Helen Keller and Her Teacher

董云姣

Helen Keller was one of Americas best-known women. She was admired for her courage and achievements although she couldnt see or hear. She was also known throughout the world for her self-sacrificing work to improve the condition of the blind， the deaf and the speechless. When she died on June 1， 1968， the newspaper Washington Post wrote： “Her life was truly one of the most remarkable phenomena of our time and her death just short of the age of 88 leaves the whole world poorer.”

Helen Keller was born on June 27th， 1880， in Tuscumbia， Alabama. For the first 19 months of her life， she was a pretty and happy baby， normal in every way. Then a sudden illness destroyed her sight and her hearing. Because she could not hear sounds to imitate①， she could not speak. Helen used to say that her real birthday was not June 27th， 1880， but March 3rd， 1887 —the day when Anne Sullivan entered her life. It was Anne Sullivan who taught Helen to spell certain words by a special system， Braille， and even to talk.

Anne Sullivan could not teach Helen Keller to speak until some other important things had been learned. The little girl had to learn to control her actions and feelings. She had to learn that she could not always do what she wanted to do. She had always been able to get what she wanted by using force. The teacher had to change such habits without breaking the childs spirit.

Miss Sullivans battle began. Sometimes， there was real fighting between the wild child and the strong young teacher. At last， however， the battle was won by Miss Sullivan， who succeeded in showing Helen that she loved her and wanted to help her. The child and her teacher became friends. They continued to be friends until the teachers death， fifty years later.

The day on which Helen finally accepted Miss Sullivan as her friend and teacher was a great day in Helens life. After that， the teacher could begin to teach the child language.

Note： ① imitate v. 模仿

【難句解析】

1. Helen used to say that her real birthday was not June 27th， 1880， but March 3rd， 1887 — the day when Anne Sullivan entered her life.

释义：海伦过去常常说，她的生日不是在1880年6月27日，而是1887年3月3日——安妮·莎莉文进入她生活的那一天。

点拨：used to do表示“过去常常做某事”;not... but...意为“不是……而是……”;when引导定语从句，修饰先行词the day。在定语从句中，when作状语。例如：

We used to go for a walk after supper. 过去我们总是在晚饭后去散步。

She wants to buy not a skirt， but a dress. 她想买的不是一条短裙，而是一条连衣裙。

Ill never forget the day when I met you. 我将不会忘记和你见面的那一天。

2. It was Anne Sullivan who taught Helen to spell certain words by a special system， Braille， and even to talk.

释义：是安妮·莎莉文使用一种特殊的系统——盲文，教海伦拼读单词，甚至说话。

点拨：It was Anne Sullivan who...是强调句型。强调句型的基本结构为“It is / was+that / who+句子的其余部分”。it在句中无意义，只起引出被强调部分的作用。被強调的部分指人时，除可用that外，还可换用who（强调宾语指人时也可用whom）。在强调句中，去掉It is / was... that / who后，句子结构仍然完整，句意仍然明确。例如：

It was Tom who / that I met last week. 我上周遇见的就是汤姆。

3. Anne Sullivan could not teach Helen Keller to speak until some other important things had been learned.

释义：直到海伦·凯勒学到一些别的重要的东西，安妮·莎莉文才教她说话。

点拨：until用于否定句中，意为“直到……才……”，表示动作从until表示的时间才开始，主句动词延续性、非延续性均可。用于肯定句中，意为“到……为止”，表示动作一直持续到所说时间为止，主句的动词必须是延续性动词。例如：

I didnt know she was French until she spoke. 直到她开口说话我才知道她是法国人。

I will wait until I hear from you. 我会一直等到你写信来

4. The day on which Helen finally accepted Miss Sullivan as her friend and teacher was a great day in Helens life.

释义：海伦接受莎莉文小姐，并把她当作朋友和老师的那一天，是海伦人生中伟大的一天。

点拨：在此句中，on which Helen finally accepted Miss Sullivan as her friend and teacher是定语从句，修饰先行词the day。在定语从句中，当“介词+which”在定语从句中作时间、地点和原因状语时，可以用相应的关系副词when， where和why来替换。例如：

The day when （=on which） she arrived was Thursday. 她到的那天是星期四。

I. Choose the right answer.

1. Helen Keller was admired by many people because ____.

A. she was very famous in America

B. she had great courage and gained lots of achievements

C. she went to college though she couldnt see or hear

D. she had a good teacher

2. Learning to ____ was Helen Kellers first lesson before she was taught to speak.

A. sit all day long                             B. make friends with her teacher

C. do a thing again and again                       D. control actions and feelings

3. We can infer from the passage that Anne Sullivan ____.

A. was more than a teacher to Helen          B. was very clever

C. was a blind woman                            D. taught Helen how to write

4. Which of the following statement is NOT mentioned in the passage？

A. Helen Keller stayed in touch with Miss Sullivan for fifty years.

B. Anne Sullivan took great trouble to show Helen that she loved her and wanted to help her.

C. It was not until Helen had learned some other important things that Miss Sullivan could teach her to speak.

D. Miss Sullivan met many difficulties in teaching Helen how to speak.

II. Fill in the blanks.

1. I ____ ____ （过去常常） get up early and take an hours walk before breakfast.

2. This is the desk ____ ____ the papers are stored.

3. Dont get off the bus ____ ____ ____ ____ （直到它停下）.

4. ____ ____ ____ ____ （不是玛丽，而是汤姆） took your books.

5. The hero ____ ____ ____ （因……而被欣赏） what they had done for society.

6. ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ （就是一本新书） his brother wants to buy.