Distant Education College, Jilin University
Don’t Wait to Give Daddy a
Hug
1. Text Analysis
2. Exercises
3. Questions
For Discussion
Distant Education College, Jilin University
Exercises
1. True/False Questions
2. Multiple-choice Questions
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
True/False Questions
1. The little girl couldn’t get to sleep because she was worried
that she would die the next day.
2. The little girl didn’t like to lie in her bed and go to sleep
because her bed was uncomfortable.
3. The girl was too young to realize that her father was seriously
ill.
4. The little girl didn’t like the hospital because she was
forbidden to hug her father there.
Answer
Distant Education College, Jilin University
True/False Questions
1. The little girl couldn’t get to sleep because she was worried
that she would die the next day. F
2. The little girl didn’t like to lie in her bed and go to sleep
because her bed was uncomfortable.
3. The girl was too young to realize that her father was seriously
ill.
4. The little girl didn’t like the hospital because she was
forbidden to hug her father there.
Answer
Distant Education College, Jilin University
True/False Questions
1. The little girl couldn’t get to sleep because she was worried
that she would die the next day. F
2. The little girl didn’t like to lie in her bed and go to sleep
because her bed was uncomfortable. F
3. The girl was too young to realize that her father was seriously
ill.
4. The little girl didn’t like the hospital because she was
forbidden to hug her father there.
Answer
Distant Education College, Jilin University
True/False Questions
1. The little girl couldn’t get to sleep because she was worried
that she would die the next day. F
2. The little girl didn’t like to lie in her bed and go to sleep
because her bed was uncomfortable. F
3. The girl was too young to realize that her father was seriously
ill. T
4. The little girl didn’t like the hospital because she was
forbidden to hug her father there.
Answer
Distant Education College, Jilin University
True/False Questions
1. The little girl couldn’t get to sleep because she was worried
that she would die the next day. F
2. The little girl didn’t like to lie in her bed and go to sleep
because her bed was uncomfortable. F
3. The girl was too young to realize that her father was seriously
ill. T
4. The little girl didn’t like the hospital because she was
forbidden to hug her father there. F
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
True/False Questions
5. The little girl became angry because a telephone call at
midnight startled her.
6. The little girl was not prepared to believe that her father had
died.
7. The child exaggerated her illness and thought she would die
the next day.
8. The little girl felt excited when she went to the hospital to visit
her father. She couldn’t wait to give him a hug.
Answer
Distant Education College, Jilin University
True/False Questions
5. The little girl became angry because a telephone call at
midnight startled her. T
6. The little girl was not prepared to believe that her father had
died.
7. The child exaggerated her illness and thought she would die
the next day.
8. The little girl felt excited when she went to the hospital to visit
her father. She couldn’t wait to give him a hug.
Answer
Distant Education College, Jilin University
True/False Questions
5. The little girl became angry because a telephone call at
midnight startled her. T
6. The little girl was not prepared to believe that her father had
died. T
7. The child exaggerated her illness and thought she would die
the next day.
8. The little girl felt excited when she went to the hospital to visit
her father. She couldn’t wait to give him a hug.
Answer
Distant Education College, Jilin University
True/False Questions
5. The little girl became angry because a telephone call at
midnight startled her. T
6. The little girl was not prepared to believe that her father had
died. T
7. The child exaggerated her illness and thought she would die
the next day. T
8. The little girl felt excited when she went to the hospital to visit
her father. She couldn’t wait to give him a hug.
Answer
Distant Education College, Jilin University
True/False Questions
5. The little girl became angry because a telephone call at
midnight startled her. T
6. The little girl was not prepared to believe that her father had
died. T
7. The child exaggerated her illness and thought she would die
the next day. T
8. The little girl felt excited when she went to the hospital to visit
her father. She couldn’t wait to give him a hug. F
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
True/False Questions
9. The girl gave her father a hug despite her mother’s strong
opposition, because she knew her father was dying.
10. Mother blamed the girl when she found she was not sleeping.
11. When the little girl heard the news of her father’s death, she
wouldn’t believe it.
Answer
Distant Education College, Jilin University
True/False Questions
9. The girl gave her father a hug despite her mother’s strong
opposition, because she knew her father was dying. F
10. Mother blamed the girl when she found she was not sleeping.
11. When the little girl heard the news of her father’s death, she
wouldn’t believe it.
Answer
Distant Education College, Jilin University
True/False Questions
9. The girl gave her father a hug despite her mother’s strong
opposition, because she knew her father was dying. F
10. Mother blamed the girl when she found she was not sleeping.
F
11. When the little girl heard the news of her father’s death, she
wouldn’t believe it.
Answer
Distant Education College, Jilin University
True/False Questions
9. The girl gave her father a hug despite her mother’s strong
opposition, because she knew her father was dying. F
10. Mother blamed the girl when she found she was not sleeping.
F
11. When the little girl heard the news of her father’s death, she
wouldn’t believe it. T
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
Multiple-choice Questions
1. At the beginning of the story the child was lying on the sofa
because _______.
A) she was too ill to be in her bedroom
B) she wanted a high bed like the one her father had in the
hospital
C) Mama agreed to have the child close to her own bedroom
D) it was a soft, warm night and the child felt more comfortable
on the sofa
Answer
Distant Education College, Jilin University
Multiple-choice Questions
1. At the beginning of the story the child was lying on the sofa
because _______. C
A) she was too ill to be in her bedroom
B) she wanted a high bed like the one her father had in the
hospital
C) Mama agreed to have the child close to her own bedroom
D) it was a soft, warm night and the child felt more comfortable
on the sofa
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
Multiple-choice Questions
2. The child thought her father could not like the hospital better
than home because _______.
A) he had to sleep on a high bed
B) he was not free to do whatever he wanted to
C) he had to shave every day
D) it was too huge a place
Answer
Distant Education College, Jilin University
Multiple-choice Questions
2. The child thought her father could not like the hospital better
than home because _______. B
A) he had to sleep on a high bed
B) he was not free to do whatever he wanted to
C) he had to shave every day
D) it was too huge a place
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Multiple-choice Questions
3. Her mother would not let her hug her father because
________.
A) she was not allowed to do that in the hospital
B) she might upset her father
C) her brother and sister didn’t do it
D) her roughness might hurt her father
Answer
Distant Education College, Jilin University
Multiple-choice Questions
3. Her mother would not let her hug her father because
________. D
A) she was not allowed to do that in the hospital
B) she might upset her father
C) her brother and sister didn’t do it
D) her roughness might hurt her father
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
Multiple-choice Questions
4. When Mama answered the telephone she told the child to go
to her own room because _________.
A) Mama did not want to be disturbed
B) Mama did not want the child to hear the conversation and
become upset
C) the child was ill and needed to sleep
D) Mama was angry that the child was still awake on the sofa
Answer
Distant Education College, Jilin University
Multiple-choice Questions
4. When Mama answered the telephone she told the child to go
to her own room because _________. B
A) Mama did not want to be disturbed
B) Mama did not want the child to hear the conversation and
become upset
C) the child was ill and needed to sleep
D) Mama was angry that the child was still awake on the sofa
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
Multiple-choice Questions
5. The child’s immediate reaction to the news of her father’s
death was that of ________.
A) anger
B) despair
C) disbelief
D) confusion
Answer
Distant Education College, Jilin University
Multiple-choice Questions
5. The child’s immediate reaction to the news of her father’s
death was that of ________. C
A) anger
B) despair
C) disbelief
D) confusion
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
Multiple-choice Questions
6. After reading the story, we understand better the title which
suggests that if you really love your father, __________.
A) you must let him know
B) you should hug him all the time
C) you must take care of him more carefully
D) you shouldn’t be rough with or hurt your father
Answer
Distant Education College, Jilin University
Multiple-choice Questions
6. After reading the story, we understand better the title which
suggests that if you really love your father, __________. A
A) you must let him know
B) you should hug him all the time
C) you must take care of him more carefully
D) you shouldn’t be rough with or hurt your father
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
Questions for Discussion
1. What’s the meaning of the title? What are the effects of the
author’s choosing a first person narrator who is a child?
2. How old do you think the author was when her father died?
Give reasons for your answer based on evidence from the text.
3. Have you ever had anything you bitterly regretted? What was
it?
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
Text Analysis
Don’t Wait to Give Daddy a Hug
A little girl regretted later in life for having lost the chance to
give her daddy one last hug. She really wanted to give her daddy a
hug. What prevented her from doing so?
The night was soft and warm as I lay gazing at the ceiling. 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. Tomorrow I would probably
be dead. Mama said it would go away, but she could be wrong,
couldn’t she?
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
Text Analysis
The hard blue lumps of the tattered sofa beneath my body
were a great comfort 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.
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
Text Analysis
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.
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
Text Analysis
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.
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
Text Analysis
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.
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
Text Analysis
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.
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
Text Analysis
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 come home; if he were at
home he could do anything he wanted to — no one would make
him shave. In any case, we were going then and I didn’t have
time to ask him about it. I was glad to leave that building. The
people in there were sick ... except, of course, my Daddy. He was
not sick at all.
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
Text Analysis
As I settled comfortably into the depths of the sofa, I noticed a
dust web in the corner of the low ceiling and it took my mind off
the hospital for a moment. And as my thoughts returned to the
long halls and treasure-filled rooms I was startled by the shrill
sound of the telephone. That made me angry — now Mama
would get up and find that I wasn’t sleeping yet. Why did
somebody have to call then anyway?
Just as I had suspected, the light went on in the bedroom. Mama
came into the shadows of the living room, bringing with her the
rays of yellow light. My eyes, now accustomed to the darkness,
turned instinctively away from the light. Besides, I had to
pretend I was sleeping, and it was easier if I turned my face in
the opposite direction from my mother.
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
Text Analysis
Mama spoke for only a few minutes, asking questions like
when? and how? She shook me then and told me to go into my
own room. I knew it — the telephone call would ruin everything.
Then she woke my oldest sister. In a few seconds the whole house
was buzzing with some sort of news. “At eleven o’clock.” “... it
had to happen sometime ... we were expecting it ...” “... too
young to be dead.” I heard these phrases, but I couldn’t put
together their meaning.
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
Text Analysis
Mama came then and told me he was dead. My Daddy was
dead. No! No! No! It wasn’t true. He couldn’t be dead. He was
alive — he had kissed me only that afternoon. People didn’t die
just like that! It wasn’t like stepping on a fly ... people took years
to die ... they only died when they were old ... very old with gray
hair and wrinkles and stooped-bodies. Young people don’t die.
Not people I knew ... not anyone I loved. Not my father! He was
mine and no one could take my father away from me. He would
live forever.
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
Text Analysis
I hated that person who called. It wasn’t true and that was a
horrible thing to say. It wasn’t funny. It scared me. Mama
believed it, though. She shouldn’t. If she’d only listen to me I’d
tell her the truth ... IT ISN’T TRUE ... IT ISN’T!!
Just wait — next time Daddy came home I’d tell him about
the person who called. He’d laugh and say Mama shouldn’t have
taken it seriously. After all, that couldn’t happen. He wasn’t
even sick.
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
Text Analysis
And do you know what else would happen when Daddy came
home the next time? I would jump on his lap and hug him until
he couldn’t even breathe! And he wouldn’t mind — because
that’s what daddies were for.
Abridged from Creative Young America in Prose and Poetry,
ed., Dean Curry, Washington, D. C., 1981.
Approximately 1,200 words.
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Words to Know
hug [hQ^] n. 紧紧拥抱
=embrace
e.g. He hugged his daughter.
他紧紧拥抱他的女儿。
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Words to Know
occasional [E5keIVEnl] adj. 偶尔的，偶然的
=occurring from time to time
e.g. He is only an occasional workman.
他只不过是个临时雇工。
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Words to Know
congested [kEn5dVestId] adj. 用粘液堵塞的
=choked
e.g. She had some difficulty in passing those streets congested
with traffic.
她困难地通过那些交通拥挤的街道。
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Words to Know
exaggerate [I^5zAdVEreIt] vt. 夸大，把…言过其实
= overstate
e.g. People will not believe a person who always exaggerates.
人们不会相信老是夸张的人。
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Words to Know
choke [tFEJk] vi. 窒息
=to have difficulty in breathing, swallowing, or speaking
e.g. The old man choked with anger.
那个老人气得说不出话来。
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Words to Know
imperative [Im5perEtIv] adj. 极重要的，必要的
= peremptory
e.g. It is imperative that every one of us remould his world
outlook.
我们每个人都必须改造自己的世界观。
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Words to Know
confident [5kRnfIdEnt] adj. 确信的，有信心的
=marked by assurance, as of success
e.g. Peter is confident of winning the post as the assistant to the
managing director.
彼得确信他能获得总经理助理的职位。
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Words to Know
giant [5dVaIEnt] adj. 巨大的
=marked by exceptionally great size, magnitude, or power
e.g. All children like giant pandas.
孩子们都喜欢大熊猫。
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Words to Know
wrestle [5resl] vi. （与…）角力，摔跤
=to contend or struggle
e.g. You should have the mental preparation of wrestling with a
task.
你要有苦干一项工作的思想准备。
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Words to Know
prayer [prZE] n. 祷告，祈祷
=act of praying to God
e.g. He knelt down in prayer.
他跪下祷告。
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Words to Know
stubble [5stQbl] n. 须茬，发茬
= short bristly hairs on a man's unshaven face
e.g. He had three days' stubble on his unshaven face.
他因三天未刮脸而留下满脸胡子茬。
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Words to Know
tickle [5tIkl] vt. 使觉得痒
=to touch (the body) lightly so as to cause laughter or twitching
movements
e.g. I tickled the baby's feet and made her laugh.
我胳肢孩子的脚, 使她发笑。
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Words to Know
web [web] n. （蜘蛛的）网
=something made of threads by a spider or other spinning
creature
e.g. A fly was caught in a spider’s web.
一只苍蝇被蜘蛛网捉住了。
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Words to Know
startle [5stB:tl] v. 惊吓，使…大吃一惊
=to alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly
e.g. You startled me when you shouted.
你叫喊的时候，吓了我一跳。
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Words to Know
shrill [FrIl] adj. 刺耳的
=high-pitched and piercing in tone or sound
e.g. She was shocked by a shrill whistle.
她被一声尖锐的汽笛声吓了一跳。
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Words to Know
instinctively [5instiNktlI] adv. 本能地
= spontaneously
e.g. She has a fear of snakes instinctively.
她本能地怕蛇。
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Useful Phrases and Expressions
accustomed [E5kQstEmd] adj. 习惯的
= customary
e.g. She spoke with her accustomed modesty.
她以她惯有的谦虚态度讲话。
(be) accustomed to 习惯于
e.g. I'm not accustomed to getting up so early to do morning
exercise.
我不习惯这么早起床进行晨练。
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Words to Know
ruin [5ru:In] vt. 毁坏
=to destroy completely; demolish
e.g. She poured water all over my painting, and ruined it.
她把水全倒在了我的画上，把画毁了。
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Words to Know
buzz [bQz] vi. 嘁嘁喳喳，嗡嗡响
= to make a low droning or vibrating sound like that of a bee
e.g. The crowd buzzed with excitement.
群众很兴奋，嘁嘁喳喳交头接耳。
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Words to Know
stoop [stu:p] vi. 弯腰，驼背
=bend the body forward and downward
e.g. He stooped to look under the table.
他弯腰往桌下看。
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Useful Phrases and Expressions
except for 除了…外
e.g. We all went except John.
除了约翰外, 我们都去了。
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Useful Phrases and Expressions
be likely to (do) 可能会…
e.g. The train is likely to be late.
这趟火车很可能晚点。
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Useful Phrases and Expressions
after all 再说，毕竟
e.g. It has turned out to be a nice day after all.
天气终于转晴了。
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Useful Phrases and Expressions
tuck … in 给…掖好，塞紧被子
e.g. Come to tuck me in, please.
请给我把被子掖好。
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Useful Phrases and Expressions
long since 很久以前
e.g. It was long since we had been there.
我们在那里已是很久以前的事了。
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Useful Phrases and Expressions
be lost in (a place) 失踪
e.g. The little boy went for a walk and got lost in the forest.
小男孩去散步在森林里走迷了路。
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Difficult Sentences
The night was soft and warm as I lay gazing at the ceiling.
当晚温暖宜人，我躺在那里凝视着天花板。
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Difficult Sentences
The hard blue lumps of the tattered sofa beneath my body were a
great comfort to me.
躺在露出了硬邦邦的蓝色衬垫的沙发里舒服极了。
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Difficult Sentences
Daddy was in a high bed that was folded in half some way.
爸爸躺在一张床上，床的一头不知怎的抬得很高。
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Difficult Sentences
Usually his cheeks were covered with a fine stubble which always
tickled me like the first grass of spring tickled my toes.
往日里爸爸的面颊上满是细小的短髭，总是刺得我发痒，好像
刚长出的春草刺着我的脚尖一样。
a fine stubble:
a short, stiff growth of beard
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Difficult Sentences
The absence of the red growth had changed him somehow — he
wasn’t the same anymore.
脸上少了胡子，不知怎么的爸爸变成了另一个人，再也不像以
前的模样了。
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Difficult Sentences
Mama came into the shadows of the living room, bringing with
her the rays of yellow light.
妈妈走进昏暗的起居室，背后黄色的灯光射进了屋里。
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Difficult Sentences
In a few seconds the whole house was buzzing with some sort of
news.
顿时一屋子人叽叽喳喳的，像在谈什么意外消息。
was buzzing with some sort of news:
was filled with talk about certain news
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Frances Fleckner Schletty writes of the article:
“I wrote the story of my father’s death to fulfil a desire I had had
since childhood.”
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Useful Phrases and Expressions
Valentine’s Day:
February 14 is a day on which a card of gift is sent to one’s
valentine (one’s sweetheart or beloved).
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Difficult Sentences
It wasn’t like stepping on a fly:
It was not as easy as killing a fly.
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Difficult Sentences
Mama shouldn’t have taken it seriously:
Mama shouldn’t have believed it.
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Difficult Sentences
It was imperative that I be as close as possible.
我尽量靠近些是绝对有必要的。
在It is/was + adjective + that的句型中，that从句中的should经常
省略。可用于该句型的形容词一般表示“必要性、重要性”，
如necessary, essential, vital, important, imperative, advisable,
better:
e.g. It is essential that he be prepared for this.
他对此作好思想准备是有必要的。
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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
屋子里静悄悄的，只是偶尔听到因为我的喉咙红肿而发出的咳
嗽声，我躺在沙发上，像其他孩子可能做的那样竭力表现出
病情严重的样子。
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
Difficult Sentences
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.
一切都是白色的。我记得看到各种各样的女人都打扮成一身白
头上还顶着一块白布，真是可笑。
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Distant Education College, Jilin University
Difficult Sentences
He couldn’t like it better than home because he didn’t even have
a television there.
他会感到在那里不如在家好，因为那里连电视都没有。
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