时间：2023-05-30 10:07:50
开篇：写作不仅是一种记录，更是一种创造，它让我们能够捕捉那些稍纵即逝的灵感，将它们永久地定格在纸上。下面是小编精心整理的12篇英语故事，希望这些内容能成为您创作过程中的良师益友，陪伴您不断探索和进步。
"Who gave you permission to cut the wood in my forest?" growled the bear. "You have been stealing my timber and now you must pay for it with your life."
"Please forgive me, Senor Oso," said the poor woodcutter, "I was only cutting the wood to sell it and thus support my three little daughters. If you kill me, my little girls will starve."
The Bear remained thoughtful and then said,
"There is only one way in which you life may be saved. You have to give me one of your daughters in marriage."
The woodcutter didn"t know what to say or do. Finally the thought of dying and leaving his daughters destitute forced him to agree to the Bear"s proposal.
The woodcutter returned home and told his daughters what had happened.
"Father," said the two eldest girls, "we would rather die than marry that Bear."
Ninfa, the youngest, said. "Father, I will marry the Bear."
Next day Ninfa and her father went into the forest where the Bear was waiting for them. After seeing the beautiful maiden, he was satisfied.
Ninfa, however, said to the Bear, "Senor Oso, my mother always taught me that in all things I should always follow God"s law. If I must marry you, I want to be married according to the Catholic rites."
The Bear agreed, provided a priest could come to the forest. The woodcutter went in search of a priest and soon returned with one. Ninfa and the Bear were then married.
The Bear took Ninfa to his cave, and when it grew dark he chanted:
"Bear so hairy, Bear so alarming,
感恩节英语故事：关于感恩节的由来和历史
感恩节是美国国定假日中最地道、最美国式的节日，而且它和早期美国历史最为密切相关。
1620xx年，一些朝圣者(或称为清教徒)乘坐"五月花"号船去美国寻求宗教自由。他们在海上颠簸折腾了两个月之后，终于在酷寒的十一月里，在现在的马萨诸塞州的普里茅斯登陆。
在第一个冬天，半数以上的移民都死于饥饿和传染病，活下来的人们在第一个春季开始播种。整个夏天他们都热切地盼望着丰收的到来，他们深知自己的生存以及殖民地的存在与否都将取决于即将到来的收成。后来，庄稼获得了意外的丰收，所以大家决定要选一个日子来感谢上帝的恩典。多年以后，美国总统宣布每年十一月的第四个星期四为感恩节。感恩节庆祝活动便定在这一天，直到如今。
感恩节庆祝模式许多年来从未改变。丰盛的家宴早在几个月之前就开始着手准备。人们在餐桌上可以吃到苹果、桔子、栗子、胡桃和葡萄，还有葡萄干布丁、碎肉馅饼、各种其它食物以及红莓苔汁和鲜果汁，其中最妙和最吸引人的大菜是烤火鸡和番瓜馅饼，这些菜一直是感恩节中最富于传统意义和最受人喜爱的食品。
人人都赞成感恩节大餐必需以烤火鸡为主菜。火鸡在烘烤时要以面包作填料以吸收从中流出来的美味汁液，但烹饪技艺常因家庭和地区的不同而各异，应用什幺填料也就很难求得一致。
今天的感恩节是一个不折不扣的国定假日。在这一天，具有各种信仰和各种背景的美国人，共同为他们一年来所受到的上苍的恩典表示感谢，虔诚地祈求上帝继续赐福。
Thanksgiving Day is the most truly American of the national Holidays in the United States and is most closely connected with the earliest history of the country.
In 1620, the settlers, or Pilgrims, they sailed to America on the May flower, seeking a place where they could have freedom of worship. After a tempestuous two-month voyage they landed at in icy November, what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts.
During their first winter, over half of the settlers died of starvation or epidemics. Those who survived began sowing in the first spring.
All summer long they waited for the harvests with great anxiety, knowing that their lives and the future existence of the colony depended on the coming harvest. Finally the fields produced a yield rich beyond expectations. And therefore it was decided that a day of thanksgiving to the Lord be fixed. Years later, President of the United States proclaimed the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day every year. The celebration of Thanksgiving Day has been observed on that date until today.
The pattern of the Thanksgiving celebration has never changed through the years. The big family dinner is planned months ahead. On the dinner table, people will find apples, oranges, chestnuts, walnuts and grapes. There will be plum pudding, mince pie, other varieties of food and cranberry juice and squash. The best and most attractive among them are roast turkey and pumpkin pie. They have been the most traditional and favorite food on Thanksgiving Day throughout the years.
Everyone agrees the dinner must be built around roast turkey stuffed with a bread dressing to absorb the tasty juices as it roasts. But as cooking varies with families and with the regions where one lives, it is not easy to get a consensus on the precise kind of stuffing for the royal bird.
Thanksgiving today is, in every sense, a national annual holiday on which Americans of all faiths and backgrounds join in to express their thanks for the year' s bounty and reverently ask for continued blessings.
教学实践中，不少小学英语课堂教学目标不明确，单词、句型、课文的教学“各自为政”，相对零散，课堂气氛沉闷，学生学得索然无味。如何让小学英语课主线分明，又能激发学生学习英语的兴趣，真正促进课堂高效呢？笔者以为，“故事”是孩子们喜闻乐见的一种元素，教师将要学的单词、句型及所涉及的时态语法都放到一个故事情境中呈现。以《牛津小学英语》4B Unit 7 At a snack bar A板块一课的教学为例，探讨以“故事”来整合教学内容，提高教学质量的实效性。
一、故事探路，激发思维
1. 麦兜引路，妙趣横生
老师通过展示自己的name card，介绍my English name，my favourite drink and food，以及my favourite cartoon star，引出贯穿全课的主情景人物“麦兜”：Mc Dull is very lovely, but he isn’t happy today,because he is hungry.然后学麦兜的声音: I’m hungry.老师随即和其对话What would you like? 将其带入a snack bar，接着引出课题“At a snack bar”。
正所谓“亲其师，信其道”。这个环节通过展示教师自己的name card，拉近教师与学生的距离，介绍的爱好都是与本课所涉及的食物和饮料有关。通过最后一项My favourite cartoon star引出本课贯穿始终的主人公可爱的麦兜。卡通形象的出现，不仅仅是有趣，更重要的是成为故事的引子，最终为教学服务。接着通过教师与麦兜的对话，知道麦兜非常的饿，由此引出课题。这样的导入既趣味横生，又顺理成章。
2. 以旧带新，融会贯通
进入小吃部以后，遇见一个waitress在门口问What would you like? 然后请学生说说有哪些吃的和喝的，复习饮料类和食物类单词，并教“Something to drink/eat?”，接着同桌一人扮演麦兜，一人扮演营业员操练新句型，期间教新单词noodles。麦兜点完餐后又碰见好朋友麦唛肚子也很饿，就引出新句型“How about you?”。
孔子曰：“温故而知新”。由于本课的新授句型较多，学生掌握较为吃力。所以在本环节中，笔者设计进入小吃店为麦兜点餐，到回忆以前所学的食物及饮料类等旧单词，以旧带新，借机学习了新句型“Something to drink/eat?”接着又遇到麦兜的好朋友麦唛，再引出新句型“How about you?”这样为新课文的学习扫清了一部分障碍，让学生在“麦兜点餐”的故事中快乐地学习。
实践证明：以适合学生年龄特点的故事教学探路，能让学生身临其境地通过活跃的思维和丰富的想象，充分激发学生的求知欲。
二、故事导航，循序渐进
教育学原理告诉我们：知识的积累是一个循序渐进的过程。对于学生来说：英语语言知识的掌握更是如此。
仍以上述课文为例：麦兜在snack bar 里遇见了Su Hai，Su Yang和她们的爸爸，随即提出以下问题，然后观看动画。
1)What would Su Yang and Su Hai like? Anything else?
2)What would their father like? Anything else?
3)How much are they?
在回答问题的过程中教Anything else?和How much is it/ are they?并操练。
在课文学习环节中，通过设计麦兜与Su Hai、Su Yang在小吃店偶遇，从而导入课文，把卡通人与课文主人公巧妙地结合在一个故事中，自然又真实。接着在观看课文动画前导出问题，让学生带着问题去听，在回答提出的问题时又适时解决了课文的几个难点。这样循序渐进，孩子们在不知不觉中就学会了新句型。
三、故事模拟，巩固提高
教学实践还告诉我们：无论是知识的新授还是巩固，都必须从学生的认知能力出发，通过反复操练得以掌握与巩固。在本课中，通过chant把新授内容都放在里面巩固练习，琅琅上口。教师要求学生分组运用新授的句型和词组，模拟故事情景，进行表演操练，让学生在真情实景中掌握新知，并知道了作为Waiter或Waitress在快餐店应该说……，作为Customer(顾客)在快餐店可能会说……，给学生展示自我风采搭建了一个很好的平台。在group work中学生们的默契配合也锻炼了他们团结协作的能力。
四、故事拓展，精彩再现
英语是一门实践性很强的学科，教师应以故事为载体，进行点拨引路，学生乐于参与,并想方设法让学生进行联想，以期达到举一反三、触类旁通的效果。仍以上述故事为例：麦兜看到Su Hai和Su Yang买了这么多好吃的东西，他也垂涎欲滴了。假如你是waiter或waitress，请用今天所学的句型帮助麦兜和麦唛点餐。同时给出菜单及价目表和相关句型，随后利用自制的食物图片和麦兜头套让学生真实演练。Mc Dull and Mc Mug have bought much food and drinks, they are going home now. Let’s say goodbye to them.（ 麦兜和麦唛已经买了很多吃的喝的，他们要回家了，我们和他们说再见吧！）结束全课。麦兜和麦唛在吃饱喝足后回到家，也让学生能够在学完整课后对这一有始有终的有趣故事津津乐道，回味不已。
儿童英语故事演讲稿范文：
在寒冷的冬天里,一只青蛙发现一个装有沸水的杯子很暖和、马上跳了进去,但用更快的速度跳了出来,他很是为自己的机敏感到骄傲。不久,青蛙又发现了一个装水的杯子,这回他接受了教训,先试了试水温,水不烫而且很暖和,青蛙满意地跳了进去,舒适地享受起来,全然没有想到这是一个正在加热的杯子。水不断升温,当青蛙发现太热时,已失去了跳出来的力量,最后,青蛙再也跳不出来了。
in the cold winter, the frog was found with a very warm cup of boiling water, immediately jumped into, but at a faster rate jumped out, he is very smart for their own proud of. soon, the frog found a cup of water, and this time he had learned, first shile shi water temperature, not hot water and very warm, the frog jumped into the satisfaction, comfort and enjoyment, totally did not think this is a the glass is heated. water continued to heat up, when the frog was found too hot, has lost the strength to come out, finally, can no longer escape to the frog.
Not many animals liked Coyote. Some thought he was foolish and others thought he was boastful. The
mice didn't like him because he was mean to them.
One day when he was out walking, Coyote saw the
Mice making lots of noise and rushing around under
a tree.
"Quick! Quick! Throw that rope over the branch!" cried one. "I need a bag! I need a bag now!" cried
another.
They scurried1 around, tripping and falling over each other as they tied small bags onto the ends of several ropes, then threw the other ends over the branches.
"What are you stupid mice up to now?" asked
Coyote. "We haven't got time to stop and talk Mr Coyote," squeaked2 one mouse, throwing a rope over another branch. "Haven't you heard?
North Wind is on his way. He's going to throw hailstones as big as a bear's paw at all the animals! We're going to climb into these bags and pull ourselves up under the branches, so the hailstones can't hit us."
Fearing the hailstones, Coyote said "I'll join you." All the mice stopped
dead in their tracks. "Ohhh! I don't know about that," they squeaked.
"If you don't let me, I'll be mean to you again," shouted Coyote.
"Alright. You can join us," squeaked the mice. "But you'll have to get your own bag and rope because we don't have anything big enough or
strong enough to hold you." "No problem," said Coyote. "I've got everything I need at home". "Then hurry Mr Coyote, because North Wind will be here any minute."
Coyote rushed off home. The mice waited until he was out of sight, then
fell over squeaking3 with laughter. When they saw him coming back they
picked themselves up and pretended to tie more bags.
"You must wait until last and pull yourself up, Mr Coyote, because you are too heavy," said the mice. "No. I'll go first," said Coyote. "North
Wind is fast and could get here before I'm protected. If all of you hold
the end of the rope you can pull me up."
The mice shook their heads doubtfully. Coyote yelled4 "do it, or I'll be
mean to you!" "Alright," said the mice. Coyote got into the bag and the
mice tied the rope around the top of it. A mouse picked up a small stone
and threw it at the bag.
"Ouch," said Coyote "I felt a hailstone already. Quick, get me up under
the tree!" The mice pulled on the rope until Coyote swung off the ground. Then they tied the end of the rope around the tree trunk.
The mice picked up stones and threw them at the bag. "Ooowww!&nb
sp; Ooowww!" howled Coyote. "The hailstones hurt." "Be brave Mr Coyote. The storm will pass soon," said the mice. And they picked up bigger stones to throw at the bag."Ooowww, my head! Oooww, my back!" howled Coyote. Finally they stopped throwing stones and one of the mice said, "North Wind has
gone now, we can come down."
When Coyote's bag was on the ground and the rope untied5, Coyote
slowly crawled out onto the ground, all battered6 and bruised7. "I thought
I was going to die," he said. "They must have been the biggest hailstones ever!"
Coyote felt the ground. It was dry. He looked up at the blue sky and there wasn't a cloud to be see. "How could this be? We've just had a
hailstorm," he said.
"We tricked you, you dumb old Coyote," yelled the mice as they scurried off into their holes, laughing.
"I'll get you for this," howled Coyote, feeling his sore head. "But not
Some were thinner, some were taller and some had more legs than they have today.
The Rhinoceros1 and the Hippopotamus2 were very vain and always boring the other animals, asking them to admire their good looks.
"Haven't I got the most handsome face you've ever seen?" the Rhinoceros would ask, as he turned his head from side to side. "Don't you think my left side is as handsome as my right?".
"Look at my slim body" the Hippopotamus would answer. "Isn't this the most beautiful body you've ever seen?"
"Huuh!" the Elephant would trumpet3. "Look at my beautiful ivory teeth. They're the most perfect teeth in the world". And he would smile, showing two rows of gleaming ivory teeth.
Every thing was peaceful and boring until one day a red dragon flew down from the sky shouting "The world is going to end! The world is going to end!"
"We've heard that one before" said the lion, with a bored sigh. "The chicken said the sky was falling, but nothing happened".
"It's for real this time. The world is coming to an end!" yelled the red dragon.
"How do you know" the others asked.
"A wizard told me" he replied.
"Then it must be true" they all said. "What shall we do?"
"You can all climb onto my back and I'll fly you to another world" said the red dragon.
They all rushed to get on the dragon's back except the lion.
"I'm king around here and I'm not frightened of anything" he roared. "I'm going to stay here on earth".
"I'm going to stay too" said the tiger, getting down.
"Tigers are just as brave as lions".
When the other animals were ready, the dragon flapped his wings, jumped into the air and came down again.
With such a heavy load on his back he had to try it several times before he took off.
As the red dragon flew higher it was uncomfortable for the animals squeezed onto his back and some of them became scared. They began to fight and push each other.
"Get your tail out of my eye" yelled one.
"Watch where you're putting that paw" yelled another.
"Oh, we're going very high" squeaked4 a mouse.
"Give me a break and sit still" cried the red dragon. "All you're fighting and shoving is making it very hard for me to fly".
The animals ignored him and finally the red dragon became so tired he couldn't flap his wings any more
and started to fall out of the sky.
The animals slid off his back and fell towards the ground screaming in panic. No one was killed but they all landed with a mighty5 thud.
The snakes legs fell off and he slithered away in the grass.
The Rhinoceros landed on his face, making a large bump on his nose that turned into a horn.
The Hippopotamus kept rolling and bumping over the hillside, getting bigger and fatter until he finally splashed into a waterhole. He was so embarrassed at how round and fat he was, he wouldn't come out.
The elephant broke all his teeth except for two that stuck into the ground. When he tried to pull them out of the ground they stretched into the two long tusks6 he has today.
The giraffe caught his head in a high tree and his neck stretched and stretched until his body reached the ground.
In fact all the animals changed into how they look today.
The lion and tiger roared with laughter at how funny the other animals looked now.
"I don't see what's so funny" snapped the crocodile, whose face had been flattened7 by a gorilla8 landing on it.
Failureisthemotherofsuccess.-ThomasPaine失败乃成功之母。
Wherethereisawill,thereisaway.有志者事竟成。
Betterlatethannever
Knowledgeispower.知识就是力量。
Afriendinneedisafriendindeed.患难见真情。
Theunexaminedlifeisnotworthliving
（来源：文章屋网 ）
In one of the smaller cities of India called Sravasti the people gathered together on a very hot day to stare at and talk about a stranger, who had come in to the town, looking very weary and walking with great difficulty because his feet were sore with tramping for a long distance on the rough roads. He was a Brahman, that is to say, a man who devoted1 his whole life to prayer, and had promised to give up everything for the sake of pleasing the god in whom he believed, and to care nothing for comfort, for riches, or for good food.
This Brahman carried nothing with him but a staff to help him along, and a bowl in which to receive the offerings of those who thought it their duty to help him and hoped by doing so to win favor in the sight of God. He was naked, except for a cloth worn about his loins, and his long hair was all matted together for want of combing and brushing. He made his way very slowly and painfully through the crowds, till he came to a shady corner, and there he sank down exhausted2, holding out his bowl for the gifts of the people. Very soon his bowl would have been full of all sorts of good things, but he made it clear that he would accept nothing to eat except rice still in the husk, and nothing to drink but pure water. He was however willing to take money; and when the people who wished to help him found that out, they brought him a good many silver and gold pieces. Some who had no money to spare gave him jewels and other things which could be sold for money.
As time went on, the Brahman became very well known in Sravasti. His fame indeed spread far beyond the town, and people came from far away to consult him about all sorts of things, and he gave them good advice, for he was a very wise man. Those who wanted him to tell them what to do paid him for his advice, and as some of them had plenty of money and were glad to help him, he soon became quite rich. He might have done a great deal of good with all this money by helping3 the poor and suffering, but unfortunately he never thought of doing so. Instead of that, he got to love the money for its own sake. At night, when all those who had come to see him had gone to rest, and there was no fear of his being found out, he used to steal away into the forest, and there he dug a deep hole at the root of a great tree, to which he took all his money and jewels.
In India everybody has a siesta4, that is to say, a sleep in the middle of the day, because the heat is so great it is difficult to keep well and strong without this extra rest. So, although it is quite light at the time, the streets are deserted5, except for the dogs who prowl about, trying to find something to eat. Now the Brahman loved his money and other treasures so much, that he used very often to do without this siesta and go to the forest to enjoy the pleasure of looking at them. When he got to the tree, he would bend down, clear away the earth and leaves with which he had hidden his secret hole, take out the money and let it slip through his fingers, and hold up the jewels to the light, to watch how they gleamed and glistened6. He was never so happy as when he was alone with his riches, and it was all he could do to tear himself away from them when the time came to go back to his shady corner. In fact he was becoming a selfish miser7 instead of the holy man the people of Sravasti thought he was. By the time the siesta was over he was always back again in his place beneath the tree, holding out his bowl and looking as poor and thin as ever, so that nobody had the least idea of the truth.
For many months the Brahman led this double life; until one day, when he went as usual to his hiding-place, he saw at once that some one had been there before him. Eagerly he knelt down, full of fear of exactly what had actually happened. All his care in concealing8 the hole had been wasted, for it was quite empty. The poor man could not at first believe his own eyes. He rubbed them hard, thinking that there was something the matter with them. Then he felt round and round the hole, hoping that after all he was mistaken; and when at last he was obliged to believe the terrible truth that there really was not a sign of his money and jewels, he became almost mad with misery9. He began to run from tree to tree, peering into their roots, and when there was nothing to be seen, he rushed back again to his empty hole, to look into it once more. Then he wept and tore at his hair, stamped about and cried aloud to all the gods he believed in, making all kinds of promises, of what he would do if only they would give him back his treasures. No answer came, and he began to wonder who could have done such a terrible thing. It must, he felt sure, have been one of the people of Sravasti; and he now remembered he had noticed that a good many of them had looked into his bowl with longing10 eyes, when they saw the money and precious stones in it. "What horrible, wicked people they are," he said to himself. "I hate them. I should like to hurt them as they have hurt me." As he thought in this way he got more and more angry, until he became quite worn out with giving way to his rage.
After roaming about in the forest for a long time, the Brahman went back to the house in Sravasti where some kind people had lent him a room, glad and proud to have such a holy man, as they thought he was, living under their roof. He felt sure they had had nothing to do with the loss of his treasure, because they had given him many proofs of their goodness and honesty. Soon he was pouring out all his grief to them, and they did all they could to comfort him, telling him that he would very soon have plenty more money and jewels. They let him see however that they thought it was mean of him to hide away his riches, instead of using them to help the poor and suffering; and this added very much to his rage. At last he lost all self-control and cried, "It is not worth while for me to live any longer. I will go to some holy place of pilgrimage by the banks of the river, and there I will starve myself to death."
A place of pilgrimage, you know, is one where some great event, generally connected with religion, has taken place, to which pilgrims go to pray in the hope of winning some special favor from God. The word pilgrim means a wanderer, but it has come in course of time to signify any traveler who comes from a distance to some such place. Benares in India is a very famous place of pilgrimage, because it is on the River Ganges, which the Hindus worship and love, believing that its waters can wash away their sins. Hundreds and thousands of Hindus go there every year to bathe in it, and many who know that they have not long to live wait on its banks to die, so that after their bodies have been burnt, as is the custom with the Hindus, their ashes may be thrown into the sacred stream.
The news of the Brahman's loss spread very quickly through Sravasti; and as is so often the case, every one who told the story made it a little different, so that it became very difficult to know what the truth really was. There was great distress11 in the town, because the people thought the Brahman would go away, and they did not want him to do that. They were proud of having a man they thought so holy, living amongst them, and ashamed that he should have been robbed whilst he was with them. When they heard that he meant to starve himself to death, they were dreadfully shocked, and determined12 to do all they possibly could to prevent it. One after another of the chief men of Sravasti came to see him, and entreated13 him not to be in such a hurry to be sure that his treasure would never be found. They said they would all do everything they possibly could to get it back for him. Some of them thought it was very wrong of him to make such a fuss about it, and blamed him for being a miser. They told him it was foolish to care so much for what he could not take with him when he died, and one especially wise old man gave him a long lecture on the wickedness of taking away the life which had been given to him by God to prepare for that in the other world. "Put the idea of starving yourself out of your head," he said, "and whilst we are seeking your treasure, go on as you did before you lost it. Next time you have any money and jewels, turn them to good account instead of hoarding14 them up."
In spite of all that any one could say to him, the Brahman was quite determined that he would not live any longer. He set off to the place of pilgrimage he had chosen, taking no notice of any one he met, but just marching steadily15 on. At first a number of people followed him, but by degrees they left off doing so, and soon he was quite alone. Presently however he could not help noticing a man approaching from the direction in which he was going. Very tall, very handsome, very dignified16, this man was one whom no one could fail to admire, even if he had been only an ordinary person. But he was the king of the whole country, whose name was Prasnajit; and a little distance behind him were a number of his attendants, waiting to obey his orders. Everybody, even the Brahman, loved the king, because he took such a very great interest in his people and was always trying to do them good. He had heard all about the loss of the money, and was very much vexed17 that such a thing should have happened in his land. He had also heard that the Brahman meant to kill himself, and this distressed18 him more than anything else, because he thought it a very wicked and terrible thing to do.
The king stood so exactly in the path of the Brahman that it was impossible to pass him by without taking any notice of him, and the unhappy man stood still, hanging down his head and looking very miserable19. Without waiting for a moment, Prasnajit said to the Brahman: "Do not grieve any more. I will find your treasure for you, and give it back to you; or if I fail to do so I will pay you as much as it was worth out of my own purse: for I cannot bear to think of your killing20 yourself. Now tell me very carefully where you hid your gold and jewels, and everything about the place, to help me to make sure of it."
The Brahman was greatly delighted to hear this, because he knew full well that the king would keep his word, and that, even if his own treasure was never found, he would have plenty of money given to him by the king. He at once told Prasnajit exactly where he had put his store, and offered to take him there. The king agreed to go with him at once, and he and the Brahman went straight away to the big hole in the forest, the attendants following them a little way behind.
After the king had seen the big empty hole, and noticed exactly where it was, and the nearest way to it from the town, he returned to his palace, first telling the Brahman to go back to the house he lived in, and wait there till he received a message from him. He promised to see that he wanted for nothing, and sent one of his attendants to a rich merchant of Sravasti, who had already done a good deal for the Brahman, to order him to supply the holy man with all he needed. Very glad that after all he was not going to die, the Brahman obeyed willingly, and for the next few days he was taken care of by the merchant, who supplied him with plenty of food.
As soon as Prasnajit was back in his palace, he pretended that he was taken suddenly ill. His head ached badly, he said, and he could not make out what was the matter with him. He ordered a proclamation to be sent all round the town, telling all the doctors to come to the palace to see him. All the doctors in the place at once hastened to obey, each of them hoping that he would be the one to cure the king and win a great reward. So many were they that the big reception room was full of them, and they all glared at each other so angrily that the attendants kept careful watch lest they should begin to fight. One at a time they were taken to the king's private room, but very much to their surprise and disappointment he seemed quite well and in no need of help from them. Instead of talking about his own illness, he asked each doctor who his patients were in the town, and what medicines he was giving to them. Of course Prasnajit's questions were carefully answered; but the king said nothing more, just waving his hand to show that the interview was at an end. Then the attendants led the visitor out. At last however a doctor came, who said something which led the king to keep him longer than he had kept any of the others. This doctor was a very famous healer who had saved the lives of many of Prasnajit's subjects. He told the king that a merchant named Matri-Datta was very ill, suffering greatly, but that he hoped to cure him by giving him the juice of a certain plant called nagaballa. At the time this story was written, doctors in India did not give their patients medicine, or write prescriptions21 for them to take to chemists to be made up, because there were no chemists in those days, such as there are in all the towns of Europe, who keep the materials in stock for making medicines. A doctor just said to his patient, "you must take the juice of this or that plant"; and the suffering person had to go into the fields or woods to find the plant or else to send a servant to do so.
When the king heard that the doctor had ordered Matri-Datta to take the juice of the nagaballa plant, he cried "No more doctors need come to see me!" and after sending away the one who had told him what he wanted to know, he gave orders that Matri-Datta should be sent for at once.
Ill and suffering though he was, Matri-Datta did not dare disobey the king: so he came at once. As soon as he appeared, Prasnajit asked him how he was, and said he was sorry to have to make him leave his home when he was ill, but the matter on which he wished to see him was of very great importance. Then he suddenly added: "When your doctor ordered you to take the juice of the nagaballa plant whom did you send to find it?"
To this Matri-Datta replied trembling with fear: "My servant, O king, sought it in the forest; and having found it, brought it to me."
"Go back and send that servant to me immediately," was the reply; and the merchant hurried away, wondering very much why the king wanted to see the man, and hoping that he himself would not get into disgrace on account of anything he had done to make Prasnajit angry.
When Matri-Datta told his servant that he was to go to the palace to see the king, the man was dreadfully frightened, and begged his master not to make him go. This made Matri-Datta pretty sure that he had done something wrong and was afraid of being found out. "Go at once," he said, "and whatever you do, speak the truth to the king. That will be your only chance if you have offended him." Again and again the servant entreated Matri-Datta not to insist, and when he found it was no good, he asked him at least to come with him to the palace and plead for him with Prasnajit. The merchant knew then for certain that something was seriously wrong, and he consented to go to the palace with his servant, partly out of curiosity and partly out of fear for himself. When the two got to the palace, the attendants at once led the servant to the presence of the king, but they would not let the master go with him.
Directly the servant entered the room and saw the king sitting on his throne, he fell upon his face at the foot of the steps, crying, "Mercy! mercy!" He was right to be afraid, for Prasnajit said to him in a loud voice: "Where are the gold and the jewels you took from the hole in the roots of a tree when you went to find the nagaballa plant for your master?" The servant, who really had taken the money and jewels, was so terrified when he found that the king knew the truth, that he had not a word to say at first, but just remained lying on the ground, trembling all over. Prasnajit too was silent, and the attendants waiting for orders behind the throne looked on, wondering what would happen now.
When the silence had lasted about ten minutes, the thief raised his head from the ground and looked at the king, who still said not a word. Something in his face however made the wicked servant hope that he would not be punished by death in spite of the great wrong he had done. The king looked very stern, it is true, but not enraged22 against him. So the servant rose to his feet, and clasping his hands together as he held them up to Prasnajit, said in a trembling voice: "I will fetch the treasure, I will fetch the treasure." "Go then at once," said the king, "and bring it here": and as he said it, there was a beautiful expression in his eyes, which made the thief more sorry for what he had done than he would have been if Prasnajit had said, "Off with his head!" or had ordered him to be beaten.
As soon as the king said, "Go at once," the servant started to his feet and hastened away, as eager now to restore what he had stolen as he had been to hide it. He had put it in another hole in the very depths of the forest; and it was a long time before he got back to the palace with it, for it was very heavy. He had thought the king would send some guards with him, to see that he did not run away, and that they would have helped him to carry the sack full of gold and jewels; but nobody followed him. It was hard work to drag the heavy load all the way alone; but at last, quite late in the evening, he was back at the palace gates. The soldiers standing23 there let him pass without a word, and soon he was once more in the room in which the king had received him. Prasnajit still sat on his throne, and the attendants still waited behind him, when the thief, so tired he could hardly stand, once more lay prostrate24 at the bottom of the steps leading up to the throne, with the sack beside him. How his heart did beat as he waited for what the king would say! It seemed a very long time before Prasnajit spoke25, though it was only two or three minutes; and when he did, this is what he said, "Go back to your home now, and be a thief no more."
Very, very thankfully the man obeyed, scarcely able to believe that he was free to go and that he was not to be terribly punished. Never again in the rest of his life did he take what did not belong to him, and he was never tired of telling his children and his friends of the goodness of the king who had forgiven him.
The Brahman, who had spent the time of waiting in prayers that his treasure should be given back to him, and was still determined that, if it were not, he would starve himself to death, was full of delight when he heard that it had been found. He hastened to the palace and was taken before the king, who said to him: "There is your treasure. Take it away, and make a better use of it than before. If you lose it again, I shall not try to recover it for you."
He saw a monkey on a tree.
“Will you be my friend?" asked the elephant.
Replied the monkey, “You are too big. You can not swing from trees like me."
Next, the elephant met a rabbit. He asked him to be his friends.
But the rabbit said, “You are too big to play in my burrow1!"
Then the elephant met a frog.
“Will you be my friend? He asked.
“How can I?" asked the frog.
“You are too big to leap about like me."
The elephant was upset. He met a fox next.
“Will you be my friend?" he asked the fox.
The fox said, “Sorry, sir, you are too big."
The next day, the elephant saw all the animals in the forest running for their lives.
The elephant asked them what the matter was.
The bear replied, “There is a tiger in the forest. He’s trying to gobble us all up!"
The animals all ran away to hide.
The elephant wondered what he could do to solve everyone in the forest.
Meanwhile, the tiger kept eating up whoever he could find.
The elephant walked up to the tiger and said, “Please, Mr. Tiger, do not eat up these poor animals."
“Mind your own business!" growled2 the tiger.
The elephant has no choice but to give the tiger a hefty kick.
The frightened tiger ran for his life.
The elephant ambled3 back into the forest to announce the good news to everyone.
关键词：初中英语；英课课堂；故事法
现在人们越来越重视英语学习了。但多数的中小学生对学英语兴趣不浓，甚至一些学生害怕学英语，见到英语教师就害怕、看到英语课本就头疼，不愿学、不想学、害怕学英语的现象俯拾皆是，导致英语成绩偏差、英语教学效率低下。
为了培养学生学习英语的兴趣，让学生喜欢上英语、爱上英语，笔者提出英语教学中多运用故事教学法。
一、初中英语教学中故事法运用的必要性
目前英语教学普遍存在费时低效现象，仍沿袭应试教育的态势，教师辛辛苦苦地教、苦口婆心地强调英语的重要性、一遍又一遍地重申知识点，可谓教得累；学生早起晚睡地背诵课文、一遍又一遍地抄写单词和短语、反复整理知识点和语法要点、做大量的练习，也可谓学得辛苦、学得累。教师教得累、学生学得累，可是英语成绩普遍差、教学效率低下。教师抱怨：现在的学生都怎么了，怎么教都不会；学生也怨声载道：几门学科用的时间最多的就是英语，可是成绩最差的还是英语，单词记不住、课文背了就忘，做题时脑子里一片空白，什么也想不起来。“英语真难教”常出自英语教师之口、“英语真难学”的感慨屡屡来自于学生。
的确，如教师和学生所言，初中英语的学习确确实实存在耗时多、收效甚微的现象。导致这一现象发生的主要还是初中英语教学多采用灌输式，学生被动地接受知识，感到索然无味。所以改变教法和学法是当务之急，也是新课改的目的、新课标的要求。笔者认为在英语教学中不妨多用故事法调动学生的积极性和学习兴趣。
二、初中英语教学中故事法的具体运用
用故事教学法学英语，把英语教学与故事相结合，以故事形式把枯燥的英语语言知识变成简单有趣的英语故事，激发学生学习英语的兴趣与热情，从而使学生学得轻松、愉快、有效。下面笔者从故事法在reading、语法、书面表达中的运用方法和技巧。
1.故事法在reading教学中的运用
英语reading一般篇幅长、生词集中，又渗透了一单元的新的语法知识，综合性极强，学生学起来感觉苦不堪言。那么，要调动学生学习reading的积极性和兴趣，不妨尝试使用故事法。
如：9A Unit6 Reading Who is the murderer？本来这篇文章就带有故事色彩，所以用讲故事的方法教学这篇课文是上策。
上课开始，教师叙述：一位22岁的电脑程序员，当晚7：30有人看到他从办公室出来准备去看父母亲，但是却死在了单位门口/警方已经立案，查明受害者和凶手有明显的搏斗痕迹，凶手不止一人，受害者死于利刃，且凶器已经找到，可是凶手至今下落不明、也无从查证……想知道具体细节，请仔细阅读课文。于是，学生会兴趣倍增地投入到阅读中，达到了促其“乐学”的效果。
2.故事法在语法中的运用
学习牛津英语7A现在进行时时，进行时的结构、动词的-ing形式是学习的重点和难点，如果枯燥地讲解，可能事倍功半。那么故事法不妨一试。
巧用《公鸡和狐狸》的故事，进行教学：一天，一只公鸡在树上唱歌（A cock is singing）狐狸看到了大公鸡，说（The fox is saying）“你的歌真美，下来我们一起玩吧？”公鸡下了树（The cock is coming down from the tree.） 他们一起玩了一会（They are playing together.）突然，狐狸要吃鸡，公鸡吓得飞跑了（He is flying and running away.）这样，通过这个故事中的几个句子，学生对现在进行时的用法、结构、动词的形式一清二楚，既活跃了课堂气氛，又巧妙地融语法知识于故事中。
3.故事法在英语书面表达中的运用
英语书面表达是用英语写作的过程，似乎与故事无关、故事法运用于英语书面表达不可思议。而笔者就常常在学生训练书面表达前，多运用故事法，激发学生写作的兴趣和灵感、打开思绪的大门。
如：8A Unit3 A day out 的中心任务是写旅游方面的短文。类似的文章多数学生感到有难度，因为除时态问题，还有旅游方面行程的安排，学生在叙述时容易东一句西一句，致使文章混乱、条理不清。如果教师先用“故事”给学生一个范文，效果会好些。例如， 教师可以结合Main task的Part A， 将此改写成故事叙述：去年，Kitty和Daniel在回美国前和同学到北京游玩了一天。早上
7：30在阳光城地铁站集合，之后乘地铁与8：30到天安门广场，
9：30步行到了故宫，下午一点半又步行到了北海公园，参观了大花园，在大海上荡舟，后乘地铁到了王府井大街，在哪儿买了好多东西，最后回到了阳光镇。他们一天很累，但是，参观了北京城的许多美景、拍了好多照片，玩得很开心。
这样，以最简单的语言，述说了他们一天的行程和游玩一天的感受，再穿插英语翻译，为学生写作降低了难度，同时也起到了“以说促写”的效果。
其实，故事法在卡通对话、词汇教学、综合技能、学习技能部分都可以使用，以及教学的各个环节都可以尝试，以达到创设轻松氛围，促使学生乐学的奇效。
英语课上，以学生感兴趣的故事进行教学，为学生创设愉快的学习氛围，激发学生的学习热情，使他们处于最佳的学习状态，提高学习效率，促其乐学的最佳效果。
参考文献：
早在四五十年代，我国教育家叶圣陶先生就明确指出：“语言文字的训练，最要紧的是训练语感。”语言学家吕叔湘也表示：“语文教学的首要任务就是要培养学生各方面的语感能力。”的确，具备了良好的语感不仅能使人“感受到言语之精妙，洞见言语之精髓，把握言语之理趣”，更能使之步入丰富而又美妙的精神世界，受到诸如文化、审美的熏陶。作为缺乏语言环境的外语――英语的学习来说，语感的培养尤为重要。如何在小学阶段就让学生形成优美的语感，说出一口流利地道的英语呢？笔者把研究的方向投向了西方一直重视的故事教学，通过研究发现故事教学确实是提升英语语感的一剂良药、一剂猛药！
一、听故事，感受英语语感，一听就清
运用故事教学提升学生英语语感时，听老师讲故事是第一步，也是最关键的一步。在这一阶段中，教师要选取简单的、有趣的、有意义的、配有插图的、原汁原味的英语小故事讲给学生听。老师在讲故事中要特别注意自己的语音、语调和语速，让学生感受到优美的语感。
在这一阶段中，笔者推荐的书目有《Rosie’s Walk》、《Watch Out！Big BRO’S Coming！》、《Snow Friends》、《Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse》、《OTTO RUNS FOR PRESIDENT》、《The littlest dinosaur》等等。
二、读故事，培养英语语感，一读就懂
例如：通过读故事培养英语语感，笔者选取了《典范英语2a》中的Lesson9“I Can Trick a tiger”这一课作为范例。由于故事配上了生动有趣的插图，再加上主人公是学生感兴趣的动物，而且故事情节诙谐有趣，单词简短而且重复较多，故事结尾更是“恶有恶报”，让学生读起来特别带劲。笔者在鼓励学生读故事时还鼓励学生加上动物叫声的拟声词，大大提高了学生读故事的兴趣，让他们读了还想读。在一遍遍读故事的过程中，不知不觉培养了活泼自然的英语语感。
三、讲故事，巩固英语语感，一讲就顺
例如：通过讲故事巩固英语语感，笔者选取了《典范英语2a》中的Lesson20“The Ice Rink”这一课作为范例。学生在听懂、读熟的基础上，可以尝试讲故事。本课主人公是“爸爸”，讲了爸爸高超的溜冰技术，可以在冰上漫步、跳跃、旋转甚至跳舞都不会摔跤，可是最后走路的时候却由于一块香蕉皮摔跤了。在学生讲故事之前，鼓励学生加入自己的语言形容“爸爸”高超的溜冰技术，边讲还可以边配上溜冰的动作，用自豪的语气、自然的语感表达对“爸爸”的爱。结尾的表情和心理可以由学生自己揣摩，可以是滑稽、懊恼、失望或者可怜、心疼、大意等等，让每个学生讲出不一样的感觉。故事讲完还可以发表一下自己的意见，或者想对“爸爸”说的话，让整个环节更加丰满。通过学生“讲出来”这一过程，更是巩固了学生培养起来的语感。
四、写故事，提升英语语感，一写就通
例如：通过写故事提升英语语感，笔者选取了《典范英语2a》中的Lesson30“Strawberry Jam”这一课作为范例。首先，笔者给学生呈现了故事插图，并简单地与学生讨论了一下：Who？ Where？ What？ How？What happened at last？接着，与学生一起处理掉一些新单词。然后，鼓励学生用自己的理解和个性化语言写故事，故事个个不同但个个精彩。在写作中最难的是中、英文表达有很大的区别，这就特别需要运用“语感”的力量，正确地处理好介词的位置、后置的用法、宾格和各种时态，把平时说的运用到写中来。初级阶段只要求学生把故事表达完整，中级阶段要求学生把故事表达清楚并能有一些描述性的词句，终极阶段则需要学生通过故事发表自己的观点和看法。在整个阶段，特别值得老师们注意的是，一定要对学生们自创的故事及时、有效地批改并写上积极、鼓励性的评语，这一点直接关系到学生写故事的兴趣和对自己作业的一个反馈了解。
学习一门外语的最终目标是能够灵活驾驭这门语言，学习英语亦是如此。要想真正提高驾驭语言的能力， 就必须将语言知识的学习与生活中的言语实践紧密地联系起来。 而语感的提升就是联系二者的重要途径，这就要求我们教师要持之以恒地采用多种方法和途径，引导学生在一切英语语言活动中去感悟语感、实践语感。而故事教学能从听、读、讲、写等方面切实有效地提升英语语感，效果明确而显著，直接而有效。
(一)激发学生学习英语的兴趣
小学英语的教学目标是激发学生学习英语的兴趣，而故事教学法在实际的应用中恰恰做到了这一点，这完全符合《小学英语课程标准》的要求，是提高小学英语课堂教学质量的不二之选。小学生都还很年幼，心智不够成熟，对于枯燥的英语学习会产生抵触心理，再加上英语学习不是一朝一夕就能够完成的，是需要日积月累的，这使得小学生很难长久地坚持下去，三天打鱼两天晒网是常有的事。而故事教学法相对于传统教学方式，更加容易被学生接受，假如教师利用故事教学法进行词汇教学，便能充分满足孩子们的好奇心，将他们的注意力牢牢地锁定在英语词汇上，让他们在枯燥的词汇中找到乐趣，从而提高学习的积极性。
(二)构建语境，帮助学生记忆单词
为了让学生记住单词，我们需要收集大量的材料为他们构建语境，让他们有一种身临其境的感觉，促使他们把单词记在脑中，将单词带来的感觉印在心里。这个时候，故事教学法有着其他方法比不上的优势，我们提供的故事，首先就为学生营造了某种气氛，学生情不自禁地关注故事的情节，联系语境猜测词义、理解单词的内涵。在故事情境中，学生还可以发散思维，甚至主动地使用新学的单词去编故事，在这种情况下产生的记忆往往比联想记忆法还要深刻。
二、如何在实际教学中应用故事教学法
(一)将教学内容和故事相结合
充分利用故事幽默生动、通俗易懂的特点，将所要学习的新单词与之结合编造故事，然后用故事的形式进行教学。例如，在小学英语动物单词教学中，教师可以用“动物世界运动会”的故事进行导入，接着让dog，pig，horse，ele-phant，monkey，fish等动物结合故事进行自我介绍，让学生们挑选自己喜欢的animal，并说说选择它的理由。如教师在介绍pig时，可以这样说:“我是pig，我全身上下都是宝。在中国古代，有个关于诚信的小故事，那就是曾子杀彘，这里的彘就是我，胖嘟嘟的pig。”再如介绍elephant时，教师可以说:“我是大象，在所有动物中，我有着最长的鼻子，我的名字在所有动物中也是最长的，我叫elephant。”教师将教学内容有机地融入故事中，既可以避免学习英语单词时的枯燥乏味，也可以在课堂中营造一种轻松愉快的氛围，教师和学生的角色变成了故事的讲述者和聆听者，无形中拉进了双方的距离。
(二)将练习单词和故事相结合
在练习单词、强化记忆时，可以使用故事教学法。死记硬背并不能真正掌握英语，练习和实践才是学习一门语言的重中之重。教师在讲解词语的意思和读音时，可以运用故事法进行疑难的解析。例如，教师在讲解职业的名词和知识之后，可以拿出一些颜色不同的卡片，问学生这代表着什么职业。如白色的卡片，教师可以给学生讲述医院白色工作服的故事，并且告诉他们白色象征着doctor和nurse;再如绿色的纸片，教师可以给学生讲述叔叔的军装为何是绿色的。教师还可以让学生自己选择一种颜色，然后用这个颜色使他想到的职业来编一个故事讲述给同学们听，学生在互相讲故事的过程中，对单词的记忆更加深刻，最终实现词汇教学的目的。
(三)开展故事新编和小品表演
为了让学生真正掌握单词，将单词记在脑中、印在心里，我们还可以开展故事新编和小品表演等活动。例如，用同一个单词，让每个学生用它编一个小故事，然后轮流到台上与其他同学分享自己的故事，最后让学生们选出一个最好的故事。学生在编故事、讲故事的过程中进一步地记住了单词，也锻炼了发散思维。至于小品表演，对学生的要求更高一些，锻炼英语最好的方法就是大胆说出口，学生通过用英语单词创编小品，他们的胆量得到提升，为日后流利地说出英语打下了基础。
三、总结
