Understanding ideas

My first day at senior high

我的高中第一天

Monday 4 September

9月4日星期一

1. After I had pictured it over and over again in my mind, the big day finally arrived: my first day at senior high! I woke up early and rushed out of the door in my eagerness to get to know my new school.

我在脑海中进行一遍又一遍地想象之后，如今这一天终于来了：我高中生活的第一天！我一大早就起床冲出家门，迫不及待地想要了解我的新学校。

2. The campus was still quiet when I arrived, so I decided to explore a bit. I was looking at the photos on the noticeboard when I heard a voice behind me. “New here?” Turing around, I saw a  white-haired man. “Yes,” I replied. “I’m wondering what life is going to be like here.” “Don’t worry,” he gave me a smile. “You’ll soon find out.”

我来到的时候校园里还很安静，我决定四处探索一番。当我正在看布告栏上的照片时，身后忽然传来一个声音：“你是新生吗？”我转过身，看到一位白发老人。“是的，”我回答道，“我想知道这里的生活将是怎么样的。”“别担心，”他对我微微一笑，“你很快就会知道了。”

3. How true these words were! When my English teacher stepped into the classroom, I was surprised to see the same man I had met earlier. 

这话说得真是太对了！当我的英语老师走进教室时，我很惊讶地发现，他就是我之前遇到的那位老人。

4. “Good morning, everyone. Before we start, please come to the front one by one and introduce yourself to the class. I’ll go first…”

“大家早上好。开始上课前，请大家依次到前面来向全班介绍一下你自己。我先来……”

5. “What?!” I tried to turn on my brain but the engine just wouldn’t start. “I should say my name, of course. But what else? What could I say to make a good first impression? Something about my insect collection, perhaps.” I was organizing my words in my head when the girl next to me gave me a nudge. “It’s your turn!”

“什么？！”我试图让我的大脑运转起来，但引擎怎么就是无法启动。“当然，我得先介绍我的名字。还有呢？我该说些什么才能给别人留下一个不错的第一印象呢？也许应该说说我收藏昆虫标本的事。”我正忙着在脑海中组织语言，坐在我旁边的女孩轻轻推了我一下：“轮到你了！”

6. With butterflies in my stomach, I breathed deeply. “Hi, I’m Meng Hao.” Everyone started laughing. I looked at them in panic. “Nice to know we share the same name,” said my new teacher. I had been too nervous to pay attention when he introduced himself! Although I was embarrassed, his words made me a lot more relaxed!

我心里七上八下、紧张万分。我深呼一口气说：“大家好，我叫孟浩。”大家开始大笑起来。我惊慌失措地看着他们。“很高兴我们同名啊。”我的新老师说。我刚才太紧张了，竟然没有仔细听老师的自我介绍！尽管有些尴尬，但他的话还是让我放松了很多！

我们都介绍完后，孟老师说：“大家都做得很好！我知道这对你们很多人来说并不容易，但这正是你们在高中阶段将会面对的。类似的挑战有时可能会让大家倍感压力，但这一切都取决于你自己的努力。大家要时刻保持冷静，做好准备，这样就可以充分利用高中的时光了。”

7. When we had all introduced ourselves, Mr Meng said, “Well done, everyone! I know this isn’t easy for many of you. But this is just the kind of thing you are going to face at senior high. Challenges like this might sometimes put you under pressure. But it all depends on what you do. Keep calm and be prepared. That way, you’ll make the most of your time at senior high.”

8. People say, “Well begun, half done.” I guess this was a good beginning to my new school life.

常言道：“好的开始是成功的一半。”我想，我的高中生活开了一个好头。

Developing ideas

High School Hints

高中生活指南

Interviewer: Hello and welcome to School Talk! Today I’m joined by a former student of our school, Lisa Osborne. Lisa graduated from our school last June and is about to go to college in New York. Lisa, thank you for coming to share your suggestions for high school with us.

采访人：大家好，欢迎收看《校园访谈》！本期嘉宾是我校校友莉萨·奥斯本。莉萨今年六月从我校毕业，即将在纽约上大学。莉萨，谢谢你来和我们分享你对高中的建议。

Lisa: Hi, everybody. I’m very glad to be back. I feel as if high school was only yesterday!

莉萨：嗨，大家好。我很高兴回到母校。我觉得高中生活就像是昨天发生的事一样历历在目！

Interviewer: So what helped when you first started high school?

采访人：那么，刚上高中时，有哪些事情对你有所帮助？

Lisa: Orientation Day was really helpful. It’s a fantastic opportunity for new students to get to know the school and the other students. I even made some new friends! Just keep an open mind and take part in as much as possible.

莉萨：迎新日真的很有帮助。这是新生了解学校和认识学生的绝佳机会。我那天结交了一些新朋友！只管敞开心扉，尽可能地参与其中。

Interviewer:That’s sound advice for sure. But how did you deal with new challenges, like starting a new course?

采访人：这的确是个不错的建议。但是，你是如何应对新挑战的呢，比如学习一门新课程？

Lisa:I had a chemistry test right at the end of the first week. I was frightened at the sight of the test paper. But then I figured I’d better just go all out and see what happens. If you fail, no problem—next time you can fail better!

莉萨：开学第一周才结束时，我就有一场了化学考试。我看到试卷就害怕了。不过后来我就觉得，最好还是全力以赴考考看。如果这次考不好，没关系——下次你可以做得更好！

Interviewer: So, hold your head up, then. But life is not always easy. You must have had some moments when you were disappointed. If so, how did you deal with them?

采访人：也就是说，诀窍就是永不放弃。但生活并非总是一帆风顺。你肯定有过灰心丧气的时候。这种情况下，你是如何应对的呢？

Lisa: As a member of the school volleyball team, I wasn’t selected for the end-of-year competition. At first I was really sad, but later I realized that I joined the team for the love of the sport. It wasn’t just about winning. So I kept working hard to support my teammates during our training. There’s always a way to be part of something you love, isn’t there?

莉萨：作为学校排球队的一员，我没有入选年终赛。一开始我非常难过，但后来我意识到，我是因为热爱这项运动才加入球队的，并我赢球(是不是能上场)无关。所以，我在培训期间一直努力支持我的队友。对于自己热爱的事情，总有办法参与其中，不是吗？

Interviewer: Yes, I totally agree. Is there anything else in particular that you’d like to share with us?

采访人：是的，我完全赞同。你还有什么特别想和我们分享的事情呢？

Lisa:Looking back on my high school life, the most important advice I’d give is these wonderful words from the writer Maya Angelou. She said, “Be a rainbow in somebody else’s cloud.” So, give your friends a hand when they need it. And this will make you feel good, too.

莉萨：回顾高中生活，我能给大家的最重要的建议就是作家玛雅·安吉洛的一句精彩名言。她说：“要成为别人云中的一道彩虹。”所以，当朋友需要帮助时要施以援手，这也会让你感觉很开心。

Interviewer: Neat! Well, thanks again for coming to speak to us, Lisa. And good luck with college!