在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕 关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频 词汇提示 1.solemn 庄严的 2.hollow 空心的 原文 Easter Traditionally，Easter has been one of the most important holidays of the Christian religion. For Christians，the Easter holiday celebrates the death of Jesus Christ，who died for the benefit of all people. The exact date when Easter is celebrated is different each year，but it is always held in early spring，during March or April. There are two very important days that make up the Easter holidays，which occurs during the spring season. The first of these days is called Good Friday. Christians recognized Good Friday as the day when Jesus suffered and died on behalf of humanity. The second of these days is called Easter Sunday. Easter Sunday occurs two days after Good Friday. Christians celebrated Easter Sunday as the day when Jesus rose from the dead and went to Heaven. For Christians，Easter is the most solemn holiday of the year. Many people attend church services on Good Friday and on Eater Sunday. Easter is also a time for celebration. Some Easter traditions come from old springtime festivals that exited even before Christianity. One of the traditions associated with Easter is the painting of Easter eggs. People take chickens' eggs，make them hollow，and then paint them with beautiful colors Some people paint very beautiful and complex designs on the Easter eggs Another Easter tradition is the Easter Bunny. According to tradition，the Easter Bunny is a magical rabbit that visits the homes of children one the night before Easter Sunday. The Easter Bunny hides chocolate candies，shaped like eggs，throughout the child's house. On the morning of Easter Sunday，the children must search throughout the house，to find these many hidden treats！ The Easter holiday is an important time，both as a religious holiday and as a celebration of springtime.

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕 关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频 词汇提示 1.weird 奇怪的 2.glow 发光 原文 Halloween（2） The holiday called Halloween is celebrated on October 31th of each year. Halloween is not an official holiday. Everyone go to work or to school on Halloween，just as on any other day. But Halloween is still one of holidays that children like the most. Why do children like Halloween so much？ There are two reasons：costumes and candy. On the evening of October 31th，children dress up in strange and unusual costumes. They wear costumes that may look like a witch，a monster，or many other weird things. Putting on these scary costumes is a lot of fun for children. After the children put on their costumes，they walk from house to house during the evening. The children carry large bags with them. At each house，they stop and knock at the door. When an adult open the door，the children will shout“trick or treat”. The adult who opens the door pretends to be frighten，and then puts pieces of candy into each child's open bag. At the end of the evening，the children have visited many houses and have collected much candy. During the next several days，they can feast upon the sweet candies that they have received. Another Halloween tradition is very unusual. In each house，a family gets a very large，round，orange vegetable called a pumpkin. They cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin，and empty out the flesh and seeds of the vegetable. Then，they cut holes in the side of the pumpkin，so it appears to have eyes，a nose and a mouth. When the carving is finished，the pumpkin looks almost like a person's face. When the pumpkin has been carved to look like a face，people place a light inside the pumpkin，so that the vegetable seems to glow in the dark. This strange-looking face is called a “Jack-o-lantern”. On Halloween evening，one can see many of these jack-o-lanterns，some of which are very beautifully carved. Halloween is truly a fun and interesting holiday，especially for children！

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕 关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频 词汇提示 1.reflect upon 反思 2.settlers 移民 原文 Thanksgiving An important holiday in North America is held during the fall，or autumn，season of the year. This holiday is called Thanksgiving. At this time of year，people join with their relatives to reflect upon their good fortune. Thanksgiving is a holiday that has a long history in North America. It was first celebrated when English settlers arrived in the eastern part of what is now the United States，during the seventeenth century. When they survived the first hard year。They celebrated and gave thanks to God. They invited some of the native people to their Thanksgiving celebration，because the native people had helped them to survived during the hard winter. The tradition of celebration Thanksgiving continued and spread throughout North America. Each fall，during the time of autumn harvest，people celebrated Thanksgiving. They gave thanks for the food of the harvest and for all the good things in their lives. Today，the tradition of Thanksgiving celebration continues. Families gather to eat a large bird called a turkey. They also eat pumpkin pie. This is a sweet dessert that is made from a large orange vegetable that grows on the ground. In the United States，Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. But the follow day，Friday，is also a holiday，and then comes the weekend. In Canada，Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October. The reason for the earlier celebration in Canada is that the weather is colder than in the United States. This means that the harvest happens earlier in Canada，so Thanksgiving is held at an earlier date. But in both countries，Thanksgiving is a very pleasant time of year.

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕 关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频 词汇提示 1.manger 马槽 2.sled 雪橇 3.artificial 人造的 原文 Christmas In the most western countries，Christmas is the biggest holiday of the year. People gather with their families to celebrate this day，which occurs on December 25th each year. The holiday of Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. In the Christian religion，Jesus Christ is recognized as the Son of God. During the Christmas season，many people celebrate the events of the birth of Jesus Christ. For example，they recall the three wise men who visited Jesus Christ shortly after his birth. Also，they recall that Jesus Christ was born in a manger（a place where horses are kept），because his parents could not find a place to stay. In western countries，Christmas is also celebrated by many people who are not religious. People view Christmas as a time for being together with one's relatives. Children，parents and grandparents gather to exchange presents and to eat special foods. The tradition of giving gifts at Christmas is unusual in one way. When children go to bed on evening before Christmas，they hang large socks（called stockings）in their house. When they wake up on Christmas morning，the stockings have been filled with toys and candy. According to tradition，the presents have been given by a fat man who wears a white bread and a red suit. This man，called Santa Claus，flies around the world in a sled that is pulled by reindeer. He stops at each house and flies down the chimney to deliver his presents. In the weeks before the Christmas，children are usually very well behaved. Their parents tell them that Santa Claus will only give presents to children who are good！ Another Christmas tradition is the Christmas tree. People put a small tree inside their house and decorate it with various pretty objects. Nowadays，most people use an artificial tree instead of a real tree. The tradition of the Christmas tree is older than Christmas itself，the people in Europe celebrate the beginning of the winter season in this way even before Christianity reached Europe. Christmas is certainly one of the most important and most enjoyed holidays in western countries.

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕 关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频 词汇提示 1.moisture 水分 2.Celsius 摄氏度 原文 Snow Snow is the white substance that falls to the ground during cold weather conditions. Each tiny piece of snow，called a snowflake，is a very small amount of water that has frozen into an unusual shape. During the winter months，huge numbers of snowflakes fall to the ground，covering the land in a white blanket of snow. In many parts of the world，people never see any snow. Snow only falls when there is moisture in the air，and when the temperature is blow the freezing point of water，which is zero degree Celsius. During the winter，snow falls instead of rain. One advantage of snow is that it allows many fun outdoor activities. Children like to play in the snow. For example，they may make a snowman by rolling snow into a large ball，and then placing these balls of snow on top of each other，in the shape of a person. Another fun activity in the snow is skiing. Skis are very long，thin flat pieces of hard material that one wears on one's feet. Wearing skis allows a person slide along the surface of the snow. People can ski down the side of a hill，travelling at great speeds. Many people find the sport of downhill skiing to be very exciting. Some people like to ski along flat ground，often travelling great distances. This sport，called cross-country skiing，is an excellent way to develop physical fitness. Of course，snow also causes some problems. Snow can make driving dangerous，because falling snow makes roads slippery，and on a windy day，blowing snow can make it difficult to see very far. It can also be a lot of work to remove snow from the roads and sidewalks. Snow is a heavy substance，and it must be cleaned away by a shovel and a large machine. Many people love the beauty of the land when it is covered by snow. The white covering of snow over the fields and trees can give a feeling of peace and calm. If you have never seen snow before，you should someday experience this strange and wonderful substance！

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕 关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频 词汇提示 1.method 方式 2.lanes 车道 3.aspects 方面 4.brakes 刹车 5.accelerator 加速装置 6.steering wheel 方向盘 7.supervised 被监管的 原文 Learning to Drive Each year，many young people learn to drive a car. For many people，learning to drive is very important because the car is an important method of transportation in many places. Before learning to drive a car，it is important to understand the rules of the road. A beginning driver should already understand the many signs that are found around the roads. Also，the student driver should know the many rules about changing lanes，turning，stopping and many other aspects of driving. In addition，the driver should be familiar with the way the car is operated；it is important to know how to use the lights，signs，brakes，accelerator，and steering wheel. When a person starts learning to drive，it may take some time to become skillful. It takes some practice to become an expert in driving a car. One must become familiar with steering，speeding up and slowing down. At first，it is good to practice driving in a large open space，such as an empty parking lot. Here，one can practice without being a danger to anyone. When a person gains some skill in driving，it is then safe enough to practice driving on a road. Of course，a student driver must still be very careful. He or she should always have an expert driver in the car with him or her. Many beginning drivers take driving lessons from professional instructors，who can teach safe driving techniques. Eventually，the young driver is ready for a driving test，which is needed to obtain a regular driver's license. This test is supervised by a government official. In the driving test，the driver must show that he or she can control the car with great skill by being able to make turns and to park the car in small spaces. But he or she must show respect for the rules of the road by driving at proper speed，and obey all traffic signs and signals. Of course，even when one has obtained a driver's license，it is always important to drive carefully and responsibly！

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕 关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频 词汇提示 1.Mercury 水星 2.Venus 金星 3.asteroids 小行星 4.remaining 剩下的 5.Jupiter 木星 6.Saturn 土星 7.Uranus 天王星 8.Neptune 海王星 9.Pluto 冥王星 10.vast 巨大的 原文 The Planets of Our Solar System The planet which we live on is called the Earth. Our planet is constantly moving around the sun，and each year，the Earth travels all the way around the sun. But there are many other planets that also travel around the sun. Together with the sun，the planets，and various other bodies，the Earth is part of our“solar system”. The planet that is closest to the sun is Mercury. Mercury is extremely hot，and it is much smaller than the Earth. The second planet from the sun is Venus. Venus is about the same size as the Earth. Venus is also very hot. The Earth is the third planet from the sun. The Earth is unusual among the planets ，because it has such a large moon. The Earth is bigger than the moon，but the moon is still quite large. It takes about one month for the moon to travel around the Earth. The fourth planet from the sun is Mars. Mars is known for its red color. Mars is smaller and colder than the Earth. Mars has two very small moons. After the planet Mars，there are many small bodies called the asteroids. These rocky bodies are much smaller than planets. The first four plants are all made of rock and metal. The remaining planets，however，are mostly made of frozen gases. The fifth planet is called Jupiter. Jupiter is the largest planet. It has many moons that travel around it，and it also has a large red spot. The sixth planet is called Saturn. Saturn is the second-largest planet，and it is famous for the wide “ring”that surround it. These rings are made of many smaller subjects that are found in the same area. The seventh planet is called Uranus. The eighth planet is called Neptune. These planets are also gas giants，but they are smaller than Jupiter and Saturn. Both Uranus and Neptune are so far from the sun that scientists only discovered these planets during the past few hundred years，using telescopes. The other planets had all been visible to curious people for many thousands of years. The ninth planet is called Pluto. Pluto is very small，and it is much more rocky than the gas giants. Some scientists believe that the Pluto is not really a planet at all. They suggest that the Pluto is the largest of many asteroids that are found at the edge of the solar system. The solar system is a vast place. So far，people have not travelled Beyond the moon. But perhaps someday，human astronauts will visit the other planets of our solar system！

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕 关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频 词汇提示 1.pebbles 卵石 2.feathers 羽毛 3.pastry 糕点 4.rolling pin 擀面杖 5.tender 柔软的 6.curtains 窗帘 7.tapes 磁带 原文 My Parents My parents live in England，and I live in Canada. I don't see them often. They used to come and visit on a plane，and we would pick them up at Toronto airport. But now they are older and say the flight is too long for them. I went to visit them last year，with my son，their grandson. They live by the ocean，and we could hear the sound of waves through the bedroom window and see the blue water of the England channel There is an island with a castle on top in the bay. We walked many times on the beach and picked up pebbles and feathers. We visited the island and walked up the steep hill to the castle. My mother likes to cook. She makes delicious cakes and pies. We went for a hike and picked wild blackberries. She made them into a pie that smelled so good coming out of the oven and tasted so good on our plates. She has many cook books with recipes from all over the world and likes to try new things. She can make pastry very easily and rolls it with a rolling pin quickly. When I tried to make pastry，it sticks to the rolling pin，it has holes at the bottom of the pie，and it tastes like a rock！ Her pastry is crisp and tender. My father likes to garden. He grows lettuce，carrots，potatoes，tomatoes，cucumbers and many flowers When my mother was very ill last year，she had to stay in bed. He planted rose outside her bedroom window，so she could open the curtains and see them. Their house has small room with windows all around，and they plants seeds there in winter in small pots. The warmth from the sun makes the seeds grow，and in spring they are a good size to be planted outside. In the house beside them and in the house in front them，there are older ladies whose husbands have died. These ladies do not drive，so my father takes my mother and the two ladies to the town for shopping every week. He helps one find her groceries because she cannot see well. He helps her take tapes of books from the library，so she can listen to books instead of reading them because of her eyes. He helps them cut their grass and fix anything that broken in the house. I am very proud of my parents；they are over eighty years old and often hurt when they move around. But still they help other people，and they help each other. They have been married for over fifty years，but still my father loves my mother enough to plant roses for her to cheer her up when she was ill.

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕 关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频 词汇提示 1.row 一排 2.knelt 跪 3.straw 稻草 4.pails 桶 5.roller blades 轮滑 6.thighs 大腿 7.maples 枫树 原文 A Summer Sunday Today the sun was warm；the sky was blue with a few white clouds. It was a good day to pick strawberries；it was a good day to go to the beach. I drove to a pick-your-own farm where people can pick their own fruit and buy it. There the fruit is very fresh and delicious. The owner of the farm gave everyone a row to pick their strawberries. Everyone was wearing sun hats. I knelt down on the straw between the rows and picked the big juicy red strawberries. I tasted one；it was warm from the sun. When I bit into it；the juice was sweet and strong. When three big pails were full，I went to pay for them and picked up some recipes for some strawberries desserts. I packed two of the pails in a cooler with some ice，and the other one we would eat at the beach. I met my daughter at the beach. She had a soft pink blanket on the sand. This beach is beside a lake，and across the lake about 50 km away，the large city can sometimes be seen. Today the wind blew cooler air across the lake over the people on the beach. There were the children playing in the water. One man helped his son dig holes in the sand，and the water ran into the holes. One lady held her children's hands and walked down into the water. Families climbed over the rocks and sat on the last rock where the water was deep. Teenagers rode bicycles and roller blades along the path beside the beach. Adults walked and ran along this path，carried water bottles around their waists. We sat on the blanket and ate sandwiches of meat and lettuce and strawberries from the pail. We talked and read books and lay in the sun，relaxing. We wore sunscreen，but our skin was getting hot. How cold was the water？ We walked across the sand that almost burned our feet，to the edge of the water. She went right in and lay down floating. I put my toes in and felt the chill through my body. I went up to my knees，then my thighs，but that was far enough！ My whole body was cooled down，I headed back to the blanket to lay in the sun again. Soon it was time to go home，she was coming to my house foe supper. We drove down the high way with the windows open and our hair blowing in the warm breeze. We cut the strawberries up and made a strawberry dessert with cake and ice cream. We sat outside in the backyard under the maple trees with the birds singing around us and ate our supper. It was perfect ending to a relaxing summer day.

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕 关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频 词汇提示 1.multilane 多车道 2.grape vine 葡萄藤 3.spray 水花 4.drifts 漂流 5.chunks 大块 6.creek 小溪 7.raccoons 浣熊 8.donut 甜甜圈 9.frosting 结霜 10.tulips 郁金香 原文 My Sister's visit to Canada My sister had never been to Canada but came for a visit last April. I picked her up at the airport in Toronto and drove her trough the traffic and multilane highways，past the grape vine and peach trees to Niagara Falls，where I live. She was very tired from the flight and soon slept. The first day，we walked to see the Falls. The spray from the Falls drifts high into the air and across the people standing to watch. There are people from all over the world watching the water and using their cameras. Because it was April，there was still ice beside the water，huge chunks of ice that looked like white rocks. In the river，there were floating pieces of ice moving downstream. The next day，we went to the town where the Niagara River joins Lake Ontario. The weather was warm. We walked a long way and our feet were hot，so we walked down to the edge of the water to put our feet in. One toe was enough！ The water was so cold it made our feet ache！ A piece of ice drifted beside our feet. I put one foot in for a second then out，as the pain of the cold went right though me！ My sister could not understand how it could be so warm，but there was still ice. Another day，we went to see my daughter；she is living on a farm an hour's drive away. We walked through her trees，the buds were starting to turn into leaves. We stopped and looked at the spring wildflowers. We climbed across a creek by walking over a fallen tree. We saw the footprints of raccoons by the water. There was fresh air and sunshine and blue sky. On the way home，we stopped for hamburgers and fries at a drive-through restaurant. She had never been a drive-through restaurant before. Then we went to a donut shop. There are no donut shops where she lives. There was a choice of 20 different types of donuts：some round，some with holes，some with frosting，some with jam inside-each was different. The days passed quickly，and soon it was the time to take her back to the airport. Some of the trees now had leaves；some of the tulips were now blooming. It was hard to say goodbye to my sister. I hope we can visit again soon.

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕 关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频 词汇提示 1.conflict 冲突 2.triangle 三角形 3.formula 公式 4.square 平方 5.alternatively 有选择的 6.pattern 模式 原文 Why Do I Like Mathematics？ Sometime there is a problem in life that has no answer. Perhaps a child has trouble learning. Perhaps someone becomes ill. Perhaps there was love，but now there is conflict. These problems are hard to solve. There is no single answer. Many people have opinions on what is the best answer. But in mathematics there is an answer：a single answer that is right. There is no double，there is no argument，this answer is right. If we ask“What is five plus seven？ ”. The answer is twelve. If we ask“How do you raise a child？”. The answer would depend on the child and the parents. Sometimes there will be more than one way to reach an answer. Imagine we want to find the area of a triangle. The triangle has a right angle；the two sides surrounding the right angle are 20mm and 30mm. The formula for the area of a triangle is one half of （base）（height）. We could consider the 20mm as the base and the 30mm as the height. We could consider the 30mm as the base and the 20mm as the height. Both ways would produce the same answer. The area is 300 square mm. Alternatively，we could consider the base as the third side of the triangle，and then we would have to draw a height and measure it. The height would be neither 20 nor 30. But still we would end with the same answer. In math，the answer does not change. Another way I like math is the way it brings order. There can be a whole set of numbers or a whole set of measurements that means nothing until mathematics organizes them into a pattern. An average number can be found；graphs can be drawn，the spread of the numbers or the probabilities of a certain number happening can be calculated. This is like having a whole lot of dirty dishes after supper. Applying math is like washing and sorting the dishes and putting them back into the cupboard. Math is a powerful tool. Math should be our friends，and we will find more ways to use it to better our lives.

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕 关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频 词汇提示 1.pajamas 睡衣 2.stuck 卡住 3.stretching 拉伸 原文 Bed Time I am almost nine years old and my bed time is 8:30 pm. I think that is so unfair！ I think I am old enough to stay up until at least 9:00 pm. My parents say that I have to go to bed early because I have school the next day. I can't wait until I am grown up and can stay away as long as I want. Even though I think I should be able to go to bed later，I do like our night routine. At about 8:15 pm，my mom sends us up to put on our pajamas. When we come back downstairs，we read together. Sometimes mom will read to us，and sometimes we will read to her. If dad is not work，he will sometimes read too. Mostly it is mom we read with though. When we read，mom helps us with words we cannot read. We have to try and sound the word out，but if we are really stuck，she will help us. If we come to a place in our reading where we do not understand the meaning of what was written，we stop reading and look at mom. She will help us what it means or help us figure it out on our own. After we are finishing our reading，we say goodnight to everyone in our house. First，we say goodnight to mom and give her a hug and a kiss. Then we do the same for dad，then our little sister，and then our dog. Afterwards，we go upstairs and brush our teeth. I have to do the special stretching exercises for the muscle in my chest and legs，or I get pains when I run and play. I do my stretching before I get into bed. After my exercises，either my brother or I turn off the lights. We share a bedroom，so we take turns turning the lights off. Before we get into bed，we say our prayers. After we get into our bed，my brother and I talk to each other for a long time. We tell each other about our day，about what we hope will happen in the future，about our friends and all sorts of other important things. After a while，we get so tired，we just fall in asleep in the middle of talking. Even though we go to bed at 8:30 pm，we talk so long we don't go to sleep until about 10:00 pm. I still do not know why I have to go to bed so early when I am not even tired.