High 1 · Reading series
Lesson 5 · Lunch with a New Classmate
Audio track 05
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
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A new student joined our class in May. At lunch, I invited her to sit with us. She spoke slowly and paused before answering simple questions. I assumed she was uncomfortable, so I filled every silence with another question.
After a few minutes, she said, “Could I ask you something?” She wanted to know why our class ate in the room instead of the cafeteria. I explained our school's schedule, then she told us about the lunch system at her previous school. Soon everyone at the table was comparing small differences between schools.
Later, she told me she had been choosing her words carefully because she did not want to sound rude. I had mistaken her pauses for a wish to be left alone. My quick questions probably made it harder for her to speak.
The next day, I invited her again. This time, after I asked one question, I waited. She answered with a story about a cooking club, and I learned more than I had the day before.
Sentence practice
Play any sentence in Dicvo’s Jenny English voice. Before playing all, choose how many times each sentence plays. A practice pause about as long as the sentence follows each play, including before the next sentence. The complete reading remains above.
Choose a sentence to begin.
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A new student joined our class in May.
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At lunch, I invited her to sit with us.
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She spoke slowly and paused before answering simple questions.
-
I assumed she was uncomfortable, so I filled every silence with another question.
-
After a few minutes, she said, “Could I ask you something?”
-
She wanted to know why our class ate in the room instead of the cafeteria.
-
I explained our school's schedule, then she told us about the lunch system at her previous school.
-
Soon everyone at the table was comparing small differences between schools.
-
Later, she told me she had been choosing her words carefully because she did not want to sound rude.
-
I had mistaken her pauses for a wish to be left alone.
-
My quick questions probably made it harder for her to speak.
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The next day, I invited her again.
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This time, after I asked one question, I waited.
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She answered with a story about a cooking club, and I learned more than I had the day before.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
五月，一位新同学来到我们班。午饭时，我请她和我们坐在一起。她说话缓慢，连回答简单问题前也会停一停。我以为她不自在，便不断抛出新问题，填满每一段沉默。
几分钟后，她说：‘我能问你一件事吗？’她想知道我们班为什么在教室吃饭，而不是去食堂。我解释了学校的安排；接着，她讲起原来学校的午餐制度。很快，一桌人都开始比较两所学校的小差别。
后来她告诉我，自己是在仔细斟酌措辞，免得显得无礼。我却把她的停顿当成了想独处的信号。我连珠炮似的问题，恐怕反而让她更难开口。
第二天，我又邀请她。这次，问完一个问题，我便等她回答。她讲了一个关于烹饪社的故事，我对她的了解也比前一天多了。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- join a class
- 加入班级；新同学五月来到班上。
- pause
- 停顿；她回答前会想一想。
- assume
- 以为、假定；主人公误判她不自在。
- fill the silence
- 填满沉默；接连提问，不留回答空间。
- instead of
- 而不是；这里对比教室和食堂。
- previous
- 以前的；她介绍旧学校的午餐制度。
- compare
- 比较；同学们交流学校差别。
- carefully
- 仔细地；她斟酌措辞以免失礼。
- mistake A for B
- 把 A 误认成 B；把停顿误当成想独处。
- probably
- 可能、大概；主人公反思自己的提问方式。
Background notes (Chinese)
对方回答前停顿，可能是在想词、整理想法，不一定是不愿说话。主人公发现自己误解后，改变了交谈节奏，让新同学有空间讲出自己的故事。