Lesson 7 The Truant ①
James Brown was ten years old when his parents sent him to school. It was not far from his home, and therefore they sent him by himself.
But, instead of going to school, he was in the habit of playing truant. He would go into the fields, or spend his time with idle② boys.
But this was not all. When he went home, he would falsely tell his mother that he had been to school, and had said his lessons very well.
One fine morning, his mother told James to make haste③ home from school, for she wished, after he had come back, to take him to his aunt’s.
But, instead of minding her, he went off to the water, where there were some boats. There he met plenty of idle boys.
Some of these boys found that James had money, which his aunt had given him; and he was led by them to hire a boat, and to go with them upon the water.
Little did James think of the danger into which he was running. Soon the wind began to blow, and none of them knew how to manage the boat.
For some time, they struggled④ against the wind and the tide⑤. At last, they became so tired that they could row no longer.
A large wave upset⑥ the boat, and they were all thrown into the water. Think of James Brown, the truant, at this time!
He was far from home, known by no one. His parents were ignorant of his danger. He was struggling in the water, on the point of being drowned⑦.
Some men, however, saw the boys, and went out to them in a boat. They reached them just in time to save them from a watery grave.
They were taken into a house, where their clothes were dried. After a while, they were sent home to their parents.
James was very sorry for his conduct⑧, and he was never known to be guilty⑨ of the same thing again.
He became regular⑩ at school, learned to attend⑪ to his books, and, above, to obey his parents perfectly.
(367 words)
Note
① truant ['truːənt] n. 旷课的小学生；逃学生
② idle ['aɪd(ə)l] adj. 无意义的；空闲的；懒惰的
vi.虚度；空转
vt.虚度；使空转
③ haste [heɪst] n. 匆忙，急忙；急速
v.赶紧，匆忙
④ struggle ['strʌɡ(ə)l] vi. 搏斗；奋斗；努力；争取
n.打斗；竞争；奋斗
⑤ tide [taɪd] n. 潮汐；潮流
⑥ upset [ʌp'set] vt. 打乱；推翻，弄翻；使心烦意乱
adj.难过的；沮丧的
⑦ drown [draʊn] v.（使）淹没，（使）溺死；浸透；浸泡；压过
⑧ conduct [kən'dʌkt] n. 进行；行为；实施
vt.& vi. 引导；带领；控制
⑨ guilty ['ɡɪltɪ] adj. 内疚的；有罪的
⑩ regular ['reɡjələ(r)] adj. 有规律的
⑪ attend [ə'tend] vi. 出席；致力于
vt.出席，参加
Exercises
Ⅰ. How well did you read?
1. [Give the reason] Why did James’ parents send him to school by himself?
A. Because the school is near his home.
B. Because his parents don’t care about him.
C. Because he likes playing truant.
2. [Give the reason] Why did James go upon the water?
A. Because he wanted to row a boat.
B. Because he was led by some idle boys to hire a boat.
C. Because he wanted to go to school by boat.
3. [Check the details] Who saved James and other boys?
A. James’ parents.
B. James’ teachers.
C. Some men who saw them.
Ⅱ. Read for words.
Choose the best paraphrase or Chinese meaning for the underlined words.
1. When he went home, he would falsely tell his mother that he had been to school,and had said his lessons very well. (Para. 3, Line 1)
A. 诚恳地
B. 不实地
C. 粗心地
2. But, instead of minding her, he went off to the water, where there were some boats. (Para. 5, Line 1)
A. 打扰
B. 照顾
C. 在意
3. Soon the wind began to blow, and none of them knew how to manage the boat.(Para. 7, Line 2)
A. 制造
B. 操纵
C. 经营
4. His parents were ignorant of his danger. (Para. 10, Line 1)
A. 不知道的
B. 愚昧的
C. 清晰的
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