高一牛津英语课文

Home aloneAct oneMom and Dad arrive back from vacation a day earlier than expected. The curtains are closed and the living room is dark when Mom and Dad enter.Dad: It’s so nice to be home!Mom: Yes, I can’t wait to surprise the boys!Suddenly a door opens and a soccer ball flies through the room. Eric runs in after it, followed by a big dog, walking very slowly.Eric: Mom! Dad! You’re back early! (looking around room, sounding frightened) But, but--- you weren’t supposed to come home until tomorrow!The dog slowly walks to Mom and Dad.Mom: (Bending to touch dog) Eric, he’s so tired and hungry! (looking at table) The money for dog food is gone, but Spot looks like he is starving! What did you do with the cash we left?Dad: And look at this room— garbage all over the place! Where is your brother? (shouting angrily) Daniel!Daniel: (running into room) Mom, Dad, I can explain---Dad opens the curtains and light comes into the room. The room is in a mess, with pizza boxes on the floor and dirty dishes in the sink. In the corner, there is a garbage can around which are pieces of garbage and waste paper.Mom and Dad both turn towards Daniel. Dad: (sounding very angry) listen to me, young man----we left you in charge? We thought you could act like an adult! I don’t know the reason why the house is so dirty---Mom: Daniel, we thought you were an adult, a person from whom we could expect good decisions.Dad: How can we trust you any more? We won’t tolerate such behavior in our house!Daniel: ( shouting) Stop shou ting at me. I’m still a teenager! Why is everything always my fault? Daniel runs into his bedroom and slams the door. Mom and Dad look at each other as lights go out.Act two, scene oneDaniel and Eric’s bedroom. Eric sits on his bed. Daniel has his arms c rossed and looks upset. Daniel: They never even gave me a chance to explain. I hate them!Eric: You don’t hate them. I can tell them we had an emergency. Then they won’t be mad anymore.Daniel: No, don’t tell them anything. Anyhow they didn’t trust me. They don’t deserve an explanation. Let them think what they want.Eric: But Daniel, if they knew that Spot was sick and we used the money to take him to the clinic---Daniel: And that we spent all of yesterday waiting there for him and that is why we had no time to clean the house --- but no, Eric, why didn’t they ask me what happened instead of shouting at me?Act two, scene twoMom: Do you think we were too hard on Daniel? Perhaps there is a reason why the house is a mess…Dad: Maybe, but now that he has been so rude to us, I feel like we have to punish him or hewon’t respect us.Mom: Oh, why does this have to be so difficult?Mom sighEnd of act two.Growing painsMany teenagers feel lonely, as if no one understands them and the changes they are going through. Day by day, everything seems different, yet the same. Life never seems to be going fast enough; yet, in other ways, like a race car, life seems to be rushing too fast and even going out of control. Has anyone else ever felt this way?These feelings are a common part of adolescence—the time of life between child and adult. And, though it may some times be difficult to believe, you are not alone—every adult has gone through adolescence, and your friends are going through it right now along with you. It is common for teenagers to feel lonely and misunderstood. These feelings can be thought of as growing pains—the difficulties that teenagers face as they grow to adults.As teenagers grow, it is normal for them to become confused with the changing world both inside and outside of them. During adolescence, teenagers go through great physical changes. They grow taller and their voices get deeper, among many other developments.Along with these physical changes, there come many psychological changes. Boys and girls tend to be different in this regard. Many boys become risk-takers—they want to find their own limits and the limits of the world around them, but may not have the wisdom to make good choices in their behavior. At the same time, girls often want someone—anyone—to talk to, as they try to deal with their strong feelings.In the social world, as teenagers get older, they struggle to depend on themselves. They may badly want and need their parents’ love, yet feel distant; they may want to be part of the group, yet desire independence. Since teenagers have difficulty balancing these needs, they often question who they are and how they fit in society.The good news is that these kinds of growing pains do not last. In the end everything turns out OK—the teenager becomes a healthy adult, and this period of change and challenge is traded for the changes and challenges of grown-up life.。