共情——阅读的力量

安徽 张 岚

It seems that there is never a more important time or a greater need to develop our empathy—the ability not only to feel but also understand different points of view, the need to recognise social injustice, and most importantly the drive to effect change. Reading plays a vital role in reaching this goal.

Reading makes a kind person. When I was at primary school, one of my favourite stories was Oscar Wilde's The Nightingale and the Rose. My most frequent request is for the story with the nightingale. A young student wants a red rose to show his love. But there is no red rose in his garden. A nightingale determines to find a red rose for him, but when it becomes clear that there is no red rose to be found, she pays the ultimate sacrifice by dyeing a white rose bush red with her blood. When the student presents it to the girl, she tosses it to one side with disdain （轻蔑）. I wept and wept for that nightingale.Yet still I kept requesting the story. And even now I vividly recall the hurt. “I will never treat anyone like that! ” I cried to my dad.

Reading promotes positive values. Written by top children's authors including Jamila Gavin, Jo Cotterill, Jim Eldridge, Kaye Umansky and John Dougherty, TreeTops Reflect is a collection of stories written with heart. The series features emotionally compelling stories that connect us to significant issues in our lives and therefore promote positive values such as kindness, care, respect and intergenerational understanding.

Reading makes us reflect upon our growing pains. Some of the stories deal with everyday issues. In Geeks Can't Dance by Jo Cotterill and Stage Fright by Jane Lawes, the main characters learn about the struggle to maintain friendships as children transition from the upper primary years to secondary school, a time of change and transformation where many children switch friendship groups and some friends get left behind. It's a difficult time when emotions are fragile.

Lessons learnt from reading are powerful and lasting. Reading is the ideal vehicle to nurture empathy because it invites readers to step into the shoes of the characters in the stories to see and feel the world from an alternative perspective.

Activity A Reading for understanding

Ⅰ. Text-centered chunks

determine to do 决定做……

present sth to sb 把某物呈献给某人

a collection of ……的作品集

connect...to 把……与……联结起来

deal with 论述；处理；与……打交道

transition from...to 从……到……的过渡

leave...behind 把……抛在后面；使落下

learn from 向……学习

invite sb to do 邀请某人做……

from an alternative perspective 从另一个角度来看

Ⅱ. Text-centered sentences

一、it充当形式主语

It seems that there is never a more important time or a greater need to develop our empathy—the ability not only to feel but also understand different points of view, the need to recognise social injustice, and most importantly the drive to effect change. 似乎没有比现在更重要的时刻或更大的需要来发展我们的同理心——不仅要有感受的能力，还要有理解不同观点的能力，要能认识社会不公，最重要的是要有推动变革的动力。

【点石成金】It seems that...意为“似乎……”，it充当形式主语，真正的主语是that引导的从句。 句中使用了not only...but also...的句式，意为“不但……而且……”。

【运用迁移】因为有那么多美好的回忆，所以我的高中时光对我来说似乎总是最好的时光。

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二、where引导定语从句

In Geeks Can't Dance by Jo Cotterill and Stage Fright by Jane Lawes, the main characters learn about the struggle to maintain friendships as children transition from the upper primary years to secondary school, a time of transformation where many children switch friendship groups and some friends get left behind. 在乔·科特里尔的《极客不能

跳舞》和简·劳斯的《怯场》中，主要人物了解到孩子们从小学高年级过渡到中学时，为了维持友谊所做的努力，这是一个转变的时期，许多孩子改变了友谊团体，一些朋友被抛在了后面。

【点石成金】本句中，where引导的是一个定语从句，先行词为表示模糊化地点的名词transformation，类似的名词还有situation、scene、stage等。 to maintain friendships为动词不定式作后置定语，修饰名词the struggle；as引导的是一个时间状语从句。

【运用迁移】目前，我们面临着必须做出决定的困境。

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Activity B Reading for writing

请根据以下提示，并结合具体事例，用英语写一篇短文。

Reading promotes positive values. Reading is the noblest gift for everyone.

注意：

1. 词数80左右；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

3. 至少需要使用两个本文中解析过的句式。

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写作导引

本次写作属于半开放性作文的写作。 从写作内容上来看， 题目并未给出写作要点，只要求学生根据提示写一篇80词左右的短文。写作前，我们通过定位提示句中的关键词reading、promotes positive values、the noblest gift可知， 本次写作的主题应为阅读对形成个人优良品行的积极影响。因此，我们可以从文章中寻找相关的信息和语言素材。

一、语篇解码

（一）主题归纳

What is the text mainly about?

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（二）结构梳理与内容分析

Fill in the blanks with a word or a phrase according to the text.

二、素材积累

develop one's empathy 培养某人的同理心

understand different points of view 理解不同的观点

the drive to do 做……的动力

pay the ultimate sacrifice 付出最后的牺牲

promote positive values 促成积极的价值观

reflect upon 考虑

nurture empathy 培养同理心

intergenerational understanding 代际理解

switch friendship groups 改变友谊团体

三、写作支架

本次的写作任务是写一篇议论文。 文章的整体框架为“引论（提出观点）—本论（分析问题）—结论（总结全文，重申论点）”。 文章的基本框架如下：

主题句（点题，阐明文章论点）—过渡句（概述阅读带给自己的积极影响）—细节句一（简述阅读带给自己的积极影响表现一）—细节句二（简述阅读带给自己的积极影响表现二）—拓展句（概述阅读带给自己的其他积极影响）—结论句（重申论点，阐明自己对阅读的态度）。

四、语篇过手

1. 分析提示句，确定写作主题。

2. 快览原文，从原文中寻找论据和论点。

3. 细心审题，确定文章的体裁（议论文）、人称（第一人称）、时态（以现在时为主）、语言风格（简明、准确、平实）。