閱讀指導(dǎo)（4）

王琴

George’s Marvellous Medicine

Grandma (4)

'You're eight years old,' she snorted. 'That's old enough to know better. If you don't stop growing soon, it'll be too late.'

'Too late for what, Grandma?'

'It's ridiculous,’she went on. 'You're nearly as tall as me already.'

George took a good look at Grandma. She certainly was a very tiny person. Her legs were so short she had to have a footstool to put her feet on, and her head only came halfway up the back of the armchair.

'Daddy says it's fine for a man to be tall,' George said.

'Don't listen to your daddy,’ Grandma said.'Listen to me.’

'But how do I stop myself growing?’George asked her.

'Eat less chocolate,' Grandma said.

'Does chocolate make you grow?'

'It makes you grow the wrong way,’ she snapped.'Up instead of down.’

Grandma sipped some tea but never took her eyes from the little boy who stood before her.

'Yes, Grandma. '

'Never grow up,' she said. Always down.' And stop eating chocolate. Eat cabbage   instead.'

'Cabbage! Oh no, I don't like cabbage,' George said.'It's not what you like or what you don't like,' Grandma snapped. It's what's good for you that counts. From now on, you must eat cabbage three times a day. Mountains of cabbage! And if it's got caterpillars in it, so much the better!'

'Owch,’ George said.

New words:

ridiculousadj. very silly or unreasonable 愚蠢的；荒謬的；荒唐的

caterpillar n. a small creature like a worm with legs, that develops into a butterfly or moth毛蟲

count v. matter 有重要性

mountains of many , a lot of 許多

Language discussion：

1.Her legs were so short she had to have a footstool to put her feet on,。

so…that 如此……以至于,，此句省略了 that ，so short (that) she had to…

如：The weather was so cold that we decided to stay indoors.

2.It's fine for a man to be tall.

It 是形式主語,，for a man to be tall 是主語,。用it形式主語，避免句子頭重腳輕,。動詞不定式 to be tall 前面用了 for a man ,這是動詞不定式的邏輯主語,，表示動詞不定式的動作人。

如：It’s difficult for him to finish the task all by himself.

3.… the little boy who stood before her.

who stood before her 是定語從句,，修飾the boy, 關(guān)系代詞who 在從句中充當(dāng)主語,，不可省略，可以換成that,。

如：He stared at the woman who(或that) was standing against the wall.

4.It's what's good for you that counts.

前面Grandma 說了It's not what you like or what you don't like. it 指說話人雙方心目中都知道的事情,，what 引導(dǎo)表語從句，表達的是“這不是你喜歡不喜歡的問題”,。

Grandma 接著強調(diào)說,，It's what's good for you that counts.

“什么對你有好處，這才是重要的,?！?/span>

It is… that 強調(diào)句式，在前面的課上講過,。

如：丘吉爾的名言：Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. ——Winston Churchill.

5.And if it's got caterpillars in it, so much the better!'

…so much the better 那就更好了,。

如：If they can pretend it's good for their career, so much the better. 如果他們能假裝這（些故事）對他們的職業(yè)有好處,那就更好 。

Questions：

1. How old is George according to his grandmother?

2. What does Grandma think about George's growth?

3. What does George's father say about being tall?

4. What advice does Grandma give George to stop growing?

5. What does Grandma suggest George should eat instead of chocolate?

Answer the above questions briefly and form a short passage.

More questions：（供思考）

1. How does George feel about eating cabbage?

2. What does Grandma say about caterpillars in the cabbage?

3. What does Grandma mean when she says "Always down"?

4. How is Grandma described in terms of her size?

5. What is Grandma's attitude towards George's growth and diet?