Helen Keller and Her Teacher

董云姣

Helen Keller was one of Americas best-known women. She was admired for her courage and achievements although she couldnt see or hear. She was also known throughout the world for her self-sacrificing work to improve the condition of the blind， the deaf and the speechless. When she died on June 1， 1968， the newspaper Washington Post wrote： “Her life was truly one of the most remarkable phenomena of our time and her death just short of the age of 88 leaves the whole world poorer.”

Helen Keller was born on June 27th， 1880， in Tuscumbia， Alabama. For the first 19 months of her life， she was a pretty and happy baby， normal in every way. Then a sudden illness destroyed her sight and her hearing. Because she could not hear sounds to imitate①， she could not speak. Helen used to say that her real birthday was not June 27th， 1880， but March 3rd， 1887 —the day when Anne Sullivan entered her life. It was Anne Sullivan who taught Helen to spell certain words by a special system， Braille， and even to talk.

Anne Sullivan could not teach Helen Keller to speak until some other important things had been learned. The little girl had to learn to control her actions and feelings. She had to learn that she could not always do what she wanted to do. She had always been able to get what she wanted by using force. The teacher had to change such habits without breaking the childs spirit.

Miss Sullivans battle began. Sometimes， there was real fighting between the wild child and the strong young teacher. At last， however， the battle was won by Miss Sullivan， who succeeded in showing Helen that she loved her and wanted to help her. The child and her teacher became friends. They continued to be friends until the teachers death， fifty years later.

The day on which Helen finally accepted Miss Sullivan as her friend and teacher was a great day in Helens life. After that， the teacher could begin to teach the child language.

Note： ① imitate v. 模仿

【難句解析】

1. Helen used to say that her real birthday was not June 27th， 1880， but March 3rd， 1887 — the day when Anne Sullivan entered her life.

釋義：海倫過去常常說，她的生日不是在1880年6月27日，而是1887年3月3日——安妮·莎莉文進入她生活的那一天。

點撥：used to do表示“過去常常做某事”;not... but...意為“不是……而是……”;when引導定語從句，修飾先行詞the day。在定語從句中，when作狀語。例如：

We used to go for a walk after supper. 過去我們總是在晚飯后去散步。

She wants to buy not a skirt， but a dress. 她想買的不是一條短裙，而是一條連衣裙。

Ill never forget the day when I met you. 我將不會忘記和你見面的那一天。

2. It was Anne Sullivan who taught Helen to spell certain words by a special system， Braille， and even to talk.

釋義：是安妮·莎莉文使用一種特殊的系統——盲文，教海倫拼讀單詞，甚至說話。

點撥：It was Anne Sullivan who...是強調句型。強調句型的基本結構為“It is / was+that / who+句子的其余部分”。it在句中無意義，只起引出被強調部分的作用。被強調的部分指人時，除可用that外，還可換用who（強調賓語指人時也可用whom）。在強調句中，去掉It is / was... that / who后，句子結構仍然完整，句意仍然明確。例如：

It was Tom who / that I met last week. 我上周遇見的就是湯姆。

3. Anne Sullivan could not teach Helen Keller to speak until some other important things had been learned.

釋義：直到海倫·凱勒學到一些別的重要的東西，安妮·莎莉文才教她說話。

點撥：until用于否定句中，意為“直到……才……”，表示動作從until表示的時間才開始，主句動詞延續性、非延續性均可。用于肯定句中，意為“到……為止”，表示動作一直持續到所說時間為止，主句的動詞必須是延續性動詞。例如：

I didnt know she was French until she spoke. 直到她開口說話我才知道她是法國人。

I will wait until I hear from you. 我會一直等到你寫信來

4. The day on which Helen finally accepted Miss Sullivan as her friend and teacher was a great day in Helens life.

釋義：海倫接受莎莉文小姐，并把她當作朋友和老師的那一天，是海倫人生中偉大的一天。

點撥：在此句中，on which Helen finally accepted Miss Sullivan as her friend and teacher是定語從句，修飾先行詞the day。在定語從句中，當“介詞+which”在定語從句中作時間、地點和原因狀語時，可以用相應的關系副詞when， where和why來替換。例如：

The day when （=on which） she arrived was Thursday. 她到的那天是星期四。

I. Choose the right answer.

1. Helen Keller was admired by many people because ____.

A. she was very famous in America

B. she had great courage and gained lots of achievements

C. she went to college though she couldnt see or hear

D. she had a good teacher

2. Learning to ____ was Helen Kellers first lesson before she was taught to speak.

A. sit all day long?????????????????????? ????? B. make friends with her teacher

C. do a thing again and again??????????? ?????????? D. control actions and feelings

3. We can infer from the passage that Anne Sullivan ____.

A. was more than a teacher to Helen????? ??? B. was very clever

C. was a blind woman??????????????????????? ??? D. taught Helen how to write

4. Which of the following statement is NOT mentioned in the passage？

A. Helen Keller stayed in touch with Miss Sullivan for fifty years.

B. Anne Sullivan took great trouble to show Helen that she loved her and wanted to help her.

C. It was not until Helen had learned some other important things that Miss Sullivan could teach her to speak.

D. Miss Sullivan met many difficulties in teaching Helen how to speak.

II. Fill in the blanks.

1. I ____ ____ （過去常常） get up early and take an hours walk before breakfast.

2. This is the desk ____ ____ the papers are stored.

3. Dont get off the bus ____ ____ ____ ____ （直到它停下）.

4. ____ ____ ____ ____ （不是瑪麗，而是湯姆） took your books.

5. The hero ____ ____ ____ （因……而被欣賞） what they had done for society.

6. ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ （就是一本新書） his brother wants to buy.