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Lesson 1
The First Day at School

Danielle Herzog

Guidance

This article is from Th Washington Post, written by a mother overflowing with love. It was the first day of school for her daughter, and their inner feelings reveal themselves through the vivid mother daughter dialogue, rather heart-touching! 本文摘自《华盛顿邮报》,是一位妈妈写的充满浓浓爱意的文章,叙述了女儿第一天上学时母女两人的心理感受,母女对话生动,心理描写细腻,感情真挚,温暖人心!

I put my sunglasses on and took a deep breath. With her hand held tightly in mine, we started walking down the street to her firs day of school. I knew in a few minutes that she would be crying,she always cries when she was anxious about new experiences. But I also knew that once inside the room, she would thrive .

As we walked, she asked me if I would be waiting right outside the front door when school was over.

“How will I fin you?” she asked.

“We’ll pick a spot for me to stand so you know exactly where to look, okay?” I answered.

“What if no one talks to me?”

“I know that the teacher will talk to you. She’ll help you find your seat and she’ll even introduce you all to each other. And you already know two friends in the class from preschool.I bet they are nervous too.”

She looked away and started to fidge with her backpack strap.

It’s the same backpack that we spent 20 minutes packing up the night before. And the same one that she slipped her small stuffe animal puppy into when she thought I wasn’t looking this morning.

“What if I get shy and can’t talk to anyone?”

“You might feel shy at first, I said to her, “but give yourself a little time and you’ll realize that you are having fun and feeling more comfortable.”

She looked up at me and smiled, as we waited at a stop sign. “I’m scared but really excited.”

“What are you the most excited for?”

“P.E.”

I laugh because this is the same girl who weeks before told me she was exhausted from running one block down the street and needed to rest and drink water to refuel.

As we turn the corner, her face dropped. The massive group of students gathered everywhere overwhelmed her and her face instantly fell as the tears welled up in her eyes.

“You can do this, sweetie. Everyone has a place in line, let’s go fin yours.”

We lined up with her class and just as she was about to cling to my leg for dear life, her friend from preschool stood next to her.① In an instant, she lit up. The soon realized they both have the same backpack and reached out for each other’s hand. And as the teacher began to walk them all into the school, she was smiling. Not crying, not grabbing onto me, but smiling.

But when I saw those little feet walk into that big building, it all hit me and I felt the emotion of the moment.② I hid the tears behind my sunglasses and waved a bit too excitedly as she walked inside. But the beauty of that moment was that it was only a moment. ③I wiped my eyes, held my husband’s hand and we walked away feeling happy and proud.

All day I wondered what she was doing. Was she making friends? Did she find the bathroom okay? Was anyone mean to her? Could she put the straw in one of those ridiculously challenging juice boxes?

As I waited for her at pick-up, I felt like a kid standing in line to meet Santa. She came out with her hand waving and her arms outstretched.“I didn’t cry again, Mommy,” she said, excited to hug me and show me her backpack full of goodies.

Afte two hours of hearing the details of her day, we laughed and talked as a family about all the adventures she had.

And as I kissed her goodnight and told her how proud I was of her, she turned to me and said, “I love school. But I was upset about one thing.”

“Oh? What’s that?” I asked.

“The don’t have any Barbies there.”

I smile and for a second felt jealous that there’s a place in the world that doesn’t have Barbies, considering that a village of them reside in my home.

But if the one thing she didn’t like was a lack of Barbies, well then, I think I can say that it was a good day.

And just like her, I didn’t cry again either.

(767 words)

Notes

① We lined up with her class and just as she was about to cling to my leg for dear life, her friend from preschool stood next to her. 我们和她的班级一起排队,正当她要缩回来紧紧抱住我的时候,她幼儿园里的朋友刚好站到了她身边。

cling to紧抓住,紧抱住

for dear life拼命,表示程度之大

② But when I saw those little feet walk into that big building, it all hit me and I felt the emotion of the moment. 但当我看到那些小脚丫依次走进那栋大建筑的时候,一股感伤油然而生,此情此景,五味杂陈。

③ But the beauty of that moment was that it was only a moment. 但那一刻的美丽就在于其时间的短暂易逝。

Practice

Ⅰ. Reading comprehension

1. What can you infer from the firs paragraph?

A. Both the mother and the daughter were nervous about the firs day of school.

B. Only the daughter was anxious about the firs day of school.

C. Only the mother was anxious about the firs day of school.

D. Neither of them was worried about the firs day of school.

2. Which word can best describe the mother?

A. Indifferent B. Indulgent.C. Strict.D. Caring.

3. Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?

A. The mother wasn’t looking this morning when her daughter slipped her small stuffed animal puppy into the backpack.

B. The mother couldn’t help feeling sad but proud at the same time when her daughter walked into school for the firs time.

C. Th mother worried about what her daughter was doing in school because she was unable to take care of herself.

D. Th mother thought that it was a good school day because the school doesn’t have Barbies.

4. What was the thing that the daughter felt upset about on her firs day at school?

A. Th school didn’t have Barbies.

B. Someone was mean to her.

C. She didn’t make new friends.

D. She couldn’t fin the bathroom.

5. At the end of the story, the author said “just like her, I didn’t cry again either.” What are the possible reasons? Write down your own thoughts.

Ⅲ. Writing practice

What was your firs school day like? Write about it. HzTKQRikasPgIhNZhjTkszUZMmlNA4LJ05ipAhxWtKwytqryyLdKmn+1AgfGfxCf

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