CHAPTER FOUR
My New Friend
The next morning we got up in the dark. In all the rooms it
was as cold as ice. This time the porridge was not burned, but
I still felt hungry because there was not enough.
The girl I had spoken with yesterday was older than me, so she
was in a higher class. Her name was Helen Burns. Her history
teacher, Miss Scatcherd, seemed to think Helen did everything
wrong. She always spoke to Helen in this way:
"Burns, hold your head up, can't you!"
"Burns, don't stand like that!"
I thought that Miss Scatcherd's history questions seemed very
hard. However, Helen asways knew all the answers. She was so
smart that I did not understand why the teacher did not like
her. That day, she looked at Helen and suddenly said,
"You dirty girl! You didn't wash your hands this morning!"
I was surprised that Helen did not tell her that we cold not
wash ourselves, because the water had been [-----1-----]! Miss
Scatcberd said something to Helen that I could not hear. Then
Helen left the room and returned, carrying a stick. The
teacher took it and hit Helen several times with it. I was [-
----2-----], but the girl did not cry or change her
expression.
"Wicked girl!" said Miss Scatcherd. "Nothing will change your
dirty habits!"
During the play hour, I found Helen alone, reading the same
book as before, and I started talking to her.
"Do you want to leave Lowood?" I asked her.
"No, I don't. I was sent to school here, so I must learn as
much as I can."
I was very surprised. "But Miss Scatcherd is so cruel to you!"
I cried.
"She's not cruel. She is strict, and she knows my
faults."Helen said.
I said angrily, "Why, if she hit me with a stick, I'd grab it
and break it under her nose!"
"I don't think you would," answered Helen quietly. "And if you
did, Mr. Brocklehurst would send you away, and your [-----3--
---] would be angry. Anyway, the Bible tells us to do good
things, even when others hurt us. Life can be hard, but we
must try."
Vocabulary Focus
carrying a stick:主语Helen的补语，表谓语动词的伴随状态。
答案：
1.frozen
2.horrified
3.relations
