【正文】 fort to me. I was glad to be out of my own bedroom and nearer to that of my mother. After all, if I should choke during the night, she wouldn’t be able to hear me. It was imperative that I be as close as possible. Mama understood that, or at least she pretended to. She had tucked me in methodically several hours before and she was no doubt confident that I was long since asleep, but I had far too many things to think about to go to sleep. Previous Text Analysis Distant Education College, Jilin University Next I was thinking of the hospital. We had gone there that afternoon to visit my father for Valentine’s Day. We had to go the day before the actual holiday because Mama said we couldn’t get out of school to go on Monday. The hospital was a huge place. It seemed to me like a giant castle which I would be lost in forever if I wasn’t careful. Everything was white and I remembered seeing all kinds of ladies dressed up in funny white things with all their hair covered up with some sort of cloth. I asked who they were, but I don’t think I should have because my mother looked rather embarrassed and hushed me. I found out later that they were nuns. I thought nuns were only found in convents. That confused me for a while, but I soon found something else to arouse my curiosity. Previous Text Analysis Distant Education College, Jilin University Next Daddy was in a high bed that was folded in half some way. I couldn’t understand it, but I sure wished I could have one like that — then when Mama told me to lie down and go to sleep I wouldn’t because my bed wouldn’t let me. That would be fun, for a change. He looked alright to me. I didn’t know why he kept going to that place anyway. He couldn’t like it better than home because he didn’t even have a television there. Previous Text Analysis Distant Education College, Jilin University Next I sat as quietly as possible. My trouble was that I wanted to hug him and I was afraid of what Mama would say if I climbed up on his bed to do it. I didn’t know why she would mind — I only knew she would. Sometimes she said I was too rough. But I was such a little girl and Daddy was so big ... how could I hurt him? I thought there must be some other reason why he couldn’t wrestle with me like he used to. Maybe he was too tired. Previous Text Analysis Distant Education College, Jilin University Next My parents talked for a long time while I looked out the window and played with my brother and sister. I didn’t like that place and I wanted to go home. There didn’t seem to be anything to do there. Then, all at once, we were leaving. Daddy called me to his bedside and told me to be sure to say my prayers. I said I would and kissed him quickly on the cheek. I remembered how smooth his face was that day and I was surprised by it. Usually his cheeks were covered with a fine stubble which always tickled me like the first grass of spring tickled my toes. That day his face had been like a shiny stone. Previous Text Analysis Distant Education College, Jilin University Next The absence of the red growth had changed him somehow — he wasn’t the same anymore. It was probably because of the hospital. They probably made him shave in that place. That’s another reason why he should have e home。 Distant Education College, Jilin University Return Words to Know congested [kEn5dVestId] adj. 用粘液堵塞的 =choked . She had some difficulty in passing those streets congested with traffic. 她困難地通過那些交通擁擠的街道。 Distant Education College, Jilin University Return Words to Know confident [5kRnfIdEnt] adj. 確信的，有信心的 =marked by assurance, as of success . Peter is confident of winning the post as the assistant to the managing director. 彼得確信他能獲得總經(jīng)理助理的職位。 Distant Education College, Jilin University Return Words to Know stubble [5stQbl] n. 須茬，發(fā)茬 = short bristly hairs on a man39。s feet and made her laugh. 我胳肢孩子的腳 , 使她發(fā)笑。 Distant Education College, Jilin University Return Words to Know instinctively [5instiNktlI] adv. 本能地 = spontaneously . She has a fear of snakes instinctively. 她本能地怕蛇。 Distant Education College, Jilin University Return Words to Know ruin [5ru:In] vt. 毀壞 =to destroy pletely。 Distant Education College, Jilin University Return Useful Phrases and Expressions except for 除了 … 外 . We all went except John. 除了約翰外 , 我們都去了。 Distant Education College, Jilin University Return Useful Phrases and Expressions long since 很久以前 . It was long since we had been there. 我們?cè)谀抢镆咽呛芫靡郧暗氖铝恕? Distant Education College, Jilin University Return Difficult Sentences Daddy was in a high bed that was folded in half some way. 爸爸躺在一張床上，床的一頭不知怎的抬得很高。 Distant Education College, Jilin University Return Difficult Sentences In a few seconds the whole house was buzzing with some sort of news. 頓時(shí)一屋子人嘰嘰喳喳的，像在談什么意外消息。 Distant Education College, Jilin University Return Difficult Sentences The whole house was quiet, except for the occasional coughing from my own congested throat, I lay on the sofa exaggerating my illness as children are likely to do 屋子里靜悄悄的，只是偶爾聽到因?yàn)槲业暮韲导t腫而發(fā)出的咳嗽聲，我躺在沙發(fā)上，像其他孩子可能做的那樣竭力表現(xiàn)出 病情嚴(yán)重的樣子。 Distant Education College, Jilin University Return