在学英语的过程中，阅读非常重要，多读，多看，多背一些文章，对于语感的`形成，内容的积累，都非常关键。以下是英语经典美文（精选30篇），欢迎阅读。
Passage 1.Woodpecker
There are many apple trees in a garden. They’re good friends. One day an old tree is ill. There are many pests in the tree. Leaves of the tree turn yellow. The old tree feels very sad and unwell. Another tree sends for a doctor for him. At first, they send for a pigeon, but she has no idea about it. Then they send for an oriole, and she can’t treat the old tree well. Then they send for a woodpecker. She is a good doctor. She pecks a hole in the tree and eats lots of pests. At last the old tree becomes better and better. Leaves turn green and green.
Passage 2.A Busy Day
Today is Sunday! On Sundays, I usually play the flute.My father usually reads the newspaper. My motherusuallycleansthe house. Buttoday my mother is in bed. She is ill. My father has to do the housework. Now, he is cleaning the house. “Sam, can you help me?” “Yes, Dad!” Now, we’re washing the car. Where’s my sister, Amy? She is playing my flute. What a lucky girl!
Passage 3.The dog and his reflection
One day a dog with a piece of meat in his mouth was crossing a plank over a stream. As he walked along,helookedintowater,andhesawhis reflection. He thought this was another dog carrying
a piece of meat. And he felt he would like to have two pieces. So he snapped at the reflection in the water, and of course, as he opened his mouth, the piece of meat disappeared quickly.
Passage 4.An honest boy
Tony is seven years old. He is an honest and polite boy. One day, it was Sunday. Tony, his sister and his mother stayed at home. He was watching TV and his sister was reading books. His mother was washing clothes. Just then, his father came back with a bag
of pears. Tony likes pears very much and he wanted
to eat one. His mother gave him four and said, “Let’s sharethem.” “Whichpeardo youwant, Tony?” asked his mother. “The biggest one, mum.” “What?” said his mother, “You should be polite and want the smallest one.” “Should I tell a lie just to be polite, mum?”
Passage 5.A birthday party
Today is Susan’s birthday. She is nine years old. Her friends are in her home now. There is a birthday party in the evening. Look! Mary is listening to the music. And Tom is drinking orange juice. Jack and Sam are playing cards on the floor. Lily and Amy are watching TV. Someone is knocking at the door. It’s Henry. He brings a big teddy bear for Susan. The teddy bear is yellow. Susan is very happy. All the children are happy. They sing a birthday song for Susan.
Passage 6.The Farmer and the Snake
It was a cold winter day.A farmer found a snake on the ground. It was nearly dead by cold. The Farmer was a kind man. Hepicked up thesnake carefully and put it under the coat. Soon the snake Began to move and it raised its mouth and bit the farmer. “Oh, My god!” said the farmer, “I save your life, but you thank me in that way. You must die.” Then he killed the snake with a stick. At last he died, too.
Passage 7.Two Young Trees
Two young trees are standing on the top of the hill. Their names are Tim and Alan.
One day, it’s sunny and warm. Some birds are singing in the trees. The wind blows, and the trees are talking. “What do you want to be when you grow up?’’ asks Tim. “I’m not sure. I think I want to be a chair or a desk.” answers Alan, “Maybe I want to be
a toy box or a baseball bat. I like children.”“What do you want to be when you grow up?” asks Alan. “Me?” says Tim, “I just want to be a tree. I want to be
a house for birds and spiders. I want to have many apples. And when it’s sunny and hot, people and animals can stand under me.”
Passage 8.Hongkong is a nice place
Hong Kong is a nice place, especially in summer. JulyisahotmonthinHongKong.Butit’san excellent time for swimming. There is a beautiful beach at Repulse Bay (浅水湾). To get there, you can take a bus from Central. Lots of people go to the beach on Sundays and Saturdays. But if you go on a weekday, it is will be not so crowded.Visitors to Hongkong need passports. But people from many countries do not need visas. Hongkong is a nice place for holiday. There are many shops.
Passage 9.Water
Water is very important for living things. Without water, there must be no life on the earth. All the plants and animals need water to drink, to cook food and to clean ourselves. Water is needed in farms, factories, offices, schools, families and many other places.
Water is found in seas, rivers and lakes. It can be found everywhere in the world, and it also can be found in the air.
Passage 10.Twins’ Bedroom
This is the twins’ bedroom. It is a nice room. The two beds look the same. This bed is Lily’s and that one is Lucy’s. The twins have one desk and two chairs. Their clock, books and pencil-boxes are on the desk. Their schoolbags are behind the chairs. Some nice flowers are on the desk. Some nice pictures are on the wall. Is there a kite? Yes, it’s under Lily’s bed. The bedroom is very nice.
Passage 11.Dogs
One of the animals that help people a lot is the dog. In some countries, dogs pull wagons. In the cold north, dogs pull sleds.
There are other ways that dogs help us, too. Policemen use them to look for missing people. Soldiers use them to carry letters and medicine .On farms, dogs take care of sheep and keep them in the fields. At night, they take the sheep home. Dogs help the blind with work. Some dogs are good and kind. Some dogs are good at another skill.
Passage 12.The Best Job
Betty is a lazy girl. She doesn’t study hard, and she doesn’t help her mother with the housework, either. “What are you going to be when you grow up, Betty?” Mother asks. “You’re too lazy. No job will ever fit you.” “But I know one,” says the girl, “I’m going to be Father Christmas,” “You want to be Father Christmas?” Mother is surprised, “But why?” “Because he works only one day in a whole year.”
Passage 13.A Clever Monkey
A little monkey picks up a pumpkin and wants to takeithome.Butthepumpkinistoobig.The monkey can’t take it home.
Suddenly he sees a panda riding a bike towards him. He watches the bike. “l have a good idea. I can roll the pumpkin. It likes a wheel.”
So he rolls the pumpkin to his home. When his mother sees the big pumpkin, she is surprised and says, “How can you carry it home?” The little monkey answers proudly, “l can’t lift it, but l can roll it.” His mother smiles and says, “ What a clever boy!”
Passage14. What Are Stars Like?
Have you ever wondered about the stars? In some ways, stars are like people. They are born. They grow old. And they die. A star is born from dust and gas. Slowly the dust and gas make a ball. The ball gets very hot. Then it starts to give off light. The young star grows into a giant. Many years go by. The older star begins to get small again. At last its light goes out. The star’s life is over.
Passage 15.Radio and Television
Radio and television are very popular in the world today. Millions of people watch TV. Perhaps more people listen to the radio.
The TV is more useful than the radio. On TV we can see and hear what is happening in the world. However, radio isn’t lost. It is still with us. And listeners are becoming more. That’sbecause a transistor radio isn’t lost. It is still with us. It is very easy to carry. You can put one in your pocket and listen to it on the bus or your bike when you go to work.
Passage 16.It’s cool behind you
It’stwoo’clockintheafternoon.Thesunis shinning and it’s very hot. Nancy has to meet her mother at the train station.
Now she’s walking in the street. There are no trees and she’s fat. So she feels very hot. But she doesn’t find a boy walking just behind her. And she meets a friend and says “hello” to him. “Who’s the boy behind you？” asks the man . Now she sees the boy. She is angry and asks, “Why are you walking behind me, boy?” “There’snoshadeinthestreet, you know.” answers the boy. “It’s cool behind you, I think.”
Passage 17.Father’s Hobby
My dad works from Monday to Friday in a bank. he uses the computer to count money. His job is very important in the bank.
Dad is also busy at home. At weekends he cooks dinner. Usually he cooks Italian food. On Sundays he makesfive pieces of pizza. Sometimes hecooks chicken and makes Chinese food. My mum watches and helps him. I help my dad, too. I wash the dishes.
Many people think it is strange for a man to cook. But my dad enjoys his hobby. Cooking relaxes him. He is a weekend cook.
Passage 18.I don’t think so
Jack is a good boy but he doesn’t like to use his head. He often says something withou thinking.It makes others unhappy.
Mr. Black teaches math in a school. He’s old now and he likes children.On the Friday Mr. Black doesn’t go to work, because he’s ill in a hospital. And Jack’s mother will see him after dinner. “I want to be there with you.” says Jack. “You’re a rude boy. I can’t take you there.’’ says his mother. “Don’t worry, mum. I won’t do that again. Please believe me. ” says Jack. In the hospital, Jack says nothing at first. When they’re leaving , he says to Mr. Black, “You look fine. The doctor says you’re going to die, but I don’t think so. ”
Passage 19.Seven days in a week
There are about fifty-two weeks in a year. And there are seven days in each week. The first day of a week is Sunday. The other days of a week between SundayandSaturdayare Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday and Friday. Monday is the second day, Tuesday is the third day, Wednesday is the fourth day, Thursday is the fifth day, and Friday is the sixth day. What’s the last day? Do you know?
Passage 20.My special Friend
I have a friend in the U.S. His name is Don Adams. I know him very well, but I have never met him. We write to each other all the time. My letters are very short. It is still hard for me to write in English. I received a letter from Don yesterday. It makes me very happy. He is coming to my country for a visit next summer. We are going to see each other for the first time.
Passage 21.A Day in My Life
My family lives on this street. In the morning, my father goes to work and all the children go to school. My mother takes us to school everyday. She does the housework. She always has her lunch at home, and sees her friends in the afternoon. In the evening all the children come home from school. They always get home early. My father goes home from work and he is often late. After supper my two brothers and I do our homework. We go to bed at ten.
Passage 22. The Sea
What do know about the sea? Some people have seen it but others haven’t. The sea looks beautiful on a fine sunny day and it can be very tough when there is a strong wind. What other things do you know about it? Of course, the sea is very large. In the world there is more sea than land. If you have swum in the sea, you know that the sea is salty. Rivers carry salt from the land into the sea. Some places of the sea are saltier than the other places. Do you know the Dead Sea? It is so salty that you can’t sink when you are in the water! And fish cannot live in it!
Passage 23.A Good Young Pioneer
Li Hua is a Yong Pioneer. He is going to the park. Now he is waiting for a bus. Suddenly he finds a watchon theground.He askssome people, “Whose watch is it?” But the watch isn’t theirs. So he gives the watch to a policeman.
Now Li Hua gets on the bus. He is sitting near the window. An old woman gets on the bus. She has no seat. So he stands up and says, “Here is a seat for you, Granny. Please sit here”
Passage 24.Sea horse
There are all kinds of horses in the world. But one of them you can’t ride. It doesn’t live on land, but in the sea. It looks like the head of horse. So the people call it sea horse. In fact, the sea horse is a small fish. It likes to live in warm water. A sea horse stands up in the water when it swims.
Father horse carries the eggs to keep them safe in its pouch. Whenthe eggsare hatched, the baby horses swim away.
Passage 25.A Cat and a Bird
There are three trees near the house. There is a big tree, and two small trees.
In the big tree there is a bird. Can the bird sing? Yes, it can. What’s under the big tree? It’s a cat.
“I want some food,” thinks the cat. “Bird, my good friend, Come here! It’s time to play games” says the cat.
“No today, thank you!” says the bird, “You can’t catch me! Goodbye!” Look! The bird is flying!
Passage 26.A Flying Fox
A flying fox is not a fox at all. It is a bat. But this bat looks like a fox. A flying fox is very big. It likes to eat fruit. Sometimes the flying fox is called fruit bat.
The flying fox flies into fruit trees. Then the bat eats all the fruit. So fruit farmers do not like the flying fox.
Passage 27.Flying Birds
Birds don’t fly high up in the sky. The air is too thin.
It is hard for birds to breathe in thin air. Thin air doesn’t hold them up.
Birds fly near the ground so that they can see where they are. The birds look for places they know. Then they do not get lost. Some birds fly so low over the ocean that the waves often hide them. Many birds fly a long distance in the spring and autumn.
Passage 28.Air
Air is all around us. It is around us as we walk and play. From the time we were born air is around us on every side. When we sit down, it is around us. When we go to bed, air is also around us. We live in air. We can live without food or water for a few days, but we cannot live for more than a few minutes without air. We take in air. When we are working or running we need more air. When we are asleep, we need less air. We live in air, but we cannot see it. We can only feel it when it is moving. Moving air is called wind. How can we make air move? Here is one way. Hold an open book in front of your face, close it quickly. What can you feel? What you feel is air.
Passage 29.Clocks
There are many clocks in the Brown’s house. They are in different rooms.A big clock stands in a corner of the sitting room. It is a very, very old clock, but it still keeps good time. Mr. Brown winds it once a week.
Passage 30. Swimming
Swimming is a good sport. It’s popular. People like swimming because the water makes people feel cool. But if they swim in a wrong place, it is very dangerous. These years, some people died when they were enjoying themselves in water and most of them were students. Summer holiday will be there again. I want to give you some advice. First, don’t get into the water when you are alone. Second, don’t get into the water if there is a No swimming sign. Third, you should be careful in the water. If you remember these, swimming will be safe and it’s good for your health.
随着网络文化的发展，美文的概念已经不限定于某种文体，或某类内容。下面是关于英语美文欣赏四篇的内容，欢迎阅读！
我不是个冰冷的统计数字，而是个幸存者
After enduring three years of abuse, and seeing it turn to my children I could not take it any more.
在忍受了三年的虐待之后，眼看着我的孩子也要受到虐待之时，我再也受不了了。
Strength is more than the measure of muscle. Strength is the courage you muster to do even the things that seem impossible.
力量不仅仅取决于肌肉。力量就是你鼓起勇气去做那些看似不可能的事情。
That year there were 22,000 reported cases of abuse against children in my state.
那一年，在我的国家，有22000起虐待儿童案。
Taking my children from statistics to survivors was the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my life.
我一生中做过的最伟大的事情是把我的孩子从受害者变成幸存者。
Not being afraid to speak out against domestic violence any more empowers me. Jump out on that limb and reach for the greatness you deserve, you’re not just a statistic, you are a human, you are survivor just waiting to break free.
勇敢地说出反对家庭暴力更使我充满力量。跳出这一步，达到你应得的伟大，你不只是一个统计数据中的受害者，你是一个人，你是一个等待获得自由的幸存者。
初雪
The first snow came. How beautiful it was, falling so silently all day long, all night long, on the mountains, on the meadows, on the roofs of the living, on the graves of the dead! All with save the river, that marked its course by a winding black line across the landscape; and the leafless trees, that against the leaden sky now revealed more fully the wonderful beauty and intricacies of their branches. What silence, too, came with the snow, and what seclusion!
Every sound was muffled, every noise changed to something soft and musical. No more tramping hoofs, no more rattling wheels! Only the chiming of sleigh-bells, beating as swift and merrily as the hearts of children.
初雪飘临。多么美啊！它整日整夜那么静静地飘着，落在山岭上，落在草地上，落在世人的屋顶上，落在死才的坟墓上！在一片白茫茫之中，只有河流在美丽的画面上划出一道曲曲弯弯的黑线；还有那叶儿落净的树木，映衬着铅灰色的`天空，此刻更显得枝丫交错，姿态万千。初雪飘落之时，是何等的宁谧，何等的幽静！一切声响都趋沉寂，一切噪音都化作柔和的音乐。再也听不见马蹄得得，再也听不见车轮辚辚！唯有雪橇的铃铛，奏和谐的乐声，那明快欢乐的节拍犹如孩子们心房的搏动。
快乐
"The days that make us happy make us wise."----John Masefield
“快乐的日子使人睿智。”--- 约翰·梅斯菲尔德
when I first read this line by England's Poet Laureate, it startled me. What did Masefield mean? Without thinking about it much, I had always assumed that the opposite was true. But his sober assurance was arresting. I could not forget it.
第一次读到英国桂冠诗人梅斯菲尔德的这行诗的时候，我感到十分震惊。他想表达什么意思？我以前从未对此仔细考虑，总是认定这行诗反过来才正确。但他冷静而又胸有成竹的表达引起了我的注意，令我无法忘怀。
Finally, I seemed to grasp his meaning and realized that here was a profound observation. The wisdom that happiness makes possible lies in clear perception, not fogged by anxiety nor dimmed by despair and boredom, and without the blind spots caused by fear.
终于，我似乎领会了他的意思，并意识到这行诗意义深远。快乐带来的睿智存在于敏锐的洞察力之间，不会因忧虑而含混迷惑，也不会因绝望与厌倦而黯然模糊，更不会因恐惧而造成盲点。
Active happiness---not mere satisfaction or contentment ---often comes suddenly, like an April shower or the unfolding of a bud. Then you discover what kind of wisdom has accompanied it. The grass is greener; bird songs are sweeter; the shortcomings of your friends are more understandable and more forgivable. Happiness is like a pair of eyeglasses correcting your spiritual vision.
积极的快乐 – 并非单纯的满意或知足 – 通常不期而至，就像四月里突然下起的春雨，或是花蕾的突然绽放。然后，你就会发觉与快乐结伴而来的究竟是何种智慧。草地更青翠，鸟吟更甜美，朋友的缺点也变得更能让人理解，宽容。快乐就像是一副眼镜，可以矫正你的精神视力。
Nor are the insights of happiness limited to what is near around you. Unhappy, with your thoughts turned in upon your emotional woes, your vision is cut short as though by a wall. Happy, the wall crumbles.
快乐的视野并不仅限于你周围的事物。当你不快乐的时候，你的思维陷入情感上的悲哀，你的眼界就像是被一道墙给阻隔了，而当你快乐时，这道墙就会砰然倒塌。
The long vista is there for the seeing. The ground at your feet, the world about you----people, thoughts, emotions, pressures---are now fitted into the larger scene. Everything assumes a fairer proportion. And here is the beginning of wisdom.
你的眼界变得更为宽广。你脚下的大地，你身边的世界，包括人，思想，情感与压力，现在都融入了更为广阔的景象之中，其间每件事物 的比例都更加合理。而这就是睿智的起始。
秋之湖
I remember quite clearly now when the story happened. The autumn leaves were floating in 1）measure down to the ground, recovering the lake, where we used to swim like children, under the sun was there to shine. That time we used to be happy. Well, I thought we were. But the truth was that you had been 2）longing to leave me, not daring to tell me. On that precious night, watching the lake, vaguely 3）conscious, you said: “Our story is ending.”
The rain was killing the last days of summer. You had been killing my last breath of love, since a long time ago. I still don’t think I’m gonna make it through another love story. You took it all away from me. And there I stand, I knew I was going to be the one left behind. But still I’m watching the lake, vaguely conscious, and I know my life is ending.
我仍清晰地记得故事发生时。秋叶翻飞，飘落一地。我们曾经孩子般戏水畅游过的小湖盖满落叶，在太阳下闪着光。那时我们幸福过。哦，我是这样认为的。可事实上你早就想离开我，只是不敢告诉我罢了。在那美丽的夜晚，眼望湖水，恍惚中听见你说：我们的故事已到尽头。
雨水扼杀着所剩无几的夏日，而你很久以来也在扼杀我奄奄一息的爱。我仍不认为自己会再去经历另一段爱情故事。你把一切都带走了。我只有悄然伫立，早已明白自己将会是那个被遗弃的人。而我依然凝望着湖水，恍惚中，生命正离我而去。
摘抄是指从文刊、文件等
（一）英语美文摘抄
Man's youth is a wonderful thing： it is so full of anguish and of magic and he never comes to know it as it is， until it has gone from him forever. It is the thing he cannot bear to lose， it is the thing whose passing he watches with infinite sorrow and regret， it is the thing whose loss with a sad and secret joy， the thing he would never willingly relive again， could it be restored to him by any magic.
青春奇妙无穷，充满魅力，充满痛楚。青春年少的时候根本不知青春为何物，直到青春一去不复返啦才对青春有啦真正的认识。谁都想让青春永驻，不忍青春离去； 眼睁睁地看着青春流逝，心中会涌起无穷的忧伤和惋惜；青春的失去是人们永远感到悲哀的事；青春的失去是人们真正觉得悲喜交集的事；即便奇迹出现青春复苏， 谁都不会心甘情愿重度青春的岁月。
（二）英语美文摘抄
Why is this? The reason is that the strange and bitter miracle of life is nowhere else so evident as in our youth. And what is the essence of that strange and bitter miracle of life which we feel so poignant ， so unutterable， with such a bitter pain and joy， when we are young? It is this： that being rich， we are so poor； that being mighty， we can yet have nothing； that seeing， breathig， smelling， tasting all around us the impossible wealth and glory of this earth， feeling with an intolerable certitude that the whole structure of the enchanted life – the most fortunate， wealthy， good， and happy life that any man has ever known – is ours – is ours at once， immediately and forever， the moment that we choose to take a step， or stretch a hand， or say a word—— we yet know that we can really keep， hold， take， and possess forever—— nothing. All passes； nothing lasts： the moment that we put our hand upon it ， it melts away like smoke， is gone forever， and the snake is eating at our heart again； we see then what we are and what our lives must come to.
为什么如此？因为在青春时代，生活充满啦奇特而辛酸的不可思议的事。我们在青春年少时带着悲喜交集的心情，十分强烈而不可名状地感受到人生的奇特辛酸、不 可思议的经历。其实质是什么呢？其实质是这样的：青春年少的时候，虽然殷实富足，却非常贫穷；虽然力气强大，却一无所有；世间的富贵荣华触目皆是，简直可 以呼吸到，闻到嗅到，还可以品尝到，心中的自信按捺不住，深切地感受到整个被陶醉啦的生活——人类迄今为止所知道的最幸运、最富有的美好幸福的.生活， 只要我们决定向前迈步，奋发努力，便立即归我们所有啦，并将永远属于我们。然而，我们知道，我们真的永远不能抓到什么，永远不能获得什么，永远不能占有什 么。一切匆匆过去，荡然无存。我们一出手它就烟消云散，飘然而去，一去不复返啦。于是，心中泛起阵阵隐痛，看到啦自己真实的面孔，看到啦自己未来生活的必 然走向。
（三）英语美文摘抄
Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.
Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease.
This often exists in a man of 60 more than a boy of 20. Nobody grows old merely by a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals.
Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust.
Whether 60 or 16, there is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonders, the unfailing appetite for what’s next and the joy of the game of living.
In the center of your heart and my heart, there is a wireless station; so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, courage and power from man and from the infinite, so long as you are young.
When your aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you’ve grown old, even at 20; but as long as your aerials are up, to catch waves of optimism, there’s hope you may die young at 80.
青春不是年华，而是心境；青春不是桃面、丹唇、柔膝，而是深沉的意志，恢宏的想象，炙热的恋情；青春是生命的深泉在涌流。
青春气贯长虹，勇锐盖过怯弱，进取压倒苟安。如此锐气，二十后生而有之，六旬男子则更多见。年岁有加，并非垂老，理想丢弃，方堕暮年。
岁月悠悠，衰微只及肌肤；热忱抛却，颓废必致灵魂。忧烦，惶恐，丧失自信，定使心灵扭曲，意气如灰。
无论年届花甲，拟或二八芳龄，心中皆有生命之欢乐，奇迹之诱惑，孩童般天真久盛不衰。人人心中皆有一台天线，只要你从天上人间接受美好、希望、欢乐、勇气和力量的信号，你就青春永驻，风华常存。 、
一旦天线下降，锐气便被冰雪覆盖，玩世不恭、自暴自弃油然而生，即使年方二十，实已垂垂老矣；然则只要树起天线，捕捉乐观信号，你就有望在八十高龄告别尘寰时仍觉年轻。
