When Narayanswami was invited to a dinner by a friend who worked at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, she was excited. Many of the guests flew planes. “I must have expressed some yearning(渴望),”she says, because someone told her “You should join the flying club!” The next day Narayanswami, who was 57 at the time, arranged to meet an instructor. “I said ‘Aren’t I too old?” He said “We’ve got students in their 80s.”
Narayanswami grew up in Southwest London, and at grammar school suffered horrific racist bullying. The library provided shelter. But, as she reached her late teens, she feel family pressure for an arranged marriage; “I really protested,” she says. “But I want to be an astronaut! My mother made a promise. As long as you are getting an education we will not look for a husband for you.”
Narayanswami studied biology at Leicester University, then did a PhD at St Andrew, followed by postdoctoral research at the University of California. “Every time you move you get further away,” her dad remarked on the phone. “I didn’t feel I would be able to escape unless I did that,” she says.
In 2020, aged 64, Narayanswami finished 423 flight hours she needed to earn her pilot's license. Then she applied to Nasa’s astronaut corps, but received a very appreciative rejection. Even now, at 66, she says “I haven't been able to figure out how to deal with it. It doesn’t go away.” The racist bullying she received as a child has cast a very long shadow.
Flying has helped. It is a workout: she has to tow the plane out to the taxiway. And it offers a different perspective. “I can see eagles, bears, mountain lions, birds of prey. I love the beauty of the clouds. They are like hills. Vaster than our hills,” she says.
New possibilities have arisen—Narayanswami chairs the board of the General Aviation Awards in the US—but she finds relaxing difficult. In flight, she is part of a huge network of people who are communicating by radio frequency. There is no sense of skin colour. We are all tied together by our voices.
1. How did the instructor’s words sound to Narayanswami?A.Disappointing. | B.Embarrassing. |
C.Annoying. | D.Encouraging. |
A.Accepting an aged marriage. | B.Receiving an education. |
C.Keeping a distance. | D.Making a promise: |
A.It indicates prejudice against her. | B.It ruins her childhood memory. |
C.It raises concern for her age. | D.It leaves room for negotiation. |
A.A good way of relaxation. | B.A different dimension of life. |
C.A rich knowledge of wildlife. | D.A full exhibition of leadership. |
相似题推荐
In 7th grade.we moved back to Washington D.C.And I could not have been more excited and I felt like I was finally home again.But things had changed.There were two new girls,who decided that they didn’t like me,which meant no one else could,not even all my former best friends.
And then one day during school,I opened my locker,only to find a note lying on the floor.The note said:Die.Nobody likes you.
My heart started beating faster and I felt the blood rushing to my face.I had no idea what to do.The note wasn’t signed and I had no idea who had written it,but I figured the new girls were behind it.I had to sit in class all day with my head down,wondering who else knew about this shame.I felt horrible and sure that nothing would ever be good again.
I decided that the perfect way to end all of this was with another note,left on the bathroom mirror at school.
It’s sad for someone to bully(欺负)other classmates to make themselves feel better or look cool.Bullying others is a way to impress others.It’s common,but that doesn’t mean it's okay.Looking cool is not worth making others feel bad.Obviously I’m very happy now,but it doesn’t mean I’11 ever forget about that note or how it made me feel.And to those of you that are current victims(目前的受害者) of bullying—know that you are NOT alone.It will get better.I promise.
1. Why was the author unhappy when she left Washington D.C.?
A.She couldn’t adapt herself |
B.She had to leave best friends. |
C.She was growing up there. |
D.She hated traveling a lot. |
A.satisfied | B.cheerful | C.amused | D.ashamed |
A.under her teacher’s guide |
B.by compromising to others |
C.with her best friends’ help |
D.through her own efforts |
A.Meet friends whenever possible. |
B.Make efforts to fight back hard. |
C.Be optimistic and let a thing slide. |
D.Go on well with others. |
【推荐2】I started out in life with few advantages. I didn't graduate from high school. I worked at menial (不体面的) jobs. I had limited education, limited skills and a limited future.
And then I began asking, "Why are some people more successful than others?" This question changed my life.
Over the years, I have read thousands of books and articles on the subjects of success and achievement(成就). It seems that the reasons have been discussed and written about for more than two thousand years, in every possible way. One quality that most philosophers, teachers and experts agree on is the importance of self-discipline (自律). As Al Tomsik summarized it years ago, "Success is tons of discipline."
Some years ago, I attended a conference in Washington. It was the lunch break and I was eating at a nearby food fair. The area was crowded and I sat down at the last open table by myself, even though it was a table for four. A few minutes later, an older gentleman and a younger woman who was his assistant came along carrying trays of food, obviously looking for a place to sit. With plenty of room at my table, I immediately invited the older gentleman to join me. He was hesitant (犹豫), but I insisted. Finally, thanking me as he sat down, we began to chat over lunch.
It turned out that his name was Kop Kopmeyer. As it happened, I immediately knew who he was. He was a legend in the field of success and achievement. Kop Kopmeyer had written four large books, each of which contained 250 success principles that he had obtained from more than fifty years of research and study. I had read all four books from cover to cover, more than once.
After we had chatted for a while, I asked him the question that many people in this situation would ask, "Of all the one thousand success principles that you have discovered, which do you think is the most important?”
He smiled at me, as if he had been asked this question many times, and replied, without hesitating, "The most important success principle of all was stated by Thomas Huxley many years ago. He said, 'Do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.'"
He went on to say, "There are 999 other success principles that I have found in my reading and experience, but without self-discipline, none of them work."
1. Why did the writer ask the question in Paragraph 2 ?A.Because he wasn't satisfied with himself. |
B.Because he was a person of self-discipline. |
C.Because he dislike those successful people. |
D.Because he wanted to share his idea on success. |
A.His great kindness. | B.The gentleman's fame. |
C.His eagerness for success. | D.The gentleman's habit. |
A.Personal changes | B.The secret of success |
C.Sayings of wisdom | D.The gentleman's manners. |
A.The Magic of Reading | B.An Unexpected Conversation |
C.A Question that Changed My Life | D.The Power of Self-discipline |
【推荐3】Ya Ting had taken me under her wing after hearing me speaking Chinese in a hotel in Lijiang. She had been hitchhiking(搭便车旅行) around China for months. She invited me to travel with her, which was how we ended up on the side of the road looking for a ride to the Tiger Leaping Gorge. Within 20 minutes, we had our first ride. The driver couldn’t take us all the way and ended up dropping us at a freeway crossroads. As a new hitchhiker, I thought that would be the end of our luck, but almost immediately we got another ride.
Our most forgettable ride was when a twenty-something kid picked us up. He couldn’t take us the whole way so his uncle bought us lunch and a bus ticket for the rest of the journey. He felt it was his duty to help us find a way to complete our trip. It brought tears of joy and thankfulness to my eyes. This was the first time I understood how guests are respected in China.
A few weeks later, we said goodbye. I thought we had been so lucky because we had been a local(本地人) and a foreigner travelling together. But now Ya Ting was no longer around to do the talking, nor did I have someone to depend on if something went wrong. When I stood by a highway in Sichuan, I knew all about the difficulties before me. Now I was just a strange foreigner on her own who suddenly had to manage to talk with Chinese.
After about 30 minutes, a couple picked me up and took me the whole eight hours to Chengdu. We ate lunch on the way, and they refused to allow me to pay for any of it, which I had come to learn was typical(特有的) of Chinese culture. This made me believe the hospitality(好客)in Chinese culture that we don’t often see in the west.
1. What do the author and Ya Ting have in common?A.They both live in Lijiang. | B.They both are hitchhikers. |
C.They both are foreigners. | D.They both speak Chinese well. |
A.It was rather tiring. | B.It was full of danger. |
C.It was very smooth. | D.It was heart-breaking. |
A.They dropped her halfway. | B.They lent her some money. |
C.They taught her about Chinese culture. | D.They offered her a free lunch. |
A.2 | B.3 | C.4 | D.not mentioned |
【推荐1】It was a rainy, damp December day. I was headed to the store to pick up another week’s worth of food. I had put off shopping for Christmas presents until later in the month but wasn’t looking forward to the crowd of Christmas shoppers while I grabbed my groceries. I kept the CD player on while I drove to avoid the radio news. It only spoke of the world’s huge problems and how divided we all still were. And it usually just left me feeling helpless.
Still, I gave my son a dollar to put in the bell-ringer’s pot at the door to the store. We went in and soon filled our cart with food. Then we walked towards the self-checkout machines. I hated using them. I much preferred to chat with the friendly cashiers, but the line at them was five deep and I just didn’t have the time. As I pulled my cart up, I heard an old man at the machine next to mine grumbling (嘟囔) under his breath, trying his hardest not to curse (诅咒) . He only had a few items but every time he put his wrinkled, well-worn, twenty-dollar bill into the machine, the money was returned. I quickly grabbed a newer twenty out of my purse and gave it to him. He thanked me with a warm smile and paid for his goods. I told him to keep his money but he insisted that I take his old, torn twenty. I nodded, put it in my coat pocket, and wished him a Merry Christmas.
After checking out, I remembered something Mother Teresa had once said about how we all can change the world. “Help one person at a time,” she said, “and always start with the person nearest you.” I reached into my pocket, smiled, and went outside. Then I dropped that torn twenty into the bell-ringer’s pot and walked to my car with my son happily.
1. Why did the author feel helpless?A.Radio provided unreliable news. |
B.There was always a Christmas rush. |
C.People were disconnected from each other. |
D.Christmas was ruined by the terrible weather. |
A.By paying for his shopping items at the checkout counter |
B.By exchanging a newer note with him. |
C.By teaching him how to use the machine. |
D.By calling out the friendly cashier in time. |
A.She wanted to pursue Mother Teresa’s ideas. |
B.She desired to spread Mother Teresa’s words. |
C.She expected to set a good example to her son. |
D.She hoped to have a meaningful day with her son. |
A.Change The World | B.The Person Nearest You |
C.The Christmas Spirit | D.A Torn Twenty-Dollar Bill |
【推荐2】Two women were fined after slapping (捆) each other on a train in Sichuan province, Chengdu Railway Police said in a statement on Wednesday evening. The case caused widespread discussion on Chinese social media over whether both deserved to be fined, as it seemed one of them might have been simply trying to defend herself.
The incident happened on May 2 on a train from Meishan to Chengdu in Sichuan. One of the women, surnamed Wang, was traveling alone while the other, surnamed Yang, was traveling with several people, including three children, according to the police, who released surveillance footage (监控镜头) from the carriage and video recordings made by the train conductor. Wang, who was sitting in front of Yang, stood up and turned around to tell the children to stop kicking the back of her seat and making noise, leading to an argument with Yang. Yang’s travel companion then insulted (侮辱) Wang, who argued back, according to the statement.
As the situation became worse, the train conductor arrived to deal with the argument. During the process, Wang once again started to verbally abuse Yang, who then slapped Wang in the face. Wang then slapped Yang back and again shortly after.
Wang reported the case to the police and posted about the event on social media. A police investigation initially concluded that the two parties were involved in a fight and had violated the Public Security Management Penalty Law by slapping each other in the face. Wang was given a fine of 200 yuan ($29) and Yang 500 yuan. Wang said on social media on May 7 that she accepted the punishment but refused to reconcile (和解) with Yang and has applied for administrative reconsideration.
Zhou Weifa, a lawyer from Beijing Hengdu Law Firm, said that Wang’s act of slapping Yang in the face the first time can be considered self-defense because she was hit first. But she soon slapped Yang again even when Yang took no further action. This was clearly intentional and violent, so the punishment is appropriate, Zhou said.
Chen Jun, a resident of Beijing, said, “People supported Wang mainly because they cannot stand children misbehaving in public places while the parents turn a blind eye. But law enforcement is not about taking sides. It’s about sticking to the facts.”
1. What is the main topic of paragraph 2?A.The influence of the case. | B.The cause of the incident. |
C.The settlement of the argument. | D.The misbehavior of the children. |
A.Unfair. | B.Limited. | C.Serious. | D.Acceptable. |
A.Wang slapped Yang back and again shortly after. |
B.Wang has applied for administrative reconsideration. |
C.Yang should have made her children behave in public places. |
D.Yang’s travel companion insulted Wang, who didn’t argue back at once |
A.Two women fined after fight on train in Sichuan |
B.Two parties involved in a fight on train in Sichuan |
C.Woman tries to defend herself on train in Sichuan |
D.Police publishes video footage about fight on train in Sichuan |
【推荐3】Things were not going well for David McCartney on the evening of January 9th, 2006. David McCartney, the father of two, was running late to a meeting, and had been stopped for a speeding ticket. But the delay (延误) put him right where he needed to be when Elizabeth Testerman’s car ran out of the road, catching fire and bursting into flames (着火). Thinking fast, MeCartney called 911 and ran to Testerman’s car and pulled her out from the car with the help from two others. “I got to save a life,” says McCartney. “So it would end up being a pretty good day.”
That life-changing event led to a longtime friendship with Testerman, who encouraged him to continue to do good things for other people. In 2019, her message inspired McCartney, a distance runner, to donate his kidney (肾脏) to a stranger before death. Since then, McCartney’s goal has been to run 50-plus-mile marathons in his own state to increase awareness about knowing kidney disease, and also raise money for Team Mason. It is a local organization that brings people’s awareness of kidney disease.
Though McCartney had donated one of his kidneys, he also had to accept the fact that he never got to meet the person who received his kidney, because he or she chose to remain anonymous. “I would have liked to shake his or her hands,” he explains. “But you can’t know what the person is going through.”
After he recovered from his donating kidney, McCartney finally got back to run—but this time, with a new purpose. “We’re trying to get people involved in all the states.” says McCartney. “We’ve got to take this platform as far as we can.” “It’s a big business,” adds McCartney. “But if the sun is shining, we’re running.”
1. How did McCartney feel at last on the evening of January 9th, 2006?A.Moved. | B.Grateful. | C.Upset. | D.Proud. |
A.McCartney tried to get people aware of kidney disease. |
B.Testerman had set up Team Mason before she died. |
C.McCartney donated one of his kidneys to Testerman. |
D.Testerman died of a serious kidney disease. |
A.Curious. | B.Unnamed. | C.Responsible. | D.Special. |
A.To exercise so that he could recover soon. |
B.To raise money for those with kidney disease. |
C.To make more people to know about kidney disease. |
D.To win 50-plus-mile marathons throughout the US. |