The boys come back from the dead

Mark Twain

題材名著 記敘文體裁 篇幅 建議用時990詞 12分鐘

難詞探意

1.eager /'i?g?(r)/ adj.渴望的；熱切的

2.embarrassed /?m'b?r?st/ adj.尷尬的

Joe was still thinking about returning home.He was feeling worse and worse the longer he was from home.Huck felt sad as well.Tom realized this and waseagerto tell them something that would help them feel better.However, he wanted to wait for a right moment.

He tried to get them to think about something else, so he reminded them they were now pirates.“I believe other pirates once lived on this island.If that's true, then they probably left some treasure hidden somewhere near here.Why don't we look for it? We could all become rich! ”

Huck and Joe just sat there looking sad.Then Joe said, “I just feel too terrible.I'm ready to go back home.”

“Hey, don't talk like that, Joe.You're just not used to it yet.Let's go fishing, you'll soon forget about it.”

“I don't really want to fish, Tom.I just want to go home.”

“But home is boring, Joe! ”

“I don't care anymore.I miss my mother.”

“You're such a child, Joe.Go home then.We don't need you! ”

“There's nothing wrong with missing your mother.You just don't know what it's like because you've never had a mother.”

“Huck, you've had a mother before and you don't seem to miss her much.Right?”

Huck just looked at the ground.

Joe started walking toward the river and Huck suddenly said, “I kind of agree with Joe, Tom.I may not miss my family, but I miss my old life.”

“Fine! You go, but I'm staying right here! ”

When Huck began to follow Joe toward the river, Tom felt a pain in his heart.He also wanted to go home, but he wasn't ready to go just yet.He had a plan and now was the right moment to tell the boys about it.

“OK, wait a minute, boys.There's something I haven't told you.”

Tom caught up with them.They listened to what Tom had to say, ready to keep walking as soon as he had finished, but the more he talked, the less of a hurry they were in to go back home.They liked his plan and agreed to follow it.“Why did you wait so long to tell us about it, Tom?”

Later that evening, Joe woke up and felt something was strange about the weather.He shouted for the other boys to wake up.Tom and Huck felt that something was strange as well.They built a fire and sat around it, waiting to see what would happen.Then there was a bright light in the sky for only a short moment, and after it came a loud noise.It was the beginning of a storm, and it started to rain soon.

“Run, everyone! Before we get wet! ” Tom shouted.

Each boy ran and found his own shelter.It was a strong storm.The wind blew hard and the rain fell heavily.The boys tried shouting to each other, but the sound of the rain made it impossible for them to hear.The boys were frightened as the wind blew several trees on their side and the light continued to come and go in the sky.Eventually, however, the storm started to calm down and the weather once again became quiet and peaceful.

Surprisingly, the boy's fire was still burning.They were too wet to sleep, so they cooked some meat and talked around the fire until morning.After the sun rose, they lay under it to dry themselves,until it became too hot, then they rested under some trees.Lying there, they all thought eagerly about returning home.They were tired of being pirates.

The next day was a sad one for the village.It was the day that everyone was to meet at the church and pray for their lost boys.Everyone was so sad that they didn't even talk much to each other, and the children didn't play as they usually did.

The day before, many children from the school gathered at the front gate to think and talk about Tom and Joe and all of the games they had played together.They also talked all the times those two boys had gotten into trouble.They missed them so much.One boy said that he had been the last person to see them alive.The children had many questions for him.This made the boy feel very proud.

The church bell rang all morning for the people to remember the boys.After ten o'clock, everyone came to the church and sat quietly waiting for the prayer service to begin.

The last people to enter the church were the families of the dead boys.As Aunt Polly, Sid, Mary,and all of the Harpers walked down the center of the two rows of seats, the rest of the people stood up out of respect for them.Once the families were seated in front, the minister began to talk about the boys.He talked about how wonderful they were, which made many people feel guilty for having once thought of them as bad boys.Between prayers everyone cried.

Then suddenly, at the back of the church, there was the sound of a door being opened slowly.There was total silence inside and everyone turned to see what was happening.And soon, walking before them all were the boys they were there to pray for.

Both Tom's and Joe's families came running to greet them with tears of joy.Huck felt a little embarrassed and tried to leave the church, but Tom caught him and said to his aunt, “It's not fair that Huck doesn't have anyone to greet him.”

Aunt Polly smiled, took Huck in her arms and said, “You can think of Tom's family as your family, Huck! ” This just made Huck even more embarrassed.

“Oh, what a wonderful day this has turned out to be! Let me hear all of you sing as loud as you can! ” shouted the minister.

And so the church was filled with singing voices.Tom sang loudly, too.He knew that this would be a day he would always remember.

Reading Check

1.Why did everyone in the village meet in the church?

2.Why did Huck feel embarrassed in the church?

Language Study

Sentence for writing

Huck and Joe just sat there looking sad.哈克和喬伊坐在那里，看起來很悲傷。

【信息提取】looking sad 在本句中為現在分詞作伴隨狀語，邏輯主語為Huck and Joe。

【句式仿寫】他坐在扶手椅上，讀著報紙。_