It was the beginning. There was no sky. There was no Earth.The universe was a big black egg.Inside the egg it was dark. It was still. Something grew inside the black egg. It was not a baby bird. It was not a baby snake. What was it?Something grew for 18,000 years. Something slept. Something dreamed. It was the dream of the universe.Finally, something stopped dreaming inside the black egg. Something woke up. It was Pangu! In the darkness, his eyes shone like the sun and moon. He stretched. Bump! He hit his head on the egg. Pangu yawned.Good morning, Pangu!Pangu moved around in the darkness. He was too big for the egg. He felt trapped inside. He tried to break free. He reached out his hand and touched something sharp. Ouch!It was an axe! Great! It was just what he needed!Swing! Pangu hit the egg with his axe. The egg got a crack.Swing! Pangu hit it again. Pangu broke the egg!He took a deep breath. He pushed up. Above him it became light and airy. He pushed higher and higher. It became the sky.Pangu pushed down. Below him it was dark and heavy. He pushed lower and lower. It became the Earth.Pangu did not let the egg close. He pushed apart the sky and the earth.He kept pushing for 18,000 years. The sky became thicker.It spread out. The Earth became thicker. It got bigger.The more Pangu grew, the farther apart he pushed the Earth and the sky. The sky grew very high. The Earth grew very big. In between the Earth and the sky, Pangu grew very tall. He spread the Earth and sky apart once more.Finally, Pangu got tired. He died. Then . . . His head and body became the Five Sacred Mountains. They are 'Mount Tai, Mount Heng in Hunan, Mount Hua, Mount Heng in Shanxi, and Mount Song. Pangu’s eyes turned into the sun and moon. His blood changed into water. It filled the river and sea. His hair turned into stars.The universe and Pangu became one. The End
Question: How do you think the universe began?
核心词汇
universe n. 宇宙
still adj. 静止的，平静的，寂静的
stretch v. 舒展，伸展
yawn v. 打呵欠，欠伸
trap v. 使陷于困境，使受限制
reach out 伸出（肢体、树枝等）
sharp adj. 锋利的，锐利的
axe n. 斧，斧头
swing v. 挥动（棍棒）打击
crack v. 裂开，爆裂
airy adj. 通风的，有微风的
apart adv. 分离着，在一边
spread v. 摊开，铺开
earth n. 陆地，地面
sacred adj. 神圣的
fill v. 填充，填满
The more Pangu grew, the farther apart he pushed the Earth and the
Motherhood. People say it’s the most important job in the world. If that’s true, then I’m the most important worker ever! I’m the biggest of the big mamas! You may have heard my story. “Poor Nuwa,” people say. “She was lonely. She was the biggest thing on Earth, but only had animals to keep her company. She didn’t speak the animal languages. They didn’t speak her language. She had no one who could laugh at her jokes, tell her that she was having a good hair day, or oil the scales on her tail.”Yes, I have long black hair and a curving tail of green-gold scales instead of legs. So people are right about some things. But they are wrong when they say my life was very lonely. It wasn’t so bad. Those people don’t know. They weren’t there with me at the beginning of everything.The first thing I did was try to teach language to the birds. My method was “I say, you say.” I’d say a word, then gesture at the birds and wait for them to repeat it. “Apple,” I would say. The hummingbirds flitted in confusion. The pigeons nodded knowingly but refused to do anything other than waddle around looking for food. The teacher’s pets—my favorites—were the parrots, of course. “Apple!” they repeated. “Nice hair!” and “Hello!”One day I followed some small birds to the muddy bank of a river.They swooped down to the clay, picking it up in their beaks. Then they flew to an overhanging cliff and built nests from the clay. Watching them gave me an idea. I dug my fingers in the golden mud. I know some people don’t like to get their hands dirty. That’s not me. I like mud. I like clay mud the best. It’s fun to play with, it’s soft on my tail, and it’s good for my skin. It keeps me looking young. Well, that and being a goddess.Those are my beauty secrets.I scooped up a handful of mud. I squished it between my fingers and started to roll it into a ball. A part of the ball wiggled out. I smoothed it to make a perfectly round ball. I bounced it from palm to palm, just playing. Still, I couldn’t get it to stay in a ball. First one, then two long drips of clay hung down from the ball. I tugged on them and heard laughter!I cradled the mud in my hands, then bounced it from palm to palm. Two more drips appeared in the clay. These two were shorter than the others, but when I touched them, I heard laughter again! I held the mud up to my face. I breathed on it.After breathing on the clay, I nearly dropped it, I was so surprised! There was a tiny face in the mud! There was a tiny body starting to take shape, and it looked like mine. Except for the tail. Instead of a tail like mine, it had two tails. Then each tail grew a foot. They weren’t tails at all. I decided to call them legs.I gently rocked the clay back and forth in my hands, amazed to see a small person. “Hello,” I said smiling. “Welcome to the world, little one.”The baby’s mouth opened in a toothless smile. “Mama!”My heart went squishier than the clay. I took care of the baby, talking to it and feeding it. It was lots of fun! Life had begun, and I held it in my arms!I finally had to set the baby down. The baby’s little teeth were coming in.I looked for a smooth stick for the baby to chew on. Found one! But when I looked back, the baby was a toddler. And the baby was eating sand.“No, no, no!” I said, cleaning out the baby’s mouth. The End
Question: Many cultures around the world have stories that say peoplewere first made of clay or dirt. Why do you think this is so?
核心词汇
keep sb company 与……作伴scale n. 鳞，鳞片gesture v. 做手势，用动作示意hummingbirds n. 蜂鸟flit v. （鸟等）轻快地飞waddle v. （似鸭、鹅般地）蹒跚行走，摇摇摆摆地行走swoop v. （口）（出其不意地）抓取，攫取beak n. （鹰，鹦鹉等的）喙overhanging adj. 突出于……之上的cliff n. 悬崖，峭壁scoop v. 挖出，挖空wiggle v. 扭动，摆动drip n. 滴下，滴下的液体tug v. 用力拖（或拉）cradle v. （放在摇篮里般地）抱squishy adj. 湿软的，黏糊糊的toddler n. 学步的儿童It keeps me looking young. Well, that and being a goddess. 它（泥巴）使我保持年轻。好吧……其实是泥巴和我的神力（使我年轻）。此处是女娲开了个玩笑，前半句在吹嘘泥巴的奇效，后半句揭穿真相——神力才有不老的奇效。
My baby became a child and started to walk. My child loved to play in the mud! “Mommy!” it said, now missing a couple of front teeth. “I want to be just like you!” My child hugged me around the tail. In the time it took to bend down and hug my child back, my child had changed again.“Stop hugging, it’s embarrassing!” said my child, wiggling out of my arms. My child was getting taller. In fact, my child was mostly arms and legs!“Mom,” my child said, sounding impatient. “Did you forget to make other teens? It’s so boring here! Who am I supposed to hang out with?”I scooped more clay and got to work. Looking up from rolling a ball of clay, I saw that my child had changed again. “Mother,” said my child, now a grownup. “I’ve figured out the mystery of life. Come here! I’ll whisper the mystery of life in your ear!”By the time I had lowered my ear, my child had turned to clay and gone silent. My tears fell on the clay.I had to be faster at making babies. Rolling and shaping clay was too slow. I couldn’t make one baby at a time, watch it grow and die before there was time to make another. It was too lonely and too heartwrenching. I hadn’t been lonely before. But now that I had lost a baby, I knew loneliness. I missed loving someone.I needed to get busy! Something that would take my mind off missing my baby and give me a purpose. I needed a modern method of making babies. No more making babies by hand, it was too old-fashioned and slow. I took a willow branch and dipped it in the clay. Then I danced around, flicking the clay off the willow branch. It was much faster, and I got some exercise!I made many, many clay babies by flicking clay. I loved the babies. I changed their diapers made out of leaves and kissed their booboos when they hurt themselves. You people think you’re busy? Try being a mom to thousands!Babies, I loved ya! But I had no time to myself! I didn’t even have time to take a relaxing bath. Someone always needed something or was getting in trouble. I needed to make some parents. I added new ingredients to the clay. To make men, I added yang. For women, I added yin. I told these new people about making babies. I said, “Watch what you breathe on. That’s how I became a mother the first time! And don’t put willow branches in mud and go dancing—unless you’re ready to be a parent. I made LOTS of babies that way. I’m just telling you!” With these new yin and yang people making and taking care of the little ones, I could have a bath by myself at last. I slipped into the soft waters of the South China Sea. My babies lived their lives: laughing and fighting onshore. I became a grandma, then a great-grandma, and now there are too many greats added to grandma to count! The End
Question: What does this story have to say about the different stages ofhuman life? What do you think about the different stages?
核心词汇
embarrassing adj. 使人尴尬的，使人难堪的impatient adj. 无耐性的，不耐烦的dip v. 浸，蘸flick v. 轻拍，弹去，拂去diaper n. 尿布boo-boo n. （尤指孩子身上的）擦伤，青肿ingredient n.（混合物的）组成部分，成分slip v. 滑行，轻快地移动，溜，悄悄地走In the time it took to bend down and hug my child back, my childhad changed again.在我弯腰去回抱我的孩子这段时间内，我的孩子又变化了。it took to bend down…为固定句式 it took sbsome time to do sth，本句为定语从句，修饰引导词 time。I couldn’t make one baby at a time, watch it grow and die beforethere was time to make another.我不能每次只造一个宝宝，看着他成长却在我有时间造另一个宝宝之前就死掉。本句是女蜗在表示造人的速度慢，与神相比，人类的时间过得飞速。
Xiao Shui balanced the bamboo pole on her aching shoulders. It stuck out on either side, making her feel even smaller than her twelve years.The pole bumped into the hair of the banyan tree as she walked to the main trunk. The water sloshed in the buckets/ hanging on the pole and spilled on her feet. “No!” she cried.The banyan tree’s strands of hair were actually hanging roots. But Xiao Shui thought that the tree was like her, with long, thick hair that reached to the ground.There had been no rain for a year, and the banyan’s roots were whitishgray from lack of water. So, Xiao Shui took water to the tree every day.She poured the water at the base of the trunk. “Be well, Grandfather Banyan,” she said.As she hiked back to her mountain farm, she passed dry fields of rice turned to straw. “Hey, pigs,” she said, walking by their dusty pen. The pigs rushed to the fence, their curly tails wagging. “Water for you!” She opened the gate and a piglet ran toward the pigweed field!“Get back here, naughty pig! I’m going to call you RouRou from now on!” She chased him up and down the mountain.RouRou finally stopped to eat a small turnip, and she grabbed him. She looked around to see where they were. She noticed bright green leaves around her. “For a plant to be that green, there must be water,” she thought aloud. She ducked underneath the leaves. Something pink shone at the center of the plant. Another piglet?RouRou trotted over and bit it. The pink thing was a turnip even bigger than RouRou!Xiao grabbed ahold of the turnip and pulled. Water poured from its base. As she leaned in for a drink, the turnip popped back into its hole, taking the water with it.Xiao yanked. The turnip popped out of its hole again, like a stopper pulled from a bathtub. Water filled the hole. Xiao and RouRou started to drink. The turnip snapped back into its hole.“Aaaahhh, that’s better!” growled a low voice. “My water.” Xiao kicked the turnip. “You . . . you . . . VEGETABLE! This water’s for everyone and everything on this mountain!” She wrapped her long hair around the turnip like a rope and pulled. The water poured out.Suddenly, a giant mountain god appeared before Xiao wearing a bathrobe and a big frown. He squinted his tiny eyes and tomped his feet. “Who dares disturb my bath!”Xiao had never been scared of anyone in a bathrobe before!“Why is a hairy child and a pink child causing this trouble?” asked the god, pointing at Xiao and the pink pig.Xiao thought quickly. “This side of the mountain—your mountain—is dying. You don’t leave the bath, so you don’t know.”“I know you must leave my bath stopper where it belongs.” The god sat on the turnip and patted it.RouRou trotted over to the mountain god, oinking. “I like the pink child better than the hairy child,” said the mountain god.He curled a long finger at Xiao. “You have a choice to make. You can take water from my bath once a day. Enough for a bucket the size of this delightful pink child. Tell no one.”“What’s my other choice?”He sighed loudly. “My, but I wish children were smarter. I thought it was obvious. If you choose to tell, I will kill you.”Xiao got very angry. “You have a choice too!” she yelled. “Give us our water!” Her mind searched for an idea. “Or . . . or . . . I won’t tell you about what the other god is doing!” she lied.She grabbed RouRou and ran before the mountain god could askquestions. She didn’t know any other gods, but the mountain god almost never left his cave. Maybe she could scare him into sharing the water?The next day, they returned to the turnip. “The other god says you have to share your water,” she lied as she filled her bucket. “Or else.” “What do I care?” The mountain god sang loudly in response. “I farted in the tub today, today, today!”Xiao thought about the choice she had to make. Could she take a little water to the people in her village? They had cared and loved for her when her mother died. But she knew that she would tell them the secret.Then she would die. Instead, she cut herself off from the people she loved.During one of her visits to the turnip, the mountain god said to Xiao, “Your hair is turning white, child. Probably from stress. Too bad you don’t have the wisdom of age . . . Just the worry and the hair.”Xiao yelled, “The other god says if you don’t share the water, thieves will eat your turnip! Your tub will become a river! And the other god is more powerful than you!”“Impossible!” he roared, shaking the mountain. The End
Question: When people talk, they don’t always use proper grammar.Who made a mistake and which sentence has the mistake?
1. Xiao made a mistake when she said, “This water’s for everyone andeverything on this mountain!”
2. The mountain god made a mistake when he sang, “I farted in the tubtoday, today!”
3. The mountain god made a mistake when he said, “My, but I wishchildren were smarter.”
4. The mountain god made a mistake when he said, “Why is a hairy childand a pink child causing this trouble?”
Xiao and RouRou ran toward the village. As she passed by the banyan tree, she saw a bald old man struggling to carry a jar of water.“Let me help you, Grandfather,” she said.“Thank you,” he answered. “I’ve been walking all day to get this jar of water.”Then he stmbled. The jar broke. The water spilled. Xiao and the other villagers helped him up.And that’s when Xiao made up her mind to tell the villagers about the water at the turnip. She yelled to the gathering crowd. “I know a place where there’s enough water for everyone! Bring your sickles. Bring your hoes. We have a turnip to harvest!”The villagers followed Xiao up the mountain. As they neared the turnip, Xiao turned to them. “Look under that turnip! There’s all the water we need!”They stabbed and cut the turnip into little pieces. Water poured out! Everyone raced to drink their fill.A whirlpool formed where the turnip had been. It yanked Xiao’s legs out from under her and pulled her into the cave. Xiao blinked her eyes in the darkness. She saw that the god’s bath had turned into a river as it raced out to quench the thirst of the village.“Are you going to kill me?” Xiao asked.“You made your choice. You told my secret. You didn’t bring the cute pink one.” The god wiggled his pinky finger like RouRou’s tail. “I should kill you. I promised.”“You don’t have to keep your promise.”He shook his finger at Xiao. “You didn’t keep your promise! You told everyone about my bath. About my turnip. You don’t care about right and wrong!”She lied again. “I tried to warn you. The other god said this would happen.”“Did he say that you would stand below the new river’s waterfall forever?” he snorted. “Because you didn’t keep your promise?”Xiao’s skin went icy at the thought of being trapped under the waterfall until she died. “I have to ask someone to take care of the little pink one.I’ll say goodbye and come back tomorrow.”“Know this,” roared the mountain god. “If you don’t come back, I will kill the villagers.” He rubbed his chin, deep in thought. “But I will let the pink one live. I like pink.”Xiao leaped in the river and swam out of the cave. She tumbled over the waterfall, swam to the riverbank, and ran home.She told the villagers she was going on a journey and said goodbye. Another lie, but Xiao knew it was better than the truth.Xiao stopped by the banyan tree to say goodbye. She smiled to see that its long hair was brown again. New leaves were sprouting.“I’m looking fine and feeling fit! Thank you for the water during the dry days, Xiao Shui.” She looked around in surprise. An old man with a graygreen beard as long as Xiao’s hair peeked out from behind the banyan.“Come see what I made for you.” He led Xiao into a hollow tree trunk.“It’s me!” she cried when she saw the life-size statue. “But carved of stone . . . and bald?”He rubbed his own bald head. “I’ve never been good at sculpting hair.”Xiao was amazed. “This gift. Can you put it under the waterfall?”“You got it!” he laughed. “But I need a gift from you first.”“My hair?” Xiao asked, her voice worried.“Yes. Now close your eyes.” Xiao closed her eyes and held her breath.Something tickled her head! “Open your eyes,” he said.Xiao saw her white hair on the statue in front of her! Amazing, but was she now bald? She looked into the river and saw her reflection. Her long black hair was back!“Thank you, Banyan Grandfather!” She turned toward him, but he was gone.A moment later, his voice trilled from the center of the tree. “The Xiao Shui statue is under the waterfall at the top of the mountain. Your white hair flows like rushing water, and the god is fooled. You and everyone on this mountain are safe. He says he wants the pink child to visit him every day.“Thank you, Banyan Grandfather! Thank you!”“Go on home now but come visit me again.”“I will! I will!” she promised, telling the truth this time.
The End
Question: Is a lie ever good? Think about the lies in the story and lies inreal life to form your opinion.
The handsome young monk looked across the wooden bridge. “Can I be lost if I’m not supposed to be anywhere?” he asked himself.“Well, that’s a tough one,” he answered himself. “I’d like to ask a friend.” Usually things worked out well when one of his friends gave him advice. He had been missing his friends since leaving the monastery a few days before.He continued his conversation with himself. “Should I cross the bridge?” he asked aloud.“Oh, that’s another tough one!” he answered himself. “Why do I keep asking myself such hard questions! Geez! Lighten up, Jun!”A family of goats clattered onto the bridge, interrupting Jun’s argument with himself. Trusting in the wisdom of goats, Jun followed them over the river and up a mountain path. Then they all walked together to a rundown temple at the end of the path.“Hello?” Finding the building empty of people and noticing that the goats seemed to be at home, Jun thought he might as well move in too. He was grateful to the goats, so when they started to eat his straw hat, he let them.The next morning Jun was awakened by a kid goat nibbling the sock on his left foot. “You’re right,” he told the goat. “We need food.” He and the goats went outside. They picked fruit from the orchard next to the temple. After breakfast, Jun grabbed one of two big buckets. Then he and the goats hiked down to the river for a drink. Jun filled the bucket and lugged it back to the temple. As he did stretches near the altar, one of the goats climbed on his back.Every day passed in much the same way. Jun became more confident. He even started to make his own decisions, instead of always watching what the goats did. He decided to wash the statues in the temple and weave a new straw hat. It was the goats’ decision that Jun should be barefoot. His socks were too tasty.One hot day a tall, thin monk arrived while Jun was in silent meditation. Jun’s eyes were closed, and he was as still as the beautiful Buddha on the altar. The tall monk looked around and thought he was alone.He quenched his thirst with most of the water in the big bucket. Jun finished his meditation and smiling, turned to greet his visitor.“ACK! You startled me!” the monk cried, jumping backward. “I thought you were a statue!”“No,” said Jun. “I’m real. Welcome! My name is Jun. Would you like a drink of water or a piece of fruit?”“I would like more water, thank you,” said the monk. “It’s really hot outside. Nice to meet you by the way. My name is Chang.”Jun leaned into the bucket to get the last bit of water for his visitor.“What’s going on?” he exclaimed, frowning. “I just filled the bucket.”Chang blushed. “I drank the water. I was about to fall over from thirst.”“I bet you’re still thirsty,” said Jun.“I am,” said Chang.“Here you go!” Jun hung both big buckets on a long pole, surprising himself with his decisiveness. “You can fill up these buckets at the river.” The End
Question: Can someone be lost if he or she is not supposed to beanywhere? Explain your answer.
核心词汇
monastery n. 隐修院，寺院
clatter v. 发出连续而清脆的撞击声
nibble v. 啃，一点一点地咬
orchard n. 果园，果树林
stretch n. 舒展，伸长
lug v. 用力拖，使劲拉
barefoot adj. 赤脚的，不穿鞋袜的
meditation n. 沉思，冥想
altar n. （教堂内的）圣坛，祭坛
quench v. 消除，平息，抑制
frown v. 皱眉，蹙额
blush v. （因害羞、激动、窘困等）脸红
pole n. 杆，支杆
Can I be lost if I’m not supposed to be anywhere? 如果我不想去
任何地方，我能迷路么？be supposed to do 应该做某事。
I was about to fall over from thirst. 我刚刚差点要渴得晕倒了。be
新来的长和尚被俊和尚指使下山挑水。正当他担着扁担下山时，突然觉得：自己只喝了一桶，却要提两桶，这不公平。他和羊群回到山上向俊抗议。之后，俊想到一个好方法，两人共担一桶水。后来，大壮来到寺庙，喝完了一整桶水，却拒绝自己下山担水。三个和尚起了争执，开始互扔水果，场面非常混乱。 Chang bent his back to balance the two big buckets on the long pole. He staggered out the door. By the time he reached the edge of the orchard he was tired and very thirsty. He sat down to regain his strength. A goat came over and nibbled Chang’s hat, which was as tasty as Jun’s hat.After shooing away the goat, Chang decided it was unfair that he should carry two big buckets. He had drunk only part of one bucket!He turned back. As he hiked uphill, he stepped to the rhythm of Not fair!Not fair! A line of goats followed him, parading. The tallest goat marched behind Chang, butting him with its horns. This did not improve Chang’s mood.[Narrator: He is calling him “You” because he is irritated. “You,” Chang called to the younger monk. “I’m not going to fill up two buckets! It’s not fair! I didn’t even drink one! You should carry at least one!”“Well, I guess you’re going to be thirsty then,” said Jun, shrugging. Wow!He thought proudly. What a hothead I am! I really told him off! No one’s going to push me around!The two monks faced away from each other at the altar, chanting. Chang found Jun’s chanting to be too slow. Jun tried not to be distracted by Chang’s whiny voice. As they chanted, two goats scampered into the room. They trotted around, then butted heads and laughed. Both monks wondered if the goats were laughing at them! Jun got up. He slid one bucket off the pole. Then he measured the pole and marked the center. “Chang,” he said. “Let’s carry one bucket together.”“Good idea,” Chang quickly agreed, embarrassed. As they filed out of the temple to get water, neither man would look at the goats.Jun, Chang, and the goats settled into a daily routine. The kid goat found Chang’s socks to be as tasty as Jun’s. The orchard and garden became a little farm. The goats climbed over both monks as they stretched in the morning. The walk to the river never got easier.It was an even hotter day when a monk named Zhuang came panting uphill. He was an older, big-boned fellow and very thirsty. The kid goat welcomed him to the temple by sniffing his left sock. “Got any water for a thirsty monk?” he asked Jun.“Welcome!” Jun answered. “Sure we do!”Before Chang could hand him the cup, Zhuang grabbed a big bucket.With a show of great strength, he downed all the water in one gulp!“Shifu,” said Jun, trying to be respectful. “How can you drink that fast!”Zhuang grabbed the second bucket and drank all of it. “It’s a talent,” he bragged. “I can drink like a camel!”“You just drank all our water!” complained Chang. He put the two big buckets on the pole. “You’ve got to go to the river and fill up the buckets.”Jun said, “Thanks in advance for filling our buckets.” He fist-bumped the tallest goat to congratulate himself on being so decisive. Well, fist and horn bumped.“Not gonna happen,” said Zhuang. “As my name is Da Zhuang, I am too strong to be bossed around. You can get your own water!”Now here’s where modern life really wins over life long ago. If this had happened today, a guy on a scooter would have delivered water. The goats would have nibbled his hat. Easy-peasy. There would have been no need for a quarrel.But there was no scooter. What was there? A food fight! When Zhuang refused to fill the buckets, Chang grabbed an orange. He threw it at Zhuang, yelling, “Guess you’ll have to squeeze some juice then!” The orange bounced off Zhuang’s tummy!“YOU can squeeze juice!” yelled Zhuang. He hurled a bunch of bananas at Chang. He got him on the chin, ears, and bald head. Chang threw a peach and accidentally hit Jun straight on the nose.“Not my nose!” cried Jun. “It’s my most handsome feature! How dare you!” He scooped up the smashed peach. Zhuang and Chang grabbed oranges and apricots. Everybody threw. It was a flurry of flying fruit!Some very happy and hungry goats cleaned up the mess in the temple.But the monks looked like walking fruit smoothies. The End
Question:
In the original folktale, goats are not a part of the story. Why
do you think the writer added goats to this telling of The Three Monks?
核心词汇
shoo v. 用“嘘”声赶走，吓走
rhythm n. 律动，节律
parade v. 在……游行，在……招摇而行
butt v. 用头（或角）顶撞，冲撞
chant v. 反复（或单调）地唱（或吟诵，说）
distract v. 转移（注意力），使分心
whiny adj. 爱发牢骚的，烦躁的，暴躁的
scamper v. 奔跑，疾走
down v. 喝下
gulp n. 吞咽，一（大）口
brag v. 吹嘘
scooter n. 踏板车，小型摩托车
easy-peasy adj. 简易的
hurl v. 猛投，力掷
scoop v. 挖出
smash v. 压碎，压扁，粉碎
apricot n. 杏子
flurry adj. 阵风
smoothie n. （主美）奶昔（一种将水果、酸奶等加以混合的保健饮料）
What a hothead I am! I really told him off! No one’s going to push me
around! 我多鲁莽啊！我竟然让他滚！没有人能对我指手画脚！这三句皆
为感叹句，表示俊和尚对于自己的惊讶！
I am too strong to be bossed around. 我这么强壮，不能被你们指手画
脚。too..to 太……以至于不能……。
If this had happened today, a guy on a scooter would have delivered
water. The goats would have nibbled his hat. 如果这件事发生在现在，骑
Jun’s strongest, most heart-felt wish was to get clean. He got a small bucket from the closet and stepped outside. But to go to the river, get water, and scrub . . . well, wouldn’t the others think he had given in to them? He put away the bucket.The monks looked up at the sky, pleading for rain. It looked like it would rain. Didn’t it? But no rain came!Without water, the three monks got thirstier, more tired, and smellier.Even the goats, not known for being fussy, began to stay away. They started living outside.One day, as the monks snored, a rat sneaked onto the altar. It too wanted water. It found none but did find an oil lamp. It sipped the oil from the lamp, then leaned in to drink it all. It knocked over the oil lamp. The altar cloth caught fire! Flames ran up the wooden altar. The rat ran down the altar and across Jun’s toes.Jun coughed and opened his eyes. “Pardon me, you two,” he said to his older friends. He gently tapped them on the shoulders. “You may want to get up. There’s a fire. We need to get water right away.”“What?” said Zhuang, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. Chang snored.Jun said, “We need water.”Zhuang closed his eyes. “I’m not your water delivery service,” he said in a dry, raspy voice.Jun leaned over. “The room is on fire!” he shouted into Zhuang’s ear.Zhuang’s eyes bugged out! “Why didn’t you say so?” he yelled.He nudged Chang with his foot. “Get up! Get up! You want to die? Get up!” He shook him. The skinny monk leaped to his feet.“Hey, what’s the big deal?” Chang asked.“The altar’s on fire!” Zhuang yelled in his face.“We’ve got to get water!” Chang yelled back. “Grab the buckets!”The three monks ran to the bucket closet. They all got there at once, so they jammed into the doorway. No one could move. Zhuang started to yell at the others but thought better of it and wiggled instead. Chang, the skinniest monk, broke free and pushed into the closet. He grabbed the two big buckets and two small ones.The monks ran downhill. Jun slipped on the trail. Chang and Zhuang lifted him up. At the river, they helped each other scoop up the water.Then Zhuang raced uphill with one big bucket, Chang carried the other big bucket, and Jun tucked each small bucket under an arm. They ran back and forth to the river and the temple until they finally doused the fire. Then they congratulated one another, nodding at their smoky, fruit-stained faces. Handsome Jun, in particular, looked disgusting! They laughed.From that day onward the three monks were best friends. They never refused to help one another with their chores. They also learned to make socks . . . for the kid goat’s breakfast! The End
Question: How much water should Chang and Zhuang carry, if they areto be fair to Jun? Why?
Little Monkey plays in the forest.He jumps. He hangs from a tree. He swings from tree to tree. He swings over a well.He sees a glow from the well.“Oh no!” cries Little Monkey. “The moon fell into the well!”Big Monkey hears Little Monkey. She swings over from a nearby tree.She looks into the well.“Oh no! You’re right,” cries Big Monkey. “The moon fell into the well!”Bigger Monkey swings over, too. He looks into the well.“Oh my!” he cries. “The moon fell into the well! What can we do?”Other monkeys hear the noise. They are curious. They wonder what is going on. They swing over to the well.“Oh no!” the first monkey cries.“Oh no!” the second monkey cries.“Oh my!” the third monkey cries.“The moon fell into the well!” they all howl.“What can we do?” asks Little Monkey.“We have to get it out!” yells Big Monkey.“Let’s get to it!” says Bigger Monkey.He climbs up the tree next to the well. He wraps his tail around a branch.Bigger Monkey hangs upside down. He holds onto Big Monkey’s feet with his hands.Big Monkey hangs upside down. She holds Little Monkey’s feet with her hands.Little Monkey hangs upside down. He holds another monkey’s feet with his hands.Monkey by monkey, they form a chain. The chain reaches all the way down into the well.Soon, they can almost touch the water in the well. They see the moon in the water. It looks very close! Stretch, monkeys!Just then, Bigger Monkey looks up at the sky.“Wait a minute! The moon is not in the well!” he cries. “It is in the sky! It is shining bright.”“We’ve been so foolish,” laugh the other monkeys.The moon was never in the well. It only looked like it was in the well. It was just the moon’s reflection in the water! The End
Question: If the monkeys were able to see the moon’s reflection, doesthe story take place in the daytime or nighttime?
核心词汇
hang v. 悬挂
swing v. 摇摆; 摇荡
well n. 井
glow n. 发光，光亮
curious adj. 好奇的; 奇妙的; 好求知的
wonder v. 惊奇;对…感到好奇;感到诧异;想弄明白
wrap v. 包; 缠绕; 用…包裹
branch n. 树枝
upside down 颠倒，倒转
chain n. 链子，链条;连锁，连续
reach v. 到达，走到; 够…
stretch v. 伸展; 延伸
The chain reaches all the way down into the well. 这条链子一直
从前，有个巨人叫夸父，他高大到能触到天空，既勇敢，又善良。有一年，天气极其炎热，草木枯死，人们十分口渴。夸父看着天空，决定抓住太阳。夜里，夸父找到一株很高的桃树，高到能触到天空，他将树连根拔起，并将桃子吃尽。之后的每一天，夸父都拿着树，拼命奔跑，他能追到太阳吗？ Long ago, there was a giant named Kua Fu. He was giant enough to touch the sky. He could cross Mount Erlang with one giant step.Kua Fu was brave. He was also kind.One year, the weather was very hot. Rivers dried up. Plants died. The people were very thirsty.Kua Fu wanted to help. He looked up at the Sun. It moved across the sky. It baked the ground below.Kua Fu wanted to catch the Sun. Then he could stop it from baking the ground. That night, Kua Fu found a tall peach tree. It was so tall it reached heaven. It looked like a good tree to catch the Sun. He pulled up the tree. Then he ate the peaches.When the Sun rose, Kua Fu picked up the tree. He ran fast. He ran hard.Mountains shook. Wind storms blew. The Gods watched.“Kua Fu is very fast!” they said. “Can he catch the Sun?”The Sun wasn’t worried. Every morning, it came up. Every day it crossed the sky. Every evening it set.Every day, Kua Fu ran. He ran, and his shoes filled with dirt. He stopped to empty his shoes. The dirt that fell out of his shoes turned into a hill.Then Kua Fu ran up Dirty Shoes Hill.Kua Fu ran each day. He stretched up his arms to reach the sky. But he still didn’t catch the Sun.After many days, Kua Fu got thirsty. He went to the nearest stream. He drank the stream dry! But it was not enough. He was still thirsty!He ran to the Yellow River. He drank it dry, too. But he was still thirsty!He drank every stream and lake he passed. He drank them all dry. Kua Fu pushed on. He jumped as high as he could. He jumped at the Sun. He was good at playing ball with giants and shorter people. But he couldn’t catch the biggest ball of all. He couldn’t catch the Sun. He felt very mad. He roared! He shook his fist at the Sun! He threw the peach tree at the Sun! Then he fell to the ground, tired to death.The Sun set that night, just like it always did. When it rose, the Gods saw that Kua Fu had turned into a mountain. The peach tree he had carried had become a grove of peach trees. The Sun no longer baked the ground.Today that land is called Denglin Forest. It is lush. It is beautiful. Its peaches are sweet and juicy. They can quench the thirst of anyone who tries to chase the Sun! The End
Question: You decide! The story says Kua Fu fell down and was tired todeath. Why do you think he turned into a mountain?
核心词汇
giant n. 巨人 step n. （脚）步，一步的距离
move v. 移动
bake v. 烘，培，烤
reach v. 达到，及到，够到
shake (shook) v. 摇，（猛力）摇动
storm n. 风暴，暴（风）雨
blow (blew) v. （风）吹，吹动
stream n. （小）河，溪流
roar v. 大声叫喊，咆哮
fist n. 拳头
throw (threw) v. 投，抛，掷
grove n. 小树林，果园
lush adj. 鲜嫩多汁的，葱翠的
quench v. 平息，压制
chase v. 追赶
It was so tall it reached heaven. 桃树很高，可以够到天。so…
that … 表示如此……以至于……，本句省略了 that。
The dirt that fell out of his shoes turned into a hill.他的鞋子里面
掉出来的土变成了一座小山。本句包含由 that 引导的定语从句，
修饰 the dirt。
The Sun set that night, just like it always did. 太阳那晚下山了，
就像每天的日落一样。本句中 did 代指 set，避免重复。
They can quench the thirst of anyone who tries to chase the