Of Human Bondage(Excerpt)

浙江 李 暢

主題語境：名著節選 篇幅：364詞 建議用時：7分鐘

1Philip was sitting on the floor in the drawing room at Miss Watkin's house.He was an only child and used to amusing himself.The room was filled with massive furniture,and on each of the sofas were three big cushions.There was a cushion too in each armchair.All these he had taken and,with the help of the chairs,light and easy to move,had made a cave in which he could hide himself from the Red Indians who were waiting behind the curtains.Presently,hearing the door open,he held his breath so that he might not be discovered.But a violent hand pulled away a chair and the cushions fell down.

2“You naughty boy,Miss Watkin will be cross with you.”“Hello,Emma!”he said.“Am I to come home?”he asked.“Yes,I've come to fetch you,”she hesitated.The question she had expected did not come,so she could not give the answer she had prepared.“Aren't you going to ask how your mama is?”she said.“Oh,I forgot.How is Mama?”“Your mama is quite well and happy.”“Oh,I am glad.”“Your mama's gone away.You won't ever see her anymore.”“Why not?”“Your mama's in heaven.Your Uncle William is waiting in to see you,”she said.

3“I think I'll go and say goodbye to Miss Watkin.”“I think you'd better,”said Emma.Philip limped in.Henrietta Watkin was a stout (壯實的) woman,with a red face and dyed hair.In those days to dye the hair excited comment,and Philip heard much gossip at home when Miss Watkin's hair changed color.She lived with an elder sister,who had resigned herself contentedly to old age.

4“My poor child,”said Miss Watkin,opening her arms.She began to cry.Philip understood now why she had not been into luncheon (午宴) and why she wore a black dress.She could not speak.“I've got to go home,”said Philip at last.He went out of the room.He heard Henrietta Watkin's voice.“His mother was my greatest friend.I can't bear to think that she's dead.Poor little boy,it's dreadful to think of him quite alone in the world.”

Reading Check

Detail 1.Why did Philip make a cave using cushions and chairs?

A.To have fun all by himself.

B.To play a game with Emma.

C.To avoid the noise of the outside.

D.To protect himself from the Red Indians.

Detail 2.What had Emma thought Philip would ask?

A.What game they would play.

B.Where they would go.

C.How his mom was.

D.Why she wore a new dress.

Detail 3.What did people usually talk about Miss Watkin?

A.Her old age.

B.Her strong body.

C.Her red face.

D.Her hair color.

Inference 4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A.Philip became an orphan.

B.Philip was too naughty to be raised.

C.Philip was reluctant to leave Miss Watkin.

D.Philip would be adopted by another family.

Language Study

Ⅰ.Discover the useful structure in the text

All these he had taken and,with the help of the chairs,light and easy to move,had made a cave in which he could hide himself from the Red Indians who were waiting behind the curtains.他把所有這些東西都拿了起來，再借助輕便易搬的椅子，造了一個洞穴，這樣他就可以躲避在簾子后面等著的印第安人。

【點石成金】本句的主干是All these had made a cave；he had taken 是一個省略了that 的定語從句，that 在從句中作take 的賓語；in which 引導定語從句，在句中作狀語；who引導的是定語從句，在從句中作主語。

Ⅱ.Fill in the blanks with the proper phrase.

1.When she heard what he said,she__________anger.

2.__________the telescope,we can receive weaker and more radio messages far away in space.

3.It's possible to__________for three minutes,with practice.

4.My sister made a model plane__________she could help with her friend studying science last night.

5.She promised not to__________,but to continue keeping house for the shepherd.