High 1 · Reading series
Lesson 25 · A Sky with Fewer Stars
Audio track 25
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
Open the English passage and hover for word help
During a trip to my cousin's village, we walked outside after dinner. I looked up and stopped. There were more stars than I had ever seen above my apartment in the city. My cousin said the sky had not suddenly gained new stars; the surroundings were darker there.
Back home, I began noticing the lights around our building. Some helped people see the steps and street signs. Others shone straight upward or into windows. I had never asked what each light was meant to illuminate.
For a school project, I photographed the same part of the city sky on several clear nights. My pictures could not measure the entire problem, but they made me pay attention to direction: where the light was needed and where it went instead.
I still like a bright, safe street at night. I also want to see the stars. The question is not simply whether to have light, but how to use it well.
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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During a trip to my cousin's village, we walked outside after dinner.
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I looked up and stopped.
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There were more stars than I had ever seen above my apartment in the city.
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My cousin said the sky had not suddenly gained new stars; the surroundings were darker there.
-
Back home, I began noticing the lights around our building.
-
Some helped people see the steps and street signs.
-
Others shone straight upward or into windows.
-
I had never asked what each light was meant to illuminate.
-
For a school project, I photographed the same part of the city sky on several clear nights.
-
My pictures could not measure the entire problem, but they made me pay attention to direction: where the light was needed and where it went instead.
-
I still like a bright, safe street at night.
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I also want to see the stars.
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The question is not simply whether to have light, but how to use it well.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
去表亲住的村庄旅行时，我们晚饭后走到屋外。我抬头一看，顿时停住了：天上的星星比我在城市公寓上方见过的多得多。表亲说，天空并没有突然多出星星，只是这里的周围环境更暗。
回家后，我开始留意楼房附近的灯光。有些灯帮人看清台阶和路牌，有些却直射天空或照进窗户。我以前从没想过每盏灯究竟要照亮什么。
为了学校的项目，我在几个晴朗的夜晚拍摄了城市天空的同一片区域。照片不能衡量整个问题，却让我注意到光照的方向：光该照在哪里，实际又照到了哪里。
夜晚，我仍喜欢明亮而安全的街道，也希望看见星星。问题不只是要不要照明，还在于怎样合理地使用灯光。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- surroundings
- 周围环境；村庄夜晚比城市更暗。
- gain
- 增加；天空没有突然多出星星。
- notice
- 留意；回家后开始观察灯光。
- shine upward
- 向上照射；有些灯光直射天空。
- be meant to
- 本来用于；每盏灯应有明确用途。
- illuminate
- 照亮；帮助人看清台阶和路牌。
- several
- 几个；在多个晴夜拍摄。
- direction
- 方向；关注灯光照向哪里。
- instead
- 却、反而；有些光照到无须照明处。
- use ... well
- 合理使用；兼顾安全与观星。
Background notes (Chinese)
夜间照明有安全作用，但向上或射入窗户的光未必照在需要的地方。故事通过乡村与城市夜空的比较，引出对灯光方向和用途的思考。