高中英語故事短文閱讀
英語作為一門國際通用語,在21世紀已經向著多元化、多功能化的方向發展。目前,隨著全球化程序的發展以及近年波及全球的嚴重經濟危機,人類必須聯合起來,進行更深入、更全面的跨文化交際,以應對嚴重的經濟危機和全球化的需要。小編分享高中英語故事短文，希望可以幫助大家!
高中英語故事短文：Fire Kills Two Young Girls
Two sisters, four and six years old, died in a late-night fire that started because of anoverloaded power strip. The girls were in an unattached garage that had been illegally converted into an apartment. The new apartment did not conform to Los Angeles City building codes. “Such illegal apartments are becoming an epidemic in LA,” said Mayor Gregory Peck. “They endanger not only the renters, but also all their neighbors.”
The apartment did not have a single window. There was only one outlet; plugged into that outlet was a cheap power strip. Plugged into the strip were a TV, a small refrigerator, a portable heater, two lamps, and a hair dryer. That was a recipe for a fire, said one fireman.
The 14-year-old sister who was in charge—their mom worked nights—was in the house when the fire started. She had been using the bathroom. The toilet in the apartment was not working at the time. As she was returning to the apartment, she heard crackling noises. Before she could open the apartment door, flames shot out from the walls. The fire spread to the house before the fire department arrived. Firemen said that neither the apartment nor the house had smokedetectors.
Three days later, on January 11, the city fire department announced that it was giving away free smoke detectors to needy city residents. Also, the city housing authority warned residents that it was going to step up the search for illegal conversions. “Property owners will be forced to tear down such structures immediately, at their own cost, and pay a significant fine,” said a spokesman.
高中英語故事短文：Fire-Starters
Police arrested five young men for setting the Malibu Canyon fire that recently destroyed 53 homes, resulted in the temporary evacuation of 12,000 people, and burned 5,000 acres of woodland. The fire began in a small public park that prohibited alcohol and fires. The men, with seven friends, were drinking beer and wine; a campfire helped keep them warm that chilly, windy evening. They were roasting hotdogs and marshmallows on the campfire.
Firemen and deputy sheriffs searched the park afterward, and found some food, food packages, empty bottles and cans, and even a few receipts. The deputy sheriffs went to Ralphs, the local supermarket that the receipts came from. The assistant manager was there the night the food and booze were sold.
“Oh, yes, I remember them very well,” he said. The men were regular customers, who showed up at least once a month on Friday or Saturday night. They usually bought firewood, food, and alcohol, often with a credit card. He wondered if they might be using the firewood in a prohibited area, but he never said anything about it. “They seemed like intelligent people,” he told a deputy sheriff.
At a televised news conference, County Sheriff Lee Baca announced the arrests. However, at least one homeowner was still bitter. “That’s good detective work, but so what?” asked Martha Knapp. “These arrests aren’t going to rebuild our homes or diminish our misery. These guys are young—half of their income for the rest of their lives should go toward paying for our losses. But that will never happen. I wish they had all been in my home when it burnt down. I would have enjoyed kicking their dead bodies.”
高中英語故事短文：Who Needs School?
Two years after it was appointed by the governor, a panel has delivered its report on education in California. One of its findings is that half of the students who reach the ninth grade will never graduate. There were about 6 million students in California’s K-12 grades in the spring of 2006.
The report focused on problems with the education system; it did not offer any solutions. Solutions might be offered in the future, if the governor decides to appoint another panel. Meanwhile, thousands of kids 15 to 18 years old will be dropping out of school every year. Without a high school diploma, most of these kids are doomed to a lifetime of part-time work or full-timejobs that offer no security, no benefits, and no opportunity for advancement. And the cities that these kids live in will see an increase in loitering, homelessness, and crime.
As usual, the taxpayer is going to pay for the failures of the government. He is going to be asked to approve bonds that will build yet more schools, more prisons, and more housing for the homeless. These bonds, unfortunately, are like using band-aids when stitches or tourniquetsare needed.
The dropouts do not see a bleak future for themselves. In the report, one student was asked why he had dropped out of the tenth grade. “School was boring,” he said. “I got a life to live. There’s women, parties, fast cars, and easy money on the street, if you know where to find it. And if things ever go south, all I gotta do is apply for welfare. They’ll put me up in an apartment, and give me food stamps and free medical care. Why do I need an education or a stupid job?”