A高中英语必读美文150篇(1--50)最新修正版

高中英语必读美文（1—50 ）
1
During summer vacations, I would volunteer at the vet’s, so I’d seen a lot of dogs. Minnie was by far the funniest-looking dog I’d ever seen. Thin curly hair barely covered her sausage-shaped body. Her bugged-out eyes always seemed surpr ised. And her tail looked like a rat’s tail.
She was brought to the vet to be put to sleep because her owners didn’t want her anymore. I thought Minnie had a sweet personality, though. "No one should judge her by her looks," I thought. So the vet spayed her and gave her the necessary shots. Finally, I advertised Minnie in the local paper: "Funny-looking dog, well behaved, needs loving family."
When a young man called, I warned him that Minnie was strange looking. The boy on the phone told me that his grandf ather’s sixteen-year-old dog had just died. They wanted Minnie no matter what. I gave Minnie a good bath and fluffed up what was left of her scraggly hair. Then we waited for them to arrive.
At last, an old car drove up in front of the vet’s. Two kids race d to the door. They scooped Minnie into their arms and rushed her out to their grandfather, who was waiting in the car. I hurried behind them to see his reaction to Minnie.
Inside the car, the grandfather cradled Minnie in his arms and stroked her soft hair. She licked his face. Her rattail wagged around so quickly that it looked like it might fly off her body. It was love at first lick.
"She’s perfect!" the old man exclaimed.
I was thankful that Minnie had found the good home that she deserved.
That’s when I saw that the grandfather’s eyes were a milky white color - he was blind.
2
Tomorrow was his girlfriend’s birthday and the young man was having a difficult time deciding on a present for her. She already had more clothes than she knew what to do with th em, so he couldn’t get any kind of apparel. She never ate sweets, so candy was out of the question. What then? He had a very special reason for wanting to impress her with just the right gift; tomorrow he was going to make an offer of marriage to her.
He finally decided on perfume . All girls liked perfume. That raised another problem, however. What kind did she prefer? He couldn’t ask her, because that would ruin the surprise.
At last the young man hit upon a brilliant idea. That afternoon, pretending to take his girl-friend’s fox terrier, little dog. Together, the young man and the dog went directly to the perfume counter of the town’s biggest department store. Good! There was a large array of perfume. He beckoned a clerk, instructing her to open a large n umber of bottles and wave the stoppers under the dog’s nose.
Nestled in the young man’s arms, the terrier began to be restless and bored as this seemingly pointless game went on. Then Fritz suddenly became frisky, wiggling in the young man’s arms and barki ng excitedly, as the clerk waved one stopper under his nose.
“I’ll take that one,” said the young man to the clerk. The price was high; but it was worth it, he thought.
“My favorite perfume!” said the delighted girl the next evening as she unwrapped the package. “How did you know?” she asked, dabbing some perfume behind each ear.
“Intuition, I guess,” said the young man, deciding that it wasn’t exactly wrong to tell a lie under the circumstances. One day, after they were married, he would admit that his intuition had really been a little dog named Fritz.
3
My parents were in a huge argument, and I was really upset about it. I didn’t know who I should talk with about how I was feeling. So I asked Mom to allow me to stay the night at my best friend’s house. T hough I knew I wouldn’t tell her about my parents’ situation, I was looking forward to getting out of the
house. I was in the middle of packing up my things when suddenly the power went out in the neighborhood. Mom came to tell me that I should stay with my grandpa until the power came back on.
I was really disappointed because I felt that we did not have much to talk about. But I knew he would be frightened alone in the dark. I went to his room and told him that I’d stay with him until the power was restor ed. He was quite happy and said, “Great opportunity.”
“What is?” I asked.
“To talk, you and I,” he said. “To hold a private little meeting about what we’re going to do with your mom and dad, and what we’re going to do with ourselves now that we’re in the situation we are in.”
“But we can’t do anything about it, Grandpa,” I said, surprised that here was someone with whom I could share my feelings and someone who was in the same “boat” as I was
And that’s how the most unbelievable friendship between my grandf ather and me started. Sitting there in the dark, we talked about our feeling and fears of life---from how fast things change, to how they sometimes don’t change fast enough. That night, because the power went out, I found a new friend, with whom I could safely talk about all my fears and pains, whatever they may be.
Suddenly, the lights all came back on. “Well,” he said, “ I guess that means you’ll want to go now. I really like our talk. I hope the power will go out every few nights!”
4
I really love my job because I enjoy working with small children and like the challenges and awards from the job. I also think my work is important. There was a time when I thought I would never have that sort of career.
I wasn’t an excellent student because I didn’t do much schoolwork. In my final term I started thinking what I might do and found I didn’t have much to offer. I just accepted that I wasn’t the type to have a career.
I then found myself a job, looking after two little girls. It wasn’t too bad at first. But the problems began when I agreed to live in, so that I would be there if my boss had to go out for business in the evening. We agreed that if I had to work extra hours one week, she’d give me time off the next. But unfortunately, it didn’t often work out. I wa s getting extremely tired and fed up, because I had too many late nights and early mornings with the children.
One Sunday, I was in the park with the children, and met Megan who used to go to school with me. I told her about my situation. She suggested that I should do a course and get a qualification if I wanted to work with children. I didn’t think I would be accepted because I didn’t take many exams in school. She persuaded me to phone the local college and they were really helpful. My experience counted for a lot and I got on a part-time course. I had to leave my job with the family, and got work helping out at a kindergarten.
Now I’ve got a full-time job there. I shall always be thankful to Megan. I wish I had known earlier that you could have a career, even if you aren’t top of the class at school.
Each of us fails from time to time. If we are wise, we accept these failures as a necessary part of the learning process.
5
Donnie was a shy, nervous perfectionist. His fear of failure kept him from classroom games that other children played with joyous excitement. He seldom answered questions -- he might be wrong. Written assignments, especially math, reduced him to nail-biting frustration. He seldom finished his work because he repeatedly checked with me to be sure he hadn't made a mistake.
Then one morning we were working math problems at the chalkboard. Pleased with their progress, I left the children with Mary Anne，my student teacher, and went for art materials. When I returned, Donnie was in tears. He'd missed the third problem. Anne looked at me in despair. Suddenly her face brightened. She reached the drawer we shared for some pencils.
"See these pencils, Donnie?" she said, kneeling beside him and gently lifting the tear-stained face from his arms. "They belong to Mrs. Lindstrom and me. See how the erasers are worn? That's because we make mistakes too. Lots of them. But we erase the mistakes and try again. That's what you must learn to do, too." She kissed him and stood up. "Here," she said, "I'll leave one of these pencils on your desk so you'll remember that everybody makes mistakes, even teachers." Donnie looked up with love in his eyes and just a glimmer of a smile -- the first I'd seen on his face that year.
The pencil became Donnie's prized possession. That, together with Mary Anne's frequent encouragement and unfailing praise for even Donnie's small successes, gradually persuaded him that it's all right to make mistakes -- as long as you erase them and try again.
6
A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with potato chips and root beer and started his journey.
When he stopped by in a park, he met an old woman. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her some chips. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.
Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.
As twilight approached, the boy realized that he got to go back home. When the boy opened the door, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him,
"What did you do today that made you so happy?"
"I had lunch with God. You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"
Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked,
"Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?"
"I ate potato chips in the park with God. You know, he's much younger than I expected."
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Embrace all equally!
7
A few weeks ago, I followed a friend into an art-supply store. I found him picking out tubes of water-color paint, which surprised me because he’s not an artist.
“I signed up for a water-color class, and it starts next week,” he said sheepishly. “I don’t really have time for it, but it was on my list o f 50 things to do before I die, so I went for it.” This sounds interesting, “What else is on the list﹖” I asked him.
“All kinds of things,” he said. “Every few months I look at the list and decide what to focus on next. Before I had the list, I regretted a lot about what I was missing in my life. Now I just do stuff.”
“Can I see your list sometime﹖” I asked.
“I don’t know,” he said. “It reveals a lot about me. Write your own list, and you’ll see what I mean.”
So that night I did just that, and he was right. The list revealed a whole lot about what was important to me. It also revealed how hopelessly behind I am at getting to the things I really want.
Just writing the list helped me sort through some of my priorities. I filled up the first 20 blanks quickly, but then began to think carefully. Eventually I added items I’ve thought about for years, dreams I’ve carried with me since I was young, and things that I was longing for when I first heard about them.
I have a cousin who has accomplished an amazing string of interesting things. She told me the key was preparing the ground so that life could work in mysterious ways. “If you want your ship to come in, you must build a dock,” she said.
Thanks to my list, I’m working on some big docks.
8
Last night was the last game for my eight-year-old son’s soccer team. It was the final quarter. The score was two to one, my son’s team in the lead. Parents surrounded the playground, offering encouragement.
With less than ten seconds remaining, the ball suddenly rolled in fr ont of my son’s teammate, Mickey. With shouts of “Kick it!” echoing across the playground, Mickey turned around and gave it everything he had. All around me the crowd erupted. Mickey had scored!
Then there was silence. Mickey had scored all right, but in the wrong goal, ending the game in a tie. For a moment there was a total hush. You see, Mickey has Down syndrome（唐氏综合症）and for him there is no such thing as a wrong goal. All goals were celebrated by a joyous hug from Mickey. He had even been known to hug the opposing players when they scored.
The silence was finally broken when Mickey, his face filled with joy, hugged my son tightly and shouted,“I scored! I scored. Everybody won! Everybody won!” For a moment I held my breath, not sure how my son would react. I need not have worried. I watched, through tears, as my son threw up his hand in the classic high-five salute and started chanting, “Way to go Mickey! Way to go Mickey!” Within moments both teams surrounded Mickey, joining in the chant and congratulating him on his goal.
Later that night, when my daughter asked who had won, I smiled as I replied, “It was a tie. Everybody won.”
9
Life whispers in your soul and speaks to your heart. Sometimes，when you don't have the time to listen... Life throws a brick at your head.
A young and successful CEO was traveling down a neighborhood street， going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. As his car passed，one child appeared，and a brick smashed into the Jag's side door. He slammed on the brakes and spun the Jag back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown.
He jumped out of the car，grabbed the kid and pushed him up against a parked car， shouting，"What was that all about and what the hell are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw gonna cost a lot. Why did you do it?"
“Please，mister，please，I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do!” pleaded the youngster.
“It's my brother,” he said. “He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up.” Sobbing，the boy asked the executive， "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me.”
Moved beyond words， the driver lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts，checking to see that everything was going to be okay.
"Thank you，sir. And God bless you，" the grateful child said to him. The man then watched the little boy push his brother to the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long walk back to his Jaguar... a long，slow walk. He never did repair the side door. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention.
10
Many say their most painful moments are saying good-bye to those they love. After watching Cheryl, my daughter-in-law, through the six long months her mother suffered towards death, I think the most painful moments can be in the waiting to say good-bye.
Cheryl made the two-hour trip over and over to be with her mother. They spent the long afternoons praying, soothing, comforting, and retelling their shared memories.
As her mother‘s pain intensified and more medication was needed to ease her into sedation, Cheryl sat for hours of silent vigil by her mother‘s bed.
Each time she kiss ed her mother before leaving, her mother would tear up and say, "I‘m sorry you drove so far and sat for so long and I didn‘t even wake up to talk with you."
Cheryl would tell her not to worry, it didn‘t matter, still her mother felt she had let her down and apologized at each good-bye until the day Cheryl found a way to give her mother the same reassurance her mother had given to her so many times.
"Mom, do you remember when I made the high school basketball team?" Cheryl‘s mother nodded. "You‘d drive so far and sit for so long and I never even left the bench to play. You waited for me after every game and each time I felt bad and apologized to you for wasting your time." Cheryl gently took her mother‘s hand.
"Do you remember what you would say to me?"
"I would say I didn‘t come to see you play, I came to see you."
"And you meant those words, didn‘t you."
"Yes, I really did."
"Well, now I say the same words to you. I didn‘t come to see you talk, I came to see you."
Her mother understood and smiled as she floated back into sleep.
Their afternoons together passed quietly into days, weeks, and months. Their love filled the spaces between their words. To the last day they ministered to each other in the stillness, love given and received just by seeing each other.
A love so strong that, even in this deepened silence that followed their last good-bye, Cheryl can still hear her mother‘s love.
11
One day, a poor boy who was trying to pay his way through school by selling goods door to door found that he only had one dime left. He was hungry so he decided to beg for a meal at the next house.
However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you?”
“You owe me nothing,” she replied. “Mother has taught me never to accept pay for a kindness.” As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but it also increased his faith. He was about to give up and quit before this point.
Years later the young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where specialists can be called in to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly, now famous,
heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately, he rose and went down through the hospital hall into her room. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room and determined to do his best to save her life.
After a long struggle, the battle was won. However, when the bill was sent to her room, she was afraid to open it because she was positive that it would take the rest of her life to pay it off. Finally she looked, and the note on the side caught her attention.
“Paid in full with a glass of milk.”
Tears of joy flooded her eyes as she prayed silently: “Thank You, God. Your love has sp read through human hearts and hands.”
12
Today we buried our 20-year-old son. He was killed instantly in a motorcycle accident on Friday night. How I wish I had known when I talked to him last that it would be the last time. If I had only known I would hav e said, "Jim, I love you and I‘m so very proud of you."
I would have taken the time to count the many blessings he brought to the lives of the many who loved him. I would have taken time to appreciate his beautiful smile, the sound of his laughter, his genuine love of people.
When you put all the good attributes on the scale and you try to balance all the irritating traits such as the radio which was always too loud, the haircut that wasn‘t to our liking, the dirty socks under the bed, etc., the irritatio ns don‘t amount to much.
I won‘t get another chance to tell my son all I would have wanted him to hear, but, other parents, you do have a chance. Tell your young people what you would want them to hear if you knew it would be your last conversation. The last time I talked to Jim was the day he died. He called me to say, "Hi, Mom! I just called to say I love you. Got to go to work. Bye." He gave me something to treasure forever.
If there is any purpose at all to Jim‘s death, maybe it is to make others appr eciate more of life and to have people, especially families, take the time to let each other know just how much we care.
You may never have another chance. Do it today!
13
A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. "Is this your car, Mister?" he asked.
Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was astounded. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you nothing? Boy, I wish..." He hesitated.
Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.
"I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that."
Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?"
"Oh yes, I'd love that."
After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?"
Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked.
He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.
"There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm gonna give you one just like it... then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about."
Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.
That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he had said, "It is more blessed to give..."
14
A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.
“Daddy, please tell me, how much do you make an hour?” pleaded th e little boy.
“If you must know, I make $20 an hour.”
“Oh,” the little boy replied, with his head down. Looking up, he said, “Daddy, may I please borrow $10?”
The father was furious, “If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to b uy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish.”
The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money? After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10 and he really didn't ask for money very often.
“I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier,” said the man, “It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $10 you asked for.”
The little boy sat straight up, smiling. “Oh, thank you daddy!” He yelled. T hen, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at his father.
“Daddy, I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.”
15
“Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you're alive is a special occasion.”
I'm still thinking about these words, and they've changed my life. I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting on the deck and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experience to enojy, not endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.
"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their significance in my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew that my hours were limited. Angry because I put off seeing good friends whom I was going to get in touch with-someday. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write--one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and daughter often enough how much I truly love them.
I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and shine to our lives.
And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is ... a gift from God.
16
My friend Gayle has been "living" with cancer for four years and it is progressively getting worse. During a conversation with another friend, Gayle expressed that one of her childhood wishes was to have a
red Radio Flyer wagon. As a child she never received one because she believed that if you told your birthday wish it wouldn't come true. I was at an ice cream stand one day and in the window was a miniature red Radio Flyer wagon that could be won in a weekly drawing. Every time you make a purchase you could fill out a ticket for a chance to win. After several weeks and many ice cream cones, I didn't win.
I got up the courage to ask the person in charge if I could buy one. I went to the window and as I began to tell my story, I could feel my throat tighten and my eyes overflowed with tears. Somehow I managed to explain my reason for wanting to purchase the wagon, and after writing a check, I left carrying it. The wagon was delivered the next day, and for Gayle it was dream come true. The following day I received a letter that read:
Dear Bonnie,
Every once in a while there is an opportunity to pass on a kindness – no questions asked. I lost my parents to cancer six months apart from each other. I cared for both of them but could not have done it without the love and generosity of friends – friends who care.
The best to you,
Norma
It was from the owner of the ice cream stand. Enclosed was my uncashed check
17
Be Still With God
All day long I had been very busy; picking up trash, cleaning bathrooms and scrubbing floors. My grown children were coming home for the weekend. I went grocery shopping and prepared for a barbecue supper, complete with ribs and chicken. I wanted everything to be perfect.
Suddenly, it dawned on me that I was dog-tired. I simply couldn't work as long as I could when I was younger. "I've got to rest for a minute," I told my husband, Roy, as I collapsed into my favorite rocking chair. Music was playing, my dog and cat were chasing each other and the telephone rang.
A scripture from Psalm 46 popped into my mind. "Be still, and know that I am God." I realized that I hadn't spent much time in prayer that day. Was I too busy to even utter a simple word of thanks to God? Suddenly, the thought of my beautiful patio came to mind. I can be quiet out there, I thought. I longed for a few minutes alone with God.
Roy and I had invested a great deal of time and work in the patio that spring. The flowers and hanging baskets were breathtaking. It was definitely a heavenly place of rest and tranquility. If I can't be still with God in that environment, I can't be still with Him anywhere, I thought. While Roy was talking on the telephone, I slipped out the backdoor and sat down on my favorite patio chair. I closed my eyes and began to pray, counting my many blessings.
A bird flew by me, chirping and singing. It interrupted my thoughts. It landed on the bird feeder and began eating dinner as I watched. After a few minutes it flew away, singing another song.
I closed my eyes again. A gust of wind blew, which caused my wind chimes to dance. They made a joyful sound, but again I lost my concentration on God. I squirmed and wiggled in my chair. I looked up toward the blue sky and saw the clouds moving slowly toward the horizon. The wind died down. My wind chimes finally became quiet.
Again, I bowed in prayer. "Honk, honk," I heard. I almost jumped out of my skin. A neighbor was driving down the street. He waved at me and smiled. I waved back, happy that he cared. I quickly tried once again to settle down, repeating the familiar verse in my mind. Be still and know that I am God.
"I'm trying God. I really am," I whispered. "But you've got to help me here."
The backdoor opened. My husband walked outside. "I love you," he said. "I was wondering where you were." I chuckled, as he came over and kissed me, then turned around and went back inside.。