作者：王为忠
出版社：南京大学出版社
格式: AZW3, DOCX, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT
突破阅读书丛 翻艇之后(The Little Boat Girl) 3级试读：
前言
阅读是《义务教育英语课程标准》听、说、读、写四项语言技能中的重要组成部分，是提高学生综合语言运用能力的重要手段。系统而广泛、渐进持续的阅读，可以激发学生学习英语的兴趣，提高自主学习能力和思维能力，并拓展他们的文化视野。南京大学出版社基于上述理念，引进了伟文（香港）出版社优秀的阅读材料，组织编写了《突破阅读书丛》书系。
本书系紧扣英语课程标准各分级要求，选择适合学生实际水平的阅读材料。选文题材广泛，涉及中小学生感兴趣的国内外经典名著、侦探、科幻小说、神话、传说、寓言故事以及各类感人的故事，并且具有丰富的“中国元素”，使得阅读生动、有趣。文章作者均为具有英语背景并富有英语教学经验的老师，他们对内容和文字的把握精准到位，语言符合地道英语的表述习惯，原汁原味，达到延伸课堂教学的目的。同时，经过国内具有丰富教学经验的一线优秀教师的精心编制，从而保证图书更加适合中国学生的阅读学习。
本书系文章全英文编写并适当配有英文注释，以培养学生根据上下文语境阅读，逐步形成良好的英语阅读习惯，提高自主学习的能力。
本书系选文长短结合，适用于不同教学需求。“英语分级阅读步步高”选文短小精悍，适合随堂训练或课后阅读；“英语分级阅读故事会”适用于周末、节假日及寒暑假拓展阅读，其故事性、趣味性强，题材丰富，利于学生英语语言能力潜移默化的提升。
图书使用方便，突出积累。根据学生学习的实际情况，注重注释、注解，力求降低阅读难度。版式设计留有空白，便于学生做阅读笔记。
为便于更好地使用本书丛，我们将所有文章配备朗读录音和适量的阶段检测题，读者可从出版社网站上下载使用。
由于时间仓促，不足之处敬请广大读者批评指正。编者目录Contents
前言
1 The New Baby
2 Collision Course!
3 Changes
4 The Famous Family Wan
5 More Changes
6 The Magic Forest
7 Mei-Yee!
8 Hold on to Your Dreams
9 The Reunion
Fun Activities1 The New Baby
I'm a dreamer. I know that, and sometimes it gets me into all sorts of trouble. That's why I didn't hear Granny when she first called me.
You see, there was an enormous full moon that night, and the harbour lights were dancing on the water. Oh, it was a beautiful night ...
So, by the time Granny had climbed over all the fishing nets and ropes on deck to reach me, she wasn't very pleased.
“Mei-lin!” she yelled in my ear, making me jump. “Mei-lin! I have been looking for you for a long time!” Now, that, of course, can't have been true; there aren't that many places to hide on a junk! I should know — I've tried them all!
“Will you please come and help? Mei-yee is making the meal all by herself. I'm too busy with your mother and the baby.”
That made me move — fast. Scrambling to my feet I said, “The baby? It's come? Oh, Granny! Is it a boy or a girl? Can I go and see it, please? Then I'll help Mei-yee, I promise!”
“All right, Mei-lin.” Granny was smiling again now. Her anger never lasts long. I love her for that.
As I ran off, she called after me, “It's a boy! A beautiful baby boy! But don't stay too long, your mother's very tired.”
“Hi, Mei-yee,” I said, bouncing into the cabin. “I'll be back to help in a few minutes. I'm just going to see our new brother.”
“OK,” said Mei-yee, turning to grin at me. She was stirring vegetables and humming to herself, “Supper's almost ready.”
Mei-yee is like Granny — happiest when she's working. She's younger than me, but much more organized. Sometimes I wish I could be more like her. But honestly I don't know how she does it.
Then I heard the baby. It had just started to cry. The sound acted like a magnet, pulling me towards the sleeping-quarters. I stuck my head round the curtain and peered in.
“Can I help?” I asked.
Papa was bending over the bunk with his back to me. As he straightened up and turned towards me, I could also see Mumma. She was sitting up in bed with a very noisy little object in her arms. Both she and Papa smiled at me.
“Come in, Mei-lin,” she said, “come and meet Wing-keung.”
“It's amazing that one so small can make so much noise, isn't it?” laughed my father.
I went over to the bunk to gaze at my baby brother.
“Granny's right,” I said, “he is beautiful!”
“Here, take him,” offered my mother. “It's all right. You won't hurt him!”
Have you ever held a new-born baby? Especially one that's screaming. Well, it's a very strange feeling, I can tell you. A tiny, real human being lying in your arms, wriggling and thrashing his arms and legs about. his face all wrinkled and red from crying. I tried to soothe him by stroking his face. It seemed a natural thing to do, somehow. His little mouth, warm and wet, found my finger, and sucked hard. The crying stopped. He opened his eyes and stared at me.
“Hello, Wing-keung,” I murmured. I couldn't take my eyes off him. His head was covered with fine black hair, soft and fluffy like the down (1) of a little duckling.
“I'm your big sister. I'm going to look after you. We're going to have such fun together.” He was looking at me so intently, I was sure he understood every word!
Papa and Mumma laughed together, as if sharing a private joke, so I looked up for an explanation.
“Well, there you are, then,” said Papa. “I think we'll appoint you baby amah to Wing-keung!”
“And your first duty, Mei-lin,” added Mumma, sleepily, “will you to make up a bed for him, and then rock him to sleep as soon as I have fed him. He's obviously very hungry!”
Now I had a real purpose in life. Now I had to be organized. No more day-dreaming for me! I had Wing-keung to look after!
My life did change. Every afternoon, when I came home from school, I changed out of my uniform and went straight to Wing-keung. I played with him, sang him songs and rocked him to sleep. Sometimes I took him into the cabin to watch Granny and Mei-yee making dinner. Other times, I took him on to the deck where Papa and Mumma were sorting the fish or mending the nets, or held him in my arms and pointed to other fishing junks as they came into and out of the harbour.
As time passed, Wing-keung learned to recognize my voice and smiled whenever I went to him. He was a happy little boy and cried only if he was hungry.
After dinner, when Wing-keung was sleepy, I put him in his little bed in the corner of the sleeping quarters and told him stories. He might not understand what I was saying, but he seemed to like the sound of my voice. Soon, he would fall asleep.
Every night, I kissed his head and whispered, “Sleep well, little brother. Nothing will harm you. I will always be here to take care of you.”(1) down fine soft feathers2 Collision Course!
We were fishing with the fleet off Cheung Chau. It was late (1)evening in September. I was sitting in the bow watching the twinkling lights of the other junks, with Wing-keung beside me, as usual. He was now six months old, and such a beautiful baby. Everything seemed so quiet and peaceful.
Behind me I could hear Mumma and Granny chattering as they sat mending the nets, and Mei-yee's cheerful singing coming from the cabin. Papa had just turned off the main spotlights — the ones that (2)had attracted the fish to our nets — and was preparing to haul in the last catch of the day.
Then, out of nowhere, it seemed, came the mournful wail of a ship's siren. On and on the warning sounded, like a ghostly voice from the blackness.
Mumma and Granny looked up from their nets, and Mei-yee stuck her head through the cabin door.
“What is it?” she called. “It sounds big. Is it a tanker?”
Wing-keung had woken with the noise, so I took him in my arms as I peered into the darkness.
Slowly, the stars were blocked from sight, as the huge, black shape of an oil tanker came into view.
“There!” I shouted, pointing. “It is a tanker, and it's heading straight for us!”
Like a shoal of fish scattering from an on-coming shark, the other junks in the fleet began to move out of the monster-ship's path.
“Papa! Hurry! Pull in the nets! We must get away!”
I was on my feet now, we all were. Large tankers cannot easily change their course, and while our nets were out we could not move out of its path!
Mumma ran to help Papa who was struggling to wind in the heavy net.
“Mei-yee!” she screamed. “Bring an axe! We must cut the net loose!”
The enormous black shape drew menacingly closer and closer. I stood, rooted to the spot, with Wing-keung in my arms, unable to move, unable to believe what was happening. Mei-yee was screaming. There was nothing we could do. We were helpless.(3)
With a splintering crash, the bow of the tanker sliced through our fragile junk.
I can't remember what happened next. Or perhaps I don't want to. (4)It was a nightmare. It happened so fast.
But somehow, miraculously, I came to the surface with Wing-keung still in my arms. I grabbed a large plank of wood and pulled him on to it.
“Mumma! Papa! Granny!” I yelled. “Where are you?” But my voice was carried away on the wind. No human sound returned to me. Wing-keung and I were alone.
The water around was wild and angry. It was difficult to cling on to the plank of wood. I was half in the water, clinging on with one hand. With the other, I held on to Wing-keung, trying to stop him rolling off into the water. I knew that if I let go of him I would never see him again. He was screaming and I tried to comfort him. I don't know how long we continued like this but, after a while, I began to get tired and cold. Wing-keung had stopped screaming and all was quiet. I was so tired that my eyes began to close. It was only the thought of saving Wing-keung that kept me from letting go of the plank and slipping down beneath the waves. But I couldn't go on much longer. As I felt my mind begin to drift slowly into sleep, I thought I heard the sound of a boat and men's voices. But I was too tired to care. Sleep, like the waves, washed over me and I let go.(1) the bow the front of a boat(2) haul pull(3) sliced cut(4) nightmare here means a horrific experience, like in a bad dream3 Changes
Slowly, I opened my eyes. Everything was white and silent. Where was I? I tried to sit up, but my body hurt too much, so I gave up. I was warm and the bed was soft and comfortable. I closed my eyes again.
“Are you awake, dear?” a gentle voice asked. “How are you feeling? A little better, I hope.”
A lady in a white dress was bending over me.
“Where am I? What happened?” I asked.
“You're in hospital, dear. The Queen Mary, in Pokfulam. You're exhausted and badly bruised but you'll be fine if you get plenty of rest. Are you hungry? The doctor will be here to see you soon.”
Suddenly my nightmare came rushing back to me! Mei-yee! Wing-keung! Where were they? The memory of it brought tears to my eyes.
“Please,” I begged the nurse, “tell me what happened to my family! Where is Wing-keung? Is he safe?”
“Stop worrying, dear. Don't upset yourself. If Wing-keung is the baby they found with you, I can tell you he is safe. He's asleep in the Children's Ward. You can see him later.”
I lay back on the pillow. Wing-keung was safe! For the moment that was all I needed to know.
Later, a doctor came to see me, bringing a policeman with him.
“Can you tell us what happened?” the policeman asked.
I told them as much as I could remember. But my story ended with the terrible memory of trying to keep afloat in the sea, with Wing-keung.
“I don't know what happened after that,” I said.
“Well,” the policeman smiled, “you and the baby were picked up by the Marine Police. You're a very brave young lady.”
“But my family?” I asked. “Have you found them?”
The policeman hesitated and looked at the doctor. Then he said, “No, Mei-lin. At the moment we don't know what happened to them. Rescue boats and helicopters are still searching the area. But I can promise you that as soon as I have any news, I will let you know. You see, Mei-lin,” he explained, gently, “the captain of the tanker could not see the junks. All he could see were the lights of Cheung Chau. Everything else was blurred into the background. But he did give warning of his approach, didn't he?”
“Oh, yes,” I replied, sadly. “We heard the sirens. But we couldn't get the nets in quickly enough.”
They left me, then, to sleep. I didn't think I would ever fall asleep again, with so many thoughts rushing through my head, but I must have done so, because when I woke up it was dark outside. Once again I could see the stars. I remembered the last time I had watched those stars. So much had happened since then ...
The same gentle nurse was beside me. She must have been waiting for me to wake up.
“Hello, dear. You should be feeling better after such a long sleep. I have some wonderful news for you! One of the other junks in the fleet picked up your parents and grandmother and took them to St John's Hospital on Cheung Chau! A doctor telephoned us from there. We are bringing them here to the Queen Mary tomorrow!”
“Are they ... are they ... all right?” I asked, hesitating. I wasn't sure I wanted to hear the reply.
“Well, your father has a broken arm and leg, and your mother has a broken collar bone. But they'll soon mend.” She stopped there.
“And Granny?”
“Mei-lin, your grandmother is an old lady. Bones don't mend so easily in the elderly. She also had a blow to her head, and it seems her skull was fractured. We will put her in Intensive Care, but — well, I can't promise anything at the moment.”
“I see.”
I looked out at the stars again, with tears in my eyes. Quietly, I asked, “And Mei-yee?”
The nurse took my hand and stroked it, gently.
“I'm sorry, Mei-lin. Your sister has not been found yet. But they are still searching. Don't give up hope, my dear.”
I lay back on the pillow then, and closed my eyes. I could see my lovely sister with her laughing eyes and hear her cheerful singing as she worked.
Only two days ago we had been one big, happy family, but now ... Tears stung my eyes at the thought of never seeing Mei-yee again.
试读结束[说明：试读内容隐藏了图片]