威威老師的閱讀教室：高中記敘文 (SH Narrative Texts)
Section 1：高中記敘文挑戰 (The Challenge of SH Narrative Texts)
1.1 更長、更深、更多推論題
高中閱讀和國中有什麼不同？
| 國中 | 高中 | |
|---|---|---|
| 文章長度 | 120-180 words | 200-300+ words |
| 字彙難度 | 基礎 2000 字 | 基礎 4500-7000 字 |
| 題目類型 | 細節題為主 | 推論題、語氣題、態度題增加 |
| 陷阱設計 | 較少 | 較多（似是而非的選項） |
| 隱含意義 | 少 | 多——需要讀懂言外之意 |
1.2 注意：語氣、情感、隱含意義
高中記敘文常考三種「看不到」的東西：
語氣 (Tone)： 作者的態度是什麼？
- Positive（正面）: hopeful, encouraging, warm
- Negative（負面）: critical, sarcastic, pessimistic
- Neutral（中立）: objective, informative
情感 (Emotion)： 人物的感受是什麼？
- 注意形容詞和副詞的選擇
- 注意對話中的情感表達
隱含意義 (Implied Meaning)： 作者沒有直接說出來，但你能推斷出什麼？
- 為什麼作者要用某個特定的詞？
- 故事的結尾暗示了什麼？
1.3 策略：先讀問題 → 帶著問題讀文章
威威老師的高效閱讀法
- 先快速掃過題目（不需要看選項）
- 帶著題目的關鍵字回去讀文章
- 邊讀邊找答案線索
- 這樣可以省去「讀完文章卻忘記要找什麼」的問題
Section 2：五篇高中級記敘文 (Five SH-Level Narratives)
Story 1：A Difficult Decision（艱難的決定）
David stood at the crossroads, both literally and figuratively. In one direction was the path to the art school he had dreamed of attending for years. In the other was the business program that his parents had carefully chosen for him. The acceptance letters for both programs lay in his backpack, and the deadline to respond was tomorrow.
Art had been David’s passion since childhood. He could lose himself for hours in a painting, forgetting to eat or sleep. His art teacher, Ms. Chen, had told him he had real talent and encouraged him to pursue it professionally. “The world needs people who follow their hearts,” she had said.
But his parents saw things differently. “Art is a nice hobby,” his father had said over dinner last week, “but it won’t pay the bills. Business is practical. You’ll always have job security.” His mother had nodded silently, her eyes filled with a mixture of love and worry.
David understood their concerns. His family was not wealthy, and they had sacrificed a lot to support his education. The business program was at a prestigious university with excellent career prospects. Choosing art felt selfish, almost irresponsible.
That evening, David called his grandfather, a retired carpenter who had spent his life working with his hands. “Grandpa,” David said, “did you ever regret becoming a carpenter instead of doing something more…practical?”
There was a long pause before his grandfather answered. “David, I never became a carpeter for the money. I became a carpenter because when I work with wood, I feel alive. Every morning, I wake up excited to create something. That feeling is worth more than any paycheck.” He paused again. “But I won’t tell you what to choose. That’s something only you can decide.”
David hung up the phone and stared at the two acceptance letters on his desk. He picked up a pencil and began to sketch. As the image took shape on the paper, he felt a familiar warmth spread through his chest. For the first time in weeks, he felt certain about what he needed to do.
Key Vocabulary
| English | Chinese |
|---|---|
| literally | 字面上地 |
| figuratively | 比喻上地 |
| prestigious | 有聲望的 |
| sacrifice | 犧牲 |
| irresponsible | 不負責任的 |
| paycheck | 薪水 |
| career prospects | 職業前景 |
| sketch | 素描 |
| pursue | 追求 |
| job security | 工作穩定性 |
Questions
1. (Comprehension) What decision does David need to make?
- (A) Whether to go to college or start working
- (B) Whether to attend art school or a business program
- (C) Whether to stay in his hometown or move abroad
- (D) Whether to follow his teacher’s or his parents’ advice
2. (Comprehension) What does David’s grandfather’s answer suggest about his own life?
- (A) He regrets his career choice.
- (B) He chose his work for passion, not money, and is satisfied.
- (C) He thinks David should choose the business program.
- (D) He is disappointed in David.
3. (Inference) What does “a familiar warmth spread through his chest” suggest?
- (A) David was having a heart attack.
- (B) David was feeling sick from stress.
- (C) David felt a renewed sense of purpose and passion for art.
- (D) David was angry at his parents.
4. (Inference) What will David most likely decide?
- (A) He will choose the business program.
- (B) He will ask for more time to decide.
- (C) He will choose art school.
- (D) He will not go to either school.
5. (Vocabulary in Context) What does “prestigious” most likely mean?
- (A) expensive
- (B) having high reputation and respect
- (C) difficult to get into
- (D) located in a big city
6. (Vocabulary in Context) “The deadline to respond was tomorrow” — What does “respond” mean here?
- (A) to argue
- (B) to give an answer or reply
- (C) to write a letter
- (D) to call someone
7. (Tone/Attitude) What is the tone of this passage?
- (A) humorous and lighthearted
- (B) tense and ultimately hopeful
- (C) angry and bitter
- (D) cold and detached
Answer Key — Story 1
- (B) — “In one direction was the path to the art school…In the other was the business program.”
- (B) — “I became a carpenter because when I work with wood, I feel alive…That feeling is worth more than any paycheck.”
- (C) — 畫畫時感到熟悉的溫暖——暗示他對藝術的熱情重新被喚醒。
- (C) — 最後他畫畫時感到確定，暗示他會選擇藝術學校。
- (B) — prestigious = 有聲望的、受人尊敬的。
- (B) — respond = 回覆、回答（是否接受錄取）。
- (B) — 整篇充滿抉擇的壓力，但結尾走向希望和確定。
Story 2：Learning from Failure（從失敗中學習）
The results were posted on the bulletin board, and Amy pushed through the crowd to find her name. When she finally saw it, her heart sank. She had not made the school choir—the one thing she had worked toward all semester.
Amy had always loved singing. She practiced every day, listened to professional choirs, and even took private lessons. Her music teacher had praised her improvement, and her friends had encouraged her to audition. She felt confident going into the tryouts. But when she stood in front of the judges, her voice had trembled with nervousness. She had forgotten the words halfway through the second verse, and the recovery was awkward and rushed.
For the next few days, Amy avoided the music room. She deleted all the choir music from her playlist and told herself she was done with singing. What was the point of trying if she was just going to fail again?
It was her younger brother, Timmy, who changed her mind—though he did not mean to. One afternoon, Amy heard terrible sounds coming from the living room. Timmy was trying to play the guitar, and it sounded absolutely awful. “Timmy, what are you doing?” Amy asked, annoyed.
“I’m practicing,” he said with a grin. “I’m really bad right now, but I’ll get better.”
“How do you know?” Amy asked.
“Because I was terrible at riding a bike too, and now I’m great!” he said proudly.
Amy stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. Her little brother, without realizing it, had just reminded her of something important: being bad at something is just the first step toward being good at it.
The next morning, Amy walked back into the music room. She found her teacher and asked, “Can you help me figure out what went wrong at the audition?” They sat down together and went through every part of her performance. Amy discovered that her main problem was not her singing ability but her performance anxiety. Over the next few months, she worked on techniques to manage her nerves, such as deep breathing and visualization.
When the next audition came around, Amy was ready. This time, her voice was steady, and she delivered a beautiful performance. When the results were posted, she found her name on the list. She smiled, thinking of Timmy and his terrible guitar playing, and felt grateful for the failure that had taught her so much.
Key Vocabulary
| English | Chinese |
|---|---|
| audition | 試鏡/試唱 |
| tremble | 顫抖 |
| verse | 歌的一節 |
| recovery | 恢復 |
| visualization | 想像（ visualization 技巧） |
| performance anxiety | 表演焦慮 |
| grin | 咧嘴笑 |
| annoyed | 煩躁的 |
| steady | 穩定的 |
| grateful | 感激的 |
Questions
1. (Comprehension) Why did Amy fail her first audition?
- (A) She was not a good singer.
- (B) She did not prepare enough.
- (C) She was too nervous and forgot the words.
- (D) The judges were unfair.
2. (Comprehension) How did Timmy inspire Amy?
- (A) He told her to quit singing.
- (B) He showed her that being bad at first is normal and improvement comes with practice.
- (C) He sang a song for her.
- (D) He made fun of her failure.
3. (Inference) What was Amy’s real problem according to the passage?
- (A) She lacked singing talent.
- (B) She did not practice enough.
- (C) Her performance anxiety, not her ability, was the issue.
- (D) The judges did not like her song choice.
4. (Inference) Why did Amy feel “grateful for the failure”?
- (A) Because failing made her popular.
- (B) Because the failure helped her identify and fix her real weakness.
- (C) Because she did not really want to be in the choir.
- (D) Because her teacher gave her extra points.
5. (Vocabulary in Context) “Her voice had trembled” — What does “trembled” mean?
- (A) sounded beautiful
- (B) became louder
- (C) shook with nervousness
- (D) went silent
6. (Vocabulary in Context) “She deleted all the choir music from her playlist” — What does this action suggest?
- (A) She wanted to listen to different music.
- (B) She was trying to avoid anything that reminded her of the failure.
- (C) Her playlist was too full.
- (D) She was organizing her music files.
7. (Tone/Attitude) How would you describe Amy’s attitude by the end of the story?
- (A) resigned and defeated
- (B) confident and resilient
- (C) angry and bitter
- (D) indifferent
Answer Key — Story 2
- (C) — “her voice had trembled with nervousness. She had forgotten the words.”
- (B) — Timmy 說 “I’m really bad right now, but I’ll get better”，讓 Amy 醒悟。
- (C) — “her main problem was not her singing ability but her performance anxiety.”
- (B) — 失敗讓她找到真正的問題（表演焦慮）並加以克服。
- (C) — trembled = 顫抖。
- (B) — 刪除音樂表示她逃避跟失敗有關的回憶。
- (B) — 從失敗中站起來、再次嘗試並成功——confident and resilient。
Story 3：An Unexpected Encounter（意外的相遇）
It was raining heavily when Mark stepped off the bus in a small town he had never visited before. He was supposed to be on his way to a job interview in the city, but the bus had broken down, and the driver had told the passengers they would have to wait at least two hours for a replacement. Mark cursed his luck and looked around for a place to wait out the storm.
The only open shop on the street was a small, old bookstore. A bell chimed as Mark pushed open the creaky door. Inside, the air smelled of old paper and coffee. Shelves lined every wall, packed with books of all sizes and colors. A gray-haired woman sat behind the counter, reading a novel.
“Feel free to look around,” she said without looking up. “Take your time.”
Mark wandered through the narrow aisles, running his fingers along the book spines. He was not much of a reader—his phone was his main source of entertainment—but something about this place made him want to stay. The quietness was calming, a stark contrast to the chaos of the rain outside and the stress of the interview waiting for him.
He picked up a book at random. It was a collection of short stories by an author he had never heard of. He opened it to a random page and began reading. To his surprise, the story was about a young man who got lost on his way to an important event and ended up finding something unexpected in an unfamiliar place. Mark almost laughed at the coincidence.
“Good choice,” the woman said, now watching him with interest. “That’s one of my favorites. The author once visited this shop, you know. She said she wrote that very story while sitting in that corner.” She pointed to a worn armchair in the back of the store.
Mark read for the next hour and a half, completely absorbed. When he finally put the book down, he realized the rain had stopped. He bought the book and thanked the woman. “I’m glad the bus broke down,” he said honestly.
As he walked back to the bus stop, his phone buzzed with a message from the company. The interview had been rescheduled to next week due to a scheduling conflict. Mark smiled. Sometimes, the best things happen when your plans fall apart.
Key Vocabulary
| English | Chinese |
|---|---|
| curse | 詛咒/埋怨 |
| creaky | 吱嘎作響的 |
| spine | 書脊（書的側邊） |
| stark | 鮮明的/強烈的 |
| chaos | 混亂 |
| coincidence | 巧合 |
| absorbed | 全神貫注的 |
| worn | 磨損的 |
| reschedule | 重新安排時間 |
| fall apart | 瓦解/出錯 |
Questions
1. (Comprehension) Why was Mark in the small town?
- (A) He lived there.
- (B) His bus broke down on the way to an interview.
- (C) He was looking for a bookstore.
- (D) He was on vacation.
2. (Comprehension) What was special about the story Mark read?
- (A) It was about the bookstore owner.
- (B) It was about someone who got lost and found something unexpected—a situation very similar to Mark’s.
- (C) It was about job interviews.
- (D) It was written by Mark’s friend.
3. (Inference) What does the passage suggest about Mark’s character before this experience?
- (A) He was an avid reader who loved bookstores.
- (B) He did not read much and relied on his phone for entertainment.
- (C) He hated technology.
- (D) He was a writer.
4. (Inference) What is the implied message of this story?
- (A) Never take public transportation.
- (B) Sometimes unexpected events can lead to meaningful experiences.
- (C) Bookstores are better than libraries.
- (D) Job interviews are always stressful.
5. (Vocabulary in Context) “A stark contrast to the chaos of the rain” — What does “stark” mean?
- (A) slight
- (B) complete and obvious
- (C) confusing
- (D) dark
6. (Vocabulary in Context) “He was completely absorbed” — What does “absorbed” mean here?
- (A) wet from the rain
- (B) fully focused and engaged
- (C) confused
- (D) sleepy
7. (Tone/Attitude) What is the overall tone of the story?
- (A) dark and depressing
- (B) satirical and humorous
- (C) warm and serendipitous
- (D) tense and frightening
Answer Key — Story 3
- (B) — “the bus had broken down” on the way to a job interview。
- (B) — 故事內容和 Mark 的處境相似：迷路後在陌生地方找到意想不到的東西。
- (B) — “He was not much of a reader—his phone was his main source of entertainment.”
- (B) — “Sometimes, the best things happen when your plans fall apart.”
- (B) — stark = 鮮明的、強烈的對比。
- (B) — absorbed = 全神貫注的。
- (C) — 溫暖且充滿意外之喜的語調。
Story 4：A Family Tradition（家族傳統）
Every year, on the morning of the Lunar New Year, Grandma Wu would wake up before dawn to prepare the family’s traditional dumplings. It was a ritual that had been passed down for at least four generations, and every member of the Wu family looked forward to it all year long.
Mei, Grandma Wu’s sixteen-year-old granddaughter, had always helped with the simpler tasks—folding the dumpling wrappers and arranging them on the plate. But this year was different. Grandma Wu was eighty-three years old, and her hands shook slightly when she held the rolling pin. She moved more slowly than before, and she sometimes forgot an ingredient or repeated a step she had already done.
“Grandma, let me help you with the dough this year,” Mei offered gently one morning as she watched her grandmother struggle with the thick flour mixture.
Grandma Wu looked at her hands, then at Mei’s young, strong ones. A flicker of something—was it sadness? resignation?—crossed her face. Then she smiled. “All right, child. But you must do it exactly as I teach you. This recipe is not just about food. It is about our family.”
That morning, for the first time, Mei learned to make the dumpling filling from scratch. Grandma Wu guided her through each step—the precise ratio of pork to vegetables, the secret combination of ginger and sesame oil, the special way to fold the wrappers so they looked like ancient Chinese gold ingots. “This shape brings good fortune,” Grandma Wu explained. “My mother taught me this when I was your age.”
As they worked side by side, Grandma Wu shared stories about the family’s past. She talked about her own grandmother, who had brought the recipe from mainland China decades ago. She described the difficult years when the family had very little money but always made dumplings for the New Year because “even in hard times, we need something to look forward to.”
By noon, they had made over two hundred dumplings. The family gathered around the table to eat them, just as they did every year. But this time, Mei noticed something different. The dumplings tasted the same as always, but she could now appreciate every fold, every ingredient, and every story behind them.
After dinner, Mei found a small notebook in the kitchen. Inside, in Grandma Wu’s careful handwriting, was the complete dumpling recipe along with notes about each family member’s favorite variations. On the last page, Grandma Wu had written: “To Mei—may you carry this tradition forward with the same love and care that has held our family together for generations.”
Key Vocabulary
| English | Chinese |
|---|---|
| ritual | 儀式/例行活動 |
| resignation | 無奈接受 |
| dough | 麵團 |
| ingredient | 食材 |
| ratio | 比例 |
| ingot | 元寶 |
| fortune | 運氣/財富 |
| variation | 變化/變化版本 |
| appreciate | 欣賞/感激 |
| generation | 世代 |
Questions
1. (Comprehension) Why was this year different for Mei?
- (A) She did not want to help anymore.
- (B) Grandma Wu was getting older, so Mei took on a bigger role in making dumplings.
- (C) The family decided to order food instead.
- (D) Mei moved away and could not attend.
2. (Comprehension) What does the dumpling’s shape represent?
- (A) A flower
- (B) An ancient Chinese gold ingot, symbolizing good fortune
- (C) A heart, symbolizing love
- (D) A boat, symbolizing a journey
3. (Inference) What emotion did Grandma Wu feel when she agreed to let Mei make the dough?
- (A) Pure excitement
- (B) A mixture of sadness about aging and willingness to pass on the tradition
- (C) Anger at Mei’s suggestion
- (D) Indifference
4. (Inference) What does the notebook represent?
- (A) A random collection of recipes
- (B) The passing of family traditions from one generation to the next
- (C) A school assignment
- (D) A shopping list
5. (Vocabulary in Context) “A flicker of something crossed her face” — What does “flicker” suggest?
- (A) A permanent expression
- (B) A brief, quick emotion
- (C) A physical pain
- (D) A bright light
6. (Vocabulary in Context) “From scratch” — What does this phrase mean?
- (A) From a recipe book
- (B) From the very beginning, using basic ingredients
- (C) From a store
- (D) From memory only
7. (Tone/Attitude) What is the tone of this passage?
- (A) nostalgic and tender
- (B) humorous and sarcastic
- (C) anxious and fearful
- (D) cold and critical
Answer Key — Story 4
- (B) — 奶奶年紀大了，手會抖，Mei 首次承擔更大的角色。
- (B) — “so they looked like ancient Chinese gold ingots…brings good fortune.”
- (B) — 臉上閃過 “sadness? resignation?”，然後才微笑答應——年華老去的感傷和傳承的意願。
- (B) — 筆記本代表世代之間的傳承（食譜+家族故事+對 Mei 的期許）。
- (B) — flicker = 一閃而過的，表示短暫的情緒。
- (B) — from scratch = 從頭開始，用基本食材製作。
- (A) — 懷舊且溫柔的語調。
Story 5：The Power of Kindness（善意的力量）
It was the last week of school before winter break, and the hallways were filled with the usual end-of-semester chaos. Students rushed between classrooms, clutching notes and textbooks, their faces tight with anxiety about upcoming final exams.
Among them was a boy named Eric who seemed to carry a heavier burden than most. He sat alone at lunch, rarely spoke in class, and always wore the same faded blue jacket, even indoors. His classmates noticed but did not think much of it. Everyone had their own problems to worry about during exam season.
One afternoon, a girl named Sara noticed Eric staring at a math problem on his desk with a look of quiet desperation. She could see that his worksheet was mostly blank. Without thinking too much about it, Sara slid into the seat next to him and said, “Hey, do you want to go through this together? These problems are tricky.”
Eric looked up, surprised. No one had offered to help him before. He hesitated for a moment, then nodded. For the next thirty minutes, Sara patiently explained the concepts and walked him through each problem. She did not do the work for him—instead, she asked questions that helped him think through the solutions himself.
“Thanks,” Eric said quietly when they finished. It was the most he had said to anyone in weeks.
The next day, Sara found a small note tucked inside her locker. It read: “Thank you for not ignoring me. —Eric.” Sara was touched, but she did not think much more of it.
Over the following weeks, something remarkable began to happen. Eric started sitting with Sara and her friends at lunch. He raised his hand to answer questions in English class. He even volunteered to help set up the school’s winter concert. The transformation was gradual but unmistakable.
When Sara ran into Eric at the winter concert, she joked, “Look at you, being all social.” Eric laughed—a real, genuine laugh. “It turns out,” he said, “that sometimes all a person needs is for someone to show that they care.”
What Sara did not know was that Eric’s family had been going through a difficult time. His father had lost his job, and the family was struggling to make ends meet. The stress at home had made Eric feel invisible and worthless. Sara’s simple act of kindness had given him something that no textbook or exam could provide: the feeling that he mattered.
Key Vocabulary
| English | Chinese |
|---|---|
| burden | 重擔 |
| faded | 褪色的 |
| desperation | 絕望 |
| hesitate | 猶豫 |
| tucked | 塞進 |
| remarkable | 非凡的/引人注目的 |
| transformation | 轉變 |
| gradual | 漸進的 |
| unmistakable | 不會弄錯的 |
| make ends meet | 勉強維持生計 |
Questions
1. (Comprehension) What did Sara do for Eric?
- (A) She gave him money.
- (B) She helped him with math by explaining concepts and guiding him.
- (C) She did his homework for him.
- (D) She told the teacher about his problems.
2. (Comprehension) What was the real reason for Eric’s behavior at the beginning?
- (A) He was naturally shy.
- (B) His family was going through financial difficulties, causing him emotional stress.
- (C) He did not like school.
- (D) He was angry at his classmates.
3. (Inference) Why did Eric leave a note in Sara’s locker instead of thanking her in person?
- (A) He did not know where she was.
- (B) He was probably still too shy or emotionally guarded to express gratitude face-to-face.
- (C) He forgot to say thank you earlier.
- (D) Sara was not at school the next day.
4. (Inference) What does the passage suggest about the effect of small acts of kindness?
- (A) They are meaningless unless they involve money.
- (B) They can have a significant positive impact on someone’s life.
- (C) They only matter during exam season.
- (D) They usually go unnoticed.
5. (Vocabulary in Context) “A heavier burden than most” — What does “burden” mean?
- (A) a backpack
- (B) a heavy emotional load or difficulty
- (C) a type of clothing
- (D) a school subject
6. (Vocabulary in Context) “The transformation was gradual but unmistakable” — What does “gradual” mean?
- (A) sudden and dramatic
- (B) happening slowly over time
- (C) invisible
- (D) unimportant
7. (Tone/Attitude) What is the tone of this passage?
- (A) uplifting and compassionate
- (B) dark and pessimistic
- (C) neutral and informative
- (D) sarcastic and critical
Answer Key — Story 5
- (B) — “Sara patiently explained the concepts and walked him through each problem.”
- (B) — “Eric’s family had been going through a difficult time. His father had lost his job.”
- (B) — Eric 仍處於害羞和情感封閉的狀態，用紙條比當面表達容易。
- (B) — Sara 的簡單善舉改變了 Eric 的整個狀態——證明小善行有大影響。
- (B) — burden = 沉重的負擔/困難。
- (B) — gradual = 漸進的、一步一步的。
- (A) — 令人振奮且充滿同理心的語調。
Section 3：高中記敘文閱讀總複習 Checklist
在進入下一篇 R06 高中閱讀-說明議論文 之前，請確認你已經掌握：
- 我能用「先讀題目」的策略提高閱讀效率
- 我能判斷文章的語氣（tone）和作者的態度
- 我能做深層推論——讀懂言外之意
- 我能從上下文推測高頻率生字的意思
- 我能分辨「表面意思」和「隱含意思」
恭喜！
你已經完成高中級記敘文的閱讀訓練。接下來要進入議論文的領域，學習分析作者的論點和論據！
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