"She looking at the prince, and then threw herself from the ship into the sea. She felt her body dissolve into foam. " Mom was telling the story of "The Little Mermaid" to eight-year-old Kelly. Kelly couldn't help crying after hearing this ending.
As Kelly grew older, she read the original story in the university library. The description in the original text about the little mermaid saving the prince and seeing the human world was like this: She thought that the human world was much larger than her own. Indeed, they could sail on ships on the sea, climb the tall mountains, and their land, with its forests and fields, stretched out so far that she could not see its end.
Kelly suddenly realized that this was not the same little mermaid who fell in love. Curious, she continued reading on.
After returning to the sea, the little mermaid found her grandmother and asked, "What is the difference between humans and mermaids? Do humans die?"
Her grandmother told her, "Humans' lives are even shorter than ours. We can live up to three hundred years, but when our lives end, we turn into foam on the water. But humans have a soul that lives forever. . . "
The little mermaid asked, "Why don't we have an immortal soul? As long as I can become a human and enter the heaven, even if I can only live there for a day, I am willing to give up my life of several hundred years here. "
The rest of the story was no different from what Kelly's mother had told her, but the ending was like the follow.
Now the sun was rising from the sea, and its rays seemed to dissolve the cold foam into warm sunshine. The little mermaid was surprised that she still existed. Where should she go now?
A voice told her, "You are going to the daughter of heaven. There is not only one way to have an immortal soul by owning human love. ▲. Compared to the courage to pursue love, this is a greater courage. "
Finally, that voice told her, "You have suffered pain and insisted kindness. Through your own efforts, you will create an immortal soul for yourself. "
Reading this, Kelly suddenly realized.
Though chopsticks are used in many Asian countries today，Chinese are the first to use chopsticks in the world. Chinese history says that the Chinese had chopsticks as far back as the Xia Dynasty. Gold and silver chopsticks followed later. The most expensive ones are made of ivory or hard green stones. Chopsticks tell us something about Chinese tradition in their own way. In ancient times some people used hard green stones or gold chopsticks to show they are rich. In history many kings used silver chopsticks to eat their food to see if it was poisonous（有毒的）. It was said that if the food was poisonous，the silver chopsticks would change its color. It's traditional to give chopsticks to a daughter when she marries. They carry the wish that she will have a baby very soon，for " chopsticks" has the similar pronunciation to "quick a son"in Chinese.
An old Chinese story also mentions chopsticks. An old man teaches his sons a lesson by showing how he can easily break a single chopstick by hand but not a number of them.
In China，chopsticks and good luck are connected. So on the Chinese New Year's Eve，many families will lay out new chopsticks as a way of asking for good luck.
Chopsticks have their beginnings in China. In history many kings used silver chopsticks to eat their food. It'sto give chopsticks to a daughter when she marries to carry the wish that she will have a baby very soon，for "chopsticks" has the similar to "quick a son" in Chinese. Chopsticks are also mentioned in an old Chinese story. An old man teaches his sons a lesson by showing how he canbreak a single chopstick by hand but not a number of them. In China，chopsticks and good luck are . So on the Chinese New Year's Eve，many families will lay out new chopsticks as a way of for good luck. |
Where were chopsticks first used?
In ancient times，what did people use to show they are rich?
My son Laurie came home at the first lunchtime from the kindergarten* and shouted, "Isn't anybody here? " "How was school today? " I asked. "All right, " he said. "Did you learn anything? " his father asked. Laurie answered
coldly, "I didn't learn nothing. "
"But the teacher spanked a boy, " Laurie said, "For being fresh, " he added, with his mouth full. "What did he do? " I asked. "Who was it? " Laurie thought. "It was Charles. " he said.
The next day, as soon as he sat down at lunch, "Well, Charles was bad again today. He said. "Today Charles hit the teacher The next few days, Laurie still came home with tons of bad stories about Charles.
During the third and fourth weeks it looked like a change in Charles. Laurie reported kindlessly, "Charles was so good today the teacher gave him an apple. " "What? " I said, and my husband added unbelievably, "You mean Charles? " "Charles, Laurie said. "He gave the crayons
around and picked up the books and the teacher said he was her helper. "
"Can this be true, about Charles? " I asked my husband. "Can something like this happen? ""Wait and see, " my husband said cynically. Within a week, everything was back to normal and Charles was his usual, terrible self.
"The Parent meeting's next week, " I told my husband one evening. "I' m going to find Charles's mother there. " "Ask her what happened to Charles, " my husband said. "I' d like to know. " "I' d like to know myself" I said.
At the meeting, I looked over the faces of all the other mothers. None of them looked unhappy enough to be the mother of Charles. No one stood up and apologised for the way her son
had been acting.
After the meeting, I found Laurie's teacher. "I' ve been wanting to meet you, " I said. "I' m Laurie's mother. " "Oh, yes, " she said. "We' re all so interested in Laurie. " "He certainly likes kindergarten" I said. "He talks about it all the time. " "He's had some trouble getting used to school, " she said. "But I think he' ll be all right. " "Laurie usually fits in quickly, I said. "l suppose his trouble might be from Charles' influence. " "Charles? the teacher said. "Yes, I said, laughing . "You must have your hands full with Charles. " "Charles? " she said. "We don't have any Charles in kindergarten. "
One night, the boss of a big company needed to call one of his workers. Because there was a serious problem with their main computer system. And the worker was the only person who could solve it.
He dialed the worker's home phone number and was greeted with a little girl's whisper. "Hello?" the boss asked, "Is your daddy at home?" "Yes," whispered a small voice. "May I talk with him?" the man asked. To the surprise of the boss. the small voice whispered, "No."
Wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, "Is your mommy there?" "Yes," came the answer. "May I talk with her?" Again, the small voice whispered, "No."
Knowing that it was impossible that a young child would be left home alone, the boss decided he would just leave a message to the person who should be there watching over the child. "Is there anyone besides you?" the boss asked the child. "Yes," whispered the child, "A policeman."
Wondering what a policeman would be doing at his worker's house, the boss asked, "May I speak with the policeman?"
"No, he's busy!" whispered the child. "Busy doing what?" asked the boss. "Talking to daddy and mommy and the fireman." came the whispered answer.
Growing more and more worried as he heard something like a helicopter through the phone, the boss asked, "What is the noise?" "A helicopter," answered the whispered voice. "What is going on there?" asked the boss, nowalarmed.
In a serious whispering voice, the child answered, "The search team has just landed the helicopter." Shocked, worried and more than just a little disappointed, the boss asked, "Why are they there?" Still whispering, the young voice replied along with an unclear giggling, "They are looking for me."
Homework is an important part of study. Here are a few tips to make homework much easier:
First, write the homework down in your notebook. If you forget it, you can ask the teacher again. Second, plan your free time in school to work on your homework.
Find a place. The place doesn't need to be large, just big enough to put your school things. You'd better not do your homework before a TV, before a computer or on your comfortable bed. It's hard for you to concentrate (集中精力) on your homework.
When you start your homework, do with the hardest problems first. Later, when you're more tired, you can work out the simpler things. Don't spend too much time on a difficult problem.
Taking a 15-minute break every hour is good for you. Once your homework is done, check it over. Be sure to put it safely away in your backpack. Now you're free to go out with your friends Get help when you need it.
Sometimes you need extra help, then you can turn to your teacher for help. He or she may be able to work with you before or after school and explain more clearly. You may also be able to get some help from another good student.
A. Get to work
B. Watch where you work
C. Take a rest
D. Make a homework plan
E. Start the hardest parts first
Write one of your ways to make your homework much easier. (不超过 15个单词)
