Level 2 · Reading series
Lesson 42 · A Cooler Route to School
Audio track 42
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In July, the main road to school felt like a long pan. The sun hit the asphalt, and the air above it looked shaky.
One day, my friend showed me another route. It was two minutes longer, but there were trees along the street. The shade made the walk cooler.
We also heard birds and saw a small garden in front of a house.
The shortest way is not always the best way. In summer, shade can be part of the map.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
七月，去学校的大路热得像一口长长的平底锅。太阳晒着柏油路，路面上方的空气看起来都在晃动。
有一天，朋友带我走另一条路。虽然要多花两分钟，路边却有树，树荫让步行舒服凉快了许多。
我们还听到了鸟叫，看见一户人家门前的小花园。
最短的路不一定最好。到了夏天，树荫也可以成为选路时要看的东西。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- route
- 路线；指上学走的路。
- main road
- 大路；原先常走的主要道路。
- pan
- 平底锅；用来比喻晒热的路面。
- asphalt
- 柏油；道路铺面材料。
- shaky
- 晃动的；热空气让视线中的景物像在抖动。
- another
- 另一条；朋友介绍的新路线。
- along
- 沿着；路边种着树。
- shade
- 阴凉处；树荫让路程更凉快。
- shortest
- 最短的；路程最少未必最合适。
- not always
- 不总是；表示并非每次都如此。
Background notes (Chinese)
主人公没有只比较两条路的长度，也考虑了高温时步行的感受。‘像平底锅’和‘空气在晃动’写出了路面受晒后的暑热。