B
The Friday when everything changed
Our school didn't have water. Every day, two boys would go get it from the pump at the railway station. They had to walk a quarter of a mile each way.
It was a big deal. It meant you were big and strong enough to carry the water bucket. It also meant you could get away from school for half an hour each time.
Friday afternoons were for picking the two water boys for the next week. When our teacher, Miss Ralston, did that one afternoon, something strange happened.
Alma, my seatmate, raised her hand. Then, she said, “Why can’t girls go for the water too?” Everyone was so surprised that they sat in silence.
After a long pause, Miss Ralston answered, “I’ll think about that, and I’ll let you know next Friday.” Then, school let out, and the trouble started.
The boys didn’t want to lose their precious job. So, they made life difficult for Alma and the girls. They did many bad things, and they didn’t let the girls play softball at break.
Next Friday came, and Miss Ralston surprised everyone again. At break, she went to the softball field and got a bat(球棒). She stood at home base and shouted for a pitch(投球).
On the first throw, she missed the ball. When the second one came, she swung the bat and sent the ball high into the air. It flew across the field and out of sight.
“School’s in,” Miss Ralston said and left. In the final hour of school, she said, “Next week, Alma and Joyce will go for the water.”
词汇
pump /pʌmp/ n. 抽水机
railway /'reɪlweɪ/ n. 铁路,铁道
bucket /'bʌkɪt/ n. (有提梁的)桶
in silence 安静地,沉默地
pause /pɔːz/ n. 停顿
precious /'preʃəs/ adj. 珍贵的
softball /'sɒftbɔːl/ n. 垒球
miss /mɪs/ v. 错过
swing /swɪŋ/ v. (挥动某物)朝……打去(过去式 swung)
句型
1. It was a big deal. 这是一件重要的事情。
2. It meant you were big and strong enough to carry the water bucket. 这意味着你足够高大健壮,可以提得动水桶。
(sb) is+adj.+enough to do (某人)够……可以做
3. Everyone was so surprised that they sat in silence. 每个人都如此惊讶以至于他们安静地坐着。
so... that... 如此……以至于……
⇒ The little boy runs so fast that I can’t catch up with him.
理解
1. How did Miss Ralston prove that girls were as good as the boys?
2. How can you prove yourself? Share your experience.
The Friday when everything changed
Our school didn't have water. Every day, two boys would go get it from the pump at the railway station. They had to walk a quarter of a mile each way.
It was a big deal. It meant you were big and strong enough to carry the water bucket. It also meant you could get away from school for half an hour each time.
Friday afternoons were for picking the two water boys for the next week. When our teacher, Miss Ralston, did that one afternoon, something strange happened.
Alma, my seatmate, raised her hand. Then, she said, “Why can’t girls go for the water too?” Everyone was so surprised that they sat in silence.
After a long pause, Miss Ralston answered, “I’ll think about that, and I’ll let you know next Friday.” Then, school let out, and the trouble started.
The boys didn’t want to lose their precious job. So, they made life difficult for Alma and the girls. They did many bad things, and they didn’t let the girls play softball at break.
Next Friday came, and Miss Ralston surprised everyone again. At break, she went to the softball field and got a bat(球棒). She stood at home base and shouted for a pitch(投球).
On the first throw, she missed the ball. When the second one came, she swung the bat and sent the ball high into the air. It flew across the field and out of sight.
“School’s in,” Miss Ralston said and left. In the final hour of school, she said, “Next week, Alma and Joyce will go for the water.”
词汇
pump /pʌmp/ n. 抽水机
railway /'reɪlweɪ/ n. 铁路,铁道
bucket /'bʌkɪt/ n. (有提梁的)桶
in silence 安静地,沉默地
pause /pɔːz/ n. 停顿
precious /'preʃəs/ adj. 珍贵的
softball /'sɒftbɔːl/ n. 垒球
miss /mɪs/ v. 错过
swing /swɪŋ/ v. (挥动某物)朝……打去(过去式 swung)
句型
1. It was a big deal. 这是一件重要的事情。
2. It meant you were big and strong enough to carry the water bucket. 这意味着你足够高大健壮,可以提得动水桶。
(sb) is+adj.+enough to do (某人)够……可以做
3. Everyone was so surprised that they sat in silence. 每个人都如此惊讶以至于他们安静地坐着。
so... that... 如此……以至于……
⇒ The little boy runs so fast that I can’t catch up with him.
理解
1. How did Miss Ralston prove that girls were as good as the boys?
2. How can you prove yourself? Share your experience.
答案：1. She went to the softball field, picked up a bat, and hit the second softball so hard that the ball flew high across the whole field and out of sight. She used this action to show that girls also have enough strength, and they are as strong and capable as boys.
2. For example: I was very poor at English spoken before, and many people thought I could not speak English well. I kept reading English aloud for 20 minutes every morning, and tried to speak English with my teacher and classmates as much as possible. Last month, I took part in the school English speech contest and won the first prize. I proved myself through my hard work.
2. For example: I was very poor at English spoken before, and many people thought I could not speak English well. I kept reading English aloud for 20 minutes every morning, and tried to speak English with my teacher and classmates as much as possible. Last month, I took part in the school English speech contest and won the first prize. I proved myself through my hard work.
解析：
1. 第一题可定位原文中Miss Ralston的相关行为：她到垒球场拿起球棒，第二次投球时就挥棒把球打得高高飞起，飞过整个场地消失不见，用这个实际行动证明女生也有足够的力气，和男生一样强壮，完全可以胜任打水的工作。2. 第二题为开放性题目，结合自身真实经历，用符合七年级难度的简单表达，讲述自己通过努力证明自身能力的相关内容即可。