The New Story of the Hare and the Tortoise

The spring is coming． The forest（森林） sports meeting is beginning． A monkey is standing in the tree as a referee（裁判）． The hare and the tortoise are getting ready for a race． The monkey fires the gun（槍）． The hare and the tortoise begin to run． The hare is thinking while he runs：“I mustn’t stop to have a rest…” But the hare falls into the river carelessly（粗心地）， and the hare can’t swim．

The hare shouts：“Help！Help!” Hearing the voice， the tortoise comes to the river． The tortoise says：“Let me help you!” And he does so． The tortoise and the hare go on running again． Very soon，the hare gets to the top of the hill．

The tortoise is climbing up the hill． Suddenly，the tortoise rolls down（滾下） the hill． The tortoise shouts：“Help， Help！” Hearing the voice，the hare runs down from the top of the hill． The hare says：“Don’t worry！Let me help you!” The hare finds a stick（樹枝） and helps him to turn over． The tortoise says：“Thank you！Thank you!”They began to run again．

The hare reaches（到達） the end first，the monkey says：“The hare is the champion（冠軍）”．

The hare feels shame（不好意思）and says：“Thanks for the tortoise’s help．”

At this moment，the tortoise also reaches the end and says：“You also helped me!”

The monkey holds the hare’s hand and the tortoise’s hand and says：“The hare and the tortoise are both champions!”

The Boy at the Dike①

Many years ago， there lived a boy who did a brave deed②． His name was Peter， and he lived in Holland， a country by the sea．

In Holland， the sea presses in③ on the land so much that the people built big walls of earth and stone to hold back the water． Every little child in Holland was taught that these big walls， called dikes， must be watched at every moment． No water must be allowed to come through the dikes． Even a hole no longer than your little finger was a very dangerous thing．

One afternoon in the early fall， when Peter was seven years old， his mother called to him． “Come Peter，” she said． “ I want you to go across the dike and take these cakes to your friend， the blind④ man． If you go quickly， you will be home again before dark．”

Peter was happy to go， because his friend， the blind man lived alone and was always glad to have a visitor． When he got to the blind man’s home， Peter stayed a while to tell him of his walk along the dike． He told about the bright sun and the flowers and the ships far out at sea． Then Peter remembered that his mother wanted him to return home before dark． So he said good-bye and set out for home．

As he walked along， he noticed how the water beat against⑤ the side of the dike． There had been much rain， and the water was higher than before． Peter remembered how his father always spoke of the “angry waters．”

“I suppose father thinks they're angry，” thought Peter， “because we have been keeping them out for so long． Well， I am glad these dikes are so strong． If they gave way， what would become of us？ All these fields would be covered with water． Then what would happen to the flowers， and the animals， and the people﹖”

Suddenly Peter noticed that the sun was setting． Darkness was settling⑥ on the land． “Mother will be watching for me，” he said． “I must hurry．” But just then he heard a noise． It was the sound of trickling⑦ water！ He stopped， looked down， and saw a small hole in the dike， through which a tiny⑧ stream⑨ was flowing．

A leak⑩ in the dike！ Peter understood the danger at once． If water ran through a little hole， it would soon make a larger one， then the waters could break through and the land would be flooded(11)！

Peter saw what he must do． He climbed down the side of the dike and put his finger in the tiny hole． The water stopped！ “The angry waters will stay back now，” said Peter． “I can keep them back with my finger． Holland will not be drowned(12) while I am here．”

But then he thought， “How long can I stay here﹖” Already it was dark and cold．

Peter called out， “Help！ Is anyone there？ Help!” But no one heard him． No one came to help．

It grew darker and colder still． Peter’s arm began to grow stiff(13) and numb(14)． “Will no one come﹖” he thought． Then he shouted again for help． And when no one came， he cried out， “Mother！ Mother!”

Many times since sunset， his mother had looked out at the dike and expected to see her little boy． She was worried， but then she thought that perhaps Peter was spending the night with his blind friend， as he had done before． “Well，” she thought， “when he gets home in the morning， I will have to scold(15) him for staying away from home without permission(16)．”

Poor Peter！ He would rather have been home than else in the world， but he could not move from the dike． He tried to whistle(17) to keep himself company， but he couldn’t because his teeth chattered(18) with cold． He thought of his brother and sister in their warm beds， and of his father and mother． “I must not let them be drowned,” he thought．“I must stay here until someone comes.”

The moon and stars looked down on the shivering child． His head was bent(19) and his eyes closed， but he was not asleep． Now and then he rubbed(20) the hand that was holding back the angry waters．

Morning came． A man walking along the dike heard a sound， something like a groan(21)． He bent down and saw the child below． He called out， “What’s the matter， boy？ Are you hurt？ Why are you sitting there﹖”

In a voice faint(22) and weak，the boy said，“I am keeping the water from coming in． Please， tell them to come quickly!”

The man ran to get help． People came with shovels(23) to fix the dike， and they carried Peter， the little hero(24)， home to his parents．

It is many a year since then； but still，

When the sea roars like a flood，

The children are taught what a child can do

Who is brave and true and good．

For all the mothers and fathers

Take their children by the hand

And tell them of brave little Peter

Whose courage saved the land．

Help：

1．dike n． 土堤，堤壩

2．do a brave deed 做一件勇敢的事

3．press in 浸入

4．blind adj． 盲的 a ～ man 盲人 be ～ in the right eye 右眼失明

5．a(chǎn)gainst prep． 逆,對,違反 speak ～ sb． 說反對某人的話

6．settle v． 安頓，安放 ～ one hat on one’s head 把帽子戴在頭上

7．trickle v． 滴，淌

Tears were trickling from her eyes． 淚水不斷地從她眼中滴下。

8．tiny adj． 極小的，微小的

a ～ child 小不點兒 make ～ changes 作細微的改動

9．stream n． 河，溪流 on the banks of a ～ 在溪流兩岸

10．leak n．裂縫，漏洞 a ～ in a roof 屋頂?shù)穆┒?/p>

11．flood n./v． 洪水，水災；淹沒，泛濫

Every summer the river ～s． 每年夏天河水泛濫。

12．drown v． 淹死，溺死 She ～ed in the river 她溺水而死。

13．stiff adj． 硬的，不易彎曲的，僵硬的 The door is rather ～． 這門相當緊。

14．numb adj． 麻木的，失去知覺的 The arm went ～． 手臂麻木了。

15．scold v./n． 責罵 a writing that is a ～ 罵人的文章

I hate to ～，but you mustn’t stay out so late at night．

16．permission n． 允許，許可

give sb． ～ to do sth． 允許某人做某事

17．whistle v． 吹口哨 ～merrily 愉快地吹口哨

The train ～d． 火車拉響了汽笛。

18．chatter v． 喋喋不休，饒舌

The children ～ed about the teacher．

19．bend（bent，bent）v． 使彎曲

He bent the can opener． 他把罐頭開罐器弄彎了。

20．rub v． 擦，摩擦． ～ a glass witha cloth 用布擦玻璃杯。

21．groan n．／v． 呻吟聲

The man gave a ～ and then lay still 那人呻吟了一聲，然后就躺著不動了。

22．faint adj． 不清楚的；無力的，微弱的

His breathing became ～ 他的呼吸變得微弱了。

23．shovel n． 鏟，鐵鍬

He was working with a pick and a ～． 他在用鎬和鏟干活。

24．hero n．英雄

The Moon and the Stars

Sometimes，when the sun has set，we see another light in the sky．

It is smaller than the sun，and not so bright． It shines like silver． It is the moon．

At the same time，we can see many little lights． They are very bright． They are the stars．

You cannot count the stars． There are too many of them．

They are very far away． That is why they look so small．

Each star is like our sun． It shines with its own light．

The moon has no light of its own． The sun makes it bright． Then it shines．

Do you know that the moon changes its shape？Watch it for a few nights．

It may look round． Then it is a full moon．

It will look a little smaller night by night． Soon it will be a halfmoon．

At last，it will show only a curved light．

After this comes the new moon． It will begin to grow larger． It will grows until it is full again．

International Date Line

Strange things happen from time to time when you travel because people divide（劃分） the earth into twenty-four time zones（時區(qū)），one hour apart．You can have days with more or fewer than twenty-four hours，and weeks more or less than seven days．If you make a five-day trip across the Atlantic Ocean（大西洋），your ship enters a different time zone every day．As you enter each zone，the time changes one hour．If you travel westward，you set your watch back；and if you travel eastward，you set it ahead．Each day of your trip has either twenty-five or twenty-three hours．If you travel by ship across the Pacific（太平洋），you cross the International Date Line． By agreement（協(xié)定）a new day begins at this line．When you cross the line，you change your calender（日歷）one full day，backward or forward．If travel eastward，today becomes yesterday，if westward，it is tomorrow．

The First Secret Message

There was once a king who lived in Egypt（埃及）． He wanted to send a message to a friend who lived far away in Greece（希臘）．

Now the king wanted his friend to read the message，but he didn’t want anyone else to see it． He wanted it to be a secret one． How could he send his friend the secret message？ The king thought and thought． Then，at last，he had an idea． He knew how he could do that．

The king called in a servant whom he trusted most and said to him，“I want you to shave（剃） all the hair off your head．” And the servant did so．

“Now，”said the king，“I'm going to write something on your head．”

The servant bent down，and the king wrote a message on his head． Then the king said，“I want you to stay alone until your hair grows back． Your hair will hide what I have written． I'm going to put you in a locked room for a month．”

One month passed． The king went to see the servant and said，“I see that your hair has grown back． Now I want you to go to see my friend in Greece． And I want you to show him the message on your head． Only he may see it．”

When the servant got to the king's friend，he cut his hair off again to be read the message． Then the servant washed his head，and the message was off．

No one but the king and his friend ever knew what the message said． It was a secret message between them． It might have been the first secret message ever sent．

Traffic Rules in HongKong

When you travel in HongKong，you must be careful of the traffic rules，because the traffic keeps to the left and it’s different from that of the interior（內(nèi)地）of China．Before crossing the street，you must look to the right and then to the left．If the traffic lights are red，the traffic must stop, people can cross the zebra line．If the traffic lights turn green，the traffic can go，people mustn't cross the road．

In the morning and in the evening，when people go to or come from work，the streets are very busy．The traffic is the most dangerous．

When you go somewhere by bus in HongKong，you have to be careful，too．Always remember the traffic keeps to the left． Have a look first，or you may go the wrong way．In HongKong, there are a lot of big buses with two floors．You’d better sit on the second floor．From there you can watch the city very well． How interesting！

［簡析］ 短文講的是香港的交通規(guī)則：車輛靠左行駛，不像內(nèi)地靠右行駛。街上最繁忙、最危險的時候是在人們上、下班的早晨和傍晚。觀光市容坐兩層的公共汽車上層看得更清晰。to／on the left／right是靠、向左／右邊。綠燈亮時車輛通行，行人不能橫過街道。

［思考］What does“the zebra line”mean？