Level 3 · Reading series
Lesson 10 · The Friend Who Cheered Quietly
Audio track 10
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Listen once before opening the English passage.
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I had never run in the school relay before. On the morning of the race, my hands shook so much that I could hardly tie my shoes. My friend Kaito was not good at shouting across a field. He simply handed me a bottle of water and said, “Take one breath before you start.”
During the race, I did not hear his voice. I saw him near the finish line, holding my jacket so it would not get wet on the grass. I came in fourth, and for a moment I felt disappointed.
“You kept going even when you looked tired,” Kaito said afterward. It was not a loud cheer, but it was exactly what I needed to hear.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
我以前从没参加过学校的接力赛。比赛那天早晨，我的手抖得厉害，连鞋带都差点系不上。朋友海斗不擅长隔着操场大声呐喊，只是递给我一瓶水，说：‘出发前先深呼吸一次。’
比赛时，我没有听见他的声音，却看见他站在终点附近，替我拿着外套，免得外套被草地上的水弄湿。我跑了第四名，一时间有些失落。
赛后海斗说：‘你看上去已经很累了，还是一直跑到了最后。’这不是大声的欢呼，却正是我那时需要听见的话。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- relay
- 接力赛；队员轮流跑完各自赛段的比赛。
- shake
- 颤抖；紧张得手抖，几乎系不上鞋带。
- hardly
- 几乎不；could hardly tie my shoes 表示‘几乎系不上鞋带’。
- tie my shoes
- 系鞋带；tie 在这里是‘打结、系好’。
- hand A B
- 把某物递给某人；海斗递给叙述者一瓶水。
- take a breath
- 吸一口气、深呼吸一下；比赛前帮助自己平静。
- finish line
- 终点线；海斗站在附近替朋友拿着外套。
- come in fourth
- 获得第四名；come in 表示在比赛中取得某个名次。
- disappointed
- 失望的；叙述者刚跑完时对名次感到失落。
- keep going
- 坚持下去；海斗看见朋友虽然疲惫仍继续跑。
Background notes (Chinese)
支持一个人不一定靠高声喝彩。海斗在赛前递水、提醒呼吸，赛中保管外套，赛后看见朋友坚持到底；这些安静的行动也构成了鼓励。只把 cheer 理解成‘大声喊加油’，就容易忽略这种支持。