读故事

Tom's parents were always too hard on him. They required him to be good at everything, every subject, and every sport. If he was, they made the neighbors green with envy. If he wasn't, well then Tom just wasn't eager enough to succeed. They made him work all the harder, at home and on the field.
That's why Tom was so happy to be graduating. Sure, he was going to be glad to be finished with school. But mostly he just wanted to be free from his parents and free to do his own thing!
After graduation, however, and moving out on his own, Tom discovered that life wasn't all that easy. Before he knew it he was hard up for cash and without a job! It didn't help that he only wanted to do physical labor, using his intellect brought back bad memories.But hunger and a lack of money made him remember that he was  good with numbers. He applied for and got a job at a bank. There he discovered that all of his studying had been good for something.
When he finally decided to call his parents on the telephone after almost a year of not doing so, he knew that they were half the battle. They were right to make him study so hard. And as they talked, Tom remembered the good times that they had together. He decided that he really was fond of them and that, while he was free of them, he also missed them.
He would never be so hard up again.

记短语

be eager to渴望
be finished with完成了的，结束了的
be fond of喜欢，喜爱；珍视
be free from无…的，摆脱了…的
be free of无…的，摆脱了…的；离开…的，在…之外的
be free to准许…的，可以…的
be good at擅长于…，有本事…
be good for对…有用，对…有好处
be good with擅长…的
be green with由强烈感情影响的，嫉妒的；缺乏经验的，幼稚的
be half the battle成功的重要条件
be hard on对…过分严厉，使难受
be hard up缺钱，穷，短缺
be hard up for缺少

    汤姆的父母对他总是太严厉。他们要求他样样精通，每门学科要好，每项体育要棒。如果他表现好，他们就会让邻居们嫉妒得要命。如果他表现不好，那就是汤姆不那么渴望成功。他们就会让他更加用力，无论是在家里还在地里。
    这就是汤姆为什么那么高兴终于毕业的原因。他对结束学业当然喜欢。但最主要的是，他想摆脱他的父母，可以按自己的意愿行事！
    但是，毕了业一个人搬出来之后，汤姆发现生活原来没有那么容易。不知不觉，他就没钱了，而且还没有工作！因为使用智力会给他带来不好的回忆，所以他只想干体力活，可这还是无济于事。由于饥寒交迫，他想起他很擅长做与数字有关的工作。他向银行申请并找到了一份工作。这时他发现所有学过的东西总是有些用处。
    当他终于决定给父母打电话时——他都差不多一年没给他们打电话了，他知道他们是成功的重要条件。他们让他努力学习是对的。与他们谈话的时候，汤姆想起了他们在一起的美好时光。他觉得他是真的喜欢他们，尽管不跟他们住一起了，他还是想念他们。
    他以后再也不会这么穷了。

本文选自新航道精品图书《读故事记短语》