大山深处守初心

浙江 江 丽

在这所只有10多个学生的乡村小学,庄元军坚守了30多年。

1Over the past 37 years, Zhuang Yuanjun has been devoted to his position working in the rural area of Linjiang City, where he has helped more than 200 students leave the remote mountain region.

2Born into a rural family in 1963, Zhuang was appointed to teach at the village primary school after his graduation from senior high school in 1986.Zhuang was the only teacher at the school and,from then on,his life has been tightly linked to his students.“I wouldn't exactly call it a school.There was only a small room,which was used as both a classroom and the teacher's office.All the students of different grades had to have lessons in the same classroom,”he says.He divided the blackboard into different sections for students from different grades and changed lessons between them.During his spare time,Zhuang tried to improve conditions at the school.

3At that time, Zhuang lived in a township 18 kilometers away from the school.Without any public transportation, Zhuang had to ride to work on a motorcycle every day, no matter how bad the weather was.“The mountain path was quite steep and it took me at least one hour each way.I couldn't remember how many times I fell from the motorcycle and got hurt.However,there was no other choice—the children were my responsibility,”he says.

4Besides Chinese and math, Zhuang also gave fine art and music classes to the students, into which he put a great deal of time and preparation.Furthermore, he put a focus on students' health.Due to the tough working environment, Zhuang developed serious arthritis(关节炎)and heart disease.

5Since Zhuang started work, he has supported several students who could not afford fees, books or meals.Now, in the central school, he is paying for lunch for two students.This costs about 300 yuan a month for each student.

6Zhuang's decades of dedication also influenced his daughter,Zhuang Hewei.Following in her father's footsteps,Zhuang Hewei became a teacher,too.“I hope I can become as excellent a teacher as my father and help more students seek a bright future,”she says.

Reading Check

1.What can be learned about the primary school where Zhuang worked in 1986?

A.It was a school with a long history.

B.It had only a few teachers.

C.It had poor teaching conditions.

D.It was near the city.

2.What does the author try to express through paragraph 3?

A.Zhuang's life was tough with his students.

B.Zhuang faced a great challenge on his road to work.

C.Zhuang did a lot to improve his students'health.

D.Zhuang cared about those poor students.

3.Which word can best describe Zhuang according to the text?

A.Generous.

B.Humorous.

C.Proud.

D.Dedicated.

4.Why was Zhuang Hewei mentioned in paragraph 6?

A.To prove the power of hope.

B.To show Zhuang's positive effects on his daughter.

C.To call on people to help students in the mountains.

D.To stress the importance of teaching in rural areas.

Language Study

Ⅰ.日积月累

devotev.奉献；致力于

appointv.任命

steepadj.陡峭的

supportv.资助

affordv.买得起

be devoted to 献身于

from then on 从那时起

be tightly linked to 与……紧紧联系在一起

divide...into 把……分成……

no matter 无论

follow in one's footsteps 追随某人的脚步

seek a bright future 追求光明的未来

Ⅱ.单句填空

1.We can't afford to ________(go)abroad this summer.

2.They're devoted ________their children.

3.They have ________(appoint)a new head teacher at my son's school.

4.She left in 1984 and ________then on he lived alone.

5.All the students were divided ________three groups.

6.Exposure to ultraviolet(紫外线的)light is closely linked ________skin cancer.