Level 3 · Reading series
Lesson 60 · The Words That Took Me Somewhere
Audio track 60
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
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On the last day of school, I found a small notice about a river walk. It said, “Follow the path and look for signs of life.” I knew the words, but I first imagined road signs. Then I remembered the tracks we had seen beside the river.
I joined the walk. We found a feather, tiny holes in a leaf, and marks in the soft ground. We did not name every animal. Our guide asked what we could see and what we still wanted to know.
That evening, I read the notice again. “Signs of life” had become more than a phrase in a book. It was the feather in my hand and the question I had brought home. The words had taken me somewhere, and I was ready to keep reading.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
学期最后一天，我看到一张河边步行活动的小告示，上面写着：‘沿小路走，寻找生命留下的迹象。’这些词我都认识，一开始却想到了交通标志。随后，我记起我们曾在河边发现的动物脚印。
我参加了步行活动。大家找到一根羽毛、叶子上的小孔，还有松软地面上的痕迹。我们没有说出每一种动物的名字。向导问我们看到了什么，还想知道什么。
那天晚上，我重新读了告示。‘生命的迹象’不再只是书里的一组词：它是我手中的羽毛，也是我带回家的问题。这些词带我走到了一个新地方，而我已经准备好继续读下去。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- notice
- 告示；介绍河边步行活动。
- follow the path
- 沿小路走；告示上的指示。
- sign of life
- 生命的迹象；羽毛和足迹等线索。
- imagine
- 想象；起初想到交通标志。
- track
- 足迹；让主人公重新理解 sign。
- join
- 参加；他加入步行活动。
- feather
- 羽毛；活动中发现的线索。
- mark
- 痕迹；松软地面上的印迹。
- guide
- 向导；引导大家观察和提问。
- be ready to keep reading
- 准备继续阅读；经历让主人公愿意再读。
Background notes (Chinese)
sign 既可以指路牌，也可以指迹象。读者跟随主人公从字面联想到交通标志，再结合河边脚印、羽毛和叶孔理解 signs of life 的含义。