無(wú)論我們的朋友平凡與否，都有可能在我們身處困境的時(shí)候提供巨大的幫助。螞蟻和鴿子的故事就體現(xiàn)了關(guān)于知恩圖報(bào)和互相幫助的道理。

An ant went to the river to get a drink. The water rushed along so fast that he was washed off the bank into the river.

“I shall drown！” he cried. “Help！ help！ help！” But his voice was so tiny that nobody can hear it.

A dove was sitting in a tree over the water. She saw the ant struggling， and quickly nipped off a leaf and let it fall into the water. The ant climbed upon the leaf and got saved.

The ant called out in his tiny voice， “Thank you， kind dove， you have saved my life.” But of course the dove could not hear him.

Several days later， the dove was again sitting in the tree. A hunter crept carefully up to the tree. He pointed his gun at the dove and was about to shoot. Then the ant bit his leg.

Words：

rush （水流）奔涌（過(guò)去式：rushed）

drown 淹死

tiny 微小的

struggle 掙扎，努力（-ing形式：struggling）

nip 夾，捏，掐（過(guò)去式：nipped）

creep 爬，躡手躡腳（過(guò)去式：crept）

He cried out with pain and dropped his gun. The dove heard the sound and flew away.

（中文大意請(qǐng)見(jiàn)P48）

1. nip off掐掉

例如：

Don’t nip off the beautiful flowers.不要掐掉美麗的鮮花。

2. save one’s life救了某人的命

我們?cè)賹W(xué)一個(gè)相關(guān)的詞組：lose one’s life丟掉某人的性命。例如：

He saved my life.他救了我的命。

Her son lost his life in a car accident.她的兒子在一場(chǎng)車禍中喪生了。