Introduction
Clever children took action to save an old apple tree from being cut down to make way for a new railway line.
上面是上图是用Word 2019检测出来的本故事文本适用年级信息。一般来说，中国学生的阅读能力比英美学生落后4-6年，按照最低值，4.3+4=8.3年级，相当于国内使用人教版统编英语教材的八年级学生。上海地区的小朋友六年级即可试读本故事。
Saving the Old Apple Tree
Once upon a time, there was an old apple tree in the middle of a village, deep in the heart of a French countryside. The children of the village love to play around the tree and pick the tasty apples. The adults of the village remembered playing around the tree when they were young.
Everyone in the village loved the tree and enjoyed the fruit it produced every year.
Over the years, the villagers picked many apples from the big apple tree. The ripe apples were always a bright, red color, and they smelled delicious. At apple picking time, everyone from the village, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, all gathered around the tree to help with the apple harvest.
The apples were used in many delicious dishes. They were cooked and used to fill deep apple pies. They were baked into moist apple cakes. They were sliced and deep fried to make crispy apple chips. They were made into cool apple drinks, like apple cider and apple juice. And of course, even the fresh apples were delicious.
One day, the village mayor received a letter from the government. The letter was about a new railway that was to be built. The mayor read the letter aloud to the whole village.
“The new railway will run through the center of your village. This will be of great benefit to your community. However, uh because the apple tree stands in the way, it must be cut down to make way for the railway line,” announced the mayor.
At first, the adults of the village were concerned about cutting down the apple tree. But soon they agreed that a new railway would be very useful.
The village children were very unhappy.
“We can’t cut down the poor old apple tree.” they said. “What about our place to play?” They asked. “And all the delicious apples. Have you forgotten about them?”
But the adults did not listen. Instead, they scolded the children for all their questions.
The adults thought only of the improvement that the new railway would bring to the village. They forgot all the benefits that the apple tree had brought to the village over the years.
They rushed away to collect saws and axes from their homes. Then they all gathered around the apple tree, ready to chop it down.
Meanwhile, the children of the village were also gathered together. They were all very sad at the thought of losing the apple tree they loved so much.
“We've got to do something.” They all agreed. “We can't let them cut down our apple tree.”
But what could they do?
The children thought for a while. Then one of them had an idea. “We often replant flowers in the garden. We use spoons to scoop up the oil. Maybe we could replant the apple tree that way, too.”
The children quickly gathered all the kitchen spoons and ladles they could find. Then they rushed to the center of the village where the apple tree stood just in time to prevent the adults from starting their work. The children explained their suggestion.
“You mean we don't have to cut down the tree?” The adults said, “well, that's a good idea.”
All the villagers worked together on the new plan. The adults worked with spades instead of saws digging deep down under the roots. The children helped to scoop up the soil and carry buckets. It was hard thirsty work.
From time to time, they all stopped for a refreshing drink of apple juice.
The tree was loaded onto a long wooden cart, which had been specially made by the village carpenters. Two strong horses were chosen to pull the cart. Everyone wanted to make sure that the tree was in safe hands. The horses made their way slowly to a gentle hillside just outside the village. The children were so pleased with the success of their plan that they sang and danced all the way as they followed the cart.
“Here we go around the apple tree, the apple tree…in the lovely sunny morning…”
At the chosen spot, the apple tree was carefully replanted. It seemed quite happy in its new environment. All the villagers were delighted.
“Long live the apple tree!” They cheered.
The apple tree waved its leaves in the breeze, and it seemed to be whispering “Thank you” to the children. Even the birds sang happily as they flew over to perch on the tree’s branches.
It has now been a year since the apple tree was replanted. The railway is completed. Trains run regularly through the village, and the village is prospering. The apple tree is prospering, too. This year it has produced just as many apples as in previous years. And the children still play around the tree just as they used to.
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