McGuffey Readers is a series of graded primers, including grade
levels 1-6, widely used as textbooks in American schools from the mid-19th
century to the mid-20th century, and are still used today in some private
schools and in homeschooling. It is estimated that at least 125 million copies
of McGuffey Readers were sold till the year of 1960, placing its sales in a category
with the Bible and Webster''s Dictionary .
The fourth reader was an introduction to good literature. It
contained British poetry and used the Bible among its selections. It discussed
Napoleon Bonaparte, Puritan fathers, women, God, education, religion and philosophy.
LESSON 1 PERSEVERANCE
LESSON 2 TRY, TRY
AGAIN
LESSON 3 WHY THE
SEA IS SALT
LESSON 4 WHY THE
SEA IS SALT II
LESSON 5 POPPING
CORN
LESSON 6 SMILES
LESSON 7 LAZY NED
LESSON 8 THE
MONKEY
LESSON 9 MEDDLESOME
MATTY
LESSON 10 THE GOOD
SON
LESSON 11 TOMORROW
LESSON 12 WHERE
THERE IS A WILL THERE IS A WAY
LESSON 13 PICCOLA
LESSON 14 TRUE
MANLINESS
LESSON 15 TRUE
MANLINESS II
LESSON 16 THE
BROWN THRUSH
LESSON 17 A SHIP
IN A STORM
LESSON 18 THE SAILORS
CONSOLATION
LESSON 19 TWO WAYS
OF TELLING A STORY
LESSON 20 FREAKS
OF THE FROST
LESSON 21 WASTE
NOT, WANT NOT
LESSON 22 JEANNETTE
AND JO
LESSON 23 THE LION
LESSON 24 STRAWBERRIES
LESSON 25 HARRYS
RICHES
LESSON 26 IN
TIMES SWING
LESSON 27 HARRY
AND HIS DOG
LESSON 28 THE
VOICE OF THE GRASS
LESSON 29 THE
EAGLE
LESSON 30 THE OLD
EAGLE TREE
LESSON 31 ALPINE
SONG
LESSON 32 CIRCUMSTANCES
ALTER CASES
LESSON 33 THE
NOBLEST REVENGE
LESSON 34 EVENING
HYMN
LESSON 35 HOW
MARGERY WONDERED
LESSON 36 THE
CHILDS WORLD
LESSON 37 SUSIES
COMPOSITION
LESSON 38 THE
SUMMER SHOWER
LESSON 39 CONSEQUENCES
OF IDLENESS
LESSON 40 ADVANTAGES
OF INDUSTRY
LESSON 41 THE
FOUNTAIN
LESSON 42 COFFEE
LESSON 43 THE
WINTER KING
LESSON 44 THE
NETTLE
LESSON 45 THE
TEMPEST
LESSON 46 THE
CREATOR
LESSON 47 THE
HORSE
LESSON 48 EMULATION
LESSON 49 THE
SANDPIPER
LESSON 50 THE
RIGHT WAY
LESSON 51 THE
GOLDEN RULE
LESSON 52 THE SNOW
MAN
LESSON 53 ROBINSON
CRUSOES HOUSE
LESSON 54 ROBINSON
CRUSOES DRESS
LESSON 55 SOMEBODYS
DARLING
LESSON 56 KNOWLEDGE
IS POWER
LESSON 57 GOOD
WILL
LESSON 58 A
CHINESE STORY
LESSON 59 THE WAY
TO BE HAPPY
LESSON 60 THE
GIRAFFE, OR CAMELOPARD
LESSON 61 THE LOST
CHILD
LESSON 62 WHICH?
LESSON 63 THE PET
FAWN
LESSON 64 ANNIES
DREAM
LESSON 65 MY GHOST
LESSON 66 THE
ELEPHANT
LESSON 67 DARE TO
DO RIGHT
LESSON 68 DARE TO
DO RIGHT II
LESSON 69 THE
WRECK OF THE HESPERUS
LESSON 70 ANECDOTES
OF BIRDS
LESSON 71 THE
RAINBOW PILGRIMAGE
LESSON 72 THE OLD
OAKEN BUCKET
LESSON 73 THE
SERMON ON THE MOUNT
LESSON 74 THE
YOUNG WITNESS
LESSON 75 KING
SOLOMON AND THE ANTS
LESSON 76 RIVERMOUTH
THEATER
LESSON 77 ALFRED
THE GREAT
LESSON 78 LIVING
ON A FARM
LESSON 79 HUGH
IDLE AND MR. TOIL
LESSON 80 HUGH
IDLE AND MR. TOIL II
LESSON 81 BURNING
THE FALLOW
LESSON 82 THE
DYING SOLDIERS
LESSON 83 THE
ATTACK ON NYMWEGEN
LESSON 84 THE
SEASONS
LESSON 85 BRANDYWINE FORD
LESSON 86 BRANDYWINE
FORD II
LESSON 87 THE BEST
CAPITAL
LESSON 88 THE
INCHCAPE ROCK
LESSON 89 MY
MOTHERS GRAVE
LESSON
90 A MOTHERS GIFTTHE BIBLE
內容試閱:
1. Will you give my kite a lift? said my
little nephew to his sister, after trying in vain to make it fly by dragging it
along the ground. Lucy very kindly took it up and threw it into the air, but,
her brother neglecting to run off at the same moment, the kite fell down again.
2. Ah! now, how awkward you are! said the
little fellow. It was your fault entirely, answered his sister. Try again,
children, said I.
3. Lucy once more took up the kite. But now
John was in too great a hurry; he ran off so suddenly that he twitched the kite
out of her hand, and it fell flat as before. Well, who is to blame now? asked
Lucy. Try again, said I.
4. They did, and with more care; but a side
wind coming suddenly, as Lucy let go the kite, it was blown against some
shrubs, and the tail became entangled in a moment, leaving the poor kite
hanging with its head downward.
5. There, there! exclaimed John, that
comes of your throwing it all to one side. As if I could make the wind blow
straight, said Lucy. In the meantime, I went to the kites assistance; and
having disengaged the long tail, I rolled it up, saying, Come, children, there
are too many trees here; let us find a more open space, and then try again.
6. We presently found a nice grassplot, at
one side of which I took my stand; and all things being prepared, I tossed the
kite up just as little John ran off. It rose with all the dignity of a balloon,
and promised a lofty flight; but John, delighted to find it pulling so hard at
the string, stopped short to look upward and admire. The string slackened, the
kite wavered, and, the wind not being very favorable, down came the kite to the
grass. O John, you should not have stopped, said I. However, try again.
7. I wont try any more, replied he, rather
sullenly. It is of no use, you see. The kite wont fly, and I dont want to be
plagued with it any longer. Oh, fie, my little man! would you give up the
sport, after all the pains we have taken both to make and to fly the kite? A
few disappointments ought not to discourage us. Come, I have wound up your
string, and now try again.
8. And he did try, and succeeded, for the
kite was carried upward on the breeze as lightly as a feather; and when the
string was all out, John stood in great delight, holding fast the stick and
gazing on the kite, which now seemed like a little white speck in the blue sky.
Look, look, aunt, how high it flies! and it pulls like a team of horses1, so
that I can hardly hold it. I wish I had a mile2 of string: I am sure it would
go to the end of it.
9. After enjoying the sight as long as he
pleased, little John proceeded to roll up the string slowly; and when the kite
fell, he took it up with great glee, saying that it was not at all hurt, and
that it had behaved very well. Shall we come out to-morrow, aunt, after
lessons, and try again?
10. I have no objection, my dear, if the
weather is fine. And now, as we walk home, tell me what you have learned from
your mornings sport. I have learned to fly my kite properly. You may thank
aunt for it, brother, said Lucy, for you would have given it up long ago, if
she had not persuaded you to try again.
11. Yes, dear children, I wish to teach
you the value of perseverance, even when nothing more depends upon it than the
flying of a kite. Whenever you fail in your attempts to do any good thing, let
your motto be, try again.
STUDY GUIDE
B. Study Notes
1. A team of horsesWhen more than one horse is used to
pull an object, such as a cart or a wagon, the horses are together
called a team. The word is commonly used in sports to identify people
who are
playing with the same goal. In the same way, a team of horses
works together for a common purpose.
2. A mileA unit of measure equal to 5280 feet 1609 meters. Most countries
now use the kilometer to measure long distances but a few countries still use
the mile including the United States and the United Kingdom.
C. Comprehension Questions
1. What are John and Lucy trying to do?
2. Why did the kite fail to fly? Give three
different reasons.
3. What important value did the children
learn?
D. Putting Events in Order
Write
a number 1-6 beside each sentence to put the important parts of the story in
the correct order. The first event should be number 1 and the last event should
be number 6.
_____ The children and the aunt moved to an
open area covered with grass.
_____ The kite fell down because John
stopped running so that he could look at the kite.
_____ The kite flew high up in the sky
until it was a small speck.
_____ The aunt told the children their
motto should be try again.
_____ The kite fell into some small bushes.
_____ John wanted to give up.
E. VocabularyUse three of the following words to match the definitions.
Admire hold fast
sullen waver perseverance
slacken
1. ______________: when a rope or string
becomes loose.
2. ______________: continuing an action
even if it is very difficult.
3. ______________: to grab something
tightly.