C
My five - year - old son befriends the woman. It starts with voices in the yard. When I come out to check on Daniel, he presses his face on the fence.
The woman says, “You wait right here. I’ll be right back.”
She returns with a saw. She just makes a hole in the fence. Her name is Sandy.
Daniel’s and Sandy’s gentle voices continue. Whenever Daniel is outside, he circles near the fence that isn’t a fence any more. Some days my son just goes to stand at the hole, yelling, “Sandy! Saaaaandyyyyyy!” Sometimes I hear bits of their talk.
“We painted a ghost at school.” or “Wheeler and Jackson were playing football, and they told me I couldn’t play.”
“That wasn’t very nice,” says Sandy. “Did that hurt your feelings? Did you let them know that?”
I can’t hear how he answers. A moment of envy runs through me. He never talks about his school things with me.
Daniel and Sandy not only keep chatting through the hole, but also exchange gifts. A colouring book, then a toy car. It’s unclear what Daniel gives Sandy in return.
One afternoon, I hear Sandy’s voice floating over the top of the fence with the hole. “I think maybe Daniel can come for a play date.”
We ring the bell on Sandy’s door. She’s a middle - aged woman with smiling eyes. Sandy’s yard is sweet with the smell of flowers. We have a pleasant afternoon with Sandy, my son’s adult friend, the first friend Daniel has made on his own.
词汇
befriend /bɪˈfrend/ vt.（尤指和需要帮助者）做朋友
press /pres/ vt.（被）压，挤
fence /fens/ n. 栅栏
saw /sɔː/ n. 锯
ghost /ɡəʊst/ n. 鬼
envy /ˈenvi/ n. 羡慕；忌妒
float /fləʊt/ vi. 浮动；飘动
句型
Daniel and Sandy not only keep chatting through the hole, but also exchange gifts.
丹尼尔和桑迪不仅通过栅栏上的洞聊天，还互相交换礼物。
not only... but also... 意为“不仅……而且……”，连接相同的成分。
⇒ Not only my father but also his friends want to watch the football match.
理解
1. Does the little boy often talk about his school things with his mum?
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2. Do you have an adult friend? Introduce him or her.
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