高三英语二轮复习学案-名著阅读之心灵鸡汤精选：Permission to Cry

名著阅读之心灵鸡汤精选 Two Kinds of People班级：____________学号：____________姓名：____________心灵鸡汤精选Two Kinds of People捡一个纸箱子的时候，他想起来父亲对他的教化。

世界上有两种人，一种是伸手去做事的人，另外一种是观望的人。

这个教化对作者的一生产生重大的影响，引导了他走向真善美之路。

Character is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking.~J.C. WattsOur boys had taken the recycling bin out to the street the night before, because our morning pickup was at the crack of dawn. The next morning, I discovered Old Man Winter’s cruel joke. The relentless South Dakota wind had turned cardboard boxes into winte r’s version of tumbleweeds. They were scattered everywhere. I needed to run out and gather them before the collection truck pulled up. I zipped insulated coveralls over my PJs, added a parka and scarf, and then sealed myself up with mittens and a cap. I scurried out the door and zigzagged across the driveway like a chicken pecking for seeds.In a few moments, I’d snagged the stray boxes and crammed them into the bin. It was a good thing. My face was quick to remind me that exposed skin in below-zero temperatures is not a good idea.I was ready to dash back into the house when I spied it. One of the cardboard boxes had made its merry way to the park next door. I grimaced as I fought the temptation to leave it there. I stood frozen (figuratively and literally) as the words my father had spoken years before began to echo in my brain.I could hear his voice as it carried over the sound of burgers sizzling from the heat of Kingsford charcoalbriquets. In the background, cows were meandering and mooing as they made their way from the field to the stock tank. I sniffed the sweet smell of freshly cut alfalfa. I was sitting cross-legged on the picnic table as we made small talk. I asked him how his day at work had been.He indicated it was fairly typical: conference calls, meetings, and paperwork. And then he caught himself and said that one interesting thing had happened. Someone in the hallway had walked past a piece of garbage.He had my attention. What was so important about a piece of garbage? I thought.He went on to describe the scenario. His place of business had rather long hallways. He said he noticed a wrapper at the end of the hall. He kept himself back and observed the number of people who walked past it. He could tell that some of the folks had seen it but chose not to stop. Eventually, someone picked up the wrapper and plopped it in the mouth of a waiting garbage can.And then my dad said something that has stuck with me ever since.“I learned today that there are two kinds of people in the world — the kind who, when they see garbage, will stop and pick it up… and the kind who won’t.”He continued, “It made me realize that we all get to decide what k ind of person we’re going to be — a person who leaves the world better than how they found it, or a person who doesn’t.”Then he looked at me with a smile and his penetrating, blue eyes. I knew that he was asking me, without saying it out loud, “What kind of person will you be?”It’s been forty years since that conversation. I’ve lost track of how many times his unspoken advice has affected the choices I’ve made. Some of those decisions were of major consequence; my career, my marriage, my callings… all of them were influenced by those words.And yet, the truth is, those big decisions were shaped by hundreds of little choices that youth gave me the opportunity to make first:Classmate being bullied? Stand up for him.Money to spend? Save it up.Litter in the street? Pick it up.Want to give up? Pull yourself up.Each time, I had a decision to make. And the backdrop for them all? “There are just two kinds of people in the world.”Today, my father’s advice is finding its way into my kids’ lives. Their choices regarding vocation and how they conduct themselves in relationships, as well as being of service to others, are being influenced by that unspoken challenge: “What kind of person will you be?”I’m grateful for his words, but even more for the way he modeled what it looks like to leave the world better than how you found it.Oh, and that renegade cardboard box? You already know what happened. Despite having all the mobility of a Michelin Man bubbled in layers of clothing, I ran tothe park, snagged the box and, with a grin as broad as my frozen face would allow, slam-dunked it into the bin!My dad’s been gone for more than a decade now, but I still tell him I get it: Two kinds of people, Dad… two kinds of people.— Cindy K. Krall —【词汇过关】请写出下面文单词在文章中的中文意思。

名著阅读之心灵鸡汤精选 All the Good Things班级：____________学号：____________姓名：____________心灵鸡汤精选All the Good Things话而惩罚该生。

但Mark每一次都有礼貌地感谢老师。

一次偶然的机会，为了鼓舞学生士气，作者让学生在纸上写下彼此的优点。

多年后，在Mark的葬礼上，作者意外发现Mark及其他的学生都保存了当年的那张纸。

那一刻，作者痛哭欲绝。

A kind word is like a spring day.——Russian Proverb He was in the third-grade class I taught at Saint Mary’s School in Morris, Minnesota. All 34 of my students were dear to me, but MarkEklund was one in a million. Very neat in appearance, he had that happy-to-be-alive attitude that made even his occasionalmischievousness delightful.Mark also talked incessantly. I tried to remind him again and again that talking without permission was not acceptable. What impressed me so much, though, was the sincere response every time I had to correct him for misbehaving. “Thank you for correcting me, Sister!” I didn’t know what to make of it at first but before long I became accustomed to hearing it many times a day.One morning my patience was growing thin when Mark talked once too often. I made a novice-teacher’s mistake. I looked at Mark and said, “If you say one more word, I am going to tape your mouth shut!”It wasn’t 10 seconds later when Chuck blurted out, “Mark is talking again.”I hadn’t asked any of the students to help me watch Mark, but since I had stated the punishment in front of the class, I had to act on it.I remember the scene as if it had occurred this morning. I walked to my desk, very deliberately opened the drawer and took out a roll of masking tape. Without saying a word, I proceeded to Mark’s desk, tore off two pieces of tape and made a big X with them over his mouth. I then returned to the front of the room.As I glanced at Mark to see how he was doing, he winked at me. That did it! I started laughing. The entire class cheered as I walked back to Ma rk’s desk, removed the tape and shrugged my shoulders. His first words were, “Thank you for correctingme, Sister.”At the end of the year I was asked to teach junior high math. The years flew by, and before I knew it Mark was in my classroom again. He was more handsome than ever and just as polite. Since he had to listen carefully to my instruction in the “new math,” he did not talk as much in ninth grade.One Friday things just didn’t feel right. We had worked hard on a new concept all week, and I sensed that the students were growing frustrated with themselves — and edgy with one another. I had to stop this crankiness before it got out of hand. So I asked them to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then I told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.It took the remainder of the class period to finish the assignment, but as the students left the room, each one handed me their paper. Chuck smiled. Mark said, “Thank you for teaching me, Sister. Have a good weekend.”That Saturday, I wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and I listed what everyone else had said about that individual. On Monday I gave each student his or her list. Some of them ran two pages. Before long, the entire class was smiling. “Really?” I heard whispered. “I never knew that meant anything to anyone!” “I didn’t know others liked me so much!”No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. I never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn’t matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another again.That group of students moved on. Several years later, after I had returned from a vacation, my parents met me at the airport. As we were driving home, Mother asked the usual questions about the trip: How the weather was, my experiences in general. There was a slight lull in the conversation.Mother gave Dad a sideways glance and simply said, “Dad?”My father cleared his throat. “The Eklunds called last night,” he began.“Really?” I said. “I haven’t heard from them for several years. I wonder how Mark is.”Dad responded quietly. “Mark was killed in Vietnam,” he said. “The funeral is tomorrow, and his parents would like it if you could attend.” To this day I can still point to the exact spot on I-494 where Dad told me about Mark.I had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. Mark looked so handsome, so mature. All I could think at that moment was, Mark, I would give all the masking tape in the world if only you could talk to me.The church was packed with Mark’s friends. Chuck’s sister sang “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Why did it have to ra in on the day of the funeral? It was difficult enough at the graveside. The pastor said the usual prayers and the bugler played taps. One by one those who loved Mark took a last walk by the coffin and sprinkled it with holy water.I was the last one to bless the coffin. As I stood there, one of the soldiers who had acted as a pallbearer came up to me. “Were you Mark’s math teacher?” he asked. I nodded as I continued to stare at the coffin. “Mark talked about you a lot,” he said.After the funeral most of Ma rk’s former classmates headed to Chuck’s farmhouse for lunch. Mark’s mother and father were there, obviously waiting for me. “We want to show you something,” his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. “They found this on Mark when he was killed. W e thought you might recognize it.”Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. I knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which I had listed all th e good things each of Mark’s classmates had said about him. “Thank you so much for doing that,” Mark’s mother said. “As you can see, Mark treasured it.”Mark’s classmates started to gather around us. Chuck smiled rather sheepishly and said, “I still have my list. It’s in the top drawer of my desk at home.” John’s wife said, “John asked me to put his in our wedding album.” “I have mine, too,” Marilyn said. “It’s in my diary.” Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. “I carry this with me at all times,” Vicki said without batting an eyelash. “I think we all saved our lists.”That’s when I finally sat down and cried. I cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.- Helen P. Mrosla【词汇过关】请写出下面文单词在文章中的中文意思。

名著阅读之心灵鸡汤精选 A New Leash on Life班级：____________学号：____________姓名：____________心灵鸡汤精选A New Leash on Life圈缠绕在一起。

我只好用剪刀强行把项圈剪开，结果狗狗昏迷过去没了心跳。

情急之下，我对狗狗进行心肺复苏CPR，最后，奇迹发生了，狗狗活过来了，一家人感到惊喜激动。

从此，我跟狗狗之间有了一层特殊的关系。

Dogs bring out the best in us.~Author Unknown“M om! Get your dog off me!” I yelled, two seconds after walking through her door. It was Christmas Eve, one of the few days a year when I dress up.My thirteen-year-old daughter Desirée and I had arrived to pick my mom up for church, and before I even closed the door behind me, my mom’s Shih Tzu, Verdell, had gotten her light-gray hair all over my nice black pants.Instead of pulling Verdell away with both hands and messing up her own clothes, my mom grabbed the dog’s collar with her index finger. Verdell was so excited to see us that she spun around in circles trying to free herself. But instead of freeing herself, she twisted the collar around my mother’s finger, tightening it more. My mother’s finger was stuck and Verdell couldn’t breathe.My mom screamed and got down on her knees. I thought she was screaming in pain but it was m ore than that. She was trying to unfasten the collar but it wouldn’t budge and neither would the dog. Verdell was motionless.I could see the fear in my mom’s eyes as she realized her closest companion couldn’t breathe. She tried pulling her finger out but couldn’t. There was no time to spin the dog back around to free her. My mom frantically found scissors but I grabbed them away from her, fearing she would nick the dog trying to cut the collar with one hand. I wasn’t comfortable cutting it off with both h ands but I knew it was our only hope.My hands shook rapidly as I pushed the blade under Verdell’s collar, freeing her and my mom. Verdell’s head fell to the floor. I had never seen her still before.I put my ear to her chest to check for a heartbeat. There was nothing. I looked up at my mom, shook my head, and said, “She’s gone.”“Noooo! Nooo! Nooo,” my mom wailed. My daughter, who grew up with Verdell, ran to the bathroom and locked herself in. I stared at the dog in shock. I couldn’t believe Verdell was gone just like that. Only a couple of minutes earlier, she was greeting us at the door. It didn’t seem real. The lively little dog, who was never short of energy, lay there lifeless.My mother’s sobspenetrated my heart. I had never heard her cry like that. I thought her grief would kill her. I was never close to Verdell. I’m allergic to dogs, a bit of a germophobe in general and, as if she knew that, Verdell always went after me of all people. Aside from the shedding, she’d drool on me and even manage to slip her tongue into my mouth — a doggie French kiss.I don’t know what happened, but something clicked inside me. I grabbed Verdell’s slobbery mouth, took a deep breath, and proceeded to do CPR. I didn’t even know if CPR worked on pets or if I would remember all the steps, but it all came back to me. I tilted Verdell’s head back, put my mouth over hers, and breathed. Then… I pumped her chest.“One-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousa nd,” I recited, and then breathed. “One-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand.”I checked for her breath and heart beat. There was nothing.“One-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand,” I said, and prayed to myself. Please Lord. Br ing her back for my mom. She can’t take this. Verdell’s all she has.My mom looked on quietly with hope and expectation, as if I knew what I was doing.I listened for Verdell’s heartbeat again. It wasn’t there.“One-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-on e thousand,” I lamented.I checked Verdell’s vitals again. Nothing.“One-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand.” Now I could barely get the words out.With tears rolling down my face, I checked Verdell one more time, looked up at my mom, and f inally said, “That’s it.”My mom burst into tears again, and I along with her. In the background, I could hear my daughter’s muffled cry coming from the bathroom. My mom and I looked down at Verdell. I zoned out looking into her eyes. For a second, I thought I saw one of them blink. I shook my head to snap myself out of it.“Did you see that,” my mom asked. “She blinked. There it is again!”I wondered if we were both wishful seeing.This can’t be, I thought. Then Verdell’s tail wagged.“Look, look, loo loo look… her her tail. Her tail!” my mom jumped up screaming.“She’s alive!” we cheered. “She’s alive! She’s alive!”I embraced my mom, not something we normally do in my undemonstrative family, as we watched Verdell slowly come back to life. Her blinking and tail wagging got faster and faster. Then Verdell lifted herself up by her front legs and joined our celebration as she joyfully ran around the house dragging her back legs behind her.Little by little, Verdell’s hind legs regained strength as well and she jumped all over us. I held her in my arms and she attacked my face with kisses. I didn’t resist. Verdell ran back and forth between me and my mom like a puppypleading to play. Then suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks and made a beeline for the bathroom where my daughter remained barricaded. Verdell scratched on the wooden door, but Desirée didn’t answer. She couldn’t hear anything over her sobs.“Desirée! Open up,” I yelled through the door.“Nooo!” she yelled back.“Open the door,” I said. “Someone wants to see you.”“No!” she shouted. “I don’t want to see anyone right now.”“It’s Verdell,” I said. “She’s alive!”Desirée opened the door just a crack to peek out but enough for Verdell to push her way in. Desirée looked down at Verdell in shock. And th en excitement.“Verdell, Verdell, Verdell,” she screamed, through her strained voice.Desirée came out with Verdell in her arms. The dog squirmed, wanting to get down and run around some more. We called an emergency veterinarian. He wasn’t surprised by our Christmas miracle and said CPR is often used on animals. The vet asked a few questions about Verdell, congratulated me, and said we didn’t need to bring her in. I thought it was all too good to be true but he assured us that she was fine.We never made it to church that evening but Jesus definitely made His way to us. Verdell and I had a special bond after that night, a special connection that only we shared.【词汇过关】请写出下面文单词在文章中的中文意思。

名著阅读之心灵鸡汤精选 Best Friends班级：____________学号：____________姓名：____________心灵鸡汤精选Best Friends的一双小小的鹿皮靴给了Ann。

靴子送出去了，Ann陪我玩着，我却快乐不起来。

为自己所作的事情耿耿于怀，以至于饭也没有吃，一个人呆在房间里。

我最终确定去要回这双承载了我对姑妈全部美妙记忆的小小的靴子，同时也思索究竟什么是真正的挚友？真正的挚友是情愿和你陪你一起，也从不要求回报的。

We’re swallowed up only when we’re willing for it to happen.“Please stay,” I begged.Ann was my best friend, the only other girl in the neighborhood, and I didn’t want her to go.She sat on my bed, her blue eyes blank.“I’m bored,” she said, slowly twirling her thick red pigtail around her finger. She had come to play a half hour ago.“Please don’t go,” I pleaded. “Your mother said you could stay an hour.”Ann started to get up, then spotted a pair of miniature Indian moccasins on my bedside table. With their bright-colored beads on buttery leather, the moccasins were my most cherished possession.“I’ll stay if you’ll give me those,” Ann said.I frowned. I couldn’t imagine parting with the moccasins. “But Aunt Reba gave them to me,” I protested.My aunt had been a beautiful, kind woman. I had really adored her. She was never too busy to spend time with me. We made up silly stories and laughed and laughed. The day she died, I cried under a blanket for hours, unable to believe that I would never see her again. Now, as I cuddled the soft moccasins in my hands, I was filled with fond memories of Aunt Reba.“Come on,” prodded Ann. “I’m your best friend.” As if she needed to remind me!I don’t know what came over me, but more than anything, I wanted someone to play with me. I wanted someone to play with so much that I handed Ann the moccasins!After she stuffed them in her pocket, we rode our bikes up and down the alleya few times. Soon it was time for her to go. Upset at what I had done, I didn’t feel like playing anyway.I pleaded “not hungry” that evening and dragged off to bed without dinner. Once up in my room, I began to really miss those moccasins!When my mom had tucked me in and turned out the light, she asked me what was wrong. Through my tears, I told her how I had betrayed Aunt Reba’s memory and how ashamed I felt.Mom hugged me warmly, but all she could say was, “Well, I guess you’ll have to decide what to do.”Her words didn’t seem to help. Alone in the dark, I began to think more clearly. Kids’ code says you don’t give, then take back. But was it a fair trade? Why did I let Ann toy with my feelings? But most of all, is Ann really my best friend?I decided what I would do. I tossed and turned all night, dreading daylight.At school the next day, I cornered Ann. I took a deep breath and asked for the moccasins. Her eyes narrowed, and she stared at me for a long time.Please, I was thinking. Please.“Okay,” she said finally, producing the moccasins from her pocket. “I didn’t like them anyway.” Relief washed over me like a wave.After a while, Ann and I stopped playing together. I discovered the neighborhood boys weren’t half bad, especially when they asked me to play so ftball. I even made girlfriends in other neighborhoods.Through the years, I have had other best friends. But I have never again begged for their company. I have come to understand that best friends are people who want to spend time with you, and they ask nothing in return.Mary Beth Olson【词汇过关】请写出下面文单词在文章中的中文意思。

高三英语培优·名著阅读之心灵鸡汤精选An Impromptu Dance at Dusk（答案在最后）班级：____________学号：____________姓名：____________【文章梗概】在某日的黄昏，儿子邀请我与他共舞。

一开始想要拒绝，但被Rosemary的诗中表达的关于人生的遗憾所影响，我答应了儿子的请求并坚持遵从他在舞蹈时所提出的要求。

同时，儿子向我表达的爱令我深受感动。

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.Charles R. SwindollEngrossed at the computer, I was typing some very impassioned poetry written by my eighty-two-year-old neighbor, Rosemary. My six-year-old son, Jake, ran up to me. “Mom, let’s do something fun together. Now! C’mon!”Deeply engrossed in the stories of Rosemary’s unfulfilled dreams and missed opportunities, I was ready to reply, “Jake, we’ll do something in a little bit. I want to work a little longer.” Instead, Rosemary’s words haunted me, carrying new meaning in my own life. I thought of her sad laments. The wisdom of her years spoke to me, and I decided the poems could wait. My son could not.“What would you like to do?” I asked, thinking of the new library books we could read together.“Let’s dance,” he replied.“Dance?” I asked.“Yes, just you and me . . . pleeeeez; I’ll be right back,” he said as he dashed out of the room. He returned a few moments later with his hair a bit wet and combed over to the side, a shy smile and his black, flowing Batman-turned-into-Prince-Jake cape over his shoulders. He pulled me off my chair and led me upstairs.The blinds were up and the descending sun was casting shadows against the picturesque night sky. Jake led me to the middle of his braided wool rug and then turned on the radio. “There Mom. I found us some rock and roll.” He took my hand, and we danced, twisted, turned and twirled. We giggled and laughed and danced some more.My side aching, I told him I needed a rest. Ever so seriously he responded, “Mom, let me put something romantic on now.” He found a beautiful slow song, bowed, and then took my hand as we began to slow dance together. His head was at my waist, but our feet kept rhythmic time.“Mom,” he said a moment later as he looked up at me, “can you get down on your knees and dance with me so we can look at each other’s face while we dance?” I almost responded with why I wouldn’t be able to comply with his ridiculous request. Instead, captured by the moment, I laughed, dropped down on my knees, and my little man led me in a dance I will always cherish.Jake looked deep into my eyes and claimed, “You’re my darling, Mom. I’ll always love you forever and ever.” I thought of the few short years I had left before an obvious list of my faults would replace Jake’s little-boy idolization. Of course, he would still love me—but his eyes would lose some of the innocence and reverence they now revealed.“Mommy,” he said. “We’ll always be together. Even when one of us dies, we’ll always be together in our hearts.”“Yes, we will, Jake. We’ll always be together no matter what,” I whispered as I wiped a silenttear.Dusk quietly settled in as this Mom and her Little Prince danced together, ever so slowly, cheek to cheek . . . and heart to heart.【词汇过关】请写出下面文单词在文章中的中文意思。

名著阅读之心灵鸡汤精选 A Pocket Full of Quarters 班级：____________学号：____________姓名：____________心灵鸡汤精选A Pocket Full of Quarters嘉奖她一枚25分的硬币。

六周的治疗结束时，她已经收获的一口袋25分的硬币。

当作者想知道她要用零钱买什么玩具时，小女孩却说她要为奶奶买样东西。

Searra, an eight-year-old brain tumor patient, was a “regular” in the Radiation Oncology Department, much like the other patients who came to the cancer center everyday for a five-or six-week period. With my office located near the main entrance, I could hear Searra, also called CC, coming from a distance.Sure enough, she popped her head in every morning around 10:00 A.M. to say “hi” or, more important, to check out the toys and coloring materials I had stashed in my office. Several steps behind, CC’s grandmother, also called Mommie, since she served as her guardian, would trail in as she tried keeping up with CC’s anxious pace.CC was not the least bit interested in hearing more about her cancer or her hair loss. When she walked into the department, it was time to socialize with the staff, who became her instant friends, and to see what kind of masterpiece she could color for Mommie before she was called back for her treatment.I was taken aback by the love CC had for Mommie. Whenever I asked her about home life, school work or how she was feeling, every response referred to her time spent with Mommie, the funny stories they shared and how much she loved her. On numerous occasions, CC made it clear that Mommie was the center of her world.When CC was first treated with radiation therapy, the therapists told her that they would give her a quarter each day if she promised to keep her head still on the treatment table. Certainly, after six weeks of therapy, she had a pocketful of quarters! So on the last day, the therapists wanted to know what big toy she was going to buy with all her change. CC replied, “Oh, I am not going to buy a toy.I am going to buy something for Mommie because of all the nice things she does for me.”CC’s sincerity, unselfishness, warmth and loyalty to Mommie taught me about what is really important in life. She constantly showed that loving others with truecommitment is the best gift you can give another—whether a family member or a friend. Certainly, CC has an excuse to complain or be angry at the world for a childhood totally different from the other children’s in her third-grade class. I have never heard her complain about her bald head, swollen face and body (as a result of the steroids), or low energy level, which keeps her from playing outside. CC continues to live her life the way she chooses, and that includes giving of herself to make the world a better place for others, especially Mommie.CC reminds me to not take those people I love for granted and to look beyond the superficiality that is often found in day-to-day living. I am reminded to be more thankful for what I have today and to not dwell on what is behind me or what lies ahead. CC, just like many other cancer patients, is a true example that we aren’t always dealt the perfect hand, so we have to make the best of what we have today.Anne C. Washburn【词汇过关】请写出下面文单词在文章中的中文意思。

名著阅读之心灵鸡汤精选 A Tenth of a Mile班级：____________学号：____________姓名：____________心灵鸡汤精选A Tenth of a Mile【文章梗概】因为不良的饮食习惯和生活习惯，我体重超重，但我并不想改变。

在居家颓废生活的日子里，我偶然浏览到旧时的小伙伴胖子已瘦很多。

第二天，在女友的鼓励下，我从改变饮食入手，到在小区周围散步和走路，再到定跑1/10公里的小目标。

我在放弃和坚持间抉择，一点一滴的进步着。

我终于在一周之内完成了既定目标，增强了运动的信心。

ck bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life. ~J.K.RowlingAll my life, I have been overweight. Many factors have played into that simple fact. Poor eating habits and a picky appetite left me eating bulk amounts of the least nutritious foods. A larger interest in video games thansports left little desire for participating in school activities. Mostly, it was the lack of desire to better myself.Losing my job made matters worse than they ever were as a kid. With plenty of money in my bank account, I decided to coast for a while. Why not enjoy the break? Naturally, my car decided to spring an oil leak a week later. Though still operable, it was in my best interest not to drive here and there.This resulted in my already-deep depression getting even worse. I lounged around my apartment, barely moving. Having my own money meant I could have whatever I wanted for dinner. Often, I ended up ordering pizza. The calories racked up fast. Since I had no scale, I can only guess what the overall damage was.The turning point came from an odd place. One night, scrolling through Facebook, I found a picture of an old school friend. Obesity was no stranger to him back in the day. Weighing well more than me, I imagined he would never change.So imagine my surprise when I saw that he had shrunk to half the size I remembered.I started my process of bettering myself the next day. Getting groceries from the store was step one. Thanks to my girlfriend, my food palate had expanded ever so slightly. A $30 bill for somewhat healthier meals that lasted a week bested $20 deliveries every day. The next step — which I dreaded most — was exercise.I started slow. Running was not on my agenda for a while. I began with walks around the neighborhood, circling the shortest block I could find. Even that was taxing at first. Don’t get me started on the proper regimen I went through next. Push-ups, lunges and squats, oh my!My body ached, and nothing excited me more than the prospect of quitting. My girlfriend’s encouragement was my only deterrent.Then, it happened. My walks eventually expanded to several blocks’ worth. On the fifth day of my fitness binge, I stared far down the road, probably a tenth of a mile in length. That might sound short to some, but back then it might as well have been an ocean wide.“Way too far to run,” I told myself. The rare bursts beyond simple walking had lasted mere seconds. But, in the back of my mind, another voice spoke.It said, “I can do this.”My feet took off without a second thought. Right away, familiar burning pulsed through them, all the way up my legs. Passing parked cars and houses alike, a similar pain throbbed in my lungs. I was desperate for air. Silly me had forgotten my water at home. Nothing was going to help me but stopping. It would have been so simple to stop.“I can do this,” I croaked aloud, sounding like a dying man.My body disagreed. Less than halfway to the end of the street, I started wavering. Running turned to jogging, which turned to a halfhearted trot. It must have been quite a sight for the neighbors. I bet they thought the same thing I did: I should quit.“I can do this,” I said instead.Embellishment might sell this story a little sweeter, but I won’t lie. By the end, I came up a little short. Thirty feet or so divided me from my goal. I thought myself a fool. Clearly, I was never going to make it. But when I looked back, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The distance seemed farther then, after almost crossing it all. After months of doing nothing but sitting and eating, I had almost achieved my desire in less than a week.I’d call it breathtaking, but you can blame th e running on that.Ignoring the agony, I walked home and performed my workout. I must have lain down for hours after my shower. Yet, throughout it all, my smile never faded. By morning, I was ready to take on the challenge again. And, to my surprise, I surpassedit. I blazed through the stop sign and rounded the corner, not halting until I returned to my apartment.My physical and mental health improved hand-in-hand. The farther I pushed myself, the better I felt. It’s been a month now. While I haven’t comp letely escaped thoughts of giving up, they’re quieter now. Quieter than the voice that urged me forward, a voice I scarcely recognized as my own.“I can do this.”【词汇过关】请写出下面文单词在文章中的中文意思。

名著阅读之心灵鸡汤精选 Artie班级：____________学号：____________姓名：____________心灵鸡汤精选Artie助听器电池的时候，才能静静跟它玩耍，所以每次我都会在药店耽搁很长的时间，这是我的隐私。

后来哥哥发觉了我的隐私，但他并没有拆穿我，每次都会让我陪土豚玩。

有一天土豚不见了，我很难受难受。

圣诞节的时候，哥哥把它当成礼物送给了我。

Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero.~Marc BrownI rushed through the big glass doors of Lehman’s Pharmacy. I was thereto buy my grandmother’s hearing aid batteries while my mother waitedoutside in the car. She would notice if I took too long, but this was my chance to visit the love of my life — Artie.I rushed to his aisle, and there he was, right where I last saw him: a brown, fuzzy little guy with a large tan nose that fit perfectly over my shoulder as I squeezed him tightly. I adored that aardvark stuffed animal.But my mother noticed, saying, “You took a long time in Lehman’s —and I looked —there weren’t huge lines. Next time, your brother is going in with you.”Oh, great! My brother, Rich, was going to accompany me into the pharmacy. He would watch me like a hawk and report everything to our mother.I wasn’t going to give up seeing my precious Artie. So, as we walked into the store together, I suggested to Rich that he get the batteries, since he was older. He agreed but said I shouldn’t be going off to look at the cosmetics, as I wasn’t allowed to wear them yet.He needn’t have worried about t hat; I was already heading toward Artie. There he was, awaiting me. I grabbed him and hugged him tightly, his tan nose fitting perfectly on my shoulder. Just then, I heard him: “What in the world are you doing?”My cover was blown. “This is Artie,” I said.“His nose rests perfectly on my shoulder, and I hug him every single time I come here. Don’t tell Mom. I know we can’t afford him, and I hope he doesn’t get sold, because I just love this little guy.”The look on Rich’s face was unreadable, but I knew deep down that he wasn’t going to make fun of me. In fact, a few times when he accompanied me to the pharmacy, he said, “Go on and hug your ugly animal, if it’s still there, and I’ll get Gram’s batteries.”One day, Rich was working with Dad somewhere, so Mom took me to Lehman’s alone and said, “You get to go in by yourself, again. Just don’t take forever, okay?”I rushed into the pharmacy and went straight to Artie’s shelf.But he was gone.I searched high and low. I wanted to cry, but I kept holding out hope that Artie would be on one of the shelves that I hadn’t checked.Suddenly, a voice from the counter interrupted my search. It was Mrs. Lehman herself. “Are you looking for that stuffed animal you hug every single time you’re here?”“How did you…?”“Know? W e do have mirrors in the store, dear. See them? We can see almost everything. Honey, I’m sorry to tell you but someone came in here the other week and bought the aardvark.”I was crestfallen.“Dear, I am truly sorry. I know how much you loved him, but we c arry stuffed animals to sell —not to hug and put back on the shelf.”She was right — I knew she was right. So why did I feel so empty and upset? I weakly thanked her as I paid for Gram’s hearing aid batteries. Then I slowly walked out to my mom’s car with my head hanging low, trying to hide my tears. I prayed that Artie had found good home.A month went by, and it was Christmas Eve. We were allowed to open one present that night and save the rest for Christmas morning.Rich walked up to me and said nonchalantly, “Here, you may want to open this one, or you may not —it’s up to you.”My interest was piqued. I shook it. It was soft. But it didn’t feel like clothing. My heart was thumping as I ripped open a section of wrapping paper and revealed a tan piece of cloth — a piece that resembled an aardvark’s nose! It was Artie!I squealed with delight, my mother looked confused, and my brother smiled proudly as I hugged him. Then I hugged Artie close to me, his little tan nose resting perfectly on my shoulder.【词汇过关】请写出下面文单词在文章中的中文意思。

名著阅读之心灵鸡汤精选 A Divine Creature班级：____________学号：____________姓名：____________心灵鸡汤精选A Divine Creature舍得把它送给她。

圣诞节到来之际，我决定把它作为礼物送给姐姐。

第二年圣诞节，我收到了姐姐送的礼物——正是这只燕子。

此后二十多年里，我们两家轮流把燕子当成礼物送给对方，这变成我们两家圣诞节的传统。

Christmas is the season of joy, of holiday greetings exchanged, ofgift-giving, and of families united.~Norman Vincent Peale The painted navy blue swallow, artistically perched on its ceramic nest, caught her eye. My sister Rosemary, being a country girl and no stranger to real diving swallows in her barns, had a passion for the “divinecreatures,” as she called them.“I really love it,” she said about my new piece of art.“Thanks. I love it, too.”My two-dollar yard-sale find looked perfect on my kitchen wall, and, although it held little significance, I did think it was a lovely bit of décor. Rosemary always admired it when she came over. I was tempted to give it to her, but it looked great on my kitchen wall.When the holidays approached, I got busy finding gifts and crossing names off my list. I couldn’t stop thinking about how much Rosemary had loved that little bird. She was a single mom with six children and she didn’t have a lot of her own treasures.I had to do it. I climbed up the stepstool and lifted the little ceramic piece off its nail. I found a box and wrote a note: “A true gift is something you really treasur e yourself. . . Love you, big sister. And Merry Christmas!”When Rosemary carefully peeled back the tissue on Christmas Day and saw the swallow, she was in awe. Then when she read the note, her eyes welled. We hugged and she promised she would care for “our swallow.” If I ever changed my mind she would give it back to me in a heartbeat. I assured her I would not change my mind.The following Christmas, I opened a lovely square box and pulled back the tissue. The swallow was back! Rosemary’s note expressed h er thankfulness for having the swallow on her wall for a year.And so the tradition of the Christmas Swallow began. It has become the highlight of our gift exchange and our children and grandchildren look forward to the swallow exchange every year.Now, when my year is up, I remove the swallow from my wall and smile. I know it doesn’t look nice but I leave the nail empty during the years when the swallow is hanging at Rosemary’s.That empty nail reminds me of the importance of family and how giving from the heart is the best kind of gift. Our little bird has flown back and forth between our homes each Christmas for twenty-four years now. Rosemary and I are not getting any younger but each year when one of us opens “the box” we giggle like schoolgirls.One year, Rosemary almost forgot to bring the swallow. She had to turn the car around and run inside to take it down and wrap it up. One year, I almost dropped it. But so far, so good. We haven’t missed a beat. Who would have guessed that a seemingly insignificant two-dollar treasure could bring so much Christmas joy year after year?【词汇过关】请写出下面文单词在文章中的中文意思。

名著阅读之心灵鸡汤精选 Act 3班级：____________学号：____________姓名：____________心灵鸡汤精选Act 3彼此的思念让我们最后原谅和解。

爸爸过世后，我发现了他写给妈妈的情书，这刷新了我对爸爸的认知---他不是只有严肃的样子，也有温柔多情的一面。

这封信也重新点燃了我对写作的热爱。

人生如戏，这就是我和爸爸的故事---第一幕，是误解；第二幕，是争执；第三幕，是爱。

We cannot destroy kindred: Our chains stretch a little sometimes, but they never break.~Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, Marquise de SévignéMost of my childhood memories of my father include watching him as he sat at his desk, typing away on his typewriter for hours almost every night. He dreamed of publishing a novel. He worked tirelessly on it for years. It was a serious, unsentimental novel, much like my father, who was a serious, unsentimental man. Or so I thought.Despite being fearful of my father, I could not help but be fascinated by his never-ending typing. Dad used his index fingers to type, and he typed very loudly. Peck, peck, peck emanated constantly from his corner of the family room.Although I was a generally obedient child, I morphed into a teenage hellion.While I was busy rebelling against my overly protective parents, my father continued working on his novel. Between heated arguments, he and I ignored each other. Looking back, I believe this was how it had to be for us. During this time, I fell in love with the written word, but never shared this new passion with Dad. His peck, peck, peck was just background noise to me during those teenage years.When I was twenty-two years old, my father and I had a monumental argument that led to my dramatic departure from his house. I refused to return for another four years. And during those four long years, I did not utter a single word to him.While I was on this self-imposedsabbatical from my father, my careerprogressed nicely. My life appeared to be pleasant and stable. And yet, I often dreamed about my father, feeling melancholy and empty when I awoke. Eventually, my mother shared with me that he frequently cried in his sleep, fretting about my absence. Given that he was an outwardlyunemotional man, I did not know how to react except with disbelief. I wanted to return to him, but he and I were worlds apart, at least in my mind. It seemed like we could not coexist peacefully.Still, I was completely torn. Throughout my twenties, I did some extensivesoul-searching. Finally, I had a stunning breakthrough: My father and I were actually the same! Both of us were strong-willed and proud and, most importantly, we missed each other dearly. I realized it wasn’t his job to be the person I wanted him to be. It was my job to love and accept the person he was. These epiphanies led to a miraculous and long-awaitedreconciliation with Dad that shocked everyone. Our silent war was finally over after four emotionally excruciating years.He never asked me why I drastically changed my attitude toward him. He just took me back into his open arms without asking for even a semblance of an explanation — just what one would expect a loving and forgiving father to do. To be honest, at the time, I didn’t know if he had forgiven me or I had forgiven him. But looking back, I realize that we had forgiven each other.During the golden years of his life, we had a wonderful time together. Eventually, he started to talk to me about his novel. Peck, peck, peck became a newly comforting sound to my ears. But I still never talked to him about my love for writing. Mostly, I felt I had to “forget” about writing to pursue a more practical career. Or perhaps I feared I would never be as talented a writer as he was. After all, the last thing I wanted to do was to disappoint my father.As I grew closer to Dad, I thought I knew everything there was to know about him. Little did I know about the surprise he would leave me.When I was thirty-two, he passed away right before Father’s Day. After the funeral, I was organizing his belongings when I found a very old manuscript that I did not recognize. As I began to read it, I realized that it was an extremely romantic account about my mother, a love letter so to speak, written by my father!I was in shock as I read his beautiful words. Was the hopeless, sentimental romantic who wrote this letter actually my frequently stern, serious father?I could not believe it, and neither did anyone else.My mother had little recollection of this letter, which led me to suspect that I was the first person to read it. It was as if my father had let me in on his life’s secret so that we could continue our relationship even after he had left. I missed him even more.One of the biggest ironies of my life is that I understood my father better in death than I did when he was alive. The way I see it now, this love story between Dad and me happened exactly the way it was meant to. For most of my life,I didn’t really understand him, and when I was ready to truly know and appreciatehim, he was gone. But in his absence, Dad left me a hidden treasure in the form of a romantic account, a love letter, about my mother so that I could discover the man that he was underneath.Perhaps I was meant to find his letter later in life so that he could inspire me to write again. Dad passed away before realizing his dream of completing his novel. However, I know in my heart that he is sitting right next to me, finishing his novel as I type these very words. I can hear the peck, peck, peck— the sound of my father, the secret hopeless romantic.As an aspiringscreenwriter, I have been taught to tell my stories in the classic three-act structure of most films. When I look back at my relationship with my father, I realize that our relationship played out just like a classic tale of forgiveness. In Act 1, I misunderstood him. In Act 2, I fought him. But in Act 3, I loved him.【词汇过关】请写出下面文单词在文章中的中文意思。

名著阅读之心灵鸡汤精选 With Every Footstep班级：____________学号：____________姓名：____________心灵鸡汤精选With Every Footstep紧张害怕，但我抓住这次宝贵的机会。

在队长和家人的支持下，我信心满满地参加决赛，但在起跳过程中步伐仓促，最后导致落地不稳。

我非常羞愧。

在家人的安慰下，我重拾信心参加第二天的平衡木决赛。

以享受比赛的心态参加平衡木决赛，我完美地完成了动作，意料之外获得了金牌。

You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. . . .Ps. 16:11I was not only a little surprised, but worried to find myself in the Vault Finals at the 1996 Olympic Games when Kerri Strug was forced to pull out as a result of an ankle injury. I had done well during the team competition, but had just missed qualifying for the Vault Finals competition. When my coach, Steve, and I were notified that I’d become eligible to compete in this event, I wasn’t feeling prepared to be Kerri’s replacement.My first reaction was, How can I? Due to an extremely sore wrist, I had not been able to work a second vault. Vault Finals require that the gymnast compete on two vaults from two different vault families. This was a moment when all of my gymnastics experience had to be there to support me. Steve encouraged me to give it a try.Once I recovered from the initial shock, I knew that I didn’t want to give up the opportunity to compete in another event of the 1996 Olympics. I fully intended to give it my best shot from that moment forward. With a positive attitude, and with support from Steve and my parents, I gave it everything I had during my workouts, and they went great. I didn’t miss a single vault—even while warming up for the actual competition. I focused on how great an opportunity it was to be given the chance to compete.However, my positive attitude and joy quickly turned to tears of embarrassment and discouragement. When the time came to compete, I sprinted hard down the runway, but as I approached the springboard, I knew that my steps were off. I was not comingonto the vault horse at the right place! In an instant, it was all over. I had missed placing one of my hands down on the horse, which resulted in my performing an outrageousflip in the air and landing on my seat right in front of literally hundreds of thousands of people! I felt the hot flush of embarrassment swimming from my stomach straight up to my bright red face.As soon as the event was over, I headed up to the USA gymnastics suite, where I knew my parents would be waiting for me. My tears were flowing pretty freely, so my parents took me aside so that we could have a little privacy. I try always to place my trust in God to direct my path. I never pray to win, but I always ask God to help me do my best. I had been so full of joy and confidence going into the competition. What had happened?Mom asked me if I remembered the poem Footprints that hung on the wall of my room. She reminded me that God had always been walking with me. Never had he abandoned me. Maybe it was time for me to allow God to carry me. Rather than be worried about once again failing, I could remember that I didn’t have to do this all by myself. All I needed to remember was that God is always by my side. Instead of dreading Beam Finals the next day, I needed to be grateful for the opportunity to express the talent that God had given me, and not to be concerned about winning or losing.The next evening, I was calm and at peace while I waited for my turn to compete. When I mounted the beam, I heard a man yell at someone in the crowd, “Turn y our [camera] flash off!” I consciously thought, “How sweet of him to be concerned about my welfare.” A camera flash can cause an accident that could potentially end a career, or worse. It struck me that I had never before heard what was going on around me when I was competing. I was usually so tremendously focused, I had blocked out everything else. But that night’s competition was different from any other. I felt an emotional connection with the audience whose love of gymnastics, and the athletes who represented the sport, seemed to completely surround me. At that moment, I was able to let in all the joy of the evening, of being in the Olympic Games, and of the sport of gymnastics.I took a few calming breaths and thanked God for being with me, and for the talent that he has given me. And then, I went for it!I aced my routine! I felt so great when my feet hit the mat. I honestly had no idea as to whether or not I would win a medal. But at that moment, medals truly did not matter. I had accomplished something far greater than a world record ingymnastics. I had felt the comfort and strength of God’s presence with every footstep of the routine.I took home an Olympic Gold Medal to remind me of that night. But the night was golden in more ways than one. I will always treasure in my heart what it is like to experience God’s presence.Shannon Miller【词汇过关】请写出下面文单词在文章中的中文意思。

名著阅读之心灵鸡汤精选Don’t Stop Believing班级：____________学号：____________姓名：____________心灵鸡汤精选Don’t Stop Believing长还是孩子都是一场身心疲惫的尴尬的场景。

在治疗师的帮助下，Mickey逐步改变。

现在，理发是自发而愉快的正常社交活动。

但是，这样简单的15分钟的理发，却花了我们几年的时间才完成这个转变。

永远相信奇迹会发生。

If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.~William A. WardTwo days before our nineteen-year-old son Mickey leaves for sleep-away camp, he asks to get a haircut. No big deal, right? But fifteen years ago this would have been unthinkable.Back then, the barbershop was the scene of some of our worst parenting moments. By 8:00 a.m. of the Dreaded Haircut Day, my husband Marc would already be muttering, “I need a Scotch before I can do this” —and he doesn’t even drink Scotch. Bracing himself in the barber chair, Marc would clench Mickey in a bear hug and scissor-lock him with his legs. Mickey would flailfrantically, head-butting his father and screaming like someone undergoing surgery without anesthesia. Customers gawked. One old man snarled, “Rotten spoiled brat.” Marc sweated through his shirt. When the barber declared he was done, I’d take Mickey into my arms. Sobbing and spent, he’d collapse against my shoulder, smearing us both with snot and hair. We tipped big. Very big.Unable to face a repeat performance, we’d let long months go between haircuts. Mickey’s great-uncle Jack liked to tease him. “You look like a girl, buddy!” he’d say. Some days whe n we’d walk by that barbershop on our way to the deli, I could swear that as soon as the barbers saw us passing, they’d quickly pull down the white shade that said “Closed for Lunch.”But today when we enter the barbershop Mickey sings out a cheery “Hi Dom!” as he plops into the chair. Dom drapes him in a marooncape, and picks up a shaver. Ascreen splits in my head: I can still picture that terrified little boy, even as I watch my son, nearly a man, sitting solemnly watching his reflection in the mirror.I wait quietly, soaking in the sounds of barbershop banter, the sports talk, the sharing of summer plans. It is all so completely ordinary. A radio is tuned to a Lite FM station; the song playing is “Don’t Stop Believing ” by Journey. I reflect how anyone who’d seen my son all those years ago would never have believed that Mickey would one day request —insist— we take him for a haircut. Yet here we are.“How’s this?” Dom asks. I stand beside Mickey and glance down; the cape is feathered in a field of light brown hairs, as covered as a forest floor.“Let’s take it down a bit more,” I suggest. “Is that okay with you, Mick?”“Yeah, Mom,” he says.I remember how we used to sneak into his bedroom at night with a pair of shearsto give him a trim as he slept. I think of the time he was five and we took him toa local performance by the Paperbag Players; we hadn’t known that they were going to perform a new skit called the “The Horrible, Horrendous, Hideous Haircut.” “NO!” Mickey shrieked, and every head in the audience swiveled our way.Nowadays, Autism Speaks’ Family Services division offers a Haircutting Training Guide for families and stylists on how to make the experience more positive, but back then there was nothing. Fortunately, one of our behavioral therapists offered to tackle the challenge. Mickey was seven years old. She took him to the next town over — too many negative associations with our local barber — where they simply practiced strolling by a barbershop. The following week, they stood in the doorway. Eventually they progressed to sitting in the waiting area, watching other people get haircuts, then having Mickey sit in the barber chair. Eventually they introduced the cape, the shaver, the scissors. It took months, but by the time Kathy was done, Mickey was able to — miracle of miracles — tolerate a haircut.“This feels better,” Mickey tells me. His hair is crew cut short; I can see scalp. I think he’s more handsome with a little more hair. But Mickey is happy with how he looks, and that’s all that m atters.“Thanks Dom,” Mickey says softly. Dom dusts a brush with talcum powder, sweeps it across the back of Mickey’s neck. Mickey stands, turns to me and asks, “Can I have a dollar?”I give him a twenty-dollar bill. He hands it to Dom. “Keep the change,” he says breezily. A man of the world.“Is Dom proud of me?” Mickey asks.“Very proud,” I say. “You know what? We’re all very proud of you.”This whole visit to the barbershop has lasted fifteen minutes. But it took us years to get here.【词汇过关】请写出下面文单词在文章中的中文意思。

高三英语培优•名着阅读之心灵鸡汤精选Because Night Turns into Day班级：学号：姓名：心灵鸡汤精选Because Night Turns into Day【文章梗概】我的14岁的儿子Marshawn患有儿童自闭症，经常会起得早而睡得晚。

每次哄他重新入眠后，也已到了我们需要起床的时间，因此我经常是身心俱疲的。

有一天我问他为什么起这么早，他说“黑夜过去，黎明来临，太阳升起来了！“我没有想到他会这么说，因为他一向重复问题而不会回答。

儿子的回应让我相信Every cloud has a silver lining.（天无绝人之路，凡事都有好的一面。

）Some see a hopeless end, while others see an endless hope.-Author UnknownEvery now and then, my fourteen-year-old son Marshawn, who has autism, goes through 〃/7asesa.m.re he wakes up very early. Tm talking 4 or 5 a.m. early, when the alarm is set fbr 7:30. It,s frustrating to say the least, particularly because he doesn't fall asleep until preity late, and I'm usually exhausted. By (he time I get him to fall back to sleep, it's time fbr us to wake up.One morning after an “early awakening,n I asked him why he had gotten up so early. He said, "Because night turns into day. The sun rises.”That was the last thing I expected him to say. Honestly, I didn't expect him to give me a real reason at all, as he often repeats my questions rather than answers them. As a person who loves watching the sky, all I could do was appreciate his response, although I'm grateful he doesn't wake up at the crack of dawn every single day. For days after that brief conversation, I couldn't stop thinking about his words, and it had nothing to do with the sky. It resonated with me, because I felt a sense of encouragement that he didn't even know he had blessed me with.Life can defbiiiek be hard, and I sometimes find myself in a dark place trying to find balance and make the right choices from one day to the next. I often feel lost, and think that there has to be more to life than feeling like this. Parenting, in my opinion, is one of the toughest jobs there is. Being a single mom of a child with autism presents a whole other dimension of challenges which affects every single decision that I make — important choices like work and child care, and more sitbile things like whether a public place we choose to visit has family bathrooms, because I can't send my leena史ed child into a men's room alone.puheHL social andbehavioral difficulties are just a few of the things that cloud my mind on a daily basis.However, life is not always a sad song. Despite the tough times that we've encountered、his words ring true. “Nighl turns into day. The sun rises.” During my son's evaluations and around the time of the initial dia父ncsis, I was beyond overwhelmed. It's hard to see the bright side of a difficult situation when it blindsides you.As lime goes on, and with each milestone, with each goal accomplished, with each amazing thing that my son does, I have seen night turn into day. I have become more optimistic, gained a lol more dariiv of mind, and things have become brighter. Marshawn helps me to see life differently and to look beyond the obvious. Days are sometimes stormy, but his presence always reminds me to see the beauty in each one . . . to see the beauty in life with a son who is unique, loving, brilliant and the greatest gift I could have.【词汇过关】请写出下面文单词在文章中的中文意思。

名著阅读之心灵鸡汤精选 A Canine Nanny班级：____________学号：____________姓名：____________心灵鸡汤精选A Canine Nanny工作，父母远在千里之外，除了一条名叫“Two”的狗狗，我的身边再无亲人陪伴。

有一天，二女儿Abigail弄脏了自己的衣服，当我无奈地离开她去清洗时，Two承担起了保姆的职责，安抚了Abigail。

在Two的陪伴下，Abigail长成了一个细腻、体贴的的小女孩；而当Two 年纪大了，Abigail也反过来细心地照顾它。

The dog was created especially for children.Henry Ward BeecherI was physically and emotionally exhausted. At night, I was awake more than I slept, caring for our three-week-old daughter, Abigail. By day, I chased our older daughter, Bridget, an active two-year-old. My already taut nerves began to fray when Abigail developed a mild case of colic. Bridget demanded attention each time her sister fussed. Our dog, a purebred Brittany named Two, was constantly underfoot, and stumbling over her repeatedly did not help my state of mind.I also felt isolated. We were new to the area, and I didn’t know anyone in town. My parents, our nearest relatives, lived 150 miles away. Phoning my mother on the spur of the moment to ask if she’d drop by and watch the kids for an hour while I got some much-needed sleep wasn’t realistic. My husband helped as much as he could but needed to focus on his job.One day Abigail woke from a nap. As babies sometimes do, she had soiled her clothing and crib bedding. I tried to clean her up as fast as possible, but her cries developed into ear-shatteringwails before I was through. I wanted to comfort her, but I was at a loss. I had to wash my hands, I couldn’t put her back into the crib and the floor hadn’t been vacuumed for days. Strapping her on the changing table, I wedged a receiving blanket between her and the railing. I promised I’d be right back. As her screams followed me into the bathroom, I neared complete meltdown. Women had handled this for generations—why couldn’t I cope?I had just lathered up with soap when Two trotted purposefully past the bathroom door. A moment later the crying ceased. Hurriedly, I dried my hands and entered the nursery to find the Brittany standing on her hind legs, tenderly licking Abigail’sear. The baby’s eyes were opened wide in wonder. Two dropped down and wagged her stubby tail in apology. With a canine grin and her ears pushed back as far as they could go, she seemed to say, “I know babies are off limits, but I couldn’t help myself.”At that moment, I realized why I had been tripping over Two all the time: she wanted to help! When Bridget was born, Two had enthusiastically welcomed the newest member of her family. But because she had difficulty curbing her energy, we had watched her closely. Now, at six years of age, with a more sedatedisposition, Two understood she had to be gentle.That day marked a turning point for me. During Abigail’s fussy moments, I laid her blanket on the floor and placed her next to Two. Often Abigail quieted as she buried her hands and feet in the dog’s warm soft fur. Although Two relished her role as babysitter, objecting only when Abigail grabbed a fistful of sensitive flank hair, I still kept a vigilant eye on them, or Abigail would likely have suffered a constant barrage of doggy kisses.When Abigail turned four, we enrolled her in preschool. Her teacher as well as several of the other parents commented on how she was always the child who reached out to those who were alone. Extending an invitation to join in play, Abigail often stayed by someone’s side if she didn’t get an a nswer, talking quietly and reassuringly. I like to think that Two’s willingness to remain lying next to a screaming infant somehow contributed to our daughter’s sensitivity.I admit I’ve spoiled Two since that first day when she comforted Abigail. If I leave the table and a half-eaten meal disappears, I know who the culprit is. But I don’t have the heart to punish her for being an opportunist. I’m indebted to her, and losing out on several bites of cold food is a small price to pay.Two is still part of our family, and although we all dote on her, there is an unmistakable connection between her and Abigail. Now nearly twelve years old, Two has more than her share of aches and pains. During winter, she often rests in front of the heat register. When Abigail wakes in the morning, she covers her dog with her old baby blanket and fusses over her. And when Abigail wanders away, Two trails after her, the tattered blanket dragging along on the floor. Two still considers Abigail her special charge, and I’m happy to h ave her help. I hope they have many more days together, looking after each other with such loving care.【词汇过关】请写出下面文单词在文章中的中文意思。