Encouragement from a mother

主題語境：人與自我 篇幅：283詞 建議用時：5分鐘

1My cellphone rang while I was working on my computer.I looked at the phone and saw it was my 17-year-old son,Tom.I quickly picked it up.“Mom,I got a 71 on the test.I did it.”With those few words,I could feel my heart start to beat wildly.

2Living in New York,students cannot graduate from high school unless they pass at least five exams:one in English,one in science,two in history and one in math.For most students,who work hard,attend classes,and do their homework,it isn't that hard.But for Tom,who is dyslexic(誦讀困難的),it is so challenging that some teachers have feared he would never be able to even attempt,let alone achieve.

3We were honest with him about his trouble,letting him know that there was nothing to be ashamed of.Some people learn differently.If he was willing (樂意的)to work,we would help him find a way to do as much as he could in his academic career.All that was standing in his way was this math test.He had taken it three times and did better each time,but he continued to fail.He was starting to get a bit tired of me saying this was a marathon,not a sprint(沖刺).My heart broke each time we got the failing results.

4“Mom,thanks.I love you.Thanks for believing I could do this.”

5For one of the few times in my life,I really had nothing left to say.For that one brief moment,I knew that everything we did to help our son achieve what he wanted was worth it.

Reading Check

1.What can we know about high school in New York?

A.It is very hard for most students to graduate.

B.Students must pass four exams before graduation.

C.Math is an unnecessary subject for students.

D.It is a challenge for students like Tom to graduate.

2.Which of the following is Tom's weak subject?

A.English. B.Science. C.Math. D.History.

3.How did the mother feel when writing this text?

A.Grateful. B.Proud. C.Angry. D.Worried.

Language Study

Difficult sentence

But for Tom,who is dyslexic,it is so challenging that some teachers have feared he would never be able to even attempt,let alone achieve.但對于有閱讀障礙的湯姆來說，這是具有挑戰性的，以至于一些老師擔心他甚至永遠無法嘗試，更不用說通過了。

【點石成金】該句中，who引導一個非限制性定語從句，先行詞為Tom；so...that...意為“如此……以至于……”。

【句式仿寫】他變得很激動，以至于說不出話來。

He became _________he couldn't speak.