High 3 · Reading series
Lesson 28 · The Repair We Chose to Share
Audio track 28
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When several school bags broke, our class proposed a repair afternoon. We expected people to bring only simple problems, but one student arrived with a damaged strap that needed a stronger fix than we could safely provide. A local repairer explained what our tools could handle and what should go to a professional workshop.
We practiced replacing buttons and mending small tears on spare fabric before touching anyone's belongings. Participants wrote down what had been repaired, what remained uncertain, and when an item should no longer be used. The afternoon was less dramatic than a pile of “saved” objects, but no one had to pretend every repair was complete.
The repairer also showed us how to describe a problem clearly when asking for a quote. Knowing the words for a broken seam or zipper made later choices easier. We could compare cost, usefulness, and safety without assuming repair was always possible.
Sharing a skill meant sharing its limits too. That honesty made the workshop more useful than a simple instruction to buy less.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
学校里几只书包坏了，班上便提议办一场修理活动。我们以为大家只会带来简单问题，却有同学拿来一只背带受损的包，需要比我们能安全处理的更牢固的修补。本地修理师说明哪些问题我们的工具可以应付，哪些该交给专业工坊。
动别人的物品前，我们先在备用布料上练习换纽扣和缝补小破口。参加者记下修好了什么、哪里仍不确定，以及物品何时不应继续使用。活动没有一大堆“获救物品”那么壮观，但没人需要假装所有修补都已完成。
修理师还教我们求报价时怎样说清问题。知道破裂的接缝或拉链该怎么描述，后续选择就容易些。我们可以比较费用、实用性和安全性，而不先认定一切都能修。
分享技能，也要分享技能的边界。这份诚实，让活动比一句简单的“少买东西”更有用。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- proposed
- 提议；班级筹办修理活动。
- damaged
- 受损的；背带需要更牢的修补。
- strap
- 背带；影响书包使用安全。
- repairer
- 修理师；界定工具能做什么。
- professional
- 专业的；难题转交工坊。
- mending
- 缝补；先在废布上练习。
- uncertain
- 不确定的；修后仍有待确认。
- quote
- 报价；请店家评估费用。
- seam
- 接缝；描述破损要准确。
- limits
- 界限；技能分享也要说明。
Background notes (Chinese)
学生练习小修补，也听取专业人员对背带等安全问题的判断，并记录未修好的部分。