Exceptional mothers all over the world

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难词探意

1. entourage /΄ɒnturɑːʒ/ n. 随行人员；随从

2. hospitality /ˌhɒspɪ΄tæləti/ n. 好客

3. reed /riːd/ n. 芦苇

4. tragically /΄trædʒkli/ adv. 悲剧地

History has given us many role models when it comes to mothering.Mothers throughout history have inspired us as they have raised their own families and passed down high values.

Tao Kan's mother cut her hair and returned the salted fish

Tao Kan was a famous military general in the third to the fourth century.Tao lost his father as a young child. He and his mother lived a humble life,but his mother taught him to treat friends generously and not to put too much value on money.According to A New Account of the Tales of the World(《世说新语》), a scholar named Fan Kui once passed through Tao's hometown and asked for a night's stay at their home.Fan was well-known in government and Tao wanted to make his acquaintance,but didn't have enough food and room to treat all his servants and horses.At this time,Tao's mother told Tao to take in theentourage, cut off her long hair and sold it for money to buy food.She tore down several wood pillars from her house to chop into firewood,and even cut up her grass mats to feed Fan's horses. Fan was deeply moved by theirhospitalityand impressed by Tao's talents.Later,Fan recommended him to the local government,and Tao became an official.

But the story of Tao's mother didn't end.As a low-ranked official,Tao was assigned to take charge of the fisheries.Once,he sent a jar of salted fish to his mother,but to his surprise,his mother returned it with a letter saying,“As you are an official,sending me public property will do me no good,but just worry me.”Tao was ashamed,and was determined to be an upright official in the future.

Ouyang Xiu's mother taught with a reed and sand

Ouyang Xiu was a famous statesman, historian, essayist, calligrapher, and poet in the 11th century.It's said that all of his achievements started from the great education he got from his mother.

According to The History of the Song, Ouyang's father died when Ouyang was only 4, leaving his mother and him in poverty. Ouyang's mother wanted to send Ouyang to school,but she couldn't afford it,so she decided to teach Ouyang by herself. They were so poor that they even couldn't afford to buy paper, brush, or ink, so Ouyang's mother collected some fine sand,spread it on the ground,and used a reed as a pen to trace characters in the sand.Just like this,Ouyang learned to write and was taught famous ancient essays by his mother until he was old enough to get a better education.

Princess Diana enjoyed a unique parenting style

Diana,Princess of Wales,was known to do things in her own way in almost every area of her very public life,from her fashion choices to her openness. Her parenting style under the spotlight that came with royalty was no different. She was a more hands-on parent than royals had typically been up to that point.She sent her children to public school,and she generally made efforts to let her two sons, William and Harry, experience common everyday life outside the palace walls. Her days as a mother were tragically short, as her sons were only 15 and 12 when she died in a car accident in 1997. Her son William and daughter-in-law,Princess Catherine,Duchess of Cambridge,have carried on some of her down-to-earth parenting ways.

Angelina Jolie believes her children are the best thing

Angelina Jolie is a woman who believes her children are the best thing ever happening to her. Jolie adopted two children, Cambodian orphan Maddox and Ethiopian Zahara, who lost her parents to AIDS. Jolie was named a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 2001. Jolie loves different elements of life and knows how to manage both work and family. In 2007, she adopted a Vietnamese kid named Pax Thien and increased her family size.

Reading Check

1. Which of the mothers mentioned in the text do you admire most? Why?

2. Can you share your own mother's story with your classmates? Which thing she did touched you the deepest? Why?

Language Study

Sentence for writing

History has given us many role models when it comes to mothering.

【信息提取】when it comes to...意为“当谈到……时”。

【句式仿写】当谈到我们的母亲时，我们会感到非常温暖。