The content is selected from the front page of the "Learn English" newspaper "Pleasant To Listen and Read", and the audio content is all recorded by real people, and the pronunciation is pure and authentic, which is an excellent tool for listening to grind the ears.
Nowhere Boy
The story of Syrian orphan Ahmed in Belgium
Theme Context: Literature, Art and Sports of Man and Society
Word count: about 210 words
Reading time: 3′00"
Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh is a story about the refugee crisis (难民危机), the power of friendship and hope.
The story follows two boys, Ahmed and Max. Ahmed is a 14-year-old boy from Syria. To run away from the war in his country, he comes to Belgium. He lost his father, the only surviving (活着的) member of his family, along the way. His passport has been destroyed (毁坏), and he fears that he will be sent back. With nowhere to go, the scared, lonely teenager hides in a basement (地下室) room in a house of an American family. That’s how he meets Max, the 13-year-old boy who is the youngest of the family. Max tells no one about Ahmed. He brings the boy food, clothes and magazines and tries to protect him.
Like Ahmed, Max is lonely. He misses his home and friends in Washington, D.C., and he feels angry about the family’s sudden relocation (搬迁) for his father’s job. Everything is difficult to understand. Max has to do something he dislikes. When Ahmed and Max meet, a friendship begins to grow. They also learn from each other what it means to be brave and how hope can change the destiny (命运).
<h1>Tips</h1>
passport means "passport", such as: I was stopped as I went through passport control (= where passports are checked). I was stopped when I passed through my passport control card.
<h1>Small tasks</h1>
Answer questions based on the content of the article.
1. Why does Ahmed come to Belgium?
2. What do Ahmed and Max have in common?
3. What can we learn from the book Nowhere Boy?
key
1. To run away from the war in his country Syria.
2. They both are lonely teenagers.
3. The power of friendship, bravery and hope. / ...