第3章 Lesson 3: Grace Darling
It was a dark September morning. There was a storm at sea. A ship had been driven onto the low rocks off the shores of the Farne Islands. It had been broken in two by the waves, and half of it had been washed away. The other half still lay on the rock, and those of the crew who were still alive were clinging to it. However, waves were breaking over it, and soon it would also be carried to the bottom of the sea.
Could anyone save the poor, half-drowned men who were out there?
On one of the islands there was a lighthouse, and there all through the stormy night a young woman named Grace Darling had listened to the storm.
Grace was the daughter of a lighthouse keeper and she had lived beside the sea for her whole life.
In the darkness of the night, above the noise of the wind and waves, she heard screams and wild cries. When daylight came, she could see the wreck out in the wild ocean with the angry waters around it. She could also see the men clinging to the masts.
"We must try to save them!" she said. "Let us go out in the boat at once!"
Grace's father said that it was no use because the waves were too strong.
However, Grace said, "We can't just stay here and watch them die." Her father knew she was right.
In a few minutes they were ready and they set off in the heavy lighthouse boat. Grace pulled one oar and her father pulled the other. It was very hard rowing against such a sea and it seemed like they would never reach the wreck.
At last they were close to the rock and in great danger. The fierce waves broke against the boat, and it would have been dashed to pieces if not for the bravery and strength of the girl.
One by one, they helped the cold, tired sailors onto the boat. The boat nearly broke on the sharp edges of the rock.
Strong hands grasped the oars, and soon they were all safe in the lighthouse. There Grace proved to be a very good nurse. She cared very kindly for the shipwrecked men until the storm died away and they were strong enough to go to their own homes.
This happened a long time ago, but the name Grace Darling will not be forgotten. She lies buried now in a little churchyard by the sea, not far from her old home. Every year many people go there to see the grave of the brave girl who saved so many men.
I. Word List
crew: sailors from a boat
drowned: dead in the water
clinging: holding on tightly
wreck: broken boat
buried: under the ground
dashed to pieces: broken by great strength
II. Word groups—Fill in the correct words from the story.
1. July, August, S _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2. windy, rainy, s _ _ _ _ _
3. ship, vessel, b _ _ _
4. noisy, crazy, w _ _ _
5. doctor, lifeguard, n _ _ _ _
III. Answer the following questions.
1. What brave thing did Grace Darling do?
___________________________________________________________.
2. Where did Grace live?
___________________________________________________________.
3. Who did Grace live with?
___________________________________________________________.
4. Why do many people come to see the place where Grace is buried?
___________________________________________________________.
5. Grace was very brave. Who is a brave person you know?
___________________________________________________________.
IV. Opposites—Find words with opposite meanings in the story.
1. dead: a _ _ _ _
2. light: d _ _ _ _ _ _ _
3. happy: a _ _ _ _
4. dull: s _ _ _ _
5. a few: m _ _ _