When I was 9, we packed up our home in Los Angeles and arrived at Heathrow, London on a gray January morning. Everyone in the family settled quickly into the city except me. Without my beloved beaches and endless blue—sky days, I felt at a loss and out of place. Until I made a discovery.
当我九岁的时候，我们整理好在洛杉矶的家，于一个阴沉的一月早晨抵达了伦敦希斯罗机场。家人都很快适应了这座城市，只有我感到失落和格格不入。直到我做出一个发现。

Southbank, at an eastern bend in the Thames, is the center of British skateboarding, where the continuous crashing of skateboards left your head ringing .I loved it. I soon made friends with the local skaters. We spoke our own language. And my favorite: Safe. Safe meant cool. It meant hello. It meant don’t worry about it. Once, when trying a certain trick on the beam（横杆）, I fell onto the stones, damaging a nerve in my hand, and Toby came over, helping me up: Safe, man. Safe. A few minutes later, when I landed the trick, my friends beat their boards loud, shouting: “ Safe! Safe! Safe!” And that’s what mattered—landing tricks, being a good skater.
在泰晤士河的东部转弯处的南岸，是英国滑板运动的中心，持续的滑板撞击声让你的耳朵嗡嗡作响。我喜欢这里。很快我和当地的滑冰者交上了朋友。我们用自己的语言交流。我最喜欢的词是：Safe。Safe意味着酷，意味着你好，意味着不用担心。有一次我尝试在横杆上做一个特定的技巧时，摔倒在石头上，伤到了手上的神经，Toby走过来，扶我站起来说：“安全，伙计。安全。”几分钟后，当我成功完成了这个技巧，我的朋友们用滑板猛击地面，喊道：“安全！安全！安全！”而那才是最重要的事情——完成技巧，成为一个优秀的滑板手。

When I was 15, my family moved to Washington. I tried skateboarding there, but the locals were far less welcoming. Within a couple of years, I’d given it up.
当我15岁的时候，我的家人搬到了华盛顿。我在那里尝试了滑板运动，但当地人远没有对我那么友好。几年后，我放弃了这项爱好。

When I returned to London in 2004, I found myself wandering down to Southbank, spending hours there. I’ve traveled back several times since, most recently this past spring. The day was cold but clear: tourists and Londoners stopped to watch the skaters. Weaving（穿梭）among the kids who rushed by on their boards, I found my way to the beam. Then a rail—thin teenager, in a baggy white T—shirt, skidded（滑）up to the beam. He sat next to me. He seemed not to notice the man next to him. But soon I caught a few of his glances. “I was a local here 20 years ago,” I told him. Then, slowly, he began to nod his head. “Safe, man. Safe.”
当我于2004年回到伦敦时，我发现自己常常走到南岸，待上几个小时。从那时起，我多次回到那里，最近是在这个春天。那天天气寒冷但晴朗：游客和伦敦人停下来观看滑板手。我在那些小孩子滑板的间隙中穿梭，找到了横杆。然后一个身穿宽松白T恤的瘦高个青少年，滑到了横杆旁边。他坐在我旁边。他似乎没有注意到旁边的那个人。但很快我注意到了他的几次眼神。我告诉他：“20年前，我就是这里的本地人。”然后，他开始慢慢点头。“安全，伙计。安全。”

“Yeah,” I said. “Safe.”
“是的，”我说。“安全。”

1. What can we learn about the author soon after he moved to London?
   A. He felt disappointed. B. He gave up his hobby.
   C. He liked the weather there. D. He had disagreements with his family.
   答案：A

2. What do the underlined words “Safe! Safe! Safe!” probably mean?
   A. Be careful! B. Well done! C. No way! D. Don’t worry!
   答案：B

3. Why did the author like to spend time in Southbank when he returned to London?
   A. To join the skateboarding. B. To make new friends.
   C. To learn more tricks. D. To relive his childhood days
   答案：D

4. What message does the author seem to convey in the text?
   A. Children should learn a second language.
   B. Sport is necessary for children’s health.
   C. Children need a sense of belonging
   D. Seeing the world is a must for children.
   答案：C