高中英语美文欣赏:天使的照片
篇一：高中课外英语美文欣赏45篇
As a teenager，I felt I was always letting people down. I was rebellious1 out－side，but I wanted to be liked inside.
Once I left home to hitch-hike2 to California with my friend Penelope. The trip wasn?t easy，and there were many times I didn?t feel safe. One situation in particular kept me grateful to still be alive. When I returned home，I was different，not so outwardly sure of myself.
I was happy to be home. But then I noticed that Penelope，who was staying with us，was wearing my clothes. And my family seemed to like her better than me. I wondered if I would be missed if I weren?t there. I told my mom，and she explained that though Penelope was a lovely girl，no one could replace me. I pointed out，“Ｓhe is more patient and is neater than I have ever been.” My mom said these were
wonderful qualities，but I was the only person who could fill my role. She made me realize that even with my faults—and there were many－I was a loved member of the family who couldn?t be replaced.
I became a searcher，wanting to find out who I was and what made me unique. My view of myself was changing. I wanted a solid base to start from. I started to resist3 pressure to act in ways that I didn?t like any more，and I was delighted by who I really was. I came to feel much more sure that no one can ever take my place.
Each of us holds a unique place in the world. You are special，no matter what others say or what you may think. So forget about being replaced. You can?t be.
当我还是个10几岁的少年的时候，觉得自己总是让人失望。从外表上看，我似乎很叛逆，但是在内心深处，我是如此地渴望被人疼爱。
有一次我离开了家和我的朋友佩内洛普搭便车去了加利福尼亚。这次旅行并不轻松，而且有很多次我感觉不安。有一次的突发状况让我一直庆幸自己还活着。回到家，我发觉自己变了，看上去不那么自信了。
我很高兴能回到家，但不久我注意到和我们一起的佩内洛普穿着我的衣服，而且我父母看上去更喜欢她，我想知道如果我不在家的话他们是否会想念我。后来，我把我的想法告诉了母亲，她说尽管佩内洛普是个可爱的女孩，但她始终不能取代我，我说：“她比我有耐心而且无论何时看上去她都比我要整洁大方。”母亲说这些都是非常好的优点，但我却是惟一个能扮演好自己角色的人。母亲让我感到尽管我有缺点———似乎还很多———但是，我被家中每一个人爱着，谁也无法取代。
我成了一个探寻者，想要知道自己到底是谁，又是什么让我变得独一无二。我的人生观开始改变。我需要一个坚固的基础来发展，我忍受住压力，不再做自己不喜欢做的事。而且我为真实的我感到高兴。渐渐地我越发肯定自己无可替代。
每个人在这个世界上都占有一个独一无二的位置。无论别人说什么，你自己怎么想，你都是特别的。所以，不要担心自己会被取代，因为你永远是惟一的。
太多的时候，我们总认为光明就在脚下，就在不远的前方，于是忘了去仰望头顶的那片天…… If you put a buzzard1) in a pen2) six to eight feet square and entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of ten to twelve feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt3) to fly, but remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, who is a remarkable nimble4) creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is to shuffle5) about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation6) from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
A bumblebee7) if dropped into an open tumbler8) will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists9) in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.
In many ways, there are lots of people like the buzzard, the bat and the bumblebee. They are
struggling about with all their problems and frustrations10), not realizing that the answer is right there above them.
如果把一只秃鹫放在一个6～8平方英尺的无顶围栏里，这只大鸟尽管会飞，也绝对会成为这栏中之囚。原因是秃鹫从地面起飞前总要先助跑10～12英尺的距离。这是它的习惯，如果没有了足够的助跑空间，它甚至不会尝试去飞，只会终身困囿于一个无顶的小囚笼中。
晚上飞来飞去的普通的蝙蝠，本是一种在空中极其敏捷的动物，但却无法在平地上起飞。如果被放在地板或平坦的地面上，它就只会无助地挪动，毫无疑问这样很痛苦。除非它到了稍高的位置，有了落差，才可以立刻闪电般地起飞。
一只大黄蜂如果掉进了一个敞口平底玻璃杯里，除非有人把它拿出来，否则它就会一直呆在里边直到死去。它永远不知道可以从杯口逃出，只坚持试图从杯底的四壁寻找出路。它会在根本不存在出口的地方寻找出路，直到彻底毁了自己。
其实在很多方面，很多人也像秃鹫、蝙蝠和大黄蜂一样，使尽浑身解数试图解决问题、克服挫折，却没有意识到解决之道就在正上方。
Vocabulary 6.elevation n. 高地，海拔
1.buzzard n. [动]秃鹫 7.bumblebee n. [动]大黄蜂
2.pen [pen] n. 围栏，围圈 8.tumbler n. (平底)玻璃杯
3.attempt vt. 尝试，企图 9.persist vi. 坚持，持续
4.nimble adj. 敏捷的 10.frustration n. 失败，挫折
5.shuffle v. 拖着脚走，慢吞吞地走
Both my parents came from towns in Mexico. I was born in El Paso, Texas, and when I was four, my family moved to a housing project in East Los Angeles.
Even though we struggled to make ends meet, my parents stressed1) to me and my four brothers and sisters how fortunate we were to live in a great country with limitless opportunities. They imbued2) in us the concepts of family, faith and patriotism.
I got my first real job when I was ten. My dad, Benjamin, injured his back working in a
cardboard-box factory and was retrained as a hairstylist. He rented space in a little mall and gave his shop the fancy name of Mr. Ben's Coiffure3).
The owner of the shopping center gave Dad a discount on his rent for cleaning the parking lot three nights a week, which meant getting up at 3 a.m. To pick up trash, Dad used a little machine that looked like a lawn mower. Mom and I emptied garbage cans and picked up litter4) by hand. It took two to three hours to clean the lot. I'd sleep in the car on the way home.
I did this for two years, but the lessons I learned have lasted a lifetime. I acquired5) discipline and a strong work ethic6), and learned at an early age the importance of balancing life's competing interests7) — in my case8), school, homework and a job. This really helped during my senior year of high school, when I worked 40 hours a week flipping9) burgers at a fast-food joint10) while taking a full load of percolate courses.
The hard work paid off11). I attended12) the U.S. Military Academy and went on to receive graduate degrees in law and business from Harvard. Later, I joined a big Los Angeles law firm and was elected to the California state assembly. In these jobs and in everything else I've done, I have never forgotten those days in the parking lot. The experience taught me that there is dignity13) in all work and that if people are working to provide for themselves and their families that is something we should honor.
我的父母都来自墨西哥的小镇。我出生于得克萨斯州的埃尔帕索城。我四岁时，全家搬到了东洛杉矶的一处低收入住宅区。
尽管我们当时要做到收支平衡都很困难，但父母仍对我和四个兄弟姐妹强调说，能在这样一个充满无限机遇的国家里落户，我们是多么幸运啊！他们给我们灌输了家庭、信仰以及爱国主义的观念。
十岁的时候，我得到了人生第一份真正的工作。我的爸爸本杰明在纸箱厂工作时背部受了伤。经过再培训，他成了一名发型师。他在一个规模不大的商业区租下了一个摊位，并给他的店取了个奇妙的名字：“本先生的发型”。
商业中心的老板在租金上给爸爸打了个折扣，但条件是每周打扫三次停车场，这意味着凌晨三点就要起床干活。爸爸用一个看起来像除草机的小机器来收捡垃圾，而我和妈妈则要清空垃圾桶并用手拾捡散落的垃圾。打扫这个停车场要用两到三个小时。我总是在回家时的车里就睡着了。 这份工作我干了两年，但从中学到的东西却让我受用终生。我学会了自律，建立了很强的职业道德。从小我就懂得了平衡生活中各种利益冲突的重要性——对我而言，就是上学、作业和工作。这在我高二那年真是很有用处。那时，我在一家快餐连锁店制作汉堡包，每周工作四十个小时，同时还肩负着沉重的大学预科课程的学习任务。
辛勤的工作终见回报。我考入了美国军事学院，接着又获得了哈佛大学的法律和商业硕士学位。后来，我进入洛杉矶一家著名的律师事务所并被选为加州议会参议员。在做这些工作和其他所有事情的过程中，我从未忘记过在停车场辛勤工作的那些日子。那段经历使我懂得工作无贵贱, 靠自食其力来供养自己和家人就值得人们敬佩。
Vocabulary 4.litter n. 废弃物，被胡乱扔掉的东西(尤指
1.stress [stres] v. 强调，着重 废纸等杂物)
2.imbue v. 灌输，深深影响 5.acquire vt. 获得，学到
3.coiffure n. 发式 6.work ethic: 职业道德
7.interest n. 利益，利害关系
8.in one's case: 就某人的情况而言
9.flip vt. 使翻转
10.joint n. 连接，结合，本文中指连锁店
11.pay off: 得到好结果，取得成功 12.attend [E5tend] vt. 上(大学等) 13.dignity [5dI^nItI] n. 尊贵，高贵
Forty-three years seems like a long time to remember the name of a mere1)acquaintance. I have
forgotten the name of an old lady, who was a customer on the paper route in my home town when I was a twelve-year-old boy. Yet it dwells2)in my memory that she taught me a lesson in forgiveness that I shall never forget.
On a winter afternoon, a friend and I were throwing stones onto the slanted3)roof of the old lady's house from a spot near her backyard. The object of our play was to observe how the stones changed to missiles4)as they rolled to the roof's edge and shot out into the yard like comets5)falling from the sky. I found myself a perfectly smooth rock and threw it out. The stone was too smooth, however, so it slipped from my hand as I let it go and headed straight not for the roof but for a small window on the old lady's back porch6). At the sound of fractured7)glass, we knew we were in trouble. We turned tail8)and ran faster than any of our missiles flew off her roof.
I was too scared about getting caught that first night to be concerned about9)the old lady with the broken window in winter. However, a few days later, when I was sure that I hadn't been discovered, I started to feel guilty for her misfortune. She still greeted me with a smile each day when I gave her the paper, but I was no longer able to act comfortable in her presence10).
I made up my mind that I would save my paper delivery money, and in three weeks I had the seven dollars that I calculated would cover the cost of her window. I put the money in an envelope with a note explaining that I was sorry for breaking her window and hoped that the seven dollars would cover the cost for repairing it.
I waited until it was dark, snuck up11)to the old lady's house, and put the letter I didn't sign through the letter slot12)in her door. My soul felt redeemed13)and I could have the freedom of, once again, looking straight into the old lady's kind eyes.
The next day, I handed the old lady her paper and was able to return the warm smile that I was receiving from her. She thanked me for the paper and gave me a bag of cookies she had made herself. I thanked her and proceeded14)to eat the cookies as I continued my route.
After several cookies, I felt an envelope and pulled it out of the bag. When I opened the envelope, I was stunned15). Inside were the seven dollars and a short note that said, "I'm proud of you."
记住一个仅是认识的人的名字，43年似乎是段很长的时间。我已经忘了那位老太太的名字，她是我12岁那年在家乡送报时的一位客户。不过，她曾给我上的那堂关于“宽恕”的课却始终让我难以忘怀。
一个冬天的下午，我和一个朋友在离这个老太太家屋后不远的一个地方往她家斜斜的屋顶上扔石子玩。我们的目的是观察这些石子如何顺着屋顶的斜坡变成一颗发射物，在滚落到屋顶边缘的瞬间，像滑过天空的彗星那样射入院中。我给自己找了颗十分光滑的石子，然后扔了出去。但是，这颗石子太光滑了，出手的一刹那，它偏离了方向。它没有落在屋顶上，反而直接击中了老太太屋后门廊上的一扇小窗户。听到玻璃破碎的声音，我们知道闯祸了。我们掉头拔腿就跑，跑得比任何一颗从她屋顶发射的石子都要快。
当天晚上，我太害怕被抓住，没有考虑到冬天里的破玻璃窗会给老太太带来什么样的麻烦。但是，过了几天，当我确信自己没被发现时，就开始对给她带来的倒霉事感到内疚了。每天我给她送报纸时，她依旧笑眯眯地迎接我。不过，在她面前，我已经不像过去那样自在了。
我决定把送报挣的钱攒起来。三周后，我便有了7美元。我估计这大概够赔偿她的窗户了。我
把钱装进一个信封，并附上一张纸条，解释说我对打破她家的窗户感到很抱歉，希望这7美元足够赔付修窗户的钱。
我一直等到天黑，才悄悄走到她家门前，把这封没有署名的信从信箱口投进了她家。做完这件事情后，我感到自己的灵魂好像得到了解脱，获得了新的自由，能够重新正视老太太慈祥的目光了。
第二天，当老太太微笑着从我手上接过报纸时，我也能向她回报一个热情的微笑。她对我的送报工作表示感谢，送了我一纸袋她亲手做的饼干。谢过她后，我一边吃着饼干，一边继续去给别的客户送报纸。
吃了几块饼干后，我摸到了一个信封，就把它拽了出来。当我打开信封时，我不禁怔住了。信封里有7美元和一张纸条，上面写道：“我为你感到骄傲。”
The air we breathe is so freely available (adj. 可以得到的) that we take it for granted. Yet without it we could not survive more than a few minutes. For the most part, the same air is available to everyone, and everyone needs it. Some people use the air to sustain (v. 维持，持续) them while they sit around and feel sorry for themselves. Others breathe in the air and use the energy it provides to make a magnificent (adj. 壮丽的) life for themselves.
Opportunity is the same way. It is everywhere. Opportunity is so freely available that we take it for granted. Yet opportunity alone is not enough to create success. Opportunity must be seized and actedupon in order to have value. So many people are so anxious to "get in on the ground floor(n. 有利的地位，投机的初期)" of opportunity, as if the opportunity will do all the work. That's impossible.
Just as you need air to breathe, you need opportunity to succeed. It takes more than just breathing in the fresh air of opportunity, however. You must make use of that opportunity. That's not up to the
opportunity. That's up to you. It doesn't matter what "floor" the opportunity is on. What matters is what you do with it.
我们呼吸的空气如此易得，以至于我们视它为理所当然，但没有了空气我们却坚持不了几分钟。从很大程度上来说，每个人呼吸到的空气都是一样的，并且每个人都离不开空气。有些人靠呼吸空气来维持生命，但他们只会坐在那里自怨自艾。另外一些人吸进空气，利用空气提供的能量为自己开创壮丽的人生。
机遇也是如此。它无处不在。机遇如此易得，以至于我们视它为理所应当。然而仅凭机遇却不足以创造成功。必须抓住机遇并采取行动才能实现其价值。有许多人一得到有利的机会，就急着要成功，好像有了机遇就万事大吉。这是不可能的。
正如你需要空气来呼吸，你也需要机遇来获得成功。但是只吸进机遇的新鲜空气远远不够。你必须好好利用机遇。这并不取决于机遇本身，而是由你自己决定。你在什么时候得到机遇并不重
篇二：高中课外英语美文欣赏45篇
As a teenager，I felt I was always letting people down. I was rebellious1 out－side，but I wanted to be liked inside.
Once I left home to hitch-hike2 to California with my friend Penelope. The trip wasn?t easy，and there were many times I didn?t feel safe. One situation in particular kept me grateful to still be alive. When I returned home，I was different，not so outwardly sure of myself.
I was happy to be home. But then I noticed that Penelope，who was staying with us，was wearing my clothes. And my family seemed to like her better than me. I wondered if I would be missed if I weren?t there. I told my mom，and she explained that though Penelope was a lovely girl，no one could replace me. I pointed out，“Ｓhe is more patient and is neater than I have ever been.” My mom said these were
wonderful qualities，but I was the only person who could fill my role. She made me realize that even with my faults—and there were many－I was a loved member of the family who couldn?t be replaced.
I became a searcher，wanting to find out who I was and what made me unique. My view of myself was changing. I wanted a solid base to start from. I started to resist3 pressure to act in ways that I didn?t like any more，and I was delighted by who I really was. I came to feel much more sure that no one can ever take my place.
Each of us holds a unique place in the world. You are special，no matter what others say or what you may think. So forget about being replaced. You can?t be.
当我还是个10几岁的少年的时候，觉得自己总是让人失望。从外表上看，我似乎很叛逆，但是在内心深处，我是如此地渴望被人疼爱。
有一次我离开了家和我的朋友佩内洛普搭便车去了加利福尼亚。这次旅行并不轻松，而且有很多次我感觉不安。有一次的突发状况让我一直庆幸自己还活着。回到家，我发觉自己变了，看上去不那么自信了。
我很高兴能回到家，但不久我注意到和我们一起的佩内洛普穿着我的衣服，而且我父母看上去更喜欢她，我想知道如果我不在家的话他们是否会想念我。后来，我把我的想法告诉了母亲，她说尽管佩内洛普是个可爱的女孩，但她始终不能取代我，我说：“她比我有耐心而且无论何时看上去她都比我要整洁大方。”母亲说这些都是非常好的优点，但我却是惟一个能扮演好自己角色的人。母亲让我感到尽管我有缺点———似乎还很多———但是，我被家中每一个人爱着，谁也无法取代。
我成了一个探寻者，想要知道自己到底是谁，又是什么让我变得独一无二。我的人生观开始改变。我需要一个坚固的基础来发展，我忍受住压力，不再做自己不喜欢做的事。而且我为真实的我感到高兴。渐渐地我越发肯定自己无可替代。
每个人在这个世界上都占有一个独一无二的位置。无论别人说什么，你自己怎么想，你都是特别的。所以，不要担心自己会被取代，因为你永远是惟一的。
太多的时候，我们总认为光明就在脚下，就在不远的前方，于是忘了去仰望头顶的那片天…… If you put a buzzard1) in a pen2) six to eight feet square and entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of ten to twelve feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt3) to fly, but remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, who is a remarkable nimble4) creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is to shuffle5) about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation6) from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
A bumblebee7) if dropped into an open tumbler8) will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists9) in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.
In many ways, there are lots of people like the buzzard, the bat and the bumblebee. They are
struggling about with all their problems and frustrations10), not realizing that the answer is right there above them.
如果把一只秃鹫放在一个6～8平方英尺的无顶围栏里，这只大鸟尽管会飞，也绝对会成为这栏中之囚。原因是秃鹫从地面起飞前总要先助跑10～12英尺的距离。这是它的习惯，如果没有了足够的助跑空间，它甚至不会尝试去飞，只会终身困囿于一个无顶的小囚笼中。
晚上飞来飞去的普通的蝙蝠，本是一种在空中极其敏捷的动物，但却无法在平地上起飞。如果被放在地板或平坦的地面上，它就只会无助地挪动，毫无疑问这样很痛苦。除非它到了稍高的位置，有了落差，才可以立刻闪电般地起飞。
一只大黄蜂如果掉进了一个敞口平底玻璃杯里，除非有人把它拿出来，否则它就会一直呆在里边直到死去。它永远不知道可以从杯口逃出，只坚持试图从杯底的四壁寻找出路。它会在根本不存在出口的地方寻找出路，直到彻底毁了自己。
其实在很多方面，很多人也像秃鹫、蝙蝠和大黄蜂一样，使尽浑身解数试图解决问题、克服挫折，却没有意识到解决之道就在正上方。
Vocabulary 6.elevation n. 高地，海拔
1.buzzard n. [动]秃鹫 7.bumblebee n. [动]大黄蜂
2.pen [pen] n. 围栏，围圈 8.tumbler n. (平底)玻璃杯
3.attempt vt. 尝试，企图 9.persist vi. 坚持，持续
4.nimble adj. 敏捷的 10.frustration n. 失败，挫折
5.shuffle v. 拖着脚走，慢吞吞地走
Both my parents came from towns in Mexico. I was born in El Paso, Texas, and when I was four, my family moved to a housing project in East Los Angeles.
Even though we struggled to make ends meet, my parents stressed1) to me and my four brothers and sisters how fortunate we were to live in a great country with limitless opportunities. They imbued2) in us the concepts of family, faith and patriotism.
I got my first real job when I was ten. My dad, Benjamin, injured his back working in a
cardboard-box factory and was retrained as a hairstylist. He rented space in a little mall and gave his shop the fancy name of Mr. Ben's Coiffure3).
The owner of the shopping center gave Dad a discount on his rent for cleaning the parking lot three nights a week, which meant getting up at 3 a.m. To pick up trash, Dad used a little machine that looked like a lawn mower. Mom and I emptied garbage cans and picked up litter4) by hand. It took two to three hours to clean the lot. I'd sleep in the car on the way home.
I did this for two years, but the lessons I learned have lasted a lifetime. I acquired5) discipline and a strong work ethic6), and learned at an early age the importance of balancing life's competing interests7) — in my case8), school, homework and a job. This really helped during my senior year of high school, when I worked 40 hours a week flipping9) burgers at a fast-food joint10) while taking a full load of percolate courses.
The hard work paid off11). I attended12) the U.S. Military Academy and went on to receive graduate degrees in law and business from Harvard. Later, I joined a big Los Angeles law firm and was elected to the California state assembly. In these jobs and in everything else I've done, I have never forgotten those days in the parking lot. The experience taught me that there is dignity13) in all work and that if people are working to provide for themselves and their families that is something we should honor.
我的父母都来自墨西哥的小镇。我出生于得克萨斯州的埃尔帕索城。我四岁时，全家搬到了东洛杉矶的一处低收入住宅区。
尽管我们当时要做到收支平衡都很困难，但父母仍对我和四个兄弟姐妹强调说，能在这样一个充满无限机遇的国家里落户，我们是多么幸运啊！他们给我们灌输了家庭、信仰以及爱国主义的观念。
十岁的时候，我得到了人生第一份真正的工作。我的爸爸本杰明在纸箱厂工作时背部受了伤。经过再培训，他成了一名发型师。他在一个规模不大的商业区租下了一个摊位，并给他的店取了个奇妙的名字：“本先生的发型”。
商业中心的老板在租金上给爸爸打了个折扣，但条件是每周打扫三次停车场，这意味着凌晨三点就要起床干活。爸爸用一个看起来像除草机的小机器来收捡垃圾，而我和妈妈则要清空垃圾桶并用手拾捡散落的垃圾。打扫这个停车场要用两到三个小时。我总是在回家时的车里就睡着了。 这份工作我干了两年，但从中学到的东西却让我受用终生。我学会了自律，建立了很强的职业道德。从小我就懂得了平衡生活中各种利益冲突的重要性——对我而言，就是上学、作业和工作。这在我高二那年真是很有用处。那时，我在一家快餐连锁店制作汉堡包，每周工作四十个小时，同时还肩负着沉重的大学预科课程的学习任务。
辛勤的工作终见回报。我考入了美国军事学院，接着又获得了哈佛大学的法律和商业硕士学位。后来，我进入洛杉矶一家著名的律师事务所并被选为加州议会参议员。在做这些工作和其他所有事情的过程中，我从未忘记过在停车场辛勤工作的那些日子。那段经历使我懂得工作无贵贱, 靠自食其力来供养自己和家人就值得人们敬佩。
Vocabulary 4.litter n. 废弃物，被胡乱扔掉的东西(尤指
1.stress [stres] v. 强调，着重 废纸等杂物)
2.imbue v. 灌输，深深影响 5.acquire vt. 获得，学到
3.coiffure n. 发式 6.work ethic: 职业道德
7.interest n. 利益，利害关系
8.in one's case: 就某人的情况而言
9.flip vt. 使翻转
10.joint n. 连接，结合，本文中指连锁店
11.pay off: 得到好结果，取得成功 12.attend [E5tend] vt. 上(大学等) 13.dignity [5dI^nItI] n. 尊贵，高贵
Forty-three years seems like a long time to remember the name of a mere1)acquaintance. I have
forgotten the name of an old lady, who was a customer on the paper route in my home town when I was a twelve-year-old boy. Yet it dwells2)in my memory that she taught me a lesson in forgiveness that I shall never forget.
On a winter afternoon, a friend and I were throwing stones onto the slanted3)roof of the old lady's house from a spot near her backyard. The object of our play was to observe how the stones changed to missiles4)as they rolled to the roof's edge and shot out into the yard like comets5)falling from the sky. I found myself a perfectly smooth rock and threw it out. The stone was too smooth, however, so it slipped from my hand as I let it go and headed straight not for the roof but for a small window on the old lady's back porch6). At the sound of fractured7)glass, we knew we were in trouble. We turned tail8)and ran faster than any of our missiles flew off her roof.
I was too scared about getting caught that first night to be concerned about9)the old lady with the broken window in winter. However, a few days later, when I was sure that I hadn't been discovered, I started to feel guilty for her misfortune. She still greeted me with a smile each day when I gave her the paper, but I was no longer able to act comfortable in her presence10).
I made up my mind that I would save my paper delivery money, and in three weeks I had the seven dollars that I calculated would cover the cost of her window. I put the money in an envelope with a note explaining that I was sorry for breaking her window and hoped that the seven dollars would cover the cost for repairing it.
I waited until it was dark, snuck up11)to the old lady's house, and put the letter I didn't sign through the letter slot12)in her door. My soul felt redeemed13)and I could have the freedom of, once again, looking straight into the old lady's kind eyes.
The next day, I handed the old lady her paper and was able to return the warm smile that I was receiving from her. She thanked me for the paper and gave me a bag of cookies she had made herself. I thanked her and proceeded14)to eat the cookies as I continued my route.
After several cookies, I felt an envelope and pulled it out of the bag. When I opened the envelope, I was stunned15). Inside were the seven dollars and a short note that said, "I'm proud of you."
记住一个仅是认识的人的名字，43年似乎是段很长的时间。我已经忘了那位老太太的名字，她是我12岁那年在家乡送报时的一位客户。不过，她曾给我上的那堂关于“宽恕”的课却始终让我难以忘怀。
一个冬天的下午，我和一个朋友在离这个老太太家屋后不远的一个地方往她家斜斜的屋顶上扔石子玩。我们的目的是观察这些石子如何顺着屋顶的斜坡变成一颗发射物，在滚落到屋顶边缘的瞬间，像滑过天空的彗星那样射入院中。我给自己找了颗十分光滑的石子，然后扔了出去。但是，这颗石子太光滑了，出手的一刹那，它偏离了方向。它没有落在屋顶上，反而直接击中了老太太屋后门廊上的一扇小窗户。听到玻璃破碎的声音，我们知道闯祸了。我们掉头拔腿就跑，跑得比任何一颗从她屋顶发射的石子都要快。
当天晚上，我太害怕被抓住，没有考虑到冬天里的破玻璃窗会给老太太带来什么样的麻烦。但是，过了几天，当我确信自己没被发现时，就开始对给她带来的倒霉事感到内疚了。每天我给她送报纸时，她依旧笑眯眯地迎接我。不过，在她面前，我已经不像过去那样自在了。
我决定把送报挣的钱攒起来。三周后，我便有了7美元。我估计这大概够赔偿她的窗户了。我
把钱装进一个信封，并附上一张纸条，解释说我对打破她家的窗户感到很抱歉，希望这7美元足够赔付修窗户的钱。
我一直等到天黑，才悄悄走到她家门前，把这封没有署名的信从信箱口投进了她家。做完这件事情后，我感到自己的灵魂好像得到了解脱，获得了新的自由，能够重新正视老太太慈祥的目光了。
第二天，当老太太微笑着从我手上接过报纸时，我也能向她回报一个热情的微笑。她对我的送报工作表示感谢，送了我一纸袋她亲手做的饼干。谢过她后，我一边吃着饼干，一边继续去给别的客户送报纸。
吃了几块饼干后，我摸到了一个信封，就把它拽了出来。当我打开信封时，我不禁怔住了。信封里有7美元和一张纸条，上面写道：“我为你感到骄傲。”
The air we breathe is so freely available (adj. 可以得到的) that we take it for granted. Yet without it we could not survive more than a few minutes. For the most part, the same air is available to everyone, and everyone needs it. Some people use the air to sustain (v. 维持，持续) them while they sit around and feel sorry for themselves. Others breathe in the air and use the energy it provides to make a magnificent (adj. 壮丽的) life for themselves.
Opportunity is the same way. It is everywhere. Opportunity is so freely available that we take it for granted. Yet opportunity alone is not enough to create success. Opportunity must be seized and actedupon in order to have value. So many people are so anxious to "get in on the ground floor(n. 有利的地位，投机的初期)" of opportunity, as if the opportunity will do all the work. That's impossible.
Just as you need air to breathe, you need opportunity to succeed. It takes more than just breathing in the fresh air of opportunity, however. You must make use of that opportunity. That's not up to the
opportunity. That's up to you. It doesn't matter what "floor" the opportunity is on. What matters is what you do with it.
我们呼吸的空气如此易得，以至于我们视它为理所当然，但没有了空气我们却坚持不了几分钟。从很大程度上来说，每个人呼吸到的空气都是一样的，并且每个人都离不开空气。有些人靠呼吸空气来维持生命，但他们只会坐在那里自怨自艾。另外一些人吸进空气，利用空气提供的能量为自己开创壮丽的人生。
机遇也是如此。它无处不在。机遇如此易得，以至于我们视它为理所应当。然而仅凭机遇却不足以创造成功。必须抓住机遇并采取行动才能实现其价值。有许多人一得到有利的机会，就急着要成功，好像有了机遇就万事大吉。这是不可能的。
正如你需要空气来呼吸，你也需要机遇来获得成功。但是只吸进机遇的新鲜空气远远不够。你必须好好利用机遇。这并不取决于机遇本身，而是由你自己决定。你在什么时候得到机遇并不重
篇三：高三英语美文赏析-1
1
Five years later, I did the hardest job of my life when Tom lost his battle with cancer. I had to tell my children that the grandfather they adored was gone. I had to explain that Tom wouldn't be coming home from the hospital. How do you tell preschoolers (幼童) that news? I said the words as kindly as I could, with my arms wrapped tightly around them.
Tom had been a good man; an excellent man. There were few in the community who didn't know of someone who hadn't been done a good turn by him. Random strangers arrived at the funeral ceremonies and told us their stories. Many had been unheard by the family until that day. "He taught me how to ride a bike," smiled one lady in her sixties. "I was terrified and my father had given up trying. Tom brought me to a quiet, flat lane and kept encouraging me until I managed it."
My mother-in-law recalled the number of times Tom had arrived home on Christmas Eve to announce that she'd need to make the turkey stretch (增量) to another plate or two. He couldn't bear to think of someone spending Christmas alone. He'd issue invitations to the most unlikely characters, but it always made for an entertaining dinner table.
A beautiful wreath (花圈) and letter arrived from a woman Tom had mentored (指导) early in her career and treated like his own daughter. I could understand her grief and fond memories. I'd felt he was my extra father, too.
Tom's sons have been asked to take their father's role in local charity work, but nobody is ready to sit in his chair at the table. Between them, his family coaches local football teams, cares for seriously ill relatives, and give many hours to their communities.
As for me, I'll teach my children to honor Tom's memory by volunteering themselves. We've already cleaned our local beach and we've replaced rubbish with trees and flowers. I understand now that anybody can make a difference, if they have an open heart.
2
My thirteen-year-old daughter Lisa remembers birthdays, makes people cards when they are sick, and sends encouraging notes written in colored pens in her neat, artistic hand.
One day I got a call from her school principal (校长):
“I called to tell you that in twenty years of teaching I have never seen anything like what Lisa did today,” he said.
I held my breath again as I thought, My Lisa? My sweet daughter? He must have the wrong kid. What could she have done?
My silence prompted him to go on. "I've never seen a student do anything so nice for anyone who needed it more."
"What did she do?" I asked. He explained to me about the cupcakes (杯形蛋糕). When Lisa came home from school that afternoon, I told her the principal from her school had phoned me.
“Yeah”, she answered. “I got called out of math class to go to his office. Everybody thought I was in trouble, but he just wanted to know what was going on at lunch." Lisa and Ashley had sat with Jordan, a boy who is in special education classes. They got to talk about birthdays, and Lisa asked Jordan when his birthday was. He told it was coming up but that he lives in a group home and they don't celebrate birthdays there.
“I remembered his birthday was today, so I made the cupcakes yesterday,” Lisa explained. “Ashley brought a two-liter of soda and some birthday cups, plates, and
napkins (餐巾纸) left over from her little brother's party, and we got some other kids together at lunch today to sing ?Happy Birthday? to Jordan.”
The principal wanted to know why they were having a birthday party for Jordan at school. When they told him, he just shook his head, took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes,” Lisa told me. “Finally, he said he was going to call my parents but that I wasn't in trouble, he was proud of what I did, and I could go back to math."
How different my daughter was from me. Better, in fact! I would not have even known how to help out disadvantaged kids like that. But my wise daughter knew how -- all it took was cupcakes and one adventurous, independent, kind spirit.
3
One day when I was working as a psychologist at a children's institution, a boy showed up in the waiting room. He was walking up and down restlessly.
I showed him into my office. "Please sit down," I said.
David?s grandfather had died and his mother was killed in a car accident. Now he was 14 and in family care.
The first two times we met, David didn't say a word. "Come back next week, if you like," I said. He came, and I suggested we play a game of chess. He nodded. After that we played chess every Wednesday afternoon - in complete silence and without making any eye contact. It's not easy to cheat in chess, but I admit that I made sure David won once or twice.
Usually, he arrived earlier than agreed, took the chessboard and pieces from the shelf and began setting them up before I even got a chance to sit down. It seemed as if he enjoyed my company. But why did he never look at me?
"Perhaps he simply needs someone to share his pain with," I thought. "Perhaps he senses that I respect his suffering." One afternoon in late winter, David took off his rain coat and put it on the back of the chair. While he was setting up the chess pieces, his face seemed more alive and his motions more lively.
Some months later, I sat staring at David's head, while he was bent over the chessboard. I thought about how little we know about therapy - about the mysterious process associated with healing. Suddenly, he looked up at me.
"It's your turn," he said.
After that day, David started talking. He got friends in school and joined a bicycle club. He wrote to me a few times; letters about how he would try to get into university.
I learned from David how time makes it possible to overcome what seems to be an insuperable pain. David showed me how one can reach out to another person. All it takes is a hug, a shoulder to cry on, a friendly touch, a sympathetic nature - and an ear that listens.
4
Just another day
Is it morning already? I rub my eyes and get up to ready myself for just another day. It's just another day. . . . I look out my window to see white clouds float in the brilliant blue sky. I hear a cardinal (红雀) singing to his mate as he perches (栖息) upon my back fence. And a bed of crocus (番红花) open their purple heads to the heavens in thankfulness.
It's just another day. My small daughter bursts into the room, her small hand fits into mine as she pulls me to the kitchen to show me the card she has made. A stick figure with curly brown hair waves from the paper and beneathit, written in purple crayon are the words, "I love you, Mommy."
It's just another day as I stand quietly and watch a handicapped child. He struggles to get his special walker(助步架) over the curb(路边), but it won't move. With determination, he conquers the curb and starts to play with his friends. I smile as I watch the children play, totally accepting their friend for who he is, not judging him for what he lacks.
It's just another day. My beloved wraps his arms around me and surrounds me in love. I turn to look in the eyes that share my innermost(内心深处的) feelings. What a special friend I have. Someone who loves me for who I am.Someone to share my happiness.Someone to love.
Yes, it is just another day. A day to enjoy gracious beauty upon this Earth.A day to kiss the cheeks of my children, and share in their hopes and dreams.A day to learn the value of determination and hard work. A day to learn the value of judging mankind for the quality he has, not what he has not. A day to learn the value of love.
5
If your life feels like it is lacking the power that you want and the motivation that you need, sometimes all you have to do is shift your point of view.
如果你觉得心有余力不足，觉得缺乏前进的动力，有时候你只需要改变思维的角度。
By training your thoughts to concentrate on the bright side of things, you are more likely to have the incentive to follow through on your goals. You are less likely to be held back by negative ideas that might limit your performance.
试着训练自己的思想朝好的一面看，这样你就会汲取实现目标的动力，而不会因为消极沉沦停滞不前。
Your life can be enhanced, and your happiness eiched, when you choose to change your perspective. Don't leave your future to chance, or wait for things to get better mysteriously on their own. You must go in the direction of your hopes and aspirations. Begin to build your confidence, and work through problems rather than avoid them. Remember that power is not necessarily control over situations, but the ability to deal with whatever comes your way.
一旦变换看问题的角度，你的生活会豁然开朗，幸福快乐会接踵而来。别交出掌握命运的主动权，也别指望局面会不可思议的好转。你必须与内心希望与热情步调一致。建立自信，敢于与困难短兵相接，而非绕道而行。记住，力量不是驾驭局势的法宝，无坚不摧的能力才是最重要的。
Always believe that good things are possible, and remember that mistakes can be lessons that lead to discoveries. Take your fear and transform it into trust; learn to rise above anxiety and doubt. Turn your "worry hours" into "productive hours". Take the energy that you have wasted and direct it toward every worthwhile effort that you can be involved in. You will see beautiful things happen when you allow yourself to experience the joys of life. You will find happiness when you adopt positive thinking into your daily routine and make it an important part of your world.
请坚信，美好的降临并非不可能，失误也许是成功的前奏。将惶恐化作信任，学会超越担忧和疑虑。让“诚惶诚恐”的时光变得“富有成效”。不要挥霍浪费精力，将它投到有意义的事情中去。当你下意识品尝生命的欢愉时，美好就会出现。当你积极地看待生活，并以此作为你的日常准则时，你就会找到快乐的真谛。
6
When I entered Berkeley, I hoped to 1_______(apply, earn, offer, give) a scholarship. Having been a Straight-A student, I 2_______(realized, guessed, believed, wished)I could take tough subjects and really learn something. One such course was World Literature given by Professor Jayne. I was extremely interested in the ideas he 3__________(sought, presented, represented, exchanged) in class.
When I took the first exam, I was 4_________(amazed, annoyed, shocked, disappointed)to find a 77, C-plus, on my test paper, for English was my best subject. I went to Professor Jayne, who listened to my arguments but remained 5________(unmoved, unhappy, uninterested, unexpected).
I decided to try harder, although I didn?t know what that meant because school had always been easy for me. I read the books more carefully, but got another 77. Again, I reasoned with Professor Jayne. Again, he listened patiently but wouldn?t change his 6________(feeling, choice, position, mind). One more test before the final exam. One more chance to improve my grade. So I redoubled my efforts and, for the first time, learned the meaning of the word “thorough”. But my effort did no good and everything went as before.
The last hurdle was the final. No matter what grade I got, it wouldn?t cancel three C-pluses. I might as well kiss the 7_________(test, grades, course, scholarship) goodbye.
I stopped working hard. I felt I knew the course material as well as I ever would. The night before the final, I even 8_______(helped, relaxed, favored, treated) myself to a movie. The next day I decided for once I?d have fun with a test.
A week later, I was surprised to find I got an A. I hurried into Professor Jayne?s office. He seemed to be expecting me. “If I gave you the As you 9________(imagined, welcomed, valued, expected), you wouldn?t continue to work as hard.”
I stared at him, realizing that his analysis and strategywere correct. I had worked my head 10______(over, off, on, out), as I had never done before.
I was speechless when my course grade arrived: A-plus. It was the only A-plus given. The next year I received my scholarship. I?ve always remembered Professor Jayne?s lesson: you alone must set your own standard of excellence.
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