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[初中英语][365磨耳朵系列] 1011 The Wise Old Crow
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The Wise Old Crow
Little stones raised the water, wisdom saved the island
原文精读 · 首字母填空（10题）· 答案解析 · 知识扩展
PART 1📖 原文欣赏 · Original Text
The Wise Old Crow
adapted from a traditional European legend · 乌鸦喝水
It was the middle of summer on a tiny little island in the sea. And it was so hot that all the fresh water had dried up. The birds were so weak that they could hardly fly.
Then one night, it rained. But the ground was so hard and dry that the water just ran into the sea.
All the birds were beginning to panic. Then, an old crow announced, "Last week, some humans left a very large round bottle on the beach. It may have water in it."
Someone yelled, "Take us there, old crow!"
He took them to the beach, and they all stood looking at the huge round bottle. It was sitting upright on the sand. It had gallons of water in it—all they would need for weeks.
They tried to push it over, but it was so big that it would not move. They dropped rocks on it, but it would not break. They all felt they would die looking at the fresh water!
As they argued about how to break the bottle, the old crow picked up a pebble and walked over to the bottle.
"What are you doing, crazy old bird?" someone said. "You'll never be able to smash it with one of those little pebbles." They all laughed at him. "You're probably right," said the old crow.
He walked over to the bottle and dropped the pebble in. The others went back to arguing while he continued to drop pebbles into the bottle. Suddenly, one crow noticed and said, "Look, the water is rising!"
The wise old crow declared, "If we cannot reach the water, we must bring the water to us."
Soon, all the birds were helping. It took hundreds of pebbles, but by noon, the water had come to the top. Everyone agreed that the first drink should go to the wise old crow who had saved them.
The old crow is an important reminder that with age comes wisdom.
PART 2✏️ 首字母填空 · Fill in the Blanks
【题目说明】 阅读下面的短文，根据语境和所给首字母，在每个空白处填入一个完整单词（每空一词）。共 10 题，请独立完成后再核对答案。
The Wise Old Crow — Little stones raised the water, wisdom saved the island
It was the middle of summer on a tiny little island in the sea. And it was so hot that all the fresh water had dried up. The birds were so weak that they could h(1)__________ fly.
Then one night, it rained. But the ground was so hard and dry that the water just ran into the sea.
All the birds were beginning to p(2)__________. Then, an old crow a(3)__________, "Last week, some humans left a very large round bottle on the beach. It may have water in it."
Someone yelled, "Take us there, old crow!"
He took them to the beach, and they all stood looking at the huge round bottle. It was sitting u(4)__________ on the sand. It had g(5)__________ of water in it—all they would need for weeks.
They tried to push it over, but it was so big that it would not move. They dropped rocks on it, but it would not break. They all felt they would die looking at the fresh water!
As they argued about how to break the bottle, the old crow picked up a pebble and walked over to the bottle.
"What are you doing, crazy old bird?" someone said. "You'll never be able to s(6)__________ it with one of those little pebbles." They all laughed at him. "You're probably right," said the old crow.
He walked over to the bottle and dropped the pebble in. The others went back to arguing while he continued to drop p(7)__________ into the bottle. Suddenly, one crow noticed and said, "Look, the water is r(8)__________!"
The wise old crow d(9)__________, "If we cannot reach the water, we must bring the water to us."
Soon, all the birds were helping. It took hundreds of pebbles, but by noon, the water had come to the top. Everyone agreed that the first drink should go to the wise old crow who had saved them.
The old crow is an important reminder that with age comes w(10)__________.
PART 3✅ 答案解析 · Answer Keys
1hardlyadv. 几乎不
The birds were so weak that they could hardly fly.
hardly (adv.) 几乎不。表示否定含义，与 so weak 呼应，说明鸟儿们渴得连飞都飞不动了。注意 hardly 不是 hard 的副词「努力地」。
2panicn./v. 恐慌；惊慌
All the birds were beginning to panic.
panic (n./v.) 恐慌；惊慌失措。begin to panic 开始慌乱。文中指淡水断绝后鸟群陷入绝望，为老乌鸦站出来做铺垫。
3announcedv. 宣布（过去式）
Then, an old crow announced, "Last week, some humans left a very large round bottle..."
announce (v.) 宣布；宣告 → announced 过去式。announce 指正式地向大家宣布消息，比 say 语气强。文中指老乌鸦向众鸟宣布沙滩上有大瓶子的消息。
4uprightadv. 直立地
It was sitting upright on the sand.
upright (adv./adj.) 直立地；垂直的。sit upright 竖立着。文中说明瓶子稳稳立在沙滩上，瓶口小、肚子大，为「推不倒、砸不破」埋下伏笔。
5gallonsn. 加仑（复数）
It had gallons of water in it—all they would need for weeks.
gallon (n.) 加仑（约 3.8 升）→ gallons 复数。gallons of water 意为「大量的水」。文中指瓶里的水足够全岛鸟儿喝上几个星期。
6smashv. 砸碎
"You'll never be able to smash it with one of those little pebbles."
smash (v.) 砸碎；猛击。与 break 意思相近但更猛烈。文中众鸟嘲笑老乌鸦：一颗小石子根本不可能砸碎大瓶子。
7pebblesn. 鹅卵石（复数）
...he continued to drop pebbles into the bottle.
pebble (n.) 鹅卵石；小石子 → pebbles 复数。石子是「乌鸦喝水」故事的核心道具——一颗没用，成百上千颗就能把水位顶上来。
8risingv. 上升（现在分词）
"Look, the water is rising!"
rise (v.) 上升 → rising 现在分词。water is rising 水位正在上涨。注意 rise 是不及物动词（自己升高），不要与及物的 raise（把……抬高）混淆。
9declaredv. 宣称（过去式）
The wise old crow declared, "If we cannot reach the water, we must bring the water to us."
declare (v.) 宣称；郑重地说 → declared 过去式。比 announce 更强调态度坚决。文中老乌鸦说出全文题眼：够不到水，就把水带过来。
10wisdomn. 智慧
...that with age comes wisdom.
wisdom (n.) 智慧。wise (adj.) 智慧的 → wisdom (n.)。with age comes wisdom 岁月带来智慧，倒装句式点题：经验与阅历是年轻时换不来的财富。
PART 4📚 知识扩展 · Knowledge Extension
📌 重点单词 · Key Vocabulary
🔗 重点词组 · Key Phrases
💡 语法小贴士 · Grammar Tips
| It took | ||
| with age comes wisdom |
🐦 文化拓展 · Wisdom Beyond Strength
本文改编自欧洲传统寓言，其源头正是伊索（约公元前 6 世纪）的名篇《乌鸦与水罐》（The Crow and the Pitcher）：一只口渴的乌鸦发现瓶底有水却够不着，于是衔来石子一颗颗投入瓶中，水位上升，终于喝到了水。两千多年来，这个故事在全世界流传，中文里就是家喻户晓的「乌鸦喝水」。
故事背后的科学原理同样精彩：石头沉入水中，排开的水就只能往上升——这正是古希腊科学家阿基米德发现的浮力与排水原理（Archimedes' principle）。老乌鸦未必懂物理，但丰富的阅历让他「用对了」物理；古希腊人甚至用这个故事说明一条谚语——Necessity is the mother of invention（需要是发明之母）。
这版传说又添了一层新意：瓶子砸不破、推不倒，众鸟有蛮力却只会争吵，而老乌鸦不辩解、不放弃，默默做完正确的事。结尾 with age comes wisdom（岁月带来智慧）点题——遇到难题时，与其比谁嗓门大，不如想想谁的方法对；同时别忘了故事里最温暖的一笔：第一口水，敬给救了大家的智者。
— END —
小石子顶起大水位，岁月沉淀出智慧 🐦
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