共情
——閱讀的力量

安徽 張 嵐

It seems that there is never a more important time or a greater need to develop our empathy—the ability not only to feel but also understand different points of view, the need to recognise social injustice, and most importantly the drive to effect change. Reading plays a vital role in reaching this goal.

Reading makes a kind person. When I was at primary school, one of my favourite stories was Oscar Wilde's The Nightingale and the Rose. My most frequent request is for the story with the nightingale. A young student wants a red rose to show his love. But there is no red rose in his garden. A nightingale determines to find a red rose for him, but when it becomes clear that there is no red rose to be found, she pays the ultimate sacrifice by dyeing a white rose bush red with her blood. When the student presents it to the girl, she tosses it to one side with disdain （輕蔑）. I wept and wept for that nightingale.Yet still I kept requesting the story. And even now I vividly recall the hurt. “I will never treat anyone like that! ” I cried to my dad.

Reading promotes positive values. Written by top children's authors including Jamila Gavin, Jo Cotterill, Jim Eldridge, Kaye Umansky and John Dougherty, TreeTops Reflect is a collection of stories written with heart. The series features emotionally compelling stories that connect us to significant issues in our lives and therefore promote positive values such as kindness, care, respect and intergenerational understanding.

Reading makes us reflect upon our growing pains. Some of the stories deal with everyday issues. In Geeks Can't Dance by Jo Cotterill and Stage Fright by Jane Lawes, the main characters learn about the struggle to maintain friendships as children transition from the upper primary years to secondary school, a time of change and transformation where many children switch friendship groups and some friends get left behind. It's a difficult time when emotions are fragile.

Lessons learnt from reading are powerful and lasting. Reading is the ideal vehicle to nurture empathy because it invites readers to step into the shoes of the characters in the stories to see and feel the world from an alternative perspective.

Activity A Reading for understanding

Ⅰ. Text-centered chunks

determine to do 決定做……

present sth to sb 把某物呈獻給某人

a collection of ……的作品集

connect...to 把……與……聯結起來

deal with 論述；處理；與……打交道

transition from...to 從……到……的過渡

leave...behind 把……拋在后面；使落下

learn from 向……學習

invite sb to do 邀請某人做……

from an alternative perspective 從另一個角度來看

Ⅱ. Text-centered sentences

一、it充當形式主語

It seems that there is never a more important time or a greater need to develop our empathy—the ability not only to feel but also understand different points of view, the need to recognise social injustice, and most importantly the drive to effect change. 似乎沒有比現在更重要的時刻或更大的需要來發展我們的同理心——不僅要有感受的能力，還要有理解不同觀點的能力，要能認識社會不公，最重要的是要有推動變革的動力。

【點石成金】It seems that...意為“似乎……”，it充當形式主語，真正的主語是that引導的從句。 句中使用了not only...but also...的句式，意為“不但……而且……”。

【運用遷移】因為有那么多美好的回憶，所以我的高中時光對我來說似乎總是最好的時光。

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二、where引導定語從句

In Geeks Can't Dance by Jo Cotterill and Stage Fright by Jane Lawes, the main characters learn about the struggle to maintain friendships as children transition from the upper primary years to secondary school, a time of transformation where many children switch friendship groups and some friends get left behind. 在喬·科特里爾的《極客不能

跳舞》和簡·勞斯的《怯場》中，主要人物了解到孩子們從小學高年級過渡到中學時，為了維持友誼所做的努力，這是一個轉變的時期，許多孩子改變了友誼團體，一些朋友被拋在了后面。

【點石成金】本句中，where引導的是一個定語從句，先行詞為表示模糊化地點的名詞transformation，類似的名詞還有situation、scene、stage等。 to maintain friendships為動詞不定式作后置定語，修飾名詞the struggle；as引導的是一個時間狀語從句。

【運用遷移】目前，我們面臨著必須做出決定的困境。

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Activity B Reading for writing

請根據以下提示，并結合具體事例，用英語寫一篇短文。

Reading promotes positive values. Reading is the noblest gift for everyone.

注意：

1. 詞數80左右；

2. 可以適當增加細節，以使行文連貫；

3. 至少需要使用兩個本文中解析過的句式。

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寫作導引

本次寫作屬于半開放性作文的寫作。 從寫作內容上來看， 題目并未給出寫作要點，只要求學生根據提示寫一篇80詞左右的短文。寫作前，我們通過定位提示句中的關鍵詞reading、promotes positive values、the noblest gift可知， 本次寫作的主題應為閱讀對形成個人優良品行的積極影響。因此，我們可以從文章中尋找相關的信息和語言素材。

一、語篇解碼

（一）主題歸納

What is the text mainly about?

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（二）結構梳理與內容分析

Fill in the blanks with a word or a phrase according to the text.

二、素材積累

develop one's empathy 培養某人的同理心

understand different points of view 理解不同的觀點

the drive to do 做……的動力

pay the ultimate sacrifice 付出最后的犧牲

promote positive values 促成積極的價值觀

reflect upon 考慮

nurture empathy 培養同理心

intergenerational understanding 代際理解

switch friendship groups 改變友誼團體

三、寫作支架

本次的寫作任務是寫一篇議論文。 文章的整體框架為“引論（提出觀點）—本論（分析問題）—結論（總結全文，重申論點）”。 文章的基本框架如下：

主題句（點題，闡明文章論點）—過渡句（概述閱讀帶給自己的積極影響）—細節句一（簡述閱讀帶給自己的積極影響表現一）—細節句二（簡述閱讀帶給自己的積極影響表現二）—拓展句（概述閱讀帶給自己的其他積極影響）—結論句（重申論點，闡明自己對閱讀的態度）。

四、語篇過手

1. 分析提示句，確定寫作主題。

2. 快覽原文，從原文中尋找論據和論點。

3. 細心審題，確定文章的體裁（議論文）、人稱（第一人稱）、時態（以現在時為主）、語言風格（簡明、準確、平實）。