高三英语美文赏析-1.docx

1Five years later, I did the hardest job of my life when Tom lost his battle with cancer. I had to tell my children that the grandfather they adored was gone. I had to explain that Tom wouldnt be coming home from the hospital. How do you tell preschoolers (幼童) that news? I said the words as kindly as I could, with my arms wrapped tightly around them. Tom had been a good man; an excellent man. There were few in the community who didnt know of someone who hadnt been done a good turn by him. Random strangers arrived at the funeral ceremonies and told us their stories. Many had been unheard by the family until that day. He taught me how to ride a bike, smiled one lady in her sixties. I was terrified and my father had given up trying. Tom brought me to a quiet, flat lane and kept encouraging me until I managed it.My mother-in-law recalled the number of times Tom had arrived home on Christmas Eve to announce that shed need to make the turkey stretch (增量) to another plate or two. He couldnt bear to think of someone spending Christmas alone. Hed issue invitations to the most unlikely characters, but it always made for an entertaining dinner table.A beautiful wreath (花圈) and letter arrived from a woman Tom had mentored (指导) early in her career and treated like his own daughter. I could understand her grief and fond memories. Id felt he was my extra father, too.Toms sons have been asked to take their fathers role in local charity work, but nobody is ready to sit in his chair at the table. Between them, his family coaches local football teams, cares for seriously ill relatives, and give many hours to their communities. As for me, Ill teach my children to honor Toms memory by volunteering themselves. Weve already cleaned our local beach and weve replaced rubbish with trees and flowers. I understand now that anybody can make a difference, if they have an open heart. 2 My thirteen-year-old daughter Lisa remembers birthdays, makes people cards when they are sick, and sends encouraging notes written in colored pens in her neat, artistic hand. One day I got a call from her school principal (校长):“I called to tell you that in twenty years of teaching I have never seen anything like what Lisa did today,” he said.I held my breath again as I thought, My Lisa? My sweet daughter? He must have the wrong kid. What could she have done?My silence prompted him to go on. Ive never seen a student do anything so nice for anyone who needed it more.What did she do? I asked. He explained to me about the cupcakes (杯形蛋糕).When Lisa came home from school that afternoon, I told her the principal from her school had phoned me.“Yeah”, she answered. “I got called out of math class to go to his office. Everybody thought I was in trouble, but he just wanted to know what was going on at lunch.Lisa and Ashley had sat with Jordan, a boy who is in special education classes. They got to talk about birthdays, and Lisa asked Jordan when his birthday was. He told it was coming up but that he lives in a group home and they dont celebrate birthdays there. “I remembered his birthday was today, so I made the cupcakes yesterday,” Lisa explained. “Ashley brought a two-liter of soda and some birthday cups, plates, and napkins (餐巾纸) left over from her little brothers party, and we got some other kids together at lunch today to sing Happy Birthday to Jordan.” The principal wanted to know why they were having a birthday party for Jordan at school. When they told him, he just shook his head, took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes,” Lisa told me. “Finally, he said he was going to call my parents but that I wasnt in trouble, he was proud of what I did, and I could go back to math.How different my daughter was from me. Better, in fact! I would not have even known how to help out disadvantaged kids like that. But my wise daughter knew how - all it took was cupcakes and one adventurous, independent, kind spirit.3One day when I was working as a psychologist at a childrens institution, a boy showed up in the waiting room. He was walking up and down restlessly. I showed him into my office. Please sit down, I said. Davids grandfather had died and his mother was killed in a car accident. Now he was 14 and in family care. The first two times we met, David didnt say a word. Come back next week, if you like, I said. He came, and I suggested we play a game of chess. He nodded. After that we played chess every Wednesday afternoon - in complete silence and without making any eye contact. Its not easy to cheat in chess, but I admit that I made sure David won once or twice. Usually, he arrived earlier than agreed, took the chessboard and pieces from the shelf and began setting them up before I even got a chance to sit down. It seemed as if he enjoyed my company. But why did he never look at me? Perhaps he simply needs someone to share his pain with, I thought. Perhaps he senses that I respect his suffering. One afternoon in late winter, David took off his rain coat and put it on the back of the chair. While he was setting up the chess pieces, his face seemed more alive and his motions more lively. Some months later, I sat staring at Davids head, while he was bent over the chessboard. I thought about how little we know about therapy - about the mysterious process associated with healing. Suddenly, he looked up at me. Its your turn, he said. After that day, David started talking. He got friends in school and joined a bicycle club. He wrote to me a few times; letters about how he would try to get into university. I learned from David how time makes it possible to overcome what seems to be an insuperable pain. David showed me how one can reach out to another person. All it takes is a hug, a shoulder to cry on, a friendly touch, a sympathetic nature - and an ear that listens.4Just another dayIs it morning already? I rub my eyes and get up to ready myself for just another day.Its just another day. . . . I look out my window to see white clouds float in the brilliant blue sky. I hear a cardinal (红雀) singing to his mate as he perches (栖息) upon my back fence. And a bed of crocus (番红花) open their purple heads to the heavens in thankfulness.Its just another day. My small daughter bursts into the room, her small hand fits into mine as she pulls me to the kitchen to show me the card she has made. A stick figure with curly brown hair waves from the paper and beneath it, written in purple crayon are the words, I love you, Mommy.Its just another day as I stand quietly and watch a handicapped child. He struggles to get his special walker (助步架) over the curb (路边), but it wont move. With determination, he conquers the curb and starts to play with his friends. I smile as I watch the children play, totally accepting their friend for who he is, not judging him for what he lacks.Its just another day. My beloved wraps his arms around me and surrounds me in love. I turn to look in the eyes that share my innermost (内心深处的) feelings. What a special friend I have. Someone who loves me for who I am. Someone to share my happiness. Someone to love.Yes, it is just another day. A day to enjoy gracious beauty upon this Earth. A day to kiss the cheeks of my children, and share in their hopes and dreams. A day to learn the value of determination and hard work. A day to learn the value of judging mankind for the quality he has, not what he has not. A day to learn the value of love.5If your life feels like it is lacking the power that you want and the motivation that you need, sometimes all you have to do is shift your point of view.如果你觉得心有余力不足，觉得缺乏前进的动力，有时候你只需要改变思维的角度。 By training your thoughts to concentrate on the bright side of things, you are more likely to have the incentive to follow through on your goals. You are less likely to be held back by negative ideas that might limit your performance.试着训练自己的思想朝好的一面看，这样你就会汲取实现目标的动力，而不会因为消极沉沦停滞不前。 Your life can be enhanced, and your happiness enriched, when you choose to change your perspective. Dont leave your future to chance, or wait for things to get better mysteriously on their own. You must go in the direction of your hopes and aspirations. Begin to build your confidence, and work through problems rather than avoid them. Remember that power is not necessarily control over situations, but the ability to deal with whatever comes your way. 一旦变换看问题的角度，你的生活会豁然开朗，幸福快乐会接踵而来。别交出掌握命运的主动权，也别指望局面会不可思议的好转。你必须与内心希望与热情步调一致。建立自信，敢于与困难短兵相接，而非绕道而行。记住，力量不是驾驭局势的法宝，无坚不摧的能力才是最重要的。 Always believe that good things are possible, and remember that mistakes can be lessons that lead to discoveries. Take your fear and transform it into trust; learn to rise above anxiety and doubt. Turn your worry hours into productive hours. Take the energy that you have wasted and direct it toward every worthwhile effort that you can be involved in. You will see beautiful things happen when you allow yourself to experience the joys of life. You will find happiness when you adopt positive thinking into your daily routine and make it an important part of your world.请坚信，美好的降临并非不可能，失误也许是成功的前奏。将惶恐化作信任，学会超越担忧和疑虑。让“诚惶诚恐”的时光变得“富有成效”。不要挥霍浪费精力，将它投到有意义的事情中去。当你下意识品尝生命的欢愉时，美好就会出现。当你积极地看待生活，并以此作为你的日常准则时，你就会找到快乐的真谛。6When I entered Berkeley, I hoped to 1_(apply, earn, offer, give) a scholarship. Having been a Straight-A student, I 2_ (realized, guessed, believed, wished)I could take tough subjects and really learn something. One such course was World Literature given by Professor Jayne. I was extremely interested in the ideas he 3_(sought, presented, represented, exchanged) in class.When I took the first exam, I was 4_ (amazed, annoyed, shocked, disappointed)to find a 77, C-plus, on my test paper, for English was my best subject. I went to Professor Jayne, who listened to my arguments but remained 5_(unmoved, unhappy, uninterested, unexpected).I decided to try harder, although I didnt know what that meant because school had always been easy for me. I read the books more carefully, but got another 77. Again, I reasoned with Professor Jayne. Again, he listened patiently but wouldnt change his 6_(feeling, choice, position, mind).One more test before the final exam. One more chance to improve my grade. So I redou