《夏洛的网》英文版精读训练（7）

Chapter 2 Wilbur (3)

勤动笔是好习惯

这一部分生词相对较少，读起来会比较畅快。

Wilbur was what farmers call a spring pig, which simply means that he was born in springtime. When he was five weeks old, Mr. Arable said he was now big enough to sell, and would have to be sold. Fern broke down and wept. But her father was firm about it. Wilbur's appetite had increased, he was beginning to eat scraps of food in addition to milk. Mr. Arable was not willing to provide for him any longer. He had already sold Wilbur's ten brothers and sisters.

    "He's got to go, Fern," he said. "You have had your fun raising a baby pig, but Wilbur is not a baby any longer and he has got to be sold."

    "Call up the Zuckermans," suggested Mrs. Arable to Fern. "Your uncle Homer sometimes raises a pig. And if Wilbur goes there to live, you can walk down the road and visit him as often as you like."

    "How much money should I ask for him?" Fern wanted to know.

"Well," said her father, "he's a runt. Tell your Uncle Homer you've got a pig you'll sell for six dollars, and see what he says."

    It was soon arranged. Fern phoned and got her Aunt Edith, and her Aunt Edith hollered for Uncle Homer, and Uncle Homer came in from the barn and talked to Fern. When he heard that the price was only six dollers, he said he would buy the pig. Next day Wilbur was taken from his home under the apple tree and went to live in a manure pile in the cellar of Zuckerman's barn.

本部分原文节选共266个单词。

Questions:

Why Mr. Arable decided to sell Wilbur?

Wilbur was growing bigger and bigger and he needed more food. Mr. Arable didn't believe the runt would grew into a good one, so he would not want to waste scraps any longer.

What suggestion did Mrs. Arable give to Fern? Why?

Mrs. Arable suggested that  Fern sell Wilbur to her uncle who lived not very far away so that she could  still see the pig  if she wanted.

Mrs. Arable gave such suggestion because she did not want to make Fern sad by selling the pig.

Why Mr.Zuckerman agreed to buy the pig?

Mr. Arable knew Wilbur was a runt, so the price he gave is quite low.

在阅读过程中可以试着自己问自己问题，这是培养主动阅读的有效方法。可以让自己更专注，更不容易走神。比如可以用What, Why, How 这样的词开头来提问。

By the way, 据说专注力是本世纪最重要的技能之一，非常值得训练。人的大脑本来就有爱走神的特性，再加上外部环境，特别是手机app的迎合，使得专注力越来越稀缺了。

原文中的动词：

1. break down: if someone breaks down, they lose control of themselves and start crying 失控痛苦

朗文例句：She broke down in tears when she heard the news.

2. provide for:  to give someone the things they need to live, such as money, food etc

供养，供给

3. holler for: to shout loudly 大声叫喊

近义词：yell

原文中的名词：

1. manure pile: 粪肥堆

2. scraps of food 剩饭菜

scraps：pieces of food that are left after you have finished eating.

朗文例句：My mother fed the dog on scraps to save money.

scrap的复数形式scraps本身就有剩饭菜的意思.

What can we do with scraps of food in our daily life?

类似的表达有：table scraps

                        kitchen scraps

及时复习：

Fern （ b        ） and wept. But her father was firm about it. Wilbur's appetite had increased, he was beginning to eat （s        ） of food in addition to milk. Mr. Arable was not willing to （  p      ） for him any longer. He had already sold Wilbur's ten brothers and sisters.