难忘的生日 An Unforgettable Birthday

去年qùnián过guò生日shēngrì的de时候shíhou，我wǒ正在zhèngzài别的biéde城市chéngshì工作gōngzuò，一yí个gè人rén住zhù在zài宾馆bīnguǎn里lǐ。

Last year on my birthday I was working in another city, staying alone in a hotel.

那nà天tiān下xià了le一yì天tiān的de雨yǔ，我wǒ又yòu累lèi又yòu想家xiǎng jiā，觉得juéde这zhè个gè生日shēngrì一定yídìng很hěn没意思méi yìsi。

It rained all day; I was both tired and homesick, and I was sure this birthday was going to be really dull.

晚上wǎnshang八bā点diǎn，我wǒ一yí个gè人rén坐zuò在zài房间fángjiān里lǐ吃chī方便面fāngbiànmiàn，房间fángjiān里lǐ安静ānjìng极了jíle。

At eight in the evening I sat alone in my room eating instant noodles; the room was extremely quiet.

突然tūrán，几jǐ个gè同事tóngshì给gěi我wǒ打电话dǎ diànhuà，让ràng我wǒ马上mǎshàng下xià楼lóu。

Suddenly a few colleagues called me and told me to come downstairs right away.

我wǒ下去xiàqu的de时候shíhou，看见kànjiàn他们tāmen站zhàn在zài门口ménkǒu，手shǒu里lǐ拿ná着zhe一yí个gè小xiǎo蛋糕dàngāo。

When I came down, I saw them standing in the doorway holding a small cake.

蛋糕dàngāo不bú大dà，也yě不bú太tài甜tián，可是kěshì那nà是shì我wǒ吃chī过guo的de最zuì好吃hǎochī的de蛋糕dàngāo。

The cake was not big and it was not very sweet, but it was the best cake I have ever eaten.

他们tāmen笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“我们wǒmen怎么zěnme会huì忘记wàngjì你nǐ的de生日shēngrì呢ne？”

Laughing, they said: "How could we ever forget your birthday?"

那nà天tiān晚上wǎnshang，虽然suīrán我wǒ离lí家jiā很hěn远yuǎn，但是dànshì我wǒ一点儿也不yìdiǎnr yě bù难过nánguò，那nà是shì我wǒ最zuì难忘nánwàng的de一yí个gè生日shēngrì。

That night, although I was far from home, I was not sad at all — it was the most unforgettable birthday I have ever had.

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Key words 生词

难忘nánwàngunforgettable

宾馆bīnguǎnhotel

安静ānjìngquiet

蛋糕dàngāocake

忘记wàngjìto forget

想家xiǎng jiāto be homesick

又 A 又 B — both A and B

又…又… links two qualities or actions that are true at the same time. Both slots must be the same kind of word (two adjectives, or two verb phrases).

我又累又想家。 — I was both tired and homesick.

adjective + 极了 — extremely …

极了 comes after an adjective to mean 'extremely'. It replaces 很 or 非常, so never use them together.

房间里安静极了。 — The room was extremely quiet.

verb + 过 — have ever done sth

过 after a verb marks past experience. In 我吃过的最好吃的蛋糕 the whole 过-phrase describes the cake: 'the best cake I have ever eaten'.

那是我吃过的最好吃的蛋糕。 — That was the best cake I have ever eaten.

1. Where was the narrator on his birthday?

2. What was he eating alone in his room?

3. Why was the cake special to him?

After this reading

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