it was in the latter part of january, and a heavy snowfall was driving down. it whirled through the streets and the lanes, and the outsides of the windowpanes seemed plastered with snow. it fell down in masses from the roofs of the houses. a sudden panic seized the people. they ran, they flew, and they fell into each other's arms and felt that at least for that little moment they had a foothold. the coaches and horses seemed covered with sugar frosting, and the footmen stood with their backs to the carriages, to protect their faces from the wind.

the pedestrians kept in the shelter of the carriages, which could move only slowly through the deep snow. when the storm at last ceased, and a narrow path had been cleared near the houses, the people as they met would stand still in this path, for neither wanted to take the first step into the deep snow to let the other pass. so they would stand motionless, until by silent consent each would sacrifice one leg and, stepping aside, bury it in the snowdrift.

by evening it had grown calm. the sky looked as if it had been swept and had become very lofty and transparent. the stars seemed quite new, and some of them were wonderfully blue and bright. it was freezing so hard that the snow creaked, and the upper crust of it was strong enough by morning to support the sparrows. these little birds were hopping up and down where the paths had been cleared, but they found very little to eat and were shivering with cold.

"peep," said one to another. "they call this the new year, but it's much worse than the old one! we might just as well have kept the other year. i'm completely dissatisfied, and i have a right to be, too!"

编辑:Liuxuepaper.Com

作文地带知识拓展:

• 英语（English）属于印欧语系日耳曼语族西日耳曼语支，最早被中世纪的英国使用，并因其广阔的殖民地而成为世界使用面积最广的语言。英国人的祖先盎格鲁部落是后来迁移到大不列颠岛地区的日耳曼部落之一，称为英格兰。这两个名字都来自波罗地海半岛的Anglia。该语言与弗里斯兰语和下撒克森语密切相关，其词汇受到其他日耳曼语族语言的影响，尤其是北欧语（北日耳曼语），并在很大程度上由拉丁文和法文撰写。

  英语的英文释义：

  English 名词 uk  /ˈɪŋ.ɡlɪʃ/ us  /ˈɪŋ.ɡlɪʃ/

  the language that is spoken in the UK, the US, and in many other countries

  英语

  American/British English

  美式／英式英语

  Do you speak English?

  你会说英语吗？

  English   形容词 adjective   uk  /ˈɪŋ.ɡlɪʃ/ us  /ˈɪŋ.ɡlɪʃ/

  in or relating to the English language

  英语的

  an English teacher

  英语老师

  relating to or from England

  英格兰的;英国的

  English films/food/people

  英国电影／食品／人

  English law

  英格兰法律