金盞花的奇跡

江蘇 溫從秀

一位老人排除各種困難，用20年的時間培育出科學家們都難以培育出的白色金盞花，用堅持和信念創造了奇跡。

題材夢想體裁記敘文文章詞數 難度 建議用時388 ★★★ 7 分鐘

1 One year,a newspaper published an announcement that a horticultural （園藝的）institute offered a reward for the pure white marigold (金盞花). The high reward attracted so many people, but it is not easy to grow marigold. So after they were excited for a time, many people had forgotten the announcement.

2 Years flew away. One normal day after 20 years, the horticultural institute that had published the announcement accidentally received a letter and 100 seeds of pure white marigold. On that day,the news spread like wildfire.

3 It turned out to be an old woman of over 70 years old. The institute had always been hesitating over the fact that the letter said with certainty that the seeds could bloom pure white marigold, and the need for verification (驗證) became the focus of the debate. Whether they would make an experimental verification or not became the controversial focus at one time. Accordingly, the old woman who was always unknown to the public became a new focus.

4 Originally, the old woman was a flower lover. When she occasionally read the announcement in the newspaper 20 years ago, she was eager to try. But her eight children strongly opposed her decision. After all, a woman who never knew the seed genetics (遺傳學) couldn't complete what the experts could never achieve, so her thought seemed very foolish.

5 Still, the old woman didn't change her mind and went on working without hesitation. She planted some of the most common seeds and took good care of them. A year later, when the marigold came out, she chose the faintest one from those golden and brown flowers and got the best seed. The next year, she again grew them and chose... Day after day, year after year, through many seasons, the old woman's husband died, her children flew far, but only the wish to grow the pure white marigold took root in her heart.

6 Finally, after 20 years on the day we all know, in the garden she saw a pure white marigold,which was as white as silver or snow. A problem even scientists couldn't deal with was solved by an old woman who didn't understand genetics. Was it magic? If your dream takes root in the heart, even the most common seed can grow into a miracle!

Reading Check

Fill in the table with only one word for each blank.

Who What The old woman spent 1.______years cultivating the pure white marigold and eventually made it.An old woman of over 70 years old Background?The old women didn't understand 2. ______.?The old woman was a flower lover.?It is 3._______to cultivate the pure white marigold in nature.Beginning A horticultural institute offered a 4. ______for the pure white marigold.Development?An old woman read the announcement and decided to give it a 5. .?Many people 6. ______the announcement.Plot Climax?The old woman's children 7. her decision.?The old woman still 8. ______herself to cultivating the pure white marigold.?The old woman saw a pure white marigold in the end.?The old woman sent a letter and 100 seeds of pure white marigold to the horticultural institute.Evaluation If your dream takes root in the heart, even the most common seed can grow into a 10.______!9.______

Language Study

Useful expressions for creating a continuation task

attract so many people 吸引了如此多的人

be excited for a time 激動了一陣子

forget the announcement 忘記了公告

Years flew away. 歲月飛逝。

On that day, the news spread like wildfire. 那一天，這個消息像野火一樣蔓延開來。

hesitate over 對……猶豫

say with certainty 確信地說

be eager to try 渴望嘗試

strongly oppose her decision 強烈反對她的決定

change one's mind 改變主意

go on working without hesitation 毫不猶豫地繼續做

take good care of 悉心照看

as white as silver or snow 像銀或雪一樣白

If your dream takes root in the heart, even the most common seed can grow into a miracle! 如果你的夢想在心中扎根，即使是最常見的種子，也能變成奇跡！