In the early 1800's, black people were not free in America.
They were slaves.
Rich, white masters owned them.
They used slaves to work on their farms.
Many masters were terrible to their slaves.
But some were kind.
Master Shelby was one of them.
Recently, his farm's business was poor.
He borrowed a lot of money from the bank.
The only way to pay his debt was to sell some slaves.
He hoped to sell his best slave, Tom, for a high price.
A slave trader named Mr. Haley came to buy Tom.
Mr. Haley was a terrible man.
He treated slaves like animals.
"Tom is the best slave I have," said Master Shelby.
"He is a good man who believes in God."
"God does not care about blacks.
They are not even men.
I just want to buy Tom because he is a hard worker," said Mr. Haley.
"But you want too much money for one slave.
I'll pay the money you need if you give me a slave child, too."
"Okay," agreed Master Shelby.
"I hate to do it, but I have to save our farm.
I'll give you little Henry.
He will grow up to be a good slave."
In the next room was a slave named Eliza.
She was a beautiful woman with light skin.
"Oh, my son, no!" she cried to herself.
She heard Master Shelby and Mr. Haley talking to each other through the wall.
She knew it would be terrible to lose her son.
This woman had been taken from her mother when she was a little girl.
Eliza's husband George ran away to Canada a few days ago. Blacks were free in Canada.
George wanted to work and save money.
Then he could buy Eliza and Henry from Master Shelby.
But that would never happen if the bad man took Henry down south.
Eliza picked up her son and hugged him.
"Don't worry," she said softly.
"If we trust in God, He will show us the way to freedom."
Behind Master Shelby's large house was a small log cabin.
This was a home for slaves.
It was tiny, but the cabin was very warm inside.
The smell of a freshly baked cake was in the air.
At the table sat Uncle Tom and Johnny.
Johnny was Master Shelby's son.
He loved Uncle Tom and his wife Aunt Chloe very much.
Now Johnny was teaching Uncle Tom how to read.
The cabin was suddenly filled with their many happy children.
They ran into the cabin when they smelled the cake.
Johnny was excited to eat the cake, too.
Uncle Tom felt very happy.
He held two of his children and sang a song.
While they were eating cake, Eliza came into Uncle Tom's cabin.
She had to tell him the terrible news.
With tears in her eyes, she said, "Master Shelby sold my son!
We have to run away.
We will try to reach Canada.
Uncle Tom, Master Shelby sold you, too.
Come away with us!
God will show us the way!"
"No," said Uncle Tom.
"I can't run away with you.
If I do, Chloe and my children will be in danger.
It is better for me to go.
I will pray that God protects me."
Aunt Chloe and the children could not stop crying.
Eliza couldn't wait.
She picked up Henry and held him tightly.
Then she disappeared into the night.
free adj. 自由的
own v. 拥有
terrible adj. 残忍的
recently adv. 最近
poor adj. 不景气的
pay v. 偿还
(pay-paid-paid)
debt n. 债务
sell v. 卖
(sell-sold-sold)
price n. 价钱
salve trader 奴隶贩子
treat v. 对待
believe in 信仰
care about 在乎
hard adj. 努力工作的
agree v. 同意
hate v. 不愿
grow up 长大
light adj. 浅色的
skin n. 皮肤
lose v. 失去
(lose-lost-lost)
run away 逃跑
save v. 积攒
hug v. 拥抱
trust in 相信(某人)
show v. 指示
(show-showed-shown)
freedom n. 自由
log cabin 小木屋
tiny adj. 小的
smell n. 味道
freshly adv. 刚
baked adj. 烘烤的
be filled with 被……充满
excited adj. 兴奋的
feel v. 感到
(feel-felt-felt)
hold v. 抱着
(hold-held-held)
try to 尽量做(某事)
reach v. 到达
be in danger 陷入危险之中
pray v. 祈祷
protect v. 保护
tightly adv. 紧紧地
disappear v. 消失
He will grow up to be a good slave.
他长大后会成为一个好奴隶。
grow up to be... :意为“长大后成为……”
e.g. She grew up to be a famous actress.
她长大后成为了一个著名演员。
Behind Master Shelby's large house was a small log cabin.
在奴隶主谢尔比的大房子后面,有一座小木屋。
Behind...house 意为“在……房子后面”。表示方位的介词+名词,表示“在……”。
e.g. Under the tree was a sleeping rabbit.
树下有只兔子在睡觉。
It is better for me to go.
我还是去得好。
It is...for sb. to do sth. :意为“对某人来说做某事……”。
e.g. It is easy for you to help her.
对你来说帮助她是件很容易的事情。
A 在横线上填上正确的人名。
❶ a kind owner of slaves
________
❷ a slave and the mother of Henry
________
❸ the best slave that Master Shelby has
________
❹ a slave trader
________
❺ the son of Master Shelby
________
B 根据故事内容判断正误,正确的选T,错误的选F。
❶ In the 1900's, there was slavery in England.
T F
❷ Slave traders were friendly people who helped black people.
T F
❸ Master Shelby was kind to his slaves.
T F
❹ Aunt Chloe baked the best cakes.
T F
❺ Eliza and her son were sold to Mr. Haley.
T F
C 选择适当的词语填空。
cabin debt free masters disappeared
❶ Rich, white _________ owned black people.
❷ Mr. Shelby had to sell some of his slaves to pay his_________.
❸ Blacks were _________ in Canada.
❹ Uncle Tom lived in a small log _________ behind Master Shelby's large house.
❺ Eliza held her son and _________ into the night.
D 根据故事内容将下列句子重新排序。
❶ Eliza and Henry ran away.
❷ Master Shelby agreed to sell Tom and Henry to Mr. Haley.
❸ Aunt Chloe baked a cake.
❹ Eliza heard through the wall that her son had been sold.
❺ Eliza asked Uncle Tom to run away with her.
______⇨______⇨______⇨______⇨______
A ❶ Master Shelby
❷ Eliza
❸ Uncle Tom
❹ Mr. Haley
❺ Johnny
B ❶ F
❷ F
❸ T
❹ T
❺ F
c ❶ masters
❷ debt
❸ free
❹ cabin
❺ disappeared
D ❷⇨❹⇨❸⇨❺⇨❶