【推荐1】Sometimes just when we need the power of miracles to change our beliefs， they materialize in the places we’d least expect. They can come to us as a drastic alteration in our physical reality or as a simple synchronicity in our lives. Sometimes they’re big and can’t be missed Other times they’re so subtle that if we aren’t aware， we may miss them altogether. They can come from the lips of a stranger we suddenly and mysteriously encounter at just the right instant. If we listen carefully, we’ll always hear the right words，at the right time， to dazzle us into a realization of something that we may have failed to notice only moments before.
On a cold January afternoon in 1989，I was hiking up the trail that leads to the top of Egypt’s Mt. Horeb. I’d spent the day at St. Catherine’s Monastery and wanted to get to the peak by sunset to see the valley below. As I was winding up the narrow path，I’d occasionally see other hikers who were coming down from a day on the mountain. While they would generally pass with simply a nod or a greeting in another language，there was one man that day who did neither.
I saw him coming from the last switchback on the trail that led to the backside of the mountain. As he got closer，I could see that he was dressed differently from the other hikers I’d seen. Rather than the high-tech fabrics and styles that had been the norm，this man was wearing traditional Egyptian clothing. He wore a tattered， rust-colored galabia and obviously old and thick-soled sandals that were covered in dust. What made his appearance so odd，though，was that the man didn’t even appear to be Egyptian！ He was a small-framed Asian man, had very little hair，and was wearing round，wire-rimmed glasses.
As we neared one another，I was the first to speak.“Hello，”I said，stopping on the trail for a moment to catch my breath. Not a sound came from the man as he walked closer. I thought that maybe he hadn’t heard me or the wind had carried my voice away from him in another direction. Suddenly he stopped directly in front of me on the high side of the trail， looked up from the ground， and spoke a single sentence to me in English，“Sometimes you don’t know what you have lost until you’ve lost it.”As I took in what I had just heard，he simply stepped around me and continued his descent down the trail.
That moment in my life was a small miracle. The reason is less about what the man said and more about the timing and the context. The year was 1989，and the Cold War was drawing to a close. What the man on the trail couldn’t have known is that it was during my Egyptian pilgrimage， and specifically during my hike to the top of Moses’s mountain，that I’d set the time aside to make decisions that would affect my career in the defense industry，my friends，my family，and，ultimately，my life.
I had to ask myself what the chances were of an Asian man dressed in an Egyptian galabia coming down from the top of this historic mountain just when I was walking up，stopping before me，and offering his wisdom，seemingly from out of nowhere. My answer to my own question was easy： the odds were slim to none！ In an encounter that lasted less than two minutes on a mountain halfway around the world from my home， a total stranger had brought clarity， and the hint of a warning， regarding the huge changes that I would make within a matter of days. In my way of thinking，that’s a miracle.
I suspect that we all experience small miracles in our lives every day. Sometimes we have the wisdom and the courage to recognize them for what they are. In the moments when we don’t，that’s okay as well. It seems that our miracles have a way of coming back to us again and again. And each time they do，they become a little less subtle ，until we can’t possibly miss the message that they bring to our lives！
The key is that they’re everywhere and occur every day for different reasons， in response to the different needs that we may have in the moment. Our job may be less about questioning the extraordinary things that happen in our daily lives and more about accepting the gifts they bring.
1. Why did the author make a pilgrimage to Mt. Horeb in Egypt?

A．He was in search of a miracle in his life.

B．It was a holy place for a religious person to head for.

C．He intended to make arrangements for his life in the future.

D．He waited patiently in expectation of meeting a wise person.

2. What does the underlined part “my own question” refer to in Paragraph 6?

A．For what reason did the man stop before me?

B．Why did the Asian man go to the mountain?

C．What change would I make within a matter of days?

D．What was the probability that others told us the right words?

3. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “subtle” in Paragraph 7?

A．Apparent.	B．Delicate.
C．Precise.	D．Sufficient.

4. The author viewed the encounter with the Asian man as a miracle in his life in that     .

A．the Asian man’s appearance had a deciding effect on his future life

B．his words were in perfect response to the need he had at that moment

C．what the Asian man said was abundant in the philosophy of life

D．the Asian man impressed on him the worth of what he had possessed

5. What might be the best title for the passage?

A．Can you recognize a miracle?

B．Is a miracle significant to us?

C．When might a miracle occur?

D．Why do we need a miracle?

【推荐2】One of my favorite posters says, “Life is a test. It is only a test. Had this been a real life, you would have been instructed where to go and what to do.” Whenever I think of this humorous bit of wisdom, it reminds me not to take my life so seriously.

When you look at life and its many challenges as a test, or series of tests, you begin to see each issue you face as an opportunity to grow, a chance to discover more about life. Whether you’re being bombarded(轰炸) with problems, responsibilities, even insurmountable(不能超越的) difficulties, when looked at as a test, you always have a chance to succeed, in the sense of rising above that which is challenging you. If, on the other hand, you see each new issue you face as a serious battle that must be won in order to survive, you’re probably in a very rocky journey. The only time you’re likely to be happy is when everything is working out just right. And we all know how often that happens.

As an experiment, see if you can apply this idea to something you are forced to deal with. Perhaps you have much pressure from your parents or you have a demanding boss. See if you can redefine the issue you face from being a “problem” to being a test. Rather than struggling with your issue, see if there is something you can learn from it. Ask yourself, “Why is this an issue in my life? What would it mean and what would be involved to rise above it? Could I possibly look at this issue any differently? Can I see it as a test of some kind?”

If you give this strategy(策略) a try you may be surprised at your changed responses. It has become far more acceptable to me to accept things as they are.

1. When you begin to consider life as a test, you will find ______.

A．you are bombarded with problems and responsibilities

B．the result of the test is so good that you are likely to be happy

C．you have many opportunities to grow

D．you have a very demanding boss

2. When you see each new issue as a serious battle, you ______.

A．will have more chances to succeed

B．are likely to become happy about life

C．will know how often it happens

D．are probably to experience a bitter life

3. According to the passage, you’d better look at life as a test when ______.

A．you try to get the meaning of the poster

B．you are struggling with your issue

C．you are carrying out an experiment

D．you are in a very rocky journey

4. According to the passage, what is the author’s attitude towards life?

A．He considers life as a test.

B．He has difficulty in facing his hard life.

C．He thinks life is full of humorous wisdom.

D．He thinks life is not only a test but also a serious battle.

【推荐3】A friend of mine, in response to a conversation we were having about the injustices of life, asked me the question, “Who said life was going to be fair, or that it was even meant to be fair?” Her question was a good one. It reminded me of something I was taught as a youngster: life isn’t fair. It’s a disappointment, but it’s absolutely true. One of the mistakes many of us make is that we feel sorry for ourselves, or for others, thinking that life should be fair, or that someday it will be. It’s not and it won’t be.

One of the nice things about surrendering (屈从) to the fact that life isn’t fair is that it keeps us from feeling sorry for ourselves by encouraging us to do the very best we can with what we have. We know it’s not “life’s job” to make everything perfect, it’s our own challenge. Surrendering to this fact also keeps us from feeling sorry for others because we are reminded that everyone is dealt differently; everyone has unique strengths and problems in the process of growing up, facing the reality and making decisions, and everyone has those times that they feel unfairly treated.

The fact that life isn’t fair doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do everything in our power to improve our own lives or the world as a whole. To the contrary, it suggests that we should. When we don’t recognize or admit that life isn’t fair, we tend to feel pity for others and for ourselves. Pity, of course, is a self-defeating emotion that does nothing for anyone, except to make everyone feel worse than they already do. When we do recognize that life isn’t fair, however, we feel enthusiastic for others and for ourselves. And enthusiasm is a heartfelt emotion that conveys loving-kindness to everyone it touches.

The next time you find yourself thinking about the injustices of the world, try reminding yourself of this very basic fact. You may be surprised that it can make you out of self-pity and into helpful action.

1. The author thought of his friend’s question as a good one because ________.

A．like his friend, he also thought life was unfair.

B．he also wanted to know who held such an opinion.

C．it made him recall something during his childhood.

D．he learned something from the question as a youngster.

2. Surrendering to the fact that life isn’t fair will ________.

A．make us feel sorry for unfair treatment.

B．make us know it’s our duty to perfect things.

C．keep us from making everything perfect.

D．keep us from doing everything in our power.

3. In the last paragraph, “this very basic fact”refers to the fact that ________.

A．you should not pity for others.	B．life isn’t and won’t be fair.
C．compassion is heartfelt emotion.	D．pity is a self-defeating emotion.

4. According to the author, when recognizing life injustice, you may ________.

A．feel pity to other people.	B．do nothing to improve our life.
C．receive enthusiasm from others.	D．take measures to solve life problem.