Level 3 · Reading series
Lesson 37 · When My Stomach Hurt before the Test
Audio track 37
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
Open the English passage and hover for word help
My stomach hurt on the morning of the English test. I had felt nervous the night before, so I thought the pain was only worry. At school, I told my teacher anyway. She asked how long it had hurt and took me to the nurse's room.
After some time, I felt better, but the nurse did not guess a cause from one sentence. She called my family, and we decided together what to do next. I took the test later that week.
When I returned, a friend asked, “Was it just nerves?” I said, “I don't know.” I had learned a useful sentence: I can describe how I feel without pretending I know why it happened.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
英语考试那天早上，我的肚子痛了起来。前一晚我一直紧张，便以为只是担心考试引起的。不过，到了学校，我还是告诉了老师。她问我痛了多久，然后带我去了保健室。
过了一阵，我好受些了。护士并没有只听一句话就断定原因，而是联系了我的家人。我们一起商量接下来怎么办。那周晚些时候，我参加了考试。
回校后，朋友问：‘只是因为紧张吗？’我回答：‘我不知道。’我学会了一句很有用的话：我可以描述自己的感受，不必假装知道它为什么发生。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- stomach
- 胃、肚子；主人公腹部疼痛。
- nervous
- 紧张的；考前一晚的心情。
- pain
- 疼痛；不应自行断定病因。
- anyway
- 仍然、还是；主人公仍向老师说明情况。
- how long
- 多久；老师询问症状持续时间。
- nurse's room
- 保健室；老师带学生去的地方。
- cause
- 原因；护士没有草率猜测。
- decide together
- 一起决定；与家人商量下一步。
- later that week
- 那周晚些时候；考试改在之后进行。
- describe
- 描述；可以说清感觉而不硬猜原因。
Background notes (Chinese)
考试前紧张与身体不适可能同时出现，不能仅凭时间相近就认定疼痛原因。主人公告诉老师，护士联系家人后共同决定下一步；文中没有给疼痛下诊断。