends.
Doctor Wang, Mr Li and Mr Chen are talking so happily that they don't know
the train is going to leave. Then the guard calls loudly, "The train is going to leave.
Hurry up, please. " The three men hear the guard and two of them jump onto the
train quickly before it moves. One is left behind. It is Dr Wang. He looks very sad.
The guard comes to him and says, "Don't feel bad. The next train will come in ten
minutes. "I know. " Dr Wang says, " But it is my train. My friends only come to say
goodbye to me. "
guard 乘警 move 动，移动 feel 感到 hurry up 赶紧，赶快
- 49 -
80. Bob and the Bird
One day when Bob is on the way home from school, he sees a little bird at
the foot of a tree. It has fallen out of its nest.
Bob takes the little bird up in his hand. He doesn’t know what to do with it,
because the nest is at the top of the tree. At last the says, "Poor little bird, I will
take you home. When you are big and strong, you will fly to the nest at the top of
the tree. "So Bob takes it home. He gives it good food and water, and puts it in a
cage.
In a few months the bird grows big and strong, and it has fine long wings.
One day Bob lets it out of the cage, and it flies away back to its home in the tree.
nest 巢，窝 fall 落下 cage 笼子 at the foot of 在……底部
at the top of 在……顶端
- 50 -
81. A Difficult Question
Four girls go to school every day by taxi.
One day one of the girls says, " There is a test in the morning. Let's get to
school late. Then we will not have to take the test. "
"What can we tell the teacher? " one of the girls asks. "He will be angry. We
need a good excuse. "
The girls think for a new minutes, then one of them says, "Let's tell him that
our taxi has a flat tyre. "
"That's a good idea, " the other girls say. "We will tell him that. "
They arrive at school an hour later. The test is finished. "Why are you late? "
the teacher asks. "You missed the test. "
"Our taxi has a flat tyre, " one of the girls says. The teacher thinks for a
moment, then he says, "Sit down. "The girls do this.
Then the teacher says, "Write on a piece of paper the answer to this question:
Which tyre is flat? "What a difficult question! The girls look at each other sadly.
At last they give the different answers.
taxi 计程车，出租车 flat 瘪的 tyre 轮胎 idea 想法，意见 excuse 借口，
理由 miss 错过
- 51 -
82. The Wolf and the Little Goat
One beautiful spring evening, a hungry wolf goes out to look for his dinner.
He sees a little goat. The goat stands up on a steep cliff.
"I must have that goat, " the wolf thinks to himself. "But how can I reach her?
"
"Hello, little goat! " cries the wolf. "It's dangerous there. I'm afraid you will fall.
"
"Don't be afraid, " says the goat. "I'll not fall. "
"Please come down here. Don't be afraid of me. I'm a good wolf. I want to
play with you. And the grass here is sweet and fresh, " the wolf says.
"Thank you, " says the goat. " I know who you are and what you want. You
don't want me to eat the grass, but you want to eat me up. "Then the clever goat
runs far away, and the wolf has no dinner.
hungry 饥饿的 steep 陡峭的，险峻的 cliff 悬崖
dangerous 危险的 grass 草，草地 sweet 甜的 fresh 新鲜的
- 52 -
83. Eyeglasses
Tom is old, and he lives by himself a long way from town. One day he goes
into town to buy something in some shops. Then he goes into a restaurant and
sits down at a table. When he looks around, he sees several old people put
eyeglasses on before reading their newspapers , so after lunch he walks to a
shop to buy some glasses.
The man in the shop makes him try on a lot of glasses, but Tom always says,
"No, I can't read with these. "
The man becomes more and more surprised. He says, "Excuse me, but can
you read? "
"No, of course I can't! " Tom says. " I think some good glasses can help me. "
eyeglasses 眼镜 several 几个的，数个的 become 成为，变得 look around
环顾，掉头看
- 53 -
84. A Good Restaurant
Mr Reece works on a farm. He and his wife grow a lot of plants and they have
some cows. Every day they work hard from morning till night. One day, Mr Reece
says to his wife, "Let's go to Portsmouth next Sunday. We can have a good lunch
there and then we can go to the cinema. "
His wife is very happy when she hears this, because they always eat a lot,
and she doesn't like cooking three times a day.
They go to Portsmouth by train and walk about for an hour. At twelve o'clock,
they want to have lunch. In front of one restaurant, they see a notice. It says, "
Lunch : 12: 30 to 2:30, 1.5pounds. "
"Well, that's good, " Mrs Reece says, "We can eat for two hours for. pounds
here! This is the place for us. "
grow 种植，栽 cow 母牛，奶牛 cinema 电影院
notice 布告，通知 pound 英镑 plant 植物
- 54 -
85. The Bad Ears of the Elephant
One day an old man is selling a big elephant. A young man comes to the
elephant and begins to look at it slowly. The old man goes up to him and says in
his ear, "Don't say anything about the elephant before I sell it; then I will give you
some meat. ""All right, " says the young man. After the old man sells the elephant,
he gives the young man some meat and says, "How can you see the bad ears of
the elephant? "" I didn't see the bad ears, " says the young man. "Then why do
you look at the elephant slowly "? asks the old man. The young man answers,
"Because I have never seen an elephant before, and I want to know what it looks
like. "
ear 耳朵 sell 卖 slowly 缓慢地
- 55 -
86. A Clever Boy
A young boy is playing with a ball in the street. He kicks it too hard, and it
breaks the window of a house and falls inside. A lady comes to the window with
the ball and shouts at the young boy. So the young boy runs away, but he still
wants his ball back. A few minutes later he returns and knocks at the door of the
house. When the lady answers it, he says, " My father's going to come and fix
your window very soon. "
After a few more minutes, a man comes to the door with tools in his hand. So
the lady lets the boy take his ball away.
When the man finished fixing the window, he says to the lady, "That will cost
you ten dollars. "
"But aren't you the father of that young boy? " the woman asks. "Of course
not, " He answers. " Aren't you his mother? "
clever 聪明的，伶俐的 break 打破，折断 fix 装置，修理
dollar 美元 tool 工具
- 56 -
87. Neighbors
The Browns are the Smiths' neighbors. Mr Brown's name is John. But when
his neighbors talk about him, they call him "Mr Going-to-do". Do you know why?
Mr Brown always says he is going to do something, but he never does it.
Every Saturday Mr Brown goes to the Smiths' back door and talks to Mr
Smith. He always says he is going to do something.
"I'm going to clean my house today, " he says, or "I'm going to wash my car
tomorrow, " or "These trees in front of my house are too big. I'm going to cut them
down next week. "But Mr Smith knows his neighbor isn't going to do those things.
Mr Smith often says to his only child Dick, " Are you going to do something?
Then do it. Don't be another 'Mr Going-to-do'. "
neighbor 邻居 child 小孩 cut down 砍倒
- 57 -
88. Dirty Hands
Mike is a small boy, and he hates soap and water. Three or four times every
day his mother says to him, "Mike, your hands are very dirty again. Go and wash
them. " But Mike never really washes them well. He only puts his hands in the
water for a few seconds and then takes them out.
Mike's uncle and aunt live in another city. One day they come to stay with
Mike's parents, and they bring their small son, Ted, with them. Ted is a year
younger than Mike, and he doesn’t like soap and water, either.
The boys sit with their parents for a few minutes, but then they go outside.
When they are alone, Mike looks at Ted's hands and then says proudly, "My
hands are dirtier than yours! "
"Of course they are, " Ted answers angrily. "You are a year older than I am. "
hate 讨厌，恨 soap 肥皂 really 真正地 second 秒
uncle 叔叔，伯伯 aunt 婶婶，阿姨
- 58 -
89. An Orange and a Gold Cup
There is a poor man in a small village. He has an orange tree in his garden.
On the tree there are many fine oranges. One day he finds one of his oranges is
much bigger than the others. It is as big as a football. Nobody has ever seen such
a big orange. The poor man takes the orange to the king. The king is so pleased
that he gives the man a lot of money for it.
When a rich man hears of it, he says to himself, " It's only an orange. Why
does the king give so much money for it? I'll take my gold cup to the king. I'm
sure he'll give me more money. "
The next day when the king receives the gold cup, he says to the rich man,
"What a beautiful cup! I'll show you something wonderful. Please take this great
orange. "
garden 花园，庭院 receive 收到，得到 wonderful 精彩的
- 59 -
90. "Fly" Soup
Jim is very hungry. He is walking down the street when he sees a restaurant.
He doesn't have any money, but he goes into the restaurant and sits down at a
table. He orders some soup.
After a while, Jim cries, "Waiter! " The waiter comes up to him. " There's a fly
in the soup. "He points to a speck in the soup. "It's impossible, " says the waiter.
"It's black pepper! "
"No, " Jim says, "The little black speck with wings is a fly. The other people in
the restaurant come over. The manager hears the voice and comes up to the table.
"I find a fly in the soup. ” "It's impossible, " the manager says. "Look, " Jim shows
him the fly with the spoon.
"Well, I'm very sorry, sir. Waiter, bring this gentleman a steak dinner and wine.
"So the waiter brings him a good dinner.
At that moment, a box falls from Jim's pocket. The manager picks it up and
opens it. What's in it? A box of flies. He is very angry. He turns to Jim, "You are a
big fool. Get out of my restaurant at once! "
fly 苍蝇 soup 汤 restaurant 饭店，餐馆 pepper 胡椒
speck 斑点；微粒 steak 牛排 wine 酒 impossible 不可能的
- 60 -
91. A Party
It is Christmas, and there is a big party in the house. Guests come and go,
but the party goes on. Then the bell rings. Several people shout, " Come in! "And
a small man opens the front door and comes in. Nobody knows him but the host
goes to meet him and takes him to have a drink. The man sits there for an hour
and drinks happily. Then suddenly he stops and looks at his host. "You know, " he
says, "Nobody invites me to this party. I don't know you. I don't know your wife and
I don't know any of your guests. My wife and I want to go out in our car, but one of
your guests' cars is in front of our gate, so I come here to find him and my wife is
waiting in our car for me to come back! "
Christmas 圣诞节 nobody 谁也不，没有 host 主人 invite 邀请 guest 客
人 politely 有礼貌地
- 61 -
92. The Opposite Direction
Mike's father is ill. His mother must look after him at home. So she says to her
son, "Go to the hospital, and ask a doctor to come here. Mike. "
"OK, " says the boy. "But where is the hospital? "
" In the town, " answers his mother.
Then Mike leaves his house. He gets to a fork. He doesn’t know if he must
turn to the left or right. He stands there. Just then a farmer drives a car comes.
"How far is the town from here? " asks Mike. "Two kilometers," answers the
farmer.
"May I go with you? "
"Certainly. "
"Thank you very much, " Mike is happy and gets in the car. Half an hour later
the car doesn't get to the town.
"How far is the town from here? " Mike asks again.
"Four kilometers, " says the farmer.
"Why is the town farther now? "
"The car is going in the opposite direction. "
opposite 相反的 direction 方向，方位 hospital 医院
fork 分岔，岔口 farther 更远的 kilometer 公里，千米
- 62 -
93. Four Seasons
Spring is the best season of the year. It lasts from March to May. The days
get longer, the nights get shorter, and the weather gets warmer. Everything begins
to grow. Grass and trees begin to turn green. Flowers begin to come out. Children
begin to fly kites outdoors.
Summer comes after spring. It is the hottest season in the year. It lasts from
June to August. People try to find a cool place then. They always go swimming in
pools, lakes, and rivers.
Autumn is the harvest season. It gets cool. Farmers begin to gather in food.
They are busy from September to November.
The coldest season of the year is winter. It's from about December to
February. The days are short and the nights are long. It snows sometimes and
that makes children happy. They make a snowman and dance round it. They go
skating as well.
season 季节 spring 春天 summer 夏天 autumn 秋天 winter 冬天
harvest 收获 outdoors 在户外
- 63 -
94. A Coward
Tom's father is a coward and not an honest man. He often tells lies and also
wants his son to do so. One day Tom and Mike see a man beat a boy. A policeman
catches the man and brings him before a judge. Tom and Mike have to go, too, to
tell the judge what happens. Before Tom leaves home, his father says to him, " Be
careful, son, tell the judge you saw nothing. Remember we have to live in this
village with that man. "But Tom is brave and honest. He doesn't obey his father.
He tells the judge the truth.
coward 懦夫，胆怯者 honest 诚实的 beat 打，敲 judge 法官 brave 勇
敢的 obey 服从，听从 truth 真理 tell a lie 撒谎
- 64 -
95. Sign Language
There is one common language in every country in the world. All the people,
old and young, men and women, must use it. It's everybody's second language.
It's easy to understand, although you don't hear it. It's sign language.
When you wave to friend, you are using sign language. When you smile at
someone, you mean to be friendly. When you raise your hand in class, you are
saying, "Please ask me. I know the answer. "When you put one finger in front of
your mouth, you mean " quiet ".
The deaf use sign language to talk with each other. There is even a university
for the deaf in the United States. There are also TV programs for deaf people.
They use sign language to tell everything.
sign 手势，示意动作 language 语言 common 共同的
second 第二 although 尽管，虽然 deaf 聋的 finger 手指 university 大学
- 65 -
96. Two Friends and a Bear
One day two young men are walking in a big forest. One is fat, and the other
is thin. "We are good grinds. We must help each other. If we meet any beast, I'll
help you, " the thin man says.
"I'll help you, too, " the fat one says. They walk on. After a while they hear a
great noise. It is a big bear. It is coming this way.
The two young men run away quickly. One of them climbs up a tree, and
hides among the leaves. He forgets all about his friend. What about the fat one?
He is too fat to climb up a tree. So he throws himself on the ground, closes his
eyes, and pretends to be dead. "The bear will think that I'm dead, " he thinks to
himself.
Soon the bear comes up to the fat man, and even puts its nose to his mouth
and ears. The fat man holds his breath.
The bear thinks he is dead so it goes away, because bears never touch the
dead. The man in the tree comes down. With a smile he asks his friend, "The bear
puts its nose so close to your ears. What does it say to you? "
The friend answers, " The bear says, ' Don't trust your friend. He runs away
from you when you need his help most. "
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
bear 熊 forest 森林 beast 野兽；动物 noise 喧闹声
climb 爬 hide 隐藏 leave 离去 pretend 假装
trust 信任
- 66 -
97. A Canadian
John is a Canadian. He lives in a tall building in the city of Toronto. There are
eighteen floors in the building, and he lives on the fifteenth floor. He uses a lift to
go up and down.
John works very hard. He goes to work early. Every day he gets out the lift.
Then he walks to a bus stop. The bus stop is in front of a station. It is about two
hundred meters from his home.
He usually catches the number bus to work, but sometimes he goes by train.
John works in factory about ten kilometers from his home. His work starts at half
past eight, and finishes at a quarter to five. He gets back home at a quarter past
five. He gets into the lift, and goes up to the twelfth floor. Then he gets out of the
lift and climbs up to the fifteenth floor on foot.
Canadian 加拿大人 Toronto 多伦多（加拿大城市） lift 电梯 meter 米，公
尺 quarter 一刻钟
- 67 -
98. George Washington and a Thief
Once a man stole one of George Washington's horses. Washington went with
a policeman to get back the horse. But the man didn't give the horse to
Washington. He said that it was his horse.
Washington placed his hands over the eyes of the horse and said to the man,
"If this is your horse, you must tell us in which eye he is blind. "
"In the right eye! " the man said.
Washington took his hand from the right eye of the horse and showed the
policeman that the horse was not blind in the right eye.
"Oh, I made a mistake, " said the man. "He is blind in the left eye. "
Washington then took his hand from the left eye of the horse. It was not blind
in the left eye, either.
"I made another mistake, " said the neighbor. "Yes, " said the policeman, "
and you know the horse is not yours. You must give it back to Washington. "
stole 偷，窃取（steal 的过去式） horse 马 blind 瞎的
either 也（不） policeman 警察
Washington 华盛顿（美国首任总统） make a mistake 犯错误
- 68 -
99. Asking the Way
Mike is traveling around the country in his car. One evening he is driving
along a road and looking for a small hotel. Then he sees an old man at the side of
the road. He stops his car and says to the old man, " I want to go to the Sun Hotel.
Do you know it? "
"Yes, " the old man says. ""I'll show you the way. " He gets into Mike's car,
and they drive off. They drive for about twelve miles. When they come to a small
house, the old man says, " Stop here. "Mike stops and looks at the house. "But
this isn't a hotel, " he says to the old man. No, " the old man answers. "This is my
house. And now I'll show you the way to the Sun Hotel. Turn around and go back
nine miles. Then you'll see the hotel on the left. "
hotel 旅馆 mile 英里 travel 旅行 drive off 驾车，驱车
on the left 在左边
- 69 -
100. The North Wind and the Sun
The north wind and the sun are good friends. But one day they quarrel about
something.
"I am stronger than you, " the cold north wind says. "Indeed you are not. I'm
stronger than you, " answers the soft, warm sun.
Just then they see a man walking along the road.
" I can get that man's hat off his head, " the wind says.
"I can get that man's hat off his head, too, " answers the sun.
" Then let's see who can get the man's hat off his head, " says the wind. "The
one who can do that first is stronger. "
"OK! You try it first, " says the soft, warm sun.
"All right! " So the north wind begins to blow. But the harder the wind blows,
the tighter the man holds his hat and coat. The wind can't make him take them off.
"It is my turn now, " the sun says. So the sun comes out and shines down
warmly upon the man.
The man feels hot. He takes off his hat firs, and then even his coat.
"That's enough! You are stronger than I, " the wind says.
north 北方，北 wind 风 sun 太阳 quarrel 争吵
stronger 更强烈的，更强大的 tighter 更紧地 enough 足够的
- 70 -

100 Short Articles For English Reading

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100 Short Articles For English Reading

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100 Short Articles for English Reading

heavy. Look! What's wrong? He drops the box. Poor man!

New Words and Expressions(新单词和短语)

why 为什么 because 因为 drop 落下 poor 可怜的

New Words and Expressions(新单词和短语)

parents 父母亲 work 工作 doctor 医生 study 学习

New Words and Expressions(新单词和短语)

station 车站 tomorrow 明天 wear 穿,戴 brown 棕色的

This is my room. Near the window there is a desk. I often do my homework at

New Words and Expressions(新单词和短语)

homework 家庭作业 vase 花瓶 end 末端,终点

New Words and Expressions(新单词和短语)

kitchen 厨房 cook 烹调,煮 bicycle 自行车 tape 磁带

In my family there are three people. My father, my mother and I. My father is a

bus-driver. He is friendly. He has a lot of friends. My mother is a teacher. She

works at my school. She does housework every day. I love them.

New Words and Expressions(新单词和短语)

bus-drive 公共汽车驾驶员 friendly 友好的 housework 家务活 a lot of 许

Lucy: Can I come, too?

Father: It's about nine o'clock. Let's go.

Lucy and Tom: All right. Let's go.

New Words and Expressions(新单词和短语)

outing 郊游 bedroom 卧室,房间 dress 连衣裙,女服

would like to 想要…… look after 照顾，照管

drinking tea. We are very happy together.

New Words and Expressions(新单词和短语)

bread 面包 like 喜欢 together 一起 eat 吃 drink 喝

New Words and Expressions(新单词和短语)

wash 洗，洗涤 late 迟的，晚的 never 从未，未曾

sometimes 有时候 always 一直，总是

10. In the Classroom

Tom in English. Miss Li is writing something on the blackboard.

New Words and Expressions(新单词和短语)

golden 金的，金制的 write 写，书写 hair 头发

something 某事，某物 blackboard 黑板

about six in the evening.

New Words and Expressions(新单词和短语)

match 比赛 by bike 骑自行车 come back 回来

New Words and Expressions(新单词和短语)

prepare 准备 supper 晚餐 toy 玩具 busy 繁忙的，忙碌的

whole is a place where there is a lot of water. What am I?

New Words and Expressions(新单词和短语)

riddle 谜语 letter 字母，信件 first 第一 second 第二

14. Jim's Bedroom

New Words and Expressions(新单词和短语)

bookshelf 书架 floor 地板 flower 花

slowly to his next class.

New Words and Expressions(新单词和短语)

daydream 白日梦，幻想 cloud 云 sky 天空 bell 钟，铃 ring（钟、

铃等）鸣，响 close 关，关闭 notebook 笔记本

16. A Picture of a Park

New Words and Expressions(新单词和短语)

picture 图片，照片 lake 湖 beautiful 美丽的

New Words and Expressions(新单词和短语)

zoo 动物园 animal 动物 have a good time 玩得很高兴

the bus stop 公共汽车站

18. Mike and Tom

love their school.

New Words and Expressions(新单词和短语)

jump 跳,跃 swim 游泳 play basketball 打篮球

play football 踢足球 fly kites 放风筝 ride bikes 骑自行车

wearing a very strange hat. Frank is Deborah's husband. He is eating in the