Mid

曾经有一些学生问我如何跟家人度过中秋节，也有一些学生主动跟我谈及他们自己的情况，因此我在第二封信中作出了一些回应。

　　TEACHER'S

　　Dear students，

　　I am really glad that most of you turned in your letters to me and some of you wrote down words from your hearts. I really appreciate that. Some wanted to know how I spent my Mid-Autumn Festival holiday. Well， like many other fathers， I took my kids （a daughter of about five and a son of about two） to a playground on Saturday night. I bought each of them a paper lantern. I put a lighted candle in my daughter's lantern but I didn't do so with my son's because I thought it would be dangerous. I agree that it was no fun at all carrying a lantern without any lighting but it was lucky that he didn't complain. Probably it was because he is only two——a two-year-old boy does not know anything. Perhaps I should have bought him an electrical one. How foolish I was！

　　Many of you told me that you were lazy； you were bad last year and this year you want to change. I am really glad to hear that and I believe that you can. “Change”is not easy but you can do it of you believe you can. I support you. Many years ago I taught a girl. Many other teachers told me that she was a triad member and it was difficult to change her. Somehow I felt she was not bad at all. Once she wrote me a diary entry in which she said she very much wanted to be a policewoman someday but she did not think she could. I told her right away that I believed she could. Guess what——now she has been doing the job of a policewoman for five years. I have just told you a 100% true story. Can you see my point in the story？——“change”is possible though not easy. Work harder， my friends， work harder！ You can do it.

　　Dennis

　　一些短语如：most of you、some of them、many of us及a few of these等都是英语的惯用语。

　　在现代英语中，this和that往往可以互相取代，不过that在口语中更为普遍。

　　这里的like是介词，意思是“好像”。like作动词时的意思是“喜欢”。

　　at night解作“晚上”；但“某天晚上”则要说：on Monday night或on Wednesday night.

　　这里的lighted解作“亮着的”，也可写成lit.

　　my son's相等于my son's lantern，但lantern在这里可以省略。

　　这里的at all用于否定句，例如：no fun at all （完全无趣）或not bad at all （一点也不坏）。

　　用should have bought…表示后悔的意思，即“本该买……”。

　　这并不是一句疑问句，而是慨叹自己是那么的愚蠢。

　　这句子共有四个动词，但语法并无错误，因为用了三个连词（conjunction）：即but、if及believe（that）you can. that是连词，此处省略。

　　somehow这个副词，用来形容一些知其然而不知其所以然的事情便不过。

　　someday =in the future.

　　在说一些令人惊讶的事情之前可以用Guess what.

　　用现在完成进行时（present perfect continuous tense）来表示某行动是始于过去，但现在仍然继续进行。

　　原来的句子应是though it is not easy，但写作though not easy更简洁有力。例如：It is dangerous though interesting.

　　LANGUAGE

　　Present vs. Past tense

　　学生们往往会在上作文课的时候，问老师应该用现在时（present tense），还是过去时（past tense）来写文章。事实上，在同一篇文章里，现在时和过去时极可能会同时出现，甚至在同一句子中，我们也可能看见两种不同的时态（tense）。让我们从本单元中挑出两个例句加以说明：

　　EXAMPLE

　　1.I agree that it was no fun at all carrying a lantern without any lighting.

　　2.Many of you told me that you were lazy； you were bad last year and this year you want to change.

　　因此当我们写文章时，要养成以下的习惯：每当使用一个动词时，先问问自己，究竟所写的是关于以前的，还是现在的事情、感受或思想。不过，当我们要谈一些始于过去，却又属于现在的事时，我们不能用简单的现在时或过去时，而是用现在完成进行时（present perfect continuous tense）。请看看本单元的例句：

　　EXAMPLE

　　Guess what——now she has been doing the job of a policewoman for five years.

　　另外，我们有时候希望表达自己后悔从前没有做某些事情，不过我们不能用简单的现在时或过去时，我们可以说：I should have done it.（我本该这样做）请再看看本单元的例句：

　　EXAMPLE

　　Perhaps I should have bought him an electrical one. How foolish I was！

　　不少学生在STSs中向我谈及他们如何度过中秋节，也有部分学生回应我给他们的鼓励，表示愿意尽力学习，也有一些学生主动提出改善学习环境的建议。以下是我挑选的四段STSs的内容，其中某些动词的时态（tense）是错的，请在错处下画上横线，并将正确时态的动词填写在右栏横线上。若该行没有错处，请用√表示。

　　Test Your Understanding

　　1.8th Sept 95 is the Mid-Autumn Festival. I felt very happy because my friend and I watch the moon together. The moon was very big and yellow. We talked and played candles. We went home after half an hour. I think we should stay longer.

　　2.I hope you could let us write to you once every week because it was not easy to write something. And I hope when you teach in class， you could speak slower， In the last few lessons， many students and I find it difficult to follow you.

　　3.I am very happy when I read your letter yesterday. You told us a lot about yourself. Let me tell you something about myself. I have many hobbies， like football， basketball and volleyball.…I spent a lot of time playing these. I was a lazy boy， so I failed in exams last year. I am a repeater. This year I would try my best.

　　4.The Mid-Autumn Festival holiday was great fun. Many people go somewhere to enjoy their holiday. But many people， like my family， stayed at home to have a good dinner. We watch TV at home together. I also feel that“change”is not easy. Last year I was very lazy. I have to change my lazy habits. I would try my best in my study.