READING TWO
Marriage – even happy ones, always have ups and downs. When disharmony occurs, what should we do to restore harmony? Y ou may get some hints from the following story.卷毛狗的品种
粉丝扇贝怎么做When Feathers Fly
Digging my heels into Arizona mud, I leaned into the thick cotton rope looped around my backside and grasped the rope above the knot in front. I threw my weight backward
and pulled. The dead ostrich tied to the other end over at my husband, Ramie (to whom I was not speaking), also attached to the bird and discovered he was responsible for my lack of progress. He was still adjusting his rope.
A
Early that morning Ramie went out to feed the stock. As I sat at the table, planning my day, I heard the back door slam and he came into the kitchen.
"Oh, no! Who is it?"
"I think it's Tweety. I don't have time to move her right now. I'll do it when I get home tonight."
"Y
ou know I don't like to leave dead birds where the
Unsympathetic to the fragile ostrich psyche and, by the look on his face, beginning to question my own, he responded, "I have to go to work. I'll take care of it when I get home!"
Time for my trump card. "Forget it. The kids and I will take care of it, just like everything el."
The farm wasn't carrying itlf yet, so Ramie had to work in town. I was responsible for the day-to-day running of the operation: everything from handling the 8-foot tall, 300-pound birds to repairing water pipes and fencing until he could take care of them on a weekend. It was a sore spot, and I pushed it hard.
Without another word he spun on his heel and the back door. I knew he
I called his employers, who were very understanding about ranch-related emergencies, and explained the situation. Then I sat down to wait with my back to the door.
Fifteen minutes later my husband returned, I stared out the window with my arms folded across my chest. Hearing his feet shift back and forth on the wood floor, I knew what was coming.
"I'm sorry I acted like a jerk," he began.
I didn't turn around.
"I just didn’t want to be late becau we need every penny right now"
I turned and looked him in the eye. "Y ou need me to help you move the bird, don't you?"
He looked embarrasd, then got down on one knee. "I need you for lots of things, but, yes, right now, I need you to help me move the bird. Plea."
There were other things we needed to talk out, but we hadn't taken time to do it. Conquently, feathers flew at the first excu. So there we were, fighting each other and a dead ostrich. If the
the dead bird smell, it occurred to me that the principles of handling conflicts in a marriage are a lot like the mechanics of dealing with a dead ostrich.
Deal with problems immediately.A marriage should be a place of refreshment for the husband and wife; the Song of Solomon us imagery of a garden and a fountain.
Just as Tweety's remains
Get problems out in the open together. I couldn’t drag the bird alone, and neither could Ramie. When we started pulling together, we were able to get the bird out where she could be properly taken care of.
Ask for help if necessary.Sometimes, once a problem is "out there,” it turns out to be too heavy for a couple to handle alone. It may em offensive to expo anyone el to it, but if you can't carry it alo
ne, e godly counl. A spiritually mature person or couple may be willing to get some of the smell on them to enable you to remove the issue from your marriage, They can always wash themlves in the World.
Once a conflict is dealt with, it's dead. Haul it away. There needs to be forgiveness, restoration and forgetfulness. Don't tie yourlf to dead issues and drag them through your marriage.
And now, if you'll excu me, I hear my husband's truck in the driveway. I think we need to talk.
Words in Focus
slick [slɪk]
adj.光滑的, 聪明的, 熟练的
A slick floor is smooth and slippery.
budge [bʌdʒ]
v.微微移动; 让步; 改变意见; 推动, 移动; 使让步; 使改变主意
If you cannot move something, you can say that it will not budge or that you cannot budge it. To budge means to move a little or to shift position.
glare [gler /gleə]
v.怒目注视; 显眼, 引人注目; 眩目地照射; 用愤怒的目光表示
If you glare at someone, you look at him with an angry expression on your face.
磁场是什么
harness [har·ness || 'hɑrnɪs /'hɑːn-]
v.上马具; 利用产生动力; 披上甲胄
When you harness two animals, you fasten them together. When you are harnesd to something, you are tied to or cloly connected with it.
pen [pen]
n.笔, 钢笔; 笔调; 文笔; 笔法#栏, 圈; 潜艇修理坞; 一栏家畜; 婴儿围栏#监狱
A pen is a small area with a fence round it in which farm animals are kept for a short time.
trough [trɔf /trɒf]
n.槽, 饲料槽, 水槽
A trough id a long narrow container from which farm animals drink or eat.兰溪景点
yearling [year·ling || 'jɪrlɪŋ/'jɪə- ,'jɜː-]
n.一岁家畜, 一岁的; 满一岁的动物
A yearning is an animal, usually a young hor, between one and two years old.
关于春的四字成语corp [kɔːps]
n.尸体
吃的过去式A corp is a dead body, usually the body of a human being.
morale [mo·rale || mə'ræl /-'rɑːl]
n.士气, 民心
Morale is the amount of confidence and optimism that you have in a difficult, dangerous, or important situation.
bicker [bick·er || 'bɪkə]
v.吵嘴, 争吵; 闪烁; 作潺潺声
When people bicker, they argue or quarrel about unimportant things.
heave a sigh [hɪːv]
v.用力举起, 使鼓起, 使胀起; 抛出, 喘息, 起伏
儿童脑筋急转弯大全If you heave a sigh, they give a big sigh.
clomp [klɔmp]
v.重踏着走
When you clomp, you walk heavily with a loud noi.
ragally ['rɑːgə]
n.拉格(印度教的一种传统曲调)
When you walk regally, you walk in an impressive and noble manner, like a queen or king.
hoist [hɔɪst]
v.吊起; 举起; 提起; 升起; 升起; 被吊起
If you hoist something heavy somewhere, you lift it ot pull it up there: a lifting motion is necessary.
haul [hɔːl]
v.拖拉; 拖运; 拖; 改变方向; 拉
If you haul a heavy object somewhere, you pull it there using a lot of efffort, not lifting.
quench [kwentʃ]
v.压制, 抑制; 熄灭; 解; 扑灭
When you are thirsty, you can quench your thirst by having a drink.
sustenance [sus·te·nance || 'sʌstənəns]明宇广场
n.食物, 粮食; 生计; 营养; 支持, 供养, 维持
Sustenance is food and drink which helps to keep a person, animal, or plant strong and healthy.
stink up[stɪŋk]
v.发臭味, 名声臭; 用臭气赶出; 闻出...的臭气; 使充满臭气
To stink up means to fill a place with a very unpleasant smell.
