·Jerome·
A long time ago，there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and lay around it every day. He climbed to the tree top，ate the apples，took a nap under the shadow... He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.
Time went by... the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree every day. One day，the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad.“Come and play with me，”the tree asked the boy.“I am no longer a kid，I don’t play around trees anymore.”The boy replied，“I want toys. I need money to buy them.”“Sorry，but I don’t have money...but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So，you will have money.”The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad.
One day，the boy returned and the tree was so excited.“Come and play with me，”the tree said.“I don’t have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?”“Sorry，but I don’t have a house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house.”So the boy cut all the branches off the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.
One hot summer day，the boy returned and the tree was delighted.“Come and play with me!”the tree said.“I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?”“Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy.”So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time. The tree was happy，but it was not true.
Finally，the boy returned after he left for so many years.“Sorry，my boy. But I don’t have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you...”the tree said.
“I don’t have teeth to bite，”the boy replied.
“No more trunk for you to climb on.”
“I am too old for that now，”the boy said.
“I really can’t give you anything... the only thing left is my dying roots，”the tree said with tears.
“I don’t need much now，just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years.”The boy replied.
“Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest. Come，Come sit down with me and rest.”The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears...
This is a story of everyone. The tree is our parent. When we were young，we loved to play with Mom and Dad... When we grown up，we left them，and only came to them when we need something or when we are in trouble. No matter what，parents will always be there and give everything they could to make you happy. You may think that the boy is cruel to the tree but that’s how all of us are treating our parents.
苹果树
杰罗姆
很久很久以前，有一棵又高又大的苹果树。一个小男孩，天天到树下来玩，他爬上去摘苹果吃，在树阴下睡觉。他爱苹果树，苹果树也爱和他一起玩。
后来，小男孩长大了，不再天天来玩了。一天他又来到树下，很伤心的样子。苹果树说：“和我一起玩吧。”男孩说：“不行，我不小了，不能再和你玩了，我想要玩具，可是没钱买。”苹果树说：“很遗憾，我也没钱，不过，把我所有的果子摘下来卖掉，你不就有钱了吗？”男孩十分激动。他摘了所有的苹果，高高兴兴地走了。然后，男孩好久都没有来。苹果树很伤心。
有一天，男孩终于来了，树很是兴奋，说：“和我一起玩吧。”男孩说：“不行，我没有时间，我要为家而奋斗，我们需要一幢房子，你能帮我吗？”“对不起，我没有房子，”苹果树说，“不过你可以用我的树枝去搭房子。”于是，男孩砍下所有的树枝，高高兴兴地运去盖房子了。看到男孩高兴，树好快乐。从此，男孩又不来了。树再次陷入了孤单和悲伤之中。
一个炎热的夏天，男孩回来了，树太高兴了：“来呀！孩子，来和我玩呀。”男孩却说：“我心情不好，一天天老了，我想扬帆出海，去轻松一下，你能给我一艘船吗？”苹果树说：“把我的树干砍去，拿去做船吧！”于是男孩砍下了它的树干，造了条船，然后高兴地驾船走了。树看到男孩高兴它也很高兴，但男孩又是很久没有回来。树再次陷入了孤单和悲伤之中。
许多年过去了，男孩终于回来了。苹果树说：“对不起，孩子，我已经没有东西可以给你了，我没有苹果了。”
男孩说：“我的牙都掉了，吃不了苹果了。”
苹果树又说：“我没有可以让你爬的树干了。”
男孩说：“我老了，爬不动了。”
“我再也没有什么能给你的了……，只剩下这枯死的老根了，”树老泪纵横地说。
男孩说：“这么多年过去了，现在我感到累了，什么也不想要了，只要一个休息的地方。”
“好啊！老根是最适合坐下来休息的，来啊，坐下来和我一起休息吧！”男孩坐下来了，苹果树高兴得流下了热泪……
这就是我们每个人的故事。这棵树就是我们的父母。小时候，我们喜欢和爸爸妈妈玩……长大后，我们就离开了他们，只有在需要什么东西或遇到麻烦的时候，才会回到他们的身边。无论如何，父母永远都在那儿，倾其所有使你快乐。你可能认为这个男孩对树很残酷，但这就是我们每个人对待父母的方式。
核心单词
grab [^rAb] v. 攫取，抓取
shelter [5FeltE] n. 遮盖物；躲避处
branch [brB:ntF] n. 树枝；支线；支路
delighted [di5laitid] adj. 高兴的，快乐的
dying [5daiiN] adj.垂死的；快熄灭的
cruel [5kruEl] adj. 残忍的，残酷的
实用句型
Time went by... the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree every day.
后来，小男孩长大了，不再天天来玩耍了。
①had grown是过去完成时had+done的形式。
②no longer不再，等于not...any longer。
翻译行不行
1.小男孩正在玩一架玩具飞机。（play with）
2.我明天动身去伦敦。（leave for）
3.他总是依赖别人的帮助。（lean on）
我希望有人在什么地方等我
I wish someone were waiting for me somewhere
