大学英语读写教程第1册unit 8 阅读理解三篇(大学英语读写教学课件第1册unit8阅读理解三篇)

A young boy faces the impossible task of trying to soften the blow of tragic mews.

You Go Your Way, I'll Go Mine

The messenger got off his bicycle in front of the house of Mrs. Rosa Sandoval. He went to the door and knocked gently. He knew almost immediately that someone was inside the house. He could not hear anything, but he was sure the knock was bringing someone to the door and he was most eager to see who this person would be ―― his woman named Rosa Sandoval who was now to heat of murder in the world and to feel it in herself. The door was not a long time opening, but there was no hurry in the way it moved on its hinges. The movement of the door was as if, whoever she was, she and nothing in the world to fear. Then the door was open, and there she was.

To Homer the Mexican woman was beautiful. He could see that she had been patient all her life, so that now, after years of it, her lips were set in a gentle and saintly smile. But like all people who never receive telegrams the appearance of a messenger at the front door is full of terrible implication. Homer knew that Mrs. Rosa Sandoval was shocked to see him. Her first word was the first word of all surprise. She said "Oh," as if instead of a messenger she had thought of opening the door to someone she had know a long time and would be pleased to sit down with. Before she spoke again she studied Homer's eyes and Homer Knew that she knew the message was not a welcome one.

"You have a telegram?" she said.

It wasn't Homer's fault. His work was to deliver telegrams. Even so, it seemed to him that he was part of the whole mistake. He felt awkward and almost as if he alone were responsible for what had happened. At the same time he wanted to come right out and say, "I'm only a messenger, Mrs. Sandoval, I'm very sorry I must bring you a telegram like this, but it is only because it is my work to do so."

"Who is it for?" the Mexican woman said.

"Mrs. Rosa Sandoval, 1129 G Street." Homer said. He extended the telegram to the Mexican woman, but she would not touch it.

"Are you Mrs. Sandoval?" Homer said.

"Please," the woman said. "Please come in. I cannot read English. I am Mexican. I read only La Prensa which comes from Mexico City." She paused a moment and looked at the boy standing awkwardly as near the door as he could be and still be inside the house.

"Please," she said, "what does the telegram say?"

"Mrs. Sandoval," the messenger said, "the telegram says ――"

But now the woman interrupted him. "But you must open the telegram and read it to me," she said. "You have not opened it."

"Yes, ma'am," Homer said as if he were speaking to a school teacher who had just corrected him.

He opened the telegram with nervous fingers. The Mexican woman stooped to pick up the torn envelope, and tried to smooth it out. As she did so she said, "Who sent the telegram ―― my son Juan Domingo?"

"No, ma'am." Homer said. "The telegram is from the War Department."

"War Department?" the Mexican woman said.

"Mrs. Sandoval," Homer said swiftly, "your son is dead. Maybe it's a mistake, Everybody makes a mistake, Mrs. Sandoval. Maybe it wasn't your son. Maybe it was somebody else. The telegram says it was Juan Domingo. But maybe the telegram is wrong,"

The Mexican woman pretended not to hear.

"Oh, do not be afraid," she said. "Come inside. Come inside. I will bring you candy." She took the boy's arm and brought him to the table at the center of the room and there she made him sit.

"All boys like candy," she said. "I will bring you candy." She went into another room and soon returned with an old chocolate candy box. She opened the box at the table and in it Homer saw a strange kind of candy.

"Here," she said. "Eat this candy. All boys like candy."

Homer took a piece of the candy from the box, put it into his mouth, and tried to chew.

"You would not bring me a bad telegram," she said. "You are a good boy ―― like my little Juanito when he was a little boy. Eat another piece." And she made the messenger take another piece of the candy.

Homer sat chewing the dry candy while the Mexican woman talked. "It is our own candy," she said, "from cactus. I made it for my Juanito when he come home, but you eat it. You are my boy, too."

Now suddenly she began to sob, holding herself in as if weeping were a disgrace. Homer wanted to get up and run, but he knew he would stay. He even thought he might stay the rest of his life. He just didn't know what else to do to try to make the woman less unhappy, and if she had asked him to take the place of her son, he would not have been able to refuse, because he would not have known how. He got to his feet, as if by standing he meant to begin correcting what could not be corrected and then he knew the foolishness of this intention and became more awkward than ever. In his heart he was saying over and over again, "What can I do? What the hell can I do? I'm only the messenger."

NEW WORDS

soften

v. （cause to） become soft（er） or gentle （使）软化；（使）温和

tragic

a. very sad, unfortunate; of or related to tragedy 悲惨的；悲剧的

messenger

n. a person employed to deliver telegrams, letters or parcels 送信人，电报投递员

gently

ad. softly 轻轻地

immediately

a. at once

immediate

a.

eager

a. marked by strong interest or impatient desire 热切的，渴望的

hinge

n. 铰链

whoever

pron. no matter who 无论谁，不管谁

saintly

a. like a saint; very holy 像圣徒一样的；圣洁的

implication

n. 含义

imply

vt.

shock

vt. cause unpleasant or angry surprise to （sb.） 使（某人）震惊

deliver

vt. take （sth.） to the place where it esp. sth. bad 交付，递送

awkward

a. uncomfortable 尴尬的

responsible

a. having done or been the cause of esp. sth. bad（应）负责的

Mexican

n & a. 墨西哥人；墨西哥（人）的

extend

vt. hold out 伸出

#P#

pause

vi. stop for a short time　暂停，中止

interrupt

vt. stop （sb. speaking） by breaking in 打断（某人讲话）

nervous

a. 神经质的；紧张的

ma'am

madam （used in direct address）　夫人，太太，小姐

smooth

vt. make smooth or smoother　把……弄平

department

n. 部门；系

swiftly

ad. rapidly, quickly　快速地；敏捷地

swift

a.

chocolate

n. 巧克力（糖）

chew

vt. crush （food） with the teeth 咀嚼

cactus

n. 仙人掌

sob

vi. cry with short, quick breaths 啜泣；呜咽

disgrace

n. shame 耻辱；丢脸的人（或事）

unhappy

a. not happy

hell

n. 地狱

PHRASES & EXPRESSIONS

hear of

have knowledge of or receive information about 听到，听说

be responsible for

be the cause of 应对……负责的

come out （with）

speak out 大声地说，清楚地说

smooth out

make smooth（er）

hold oneself in

control one's feelings

take the place of

act or be used instead of, replace 代替，取代

get to one's feel

stand up

over and over again

very often, repeatedly 反复地，再三地

PROPER NAMES

Rosa Sandoval

罗莎.桑多瓦尔

Homer

霍默

Mexico City

墨西哥城（墨西哥首都）

Juan Domingo

胡安 多明哥

the War Department

（美国）陆军部（旧称）

Juanito

胡安尼特（Juan的昵称）

  相关文章:

   1.alterv.改变，改动，变更2.burstvi.n.突然发生，爆裂3.disposevi.除掉;处置;解决;处理(of)4.blastn.爆炸;气流vi.炸，炸掉5.consumev.消耗，耗尽6.splitv.劈开;割裂;分裂a.裂开的7.spitv.吐(唾液等);唾弃8.spillv.溢出，溅出，倒出9.slipv.滑动，滑落;忽略10.

   关于四级写作，通常大家都会背诵一些作文模板句和常用素材，考场上再结合主题自己写一些，这样在作文上拿到的分数就会达到一个相对稳定的档次。想要在此基础上锦上添花，今天四六级和大家分享22020年6月大学英语四级模板范文：景点，希望对您有所帮助。大学英语四级模板范文：景点ThePal

   听力的训练是一项系统工程。只靠多听，采取量中求质的办法，是很难大幅度地提高学生的听力的。要提高学生听力，应从以下几方面入手。1、读准语音正确的语音是听音辨音的基础，只有把英语音学准读准，才能进行听音辨音。因此，我要求学生每天早晨坚持半小时的听录音跟读练习，跟读过程中，只求读准语音。随堂设计5分钟的辨音练习，形式可多样化。比如：一生朗读，其余听辨有无错

   四六级考试网提醒各位考生，11月12日大学英语四六级考试准考证打印入口已经开通了，距离考试的日子越来越近，今天和大家分享2018年12月大学英语六级作文模板：谚语格言类，请看下面的文章内容。文章题目为一句格言或谚语，通常模式为：解释谚语-举例论证-画龙点睛1.阐述名言或主题所蕴涵的意义。2.分析并举例使其更充实。Thegoodol

   2022年6月大学英语四级考试需要提前准备，提前背些范文，对范文里的句子进行灵活改编，能够更容易在写作中拿到高分，四六级网小编为大家整理2022年6月英语四级写作范文，希望对大家的四级考试作文题有帮助~Directions:Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteacompositiononthetopic:MyViewontheL