精彩导读
1989年的美国地震摧毁了无数房屋，夺走了许多生命。但是在一所几乎被夷为平地的学校里，一位父亲不顾危险，不顾他人的劝阻，自己独自在废墟中连续搜寻了38个小时。原来这一切都是因为他曾经承诺过儿子的一句话 “我永远都在你身边”。幸运的是，他最终找到了自己幸存的儿子，生死危机时刻父子亲情拨动，让我们一起去读一读吧。
题材 体裁 文章词数 难度 建议用时亲情故事 记叙文 386 ★★ 7分钟
In 1989，a 6.9 earthquake almost destroyed America,killing over 270 people in less than four minutes.A father rushed to the school,only to discover that the building was as flat as a pancake.
After the shock,he remembered the promise he had made to his son: “No matter what happens,I'll always be there for you！”It looked hopeless,but he kept remembering hiscommitmentto his son.Remembering his son's classroom would be in the back right corner of the building,he rushed there and started digging through theruins.
As he was digging,other helpless parents arrived.The well-meaning parents tried to pull him off what was left of the school,saying，“It's too late！There's nothing you can do！”
To each parent heresponded withone line: “Are you going to help me now?” And then he continued to dig for his son,stone by stone.
The fire chief showed up and tried to pull him off the school's ruins saying, “Fires arebreaking out,explosionsare happening everywhere.You're in danger.Go home.We'll handle it！”This loving caring American father asked,“Are you going to help me now?”
Courageously，he went on alone because he needed to know for himself,“Is my boy alive or is he dead?”He dug for 8 hours,12 hours,24 hours,36 hours,then,in the 38th hour,hepulled backa large stone and heard his son's voice.He screamed his son's name,“Armand！”He heard back,“Dad?It's me,Dad！I told the other kids not to worry.I told them that if you were alive,you'd save me and when you saved me,they'd be saved.You promised,‘No matter what happens,I'll always be there for you’！You did it,Dad！”
“What's going on in there?How is it?” the father asked.
“There are 14 of us left out of 33,Dad.We'rescared,hungry,thirsty and thankful you're here.When the buildingcollapsed,it made a triangle,and it saved us.”
“Come out,boy！”
“No,Dad！Let the other kids out first,because I know you'll get me！No matter what happens,I know you'll always be there for me！”
Reading check
1.What does the title “I'll always be there for you” suggest according to the story？
2.What adjectives can be used to describe the virtues of the son according to the underlined sentences？
3.Love changes everything.Do you think if it is enough when there is nothing except love？
Language study
Vocabulary
commitment n.承诺；奉献
ruin n.废墟
explosion n.爆炸
scared adj.惊恐的；害怕的
collapse v.坍塌；崩溃
respond with以……回应
break out爆发；突然发生
pull back （使）撤离
Difficult sentences
1.The well-meaning parents tried to pull him off what was left of the school.
翻译：_________________________________
【点石成金】well-meaning意为“好心的，善意的”，pull sb off意为 “把某人从某处拉开”。what was left of the school是宾语从句，做介词off的宾语。
2.No matter what happens,I'll always be there for you！
翻译：____________________________________________
【点石成金】no matter+what引导的是让步状语从句，意为“无论……”，相当于whatever。
