国家级精品课程申报

Text A Half a Day

Naguib Mahfous

1. Read aloud Paragraphs 14—16.
　　
2. Discuss the questions in Items Ⅱ and Ⅳ in Preclass Work.
　　
3. Ask each other questions about the text.
　　
4. Answer the following questions:

1) How did the boy feel the first day he went to school?

(1) Who took him to school?
(2) Did the boys father take it as an important day? How do you know?
(3) Did the boy feel happy about going to school? Why or why not?
(4) What did he think was the reason his parents wanted to make him go
    to school?
(5) What did his father say to give him courage? How did the boy feel
    when he arrived at the school gate with his father?
(6) What were his fathers parting words when the boy left him?

2) What happened the first day at school?

(1) Did he see many boys and girls in the school? Did he know any of
    them? Did anyone know him? How did he feel then? Was he the only boy
    who felt this way?
(2) How did he get to talk to the first boy? What did the boy say to him?
(3) Who came along when the bell rang? Was she alone? What did she mean
    when she said “There are mothers and fathers here, too”?
(4) What else did the lady say to them?

3) How did the boy like school life?

(1) Did the boy still have many misgivings? Did he find school life
    enjoyable and beneficial? Why or why not? What impressed him most
    about school life?
(2) What did he learn in school? Can you name some of the things he
    learned?
(3) What was food like at school?

4) Was school life just a matter of playing and fooling around?

(1) Why was the path not totally sweet? Why did the children have to be
    watchfuland patient?
(2) Did the boys and girls ever quarrel? What gave rise to fighting
    sometimes?
(3) Was the lady always so sweet? What would she do when the kids did
    something wrong?
(4) What did school mean to young people who were serious about their
    future?

5) What did he see on his way home?

(1) Did the boys father come to pick him up as he had promised?
(2) Why did the boy step aside at the school gate?
(3) What did he find when he looked around? Can you name a few things
    that he found missing in the neighborhood?
(4) What did he see instead?
(5) How did he like all the changes in the street? Why did he stand there
    for a long time?
(6) Who came up and called him “Grandpa”, and why?
(7) What did it mean?

5. Piece together all your answers to questions in Exercise 4 and try to retell the story in your own words.
　　
6. Discuss the following:

1) Do you agree that life begins from your first day at school?
Why or why not?

2) Can you recall your first days experience at primary school?