One day her students brought her Christmas presents，wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper except Teddy.His present was cIumsiIy wrapped in the heavy，brown paper grocery bag.When Mrs.Thompson opened and found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume，some of the children laughed violently.She stifIed the children's laughter，but she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was，putting it on and dabbIing some of the perfume on her wrist.Teddy stayed after school that day just long enough to say，"Mrs.Thompson，today you smelled just like my Mom used to."
On that very day，she paid particular attention to Teddy.As she worked with him，his mind seemed to come alive.[A]The more she encouraged him，the faster he responded.By the end of the year，Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class.
A year later，she found a note under her door from Teddy，telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.From then on，Teddy often wrote to his beloved teacher telling her anything what happened on him.There was yet another letter that spring.[B]He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs.Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.
Of course，Mrs.Thompson did.She wore that bracelet，the one with several rhinestones missing.She was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.They hugged each other and Teddy whispered in Mrs.Thompson's ear."Thank you，Mrs.Thompson，for believing in me.Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference."
难点重点，一目了然！
长难句解析 Sentence Structures
A The more she encouraged him，the faster he responded.
她给他的鼓励越多，他的反应就越快。
句中主干是the more……，the more……“更……更……”。
B He expIained that……for the mother of the groom.
他解释说他的父亲几年前去世了，他想知道汤普森夫人是否愿意坐在婚礼上为新郎的母亲预留的座位上。
句子的结构是He explained that（宾语从句）……if（宾语从句）……that（定语从句）……。
Suppose Someone Gave You a Pen 假如有人送你一支笔
Track 021.MP3
朗读指数：★★★★☆
背诵指数：★★★☆☆
难度指数：★★☆☆☆
总词汇量：0331词汇
每个好故事都有灵魂！
今日关键语导读 Today's Key Points
假如有人送你一支笔，一支不可拆卸的单色钢笔。把它扔在书架上或是抽屉里让它的墨水干枯，还是一头扎进去不停地写，也许你真的永远不会预知结果。
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障碍词先听为快 Words and Expressions
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好英文娓娓动听 Words and Expressions
Suppose someone gave you a pen-a sealed，solid-colored pen.You couldn't see how much ink it had.[A]It might run dry after the first few tentative words or last just long enough to create a masterpiece（or several）that would last forever and make a difference in the scheme of things.You don't know before you begin.Under the rules of the game，you really never know.You have to take a chance！
Actually，no rule of the game states you must do anything.Instead of picking up and using the pen，you could leave it on a shelf or in a drawer where it will dry up，unused.But if you do decide to use it，what would you do with it？How would you play the game？Would you plan and plan before you ever wrote a word？Would your plans be so extensive that you never even got to the writing？
[B]Or would you take the pen in hand，plunge right in and just do it，struggling to keep up with the twists and turns of the torrents of words that take you where they take you？Would you write cautiously and carefully，as if the pen might run dry the next moment，or would you pretend or believe（or pretend to believe）that the pen will write forever and proceed accordingly？
And of what would you write：Of love？Hate？Fun？Misery？Life？Death？Nothing？Everything？Would you write to please just yourself？Or others？Or yourself by writing for others？Would your strokes be tremblingly timid or brilliantly bold？Fancy with a flourish or plain？Would you even write？Once you have the pen，no rule says you have to write.Would you sketch？ScribbIe？DoodIe or draw？Would you stay in or on the lines，or see no lines at all，even if they were there？Or are they？
There's a lot to think about here，isn't there？
Now，suppose someone gave you a life……
难点重点，一目了然！
长难句解析 Sentence Structures
A It might run dry after the first few tentative words or Iast just Iong enough to create a masterpiece（or severaI）that wouId Iast forever and make a difference in the scheme of things.
或许在你试探性地写上几个字后它就会枯干，或许足够用来创作一部（或是几部）影响深远的不朽巨着。
此句主干是It might+v……that……；或许……或许……；run by：用完了，枯干了。
B Or wouId you take the pen in hand，pIunge right in and just do it，struggling to keep up with the twists and turns of the torrents of words that take you where they take you？
或者你只是手里拿着笔，一头扎进去写，不停地写，艰难地随着文字汹涌的浪涛而随波逐流？
The Giving Tree 给予树
Track 022.MP3
朗读指数：★★★★☆
背诵指数：★★★☆☆
难度指数：★★☆☆☆
总词汇量：0331词汇
每个好故事都有灵魂！
今日关键语导读 Today's Key Points
为人提供帮助的人是富有的，给予别人快乐的人是富有的，能够与人分享的人是富有的。不是所有人都有幸成为千万富翁，但至少有爱我们就不贫穷。
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障碍词先听为快 Words and Expressions
精彩文字，耳听心受！
好英文娓娓动听 Words and Expressions
I was a single parent of four small children，working at a minimum-wage job.Money was always tight，but we had a roof over our heads，food on the table，clothes on our backs，and if not a lot，always enough.I've always been glad about that.
It was Christmas time.Although there wasn't money for a lot of gifts，we planned to celebrate by decorating our home with the Christmas lights and eat special dinners.The big excitement for kids was the fun of Christmas shopping.They talked and planned for weeks ahead of time，asking each other and their grandparents what they wanted for Christmas.I dreaded it because I had saved$120 for presents to be shared by all fl ve of us.
The big day arrived and we started out early.I gave each of the four kids a twenty-dollar bill and reminded them to look for gifts about four dollars each.Then everyone scattered.After two hours'shopping，we would meet back at the"Santa's workshop'display.