OUR FLAG

’Tis the Star-Spangled Banner, oh, long may it wave
O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.
fag

As you came to school this morning, did you look up at your flag floating from the top of the flag pole? Didn’t it look beautiful, waving and rippling¹ in the sunshine against the blue sky? I wonder if you have ever thought about what it means?

You know flags are signs or emblems², and they all have a meaning.
boy looking up at flag

There is no reading on our American flag, yet everyone knows what it means as certainly as if there were letters all over it.

Our flag means that the United States of America is the Land of the Free, and our government stands for:

    Liberty and justice for everybody;
    [48]Education for all children;
    Protection to all Americans at home or abroad.

That is the reason so many people come to this country from countries where they do not have such help from the government.

We Americans are very thankful for what our flag means.

If we are good Americans we shall live up to every one of the following duties:

    To be true and faithful citizens;
    To do our part to carry out the laws of the government;
    To give, if necessary, our lives to protect our flag.

1 rippling   

起涟漪的，潺潺流水般声音的

参考例句：

• I could see the dawn breeze rippling the shining water. 我能看见黎明的微风在波光粼粼的水面上吹出道道涟漪。
• The pool rippling was caused by the waving of the reeds. 池塘里的潺潺声是芦苇摇动时引起的。

2 emblems   

n.象征，标记( emblem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His emblems are the spear and the burning torch. 他佩带的徽记是长矛和燃烧着的火炬。 来自辞典例句
• Crystal prize, Crystal gift, Crystal trophy, Champion cup, Emblems. 水晶奖牌、水晶礼品、水晶纪念品、奖杯、金属奖牌。 来自互联网