Level 2 · Reading series
Lesson 58 · The Future Is Not Only Far Away
Audio track 58
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
Open the English passage and hover for word help
When people say "the future," I imagine flying cars and robots in big cities. It feels far away.
But our teacher said, "The future is also what you practice today."
If I practice piano for fifteen minutes, tomorrow's sound may change. If I read one page in English, next month's reading may become easier. If I sleep earlier, tomorrow's practice may feel better.
The future is not only far away. A small part of it is already in my schedule.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
听到‘未来’这个词，我会想起大城市里的飞行汽车和机器人，觉得那是很遥远的事。
可老师说：‘未来也包括你今天练习的东西。’
如果我练十五分钟钢琴，明天弹出的声音也许会不同。如果我读一页英语，下个月阅读时也许会轻松些。如果我今晚早睡，明天的训练也许会更顺利。
未来不只在遥远的地方；其中一小部分，已经写在我今天的日程里。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- future
- 未来；既指遥远的想象，也指接下来的日子。
- imagine
- 想象；主人公想到飞行汽车。
- flying car
- 飞行汽车；对未来的幻想。
- far away
- 遥远的；主人公起初的感受。
- not only
- 不只是；说明未来也与今天有关。
- fifteen minutes
- 十五分钟；一段具体可做的练习时间。
- next month
- 下个月；阅读可能逐渐变容易。
- become easier
- 变得更容易；持续练习可能带来变化。
- schedule
- 日程；今天安排要做的事。
- already
- 已经；未来的一小部分已在计划里。
Background notes (Chinese)
短文把宏大的‘未来’与今天可以做的小事联系起来。练习一次不保证立刻取得明显进步，但持续的安排会影响下一次学习、练琴和运动的状态。