安徽望江中學 周 霞

I had always thought of my dad as a magician.His stylus(觸筆)was his wand,and with it,he would create the wildest of creatures from his mind.He brought my childhood friends to life and drew great heroes from his tablet.It wasn't long before he put a pen into my own hands and told me to create my own stories,though mine were written.The world was a big place,but my dad made it bigger.

Cancer caught up to him.His arms and legs grew thinner and thinner,and he looked about the size of a child.I refused to take any of it.It was too soon—too sudden.

The truth refused to be ignored when one morning,my mother had to break the news.My dad has only three months to live.He is going to lose his job and possibly never walk again.That day,I could not bring myself to go to my first class.

Everything came to a halt.I put my pen down and never picked it back up.Until one day,my dad sat me down.I dreaded having to talk to him.I couldn't bear to look him in the eye.What was possibly there to say to a dying man?But what he said was not what I expected.

“Nu Nu,” he started,calling me by my nickname. “I want to start a new project.Will you help me?”Without a pause,I said yes.You see,my dad is on the brink of death,if I may be so honest.I see him sleeping on the living room couch,and I think to myself that that is what he would look like if he were to go.You see,my dad's days are numbered,and sometimes the house feels like everyone is simply waiting for the moment when he does leave us.But that does not stop him.And it should not stop me either.

That night,I took out my notebook and picked up my pen once more.

Reading Check

1.What do we know about the author from the first paragraph?

A.Her father is a magician.

B.She likes writing stories.

C.She was born to be a painter.

D.She liked drawing heroes in life.

2.Why did the author give up writing?

A.Her father was badly ill.

B.Her father stopped her.

C.She had no interest in it.

D.She suffered a serious disease.

3.What made the author return to writing again?

A.Her father's recovery from cancer.

B.Her mother's news about the truth.

C.Her father's request to help him with the project.

D.Her own realization of her living for his father.

Language Study

Difficult sentence

It wasn't long before he put a pen into my own hands and told me to create my own stories,though mine were written.

【翻譯】_____________________________________________________________________________

【點石成金】本句是一個主從復合句。該句有一個常考句型it isn't/wasn't long before,意為“不久之后”，though引導讓步狀語從句。