A Brother Like That
哥哥的心愿
朗读指数：èèè²² 背诵指数：èèè²²
难度指数：èèè²² 总词汇量：0391 词汇
每个好故事都有灵魂！
今日关键语导读
Today's Key Points
那个圣诞节，保罗得到了哥哥送的汽车，他体会到接受爱时的感动。然 而另一位哥哥对弟弟的承诺，却又深深地让他体会到给予爱时的更多快乐。接 受时是感动，给予时是快乐，爱就在那一刻传递。
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Words and Expressions
automobile n.（美）汽车 urchin n. 顽童，淘气鬼；海胆；刺猬 astound v. 使惊愕，使震惊 jar v. 震动，震惊，晃动 astonishment n. 惊讶；令人惊讶的事物 impulsively ad. 冲动地，感情充沛地 aglow a. 发（红）光的 crippled a. 残废的，跛腿的 squeeze v. 挤，压，紧紧抱住 buddy n. 伙伴，好朋友；密友；小男孩 精彩文字，耳听心受！ 好英文娓娓动听
Wonderful Words
A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it.
"Is this your car, Mister?" he asked.
Paul nodded, "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was astounded, "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you anything? Boy, I wish..." He hesitated. Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.
"I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that." Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?"
"Oh yes, I'd love that."
After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?" Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again.
"Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked. He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little
crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car. "There he is,
Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm gonna give you one just like it... then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about."
Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.
That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he had said: "It is more blessed to give..."
My Holiday Wish for the World Is That We all could Be Brothers Like That.
难点重点，一目了然！
长 难 句 解 析
Sentence Structures
u On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it.
在圣诞前夜，当保罗从他的办公室走出来时，一个街头顽童正围着他 的新车打转地看，非常羡慕。
◆was/were+doing 构成过去进行时，其中 admiring it 在句子中作 was walking 的伴随状语，表示两个动作同时进行。
v But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.
但是小男孩接下来说的话却完全出乎了保罗的意料。
◆to one's heel 到某人脚后跟。在此用来形容保罗对这个小男孩的话 大为惊讶。It's no simple matter to bring a break-away region of several
millions to heel. 要想在一个脱离出去的有几百万人口的地区控制局面
决非易事。
w He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.
他扶着他坐在最底层的台阶上，然后拥抱着他，指着这部车。 ◆squeeze up 挤紧一些。例如：Could you squeeze up and let me sit
down? 挤一挤让我坐下好吗？ 心灵港湾，智慧氧吧！
心 智 休 闲 屋
Famous Sayings
Today is the first day of the rest of your life.
句型拓展
Today is my first day at a new job. 今天是我新工作的第一天。
Today is your first day of a new life. 今天是你新生活的第一天。 人生真谛 每一天都是崭新的，因为每一天都是余生的第一天。无论想怎样 挽回，昨天已经过去，明天还是未知，能珍惜的只有今天。就在今天， 把最想做的事情做完吧；就在今天，尽量把工作做到最满意的程度； 就在今天，对所爱的人说一声“我爱你”吧！
Because of His Love
因爱之名
朗读指数：èèè²² 背诵指数：èèè²²
难度指数：èèè²² 总词汇量：0385 词汇 每个好故事都有灵魂！
今日关键语导读
Today's Key Points
爱的意义是让人与人之间体会到温暖的存在。那些与自己毫无血缘之亲 的人，如果能在我们最黑暗的日子里，以爱的名义，无私地给予关怀、帮助， 哪怕只是一个动作、一个眼神，就会温暖我们，甚至受益一生。
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Words and Expressions
butt n. 笑柄
essence n. 本质，实质
brag v. 吹牛，自夸 straightforward a. 正直的，坦率的 inevitability n. 必然性 gymnasium n. 健身房，体育馆 auditorium n.（美）会堂，礼堂 beam v. 面露喜色；发光，发热 精彩文字，耳听心受！ 好英文娓娓动听
Wonderful Words
Job was not a brilliant man. He swept floors for a living. He was the butt of many jokes, yet he taught me about the essence of a "real man": love for women, honor, kindness and gentleness.
Job embraced life in unexpected, simple ways. He showed up for work, on time. He never bragged about himself, and he loved only one woman—his wife, Molly. Job filled a void in my life. He was principled and straightforward in my world of dishonor and lies. He loved me as his very own grandchild, even though he was a year younger than my father.
I will never forget my graduation from high school. That was a day of hopeless inevitability for me. My father, who was a heavy drinker, began his celebration very early in the day. By the time we congregated in the high school gymnasium my father had congratulated himself through nearly a case of beer.
I tried to be invisible within a sea of faces. I wanted to run away, disappear. Over to my left, at the door of the auditorium, was a seating arrangement for the "elderly." And there sat Molly, age 61, and Job, age 47, with all of the grandparents; My heart ached when I looked at them, wishing with all my heart that I were, truly, their grandchild.
As the speaker continued with his speech, he reached a point where he had an uncontrollable urge to introduce "all the wonderful people, who have made this day possible!"
"Now, all the parents, please stand." Dear Lord, I thought, I'm sure my father can't stand, even if he wanted to. I didn't bother to look around.
"Now the grandparents" I closed my eyes, dreading the hopelessness of my situation. I had no grandparent to stand proudly for me. I finally opened my eyes, and there they were, Job and Molly, standing proudly with all the other grandparents. Job looked over at me, his eyes beaming like diamonds.
"I'm so proud of you," he smiled as he mouthed the words that I will never forget. I knew that he stood there, not out of duty, but because of his love for me!
难点重点，一目了然！
长 难 句 解 析
Sentence Structures
u By the time we congregated in the high school gymnasium my father had congratulated him-self through nearly a case of beer.
当我们聚集在礼堂时，我的爸爸已经喝了一箱啤酒为自己庆祝了。 ◆本句是过去完成时，表示一个动作发生时，另一个动作已经发生了。
v My heart ached when I looked at them, wishing with all my heart that I were, truly, their grandchild
当我看见他们的时候，我的心隐隐作痛，真心地希望我就是他们的外 孙啊。
◆其中wishing 在句子中作 ached 的伴随状语，表示两个动作同时进行。
w As the speaker continued with his speech, he reached a point where he had an uncontrollable urge to introduce “all the wonderful people, who have made this day possible!”
当演讲者继续着他的演讲，说到兴奋时，他按捺不住内心的激动，要 介绍“所有成就了今天毕业礼的了不起的人们！”
◆reach a point 到了……时刻。例如：Mary reached a rallying point
in her fight against the disease.
玛丽到了集中一切力量与疾病作斗争的重要关头。as“当……的时候”，
其引导的是一个时间状语从句。
心灵港湾，智慧氧吧！
心 智 休 闲 屋
Famous Sayings
Everything has its time.
万物皆有时。
句型拓展
Everyone has his opportunity. 每个人都有机会。
Everywhere has its beauty. 每个地方都有它的美。 人生真谛 大千世界，万物皆有时，很多时候越想得到的事，反而离得越远。 凡事不要太过强求，顺其自然，以豁达的心态去面对生活，幸福也许 反而会更近些。凡事不妄求于前，不追念于后，从容平淡，这是我们 快乐人生所需要的一种精神，更是一种生活态度。
The Scars of Love
爱的伤疤
朗读指数：èèè²² 背诵指数：èèè²²
难度指数：èè²²² 总词汇量：0380 词汇
每个好故事都有灵魂！
今日关键语导读
Today's Key Points
在与鳄鱼的较量中，母爱表现得是多么伟大。为了挽救自己的孩子，虽 给男孩的双臂留下了伤疤，但对男孩来说，它不像鳄鱼造成的伤疤。它没有疼 痛，它会存于心中，没有疤痕，因为那是母亲的坚毅与大爱。
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Words and Expressions
utter a. 彻底的；完全的 yell v. 叫喊；屈服 alligator n. 短吻鳄 dock n. 码头 passionate a. 热情的；热烈的；激昂的 vicious a. 恶毒的；恶意的 scratch n. 刮痕；划伤 trauma n. 痛苦的经历 dramatic a. 戏剧的；引人注目的 精彩文字，耳听心受！ 好英文娓娓动听
Wonderful Words
Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house.
In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks and shirt as he went. He flew into the
water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore. His mother—in the house was looking out the window—saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could.
Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a return to swim to his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him.
From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.
Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal and, on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.
The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the
trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter. But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my mom wouldn't let go.
You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, or anything quite so dramatic. But, the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret.
