Lesson 3 One Tent…What Next?

1、“Then, there was the time my brother and I nearly got blown away with the tent! Did I tell you about that one?” Sam shook his head and tried not to look impatient. His dad had been telling camping stories for almost an hour. How can I get him to stop without saying anything? thought Sam to himself. He really wanted to get out to the tent.

2、Finally, his dad stopped for a bite of dessert, and Sam asked to be excused. When his mom nodded her okay, it took only four trips to clear the table. Then, he was off and across the backyard.

3、“Caught you!” yelled Sam as he flipped back the tent flap. Kent jumped and turned red. “Ha! I knew it! In the crackers already.” Then, he laughed. “Have you been waiting long?”

4、Kent shook his head because his mouth was full. Finally, he said, “Not long. My dad got home late.”

5、Sam shrugged. “Oh, well. We’re here now. Let’s get ready.”

6、“Ready for what?” asked Kent.

7、“For whatever’s going to happen,” answered Sam. Well, he must know, thought Kent. He helped Sam straighten the sleeping bags and stash stuff in the corners.

They played catch across the tent for a little while. Ah, the baseball glove, thought Kent. They played badminton with crackers, but then Sam discovered crumbs in his sleeping bag, so they stopped.

8、They turned on the lantern and read. After a while, Sam retold some of his dad’s camping stories. Then, Kent turned out the light, and they listened for noises in the dark. They didn’t hear any for a very long time.

9、Finally, Kent heard something at the tent flap. He half crawled and half flew across the tent to warn Sam. Sam yelled when Kent landed on top of him.

10、“Hey, are you guys all right?” It was Sam’s mom. “Breakfast is ready.”

11、Sam and Kent looked at each other in disbelief. They had slept through the whole night, and nothing had happened.

(343 words)

Exercises

Ⅰ. How well did you read?

Ⅲ. Writing practice.

Do you have a pet? Write a short story about you and your pet.

1. [Check the details] What did Sam’s father tell him about before he went out?

A. Scary stories. B. Funny jokes. C. Camping stories.

2. [Check the details] The two boys did all the following things except ______.

A. making breakfast

B. straightening the sleeping bags C. listening for noises

3. [Give the reason] Why did they stop playing badminton with crackers?

A. Because they couldn’t see anything in the dark.

B. Because Ben discovered crumbs in his sleeping bag.

C. Because Kent heard something at the tent flap.

Ⅱ. Read for words.

Choose one best paraphrase or Chinese meaning for the underlined words or expressions.

1. Sam shook his head and tried not to look impatient. (Para. 1, line 2)

A. 不驕傲的 B. 不動情的 C. 不耐心的

2. When his mom nodded her okay, it took only four trips to clear the table. (Para. 2,line 2)

A. agreed by nodding her head

B. disagreed by shaking her head

C. said something like “OK”

3. He helped Sam straighten the sleeping bags and stash stuff in the corners. (Para. 7,line 2)

A. put away B. throw away C. take out

4. Sam and Kent looked at each other in disbelief. (Para. 11, line 1)

A. 興奮地 B. 不相信地 C. 不開心地

Ⅲ. Writing practice.

Do you have any experiences of camping outside? If not, think of some other unforgettable experiences. Write about it in 80 words.

1. When was it?

2. What did you do?

3. How did you feel about it?