There was a young farmer whose family had been farmers for generations. Year after year and generation after generation, farmers used to sow in spring and harvest in1, beginning to work at sunrise and retiring at sunset. In good harvest years, they, could only have enough food to2and enough clothing to wear. If there was a famine due to crop failure, they had to go3.
This young farmer wanted to4his life. But he was too5and too cowardly. Being lazy and cowardly over everything, he often6having unexpected blessings.
A miracle took place7. One day in late autumn, when he was working in the fields, two groups of people were hunting nearby.8shouting was rising one after another, scared hares were running desperately(绝望地).9, a blind hare dashed itself against the stump of a dead tree in his field and died. That day, he ate that hare.
From that day on, he no longer wanted to farm again. From morning till night, he stayed10that stump, waiting for miracles to take place again.
Who is the greatest teacher in Chinese history? Many people would think of Confucius, whose birthday was September 28. Although he lived over 2,000 years ago, people still remember and respect him for his contribution to the education today.
Confucius lived in the Kingdom of Lu, which lies in Shandong Province. He lived during the Spring and Autumn Period. He had a hard childhood. His father died when he was only 3. His mother brought him up. As a child, he had to work to help his mother, but young Confucius didn't give up studying. He visited many famous teachers and learned music, history, poetry and sports.
Later, he became a teacher and started the first public school in Chinese history. At that time only children from noble families could go to school, but Confucius believed everyone should go to school if they wanted to learn. He had about 3,000 students in his lifetime.
Today, people still follow Confucius's lessons. He told us that we all have something worthy to be learned. "When I am with three people, one of them must be better than me in some areas. I choose their good qualities and follow them."
He also taught us that thinking is very important in study. "All study but no thinking makes people puzzled(困惑的).All thinking but no study makes people lazy."
Confucius is not only a great teacher, but also a famous thinker with wise thoughts about the world and society. His most important teachings are about kindness and good manners. "A person should be strict with himself, but be kind to others," he said.
Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote a total of eight books in the "Little House" series. The books have sold over sixty million copies worldwide, in more than forty languages.
Wilder's books tell about people and events that are partly based on her memories of growing up in Kansas and South Dakota in the middle of the eighteen hundreds. Pioneer(拓荒者) life has long since disappeared in those areas. Yet the music she grew up with is alive and well.
The "Little House on the Prairie" television series is perhaps the best-known version of the Laura Ingalls Wilder stories. It was broadcast for eight seasons, beinning in nineteen seventy-four. The shows have since been translated into eighteen languages.
"They're about discovery and struggle and getting over difficulties. They're about family and about making your way in the world," says Dean Butler, who played Laura Ingalls' husband Almonzo Wilder in the TV series.
Dale Cockrell, a professor at Vanderbilt University, had already published a book on the "Little House" songs, seven sheet(乐谱) music books and nearly fifty musical recordings. He learned about the songs when he began reading the "Little House" books to his eight-year-old son. He realized that nowhere had he seen a fuller collection of popular music from the nineteenth century.
"Just about any form of popular music that would have been heard and enjoyed by audiences from the eighteen sixties to the eighteen eighties is included in the books," says Dale Cockrell.
Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 in Italy. He is best known as an artist today. One of his famous paintings is called Mona Lisa. However, Leonardo had many other natural abilities. He was also a great inventor. Many of his inventions have become important in modern daily life.
Although Leonardo hated war, he invented many different machines used for war. His most special invention was the machine gun, which was produced and used in war many years later.
By watching the way birds fly, Leonardo tried to find out the secret of flying. Among his sketches(素描) we can see several objects. We consider them as modern flying machines.
Leonardo spent many hours thinking about how to make good use of time. He developed ideas for labour-saving machines like cutting machines.
Leonardo was a strange man. He didn't eat any meat, which was very unusual in those times. He never published (发表) his ideas and scientific discoveries. He usually used mirror writing, which looks like writing in a mirror，starting from the right side of the page and moving to the left.
We have very few of his works today. Leonardo finished only a few of his paintings. He left many unfinished works because he thought they were not perfect. No one in his lifetime knew how great Leonardo was. We now believe , however，that he is one of the cleverest men in the world.
Jane Eyre is a young orphan. When Jane grows up, she spends eight more years at Lowood, six as a student and two as a teacher.
After teaching for two years, Jane accepts a governess position at Thornfield. Jane's employer at Thornfield is Rochester, with whom Jane finds herself falling secretly in love. She saves Rochester from a fire one night, which he claims was started by a drunken servant. But Jane doesn't believe it because the servant continues to work at Thornfield. Rochester proposes to Jane.
The wedding day arrives, and as Jane and Mr. Rochester prepare to exchange their vows, Mr. Mason cries out that Rochester already has a wife-Bertha. Rochester does not deny Mason's claims, but he explains that Bertha has gone mad. And he proves It. Kochester keeps Bertha hidden and pays a servant to keep his wife under control. Bertha was the real cause of the mysterious fire earlier in the story. Knowing that it is impossible for her to be with Rochester, Jane leaves Thornfield.
Jane is penniless and hungry. To her surprise, her uncle, John Eyre, has died and left her a large fortune. St. John who has helped asks Jane to marry him but Jane refuses because she does not love him. She knows that she cannot abandon her true love. Jane hurries back to Thornfield and finds that it has been burned to the ground by Bertha, who lost her life in the fire. Rochester saved the servants but lost his eyesight and one of his hands. Jane travels on to Rochester s new residence, Ferndean.
At Ferndean, Rochester and Jane rebuild their relationship and soon get married.
What is National Poetry Month? . The celebration takes place during the month of April and has existed since 1996. Booksellers, poets, publishers, libraries, schools, and literary organizations come together to celebrate the importance of h poetry in t American culture. Poetry readings, workshops, special events, and festivals are held throughout the United States. .
The special celebration was founded by the Academy of American Poets(美国诗人协会). Its goals include introducing more Americans to poetry, bringing attention to the works of American poets, and encouraging schools to use more poetry in their teaching. . It is also determined to influence publishers to publish more poetry in magazine and book form.
The most important goal is to make known to the American public the importance of poetry. Although April is designated(指定) as a special month for poetry, the Academy encourages everyone to celebrate poetry throughout the year. .
During National Poetry Month, the Academy sends promotional posters free of charge to teachers, librarians, and booksellers. The organization holds special events, including a reading series called 10 Years/ 10 Cities and an event known as Poetry & the Creative Mind.
. Some schools choose to make it a school-wide event. Librarians receive information from the Academy concerning book displays, ideas for programs, and ways to promote their libraries' events that relate to National Poetry Month.
|
A. The Academy also produces free lesson plans for teachers B. National Poetry Month is a month-long celebration of poetry in the USA C. It wants poetry to become an important part of every American's life D. The organization works hard to increase national and local media's attention to poetry E. Libraries and bookstores create book displays for celebration while schools promote poetry to their students |
On March 3, 1887, the lives of two amazing women were changed forever when Anne Sullivan, a poor university graduate, arrived at the home of the wealthy Keller family to teach their six-year-old daughter- Helen. It was a difficult job as Helen was unable to see, hear or speak because of illness.
Anne had been suggested to the Kellers by her university professor, a close friend of Mr Keller. Before she arrived, Anne expected her new pupil to be a quiet, weak child. But Helen was nothing like that. When Anne first walked through the Kellers' door, the energetic Helen nearly knocked her over in her hurry to feel Anne's face, clothing and bag.
Helen was used to visitors bringing her sweets, and angrily tried to force open Anne's case to take her candy. But Anne calmed her down by allowing Helen to play with her watch. So began one of the most successful student- teacher relationships in history.
Anne Sullivan was only twenty years old when she began teaching Helen. She had to not only teach the child all the usual school subjects, but also control Helen's sometimes wild behaviour.
Her well-meaning parents allowed Helen to do as she liked at home. Realising that such an environment was unsuitable for learning, Anne requested that she and Helen ive in a small house nearby.
As soon as Helen began learning, it became clear that she was especially intelligent. She quickly learned to read and write, and by the age of ten she could also speak.
In 1900, Helen started studying at Radcliffe University, and graduated first in her class in 1904. She was the very first blind and deaf person to get a university degree. How did she do it? Anne Sullivan read all of Helen's books and then signed the information into her hand. Anne remained at Helen's side until her death in 1936. Helen became a world-famous writer, and: fought for disabled people's rights until her death on June 1, 1968.
