I wish I’d been more confident in my own abilities, especially when I was at school.
I was a shy child and struggled a bit when talking to other people. On the whole, my parents were very supportive, always encouraging me and trying to help me relax in social situations, but I was always terribly self-conscious. I wish I hadn’t been so worried about what everybody thought of me. I know now that if you are extremely shy , then it’s hard work to have a conversation with you. Now I try to think about the other person I’m talking to and put them at ease in my company .However, at school, I found it especially difficult in my peer group. I wasn’t competitive, but I was aware of my appearance and I always compared myself to other people, usually coming to the conclusion that I wasn’t as clever or as popular or as cool as they were. I wanted to be popular. I know now that the kids who are considered the coolest at school aren’t necessarily the most popular or successful when they grow up.
I realize now that everything changes during your teen years — physically, mentally, socially and emotionally — and I just had a harder time than most. I wish I hadn’t let it stop me from doing things, though. I wish I’d taken a gap year or at least traveled more when I left school. But to tell the truth, I didn’t have the courage to go off alone before going to college. I could have gone to Europe and America with a friend as I’d saved up enough money, but in the end I just didn’t want to do it. My parents really wanted me to try a gap year. They said it would be a great experience before college. I think they were right, and now I won’t have another opportunity to do that for a long time.
1. What can be learned about the author when she was a child?| A．She found being sociable difficult. |
| B．She was considered too direct. |
| C．She lived a rich life. |
| D．She felt uncomfortable with her parents. |
| A．She had a big heart. |
| B．She was a first-class student. |
| C．She suffered greatly during her teen years. |
| D．She used to let her parents down. |
| A．Not paying enough attention to her parents. |
| B．Not saving up enough money to go abroad. |
| C．Not going to college together with her best friend. |
| D．Not being brave enough to travel before college. |
| A．To honor her parents | B．To share her life lessons |
| C．To remember her childhood | D．To discuss skills needed for school |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】“Have you checked the oil in the car, Ted?” My father used to say to me. Sometimes our phone calls would begin and end with an only inquiry (询问) about the oil, without asking anything else. Fathers have lots of love to give, but it’s often provided through useful advice. In my experience, it’s mostly about the car.
Why can’t fathers just say “I love you” or “It’s great to see you”? Why can’t the sentences “I care about you” and“ You made my life better from the moment you were born” be heard? Because fathers tend to express their true feelings indirectly. You just have to understand the language — Fatherlish.
When I was 17 years old, I went on my first road trip in that old car. My father stood on the corner on a cold early morning to say goodbye. “Roads are dangerous,” he said, “so don’t try driving faster than a horse. And remember to take a break every two hours. And every time you stop for oil, you really should check the oil.” At the time I thought his speech was pretty funny and old.
Dad’s long gone now. But after all these years, I realize that if I had owned a copy of the Fatherlish-to-English dictionary, I would have understood that the speech that I always laughed at was simply Dad’s way to express love and care.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 1?| A．The author wanted to buy a new car badly. |
| B．The author forgot to check the oil regularly. |
| C．The author’s father expressed his love differently. |
| D．The author’s father preferred to make phone calls. |
| A．To show the danger of the trip. | B．To tell a very exciting experience. |
| C．To explain the rules of driving. | D．To present his father’s hidden love. |
| A．Humorous. | B．Caring. | C．Funny. | D．Boring. |
| A．The Fatherlish language | B．The habit of driving an old car |
| C．Father’s helpful advice | D．Annoying phone calls |
【推荐2】Our bachelor uncle lived with us, who loved hunting and fishing; and it was one of the pleasures of our young life to go fishing with him.
I remember my first fishing experience as if it happened yesterday. I was very excited when I received that first fishing pole from my uncle's hand, and went fishing with him. It was a still, sweet day of early summer; the leaves seemed greener, the flowers brighter, the birds merrier, than ever before.
My uncle considerately placed me at the most favorable point. I threw out my line as I had so often seen others, and waited anxiously for a bite, moving the bait (鱼饵) in rapid movement on the surface of the water just like the jumps of a frog. Nothing came of it. "Try again," said my uncle. Suddenly the bait sank out of sight. "Now for it," thought I, "here is a fish at last."
I made a strong pull, and brought up a tangle of weeds. Again and again I cast out my line with aching arms, and drew it back empty. "Try once more," he said, "we fishermen must have patience to catch a fish." "But remember, boy," he said, with his big smile, "never say you've caught a fish until it is on dry ground. It's no use showing off anything until it's done."
How often since I have been reminded of the fish that I did not catch! When I hear people boasting of a work as yet undone, I will remember the wise caution of my uncle in that particular instance takes the form of a proverb of universal application: "NEVER BOAST (吹嘘) OF YOUR FISH BEFORE YOU CATCH HIM."
1. From the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2, we can infer that_____________.| A．the leaves and the flowers were not so beautiful before. |
| B．the birds ate lots of fish and felt far merrier than before. |
| C．that day the author was much happier than ever before. |
| D．that day the uncle was much happier than ever before. |
| A．Don't count your chickens before they're hatched. |
| B．Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today. |
| C．One false step will make a great difference. |
| D．True friends have hearts that beat as one. |
| A．Strong and brave. | B．Wise and patient. |
| C．Patient and strong. | D．Lazy and talkative. |
| A．A sweet day of summer | B．My first fishing pole |
| C．The way to catch a fish | D．The fish I didn’t catch |
【推荐3】This summer my mom and I did something meaningful and interesting.
Because of the stresses of high school, I felt depressed from time to time. What’s worse, I began to eat many junk foods. As a result, I had gained a lot of weight.
My mom decided to take me to work out, and she cooked delicious but healthy snacks for me. However, I broke my word to my mom not to buy high calorie snacks. My mom found my snack wrappers in the garbage. She got really angry and told me something I will remember forever. She said, “ My dear, I can forget the fact that you cheated, but you shouldn’t. Remember it’s not all about losing weight but about your whole life. If you want to achieve something, take it seriously, and persist（坚持）no matter what happens.”
Since then, we have been out running each morning, and we do some yoga in the evening. We sing and laugh while running along the empty roads. Day by day, I am feeling better. Exercise is helping to strengthen my body and refresh my spirits. At the same time, my mom and I cook different dishes together. Isn’t it amazing that I’m making such tasty-looking foods myself? Cooking brings great joy to me.
These times with my mom have changed my whole attitude to life. I have started to learn the importance of sticking to goals and how to relax. As the famous Brazilian soccer player Pele said, “With strong will, the feet are equal to a pair of wings.”
1. Which one is the meaningful thing the writer did this summer?① Learning to make tasty foods.
② Learning to persist.
③ Giving up junk food.
④ Keeping running.
⑤ Playing soccer.
⑥ Joining in a singing competition.
| A．①④ | B．①⑤ |
| C．③⑤ | D．②⑥ |
| A．Modest. | B．Humorous. |
| C．Stubborn. | D．Determined. |
| A．Where there is a will, there is a way. | B．Happiness lies first of all in health. |
| C．Running is man’s best medicine. | D．A close mouth catches no flies. |
| A．being honest with parents is important | B．exercise builds up our bodies |
| C．parents can have a great effect on children | D．cooking brings great joy to me |
As soon as she recovered, Hill traveled to California. There she saw ancient redwood trees, which are the largest trees in the whole world. The wood from redwood trunks is very hard. So the Pacific Lumber Company cut down many of the huge redwoods to use for construction. There are not many forests of these trees left. Many environmental activists want to protect the remaining trees. The redwoods are very important to the environment.
In 1997 Hill learned a group called Earth First was working to protect a particular group of trees. They decided to send someone up into a redwood tree, hoping this would stop the company from cutting the trees down. Julia Butterfly Hill volunteered.
Hill lived in the tree for over two years without ever coming down. Her home was a 6-by-8-foot tree house, 180 feet up. It is always cold and wet in a redwood tree. There were even very serious winter storms while Hill was in the tree. The wind and cold almost knocked Hill out of the tree. But she did not fall — she survived.
Finally, after years of arguing, the company decided to protect Luna, the tree Hill lived in. They signed an agreement to never cut down this huge redwood tree or the trees around it. When Hill put her feet on the earth again, she began to cry. But from that moment on Hill hasn’t stopped working to protect the environment.
1. Julia Butterfly Hill traveled to California _____.
| A．to find a new job |
| B．to build a tree house |
| C．with the hope of joining Earth First |
| D．in expectation of doing something meaningful |
| A．because they might fall over at any time |
| B．because they had great economic value |
| C．to protect other trees in the forest |
| D．to make space for constructions |
| A．comfortable | B．cool | C．tough | D．satisfying |
| A．She has a sense of social responsibility. |
| B．She failed to protect the redwood tree. |
| C．She built a new house in the forest. |
| D．She is a self-centered woman |
【推荐2】Standing on the edge of the plane, looking at the ground below, my tandem skydiving（双人跳伞）instructor, Bill, turned to me. “Any last words?” he asked. “Yes,” I said, joking. “I hope my parachute opens.”
I'd never felt more alive as Bill and 1 stepped out and sated our freefall. Those first few seconds were amazing. I felt like a weightless piece of paper. As we reached 4,000 feet, I felt a parachute open above us. This, I was old, would slow us down for a smooth descent. So why were we still traveling so fast? I looked up: The parachute was unopened in the wind. I asked Bill, “Are we going to die?” He said he didn't know.
At that moment, I just felt guilty. I'd brought my family along for the day: my parents, sisters, their partners and children. I'd invited them along to watch me die.
We hit the ground. I was immediately breathless, and an unimaginable pain shot up my back as we bounced into a lake on a golf course. I was somehow still alive. Gathering all my strength, I turned to face Bill. He started screaming. From my neck down, I could barely move. We were found by some golfers. My mother and sister cried uncontrollably as Bill was put into a helicopter, and I was placed into an ambulance.
The next four or five months were intense. I had broken my back. After being discharged（出院）from the hospital, I locked myself in my bedroom and took painkillers. I became terrified of the outside world.
After years of therapy and hard work, the deep physical and mental pain is healing. I heard that Bill made a full recovery and returned to skydiving.
I was always terrified of being myself and doing the things I wanted. Now I've learned that I need to be fearless. There's nothing like falling from 15,000 feet without a parachute—and surviving—to force you to make the most of every day.
1. What happened during the tandem skydiving?| A．The author stayed calm the whole time. |
| B．Something went wrong with the parachute. |
| C．Bill didn't open the parachute in time. |
| D．The author couldn't breathe during the freefall. |
| A．Fall. | B．Shake. |
| C．Float. | D．Swing. |
| A．He had constant pain in his head. |
| B．He became crazy about extreme sports. |
| C．He developed a serious mental problem. |
| D．He became more confident in himself. |
| A．Safety first. | B．Fear can lead to failure. |
| C．Cooperation matters. | D．Seize and cherish every day. |
【推荐3】Half a year before graduation from college, my son David began to seek a job. Due to the financial crisis, the competition was ever-fierce. My son targeted a company that was located in a coastal city. It was intended to employ only one person among more than twenty people. I said to David, “You should not have too much hope for fear that you would feel terribly disappointed when you fail." He said to me, "I am not afraid of disappointment. As long as I try, there will always be hope!"
Three young men could enter the final round, which would later decide one person to be employed, Everything seemed to go quite well and David entered the final round in a week. Unexpectedly, the interview was unbelievably simple, during which the interviewer only chatted with them for a while. The interview strategies my son prepared were not useful at all. The interviewer said the company would inform them of the result in 3 days. On the morning of the third day, David received the text from the company that he was not employed. David felt disappointed.
In nightfall that day, David suddenly told me excitedly on phone that he had been employed. Greatly surprised, I asked him, "What's the whole matter?" David told me that he received another text saying that he was employed. David felt very confused about it. Later he found out the first text sent to him was also part of the test in the interview. Three men received the same text this morning and only David's reply was satisfying to the company. I asked my son, “How did all of you reply?" My son said, "One did not reply. The other said "goodbye" and I said "thank you"."
Only then did I know that my son's “hope" came in that way. That is, when you feel disappointed, do not forget to say “Thank you" to the one who disappoints you. Actually, it is a piece of cake to say "Thank you". Saying “Thank you" shows respect for others' work and demonstrates your grand generosity. Therefore, while under the same condition, you will get the upper hand in terms of opportunities compared with others!
1. What can we learn about David from Paragraph 1?| A．He was not hopeful of getting the job. |
| B．He wasn't afraid of failure. |
| C．He wanted to work for a company in the local city. |
| D．David was eager to find a job because of the pay. |
| A．The result was announced on the spot. |
| B．The three young men performed equally well. |
| C．David's preparations for the interview were not used. |
| D．David was nervous because the competition was really fierce. |
| A．Puzzled. | B．Thankful. | C．Nervous. | D．Pleased. |
| A．The author thought it's not easy to say thank you. |
| B．The author believed it's helpful to say thank you. |
| C．The author was sure that his son would get the job. |
| D．The author was disappointed when his son was not employed. |
| A．Never Give Up Hope |
| B．A Young Man And His Hope |
| C．The Magic Power of "Thank You" |
| D．Sunshine Always Appears After Storm |
【推荐1】The first time I realized that I had a love for sports competitions was during the Field Day (室外运动会) in elementary school.
Small for my age, and more of a bookworm than a sports enthusiast, I had suffered that special shame of being picked last for various gym teams. The Field Day, which focused on individual skills, was different.
In the Softball Throw (女子棒球) event, I got my first taste of sporting victory. I put it down to my first coach, my father. He bought us all baseball gloves and hats, and in the warm months, we spent hours playing catch. Come fall, our backyard football games began with passing practice.
Once I got to sixth grade, the entire students were assigned to either the Red or the White team. Throughout the year, we competed against each other in various games and exercises for points. I eventually became president of The Committee of Games, increasing my competitive fever. However, in girls’ sports games at my school. I was no star. During the weekends at home, playing tennis, skating, skiing and biking were simply normal things we did.
Magazines were also quite popular for us teens. These regularly featured articles on physical exercise. Somehow, my college roommate and I took up the habit of completing the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) exercise every day, a sweaty body building practice that continued into my marriage, when we had no spare funds to use to join a gym. So, though it shocked some of our friends, the early foundation evolved in adulthood into a sports and fitness focus, which was considered essential even on vacation.
I still love reading and the arts, too. As far as I’m considered, life is the richest with my feet in both worlds.
1. What does the author mean by saying “being picked last for various gym teams” in paragraph 2?| A．She seemed to have little talent in gym games. | B．She had to interest in sports. |
| C．She joined various groups. | D．She was tired of competition. |
| A．Owe it to. | B．Pass it on to. |
| C．Hand it over to. | D．Show it off to. |
| A．She developed an interest in reading magazine. |
| B．Sports gradually became part of her life. |
| C．Sports game had influenced her marriage a lot. |
| D．She didn’t like competitive sports. |
| A．Reading comes second to Sports. | B．Life’s foundation all lies in sports. |
| C．Girls’ sports are not competitive. | D．Sports enriches life as well as books. |
【推荐2】When I first arrived in Costa Rica, I always heard people saying, “pura vida”. Translated from Spanish, it means “pure lie”. It’s used as a greeting and to describe how things are going. It can describe a person or life in general. It’s usually said with a big smile, meaning everything is good. And I heartily agree.
I consider Costa Rica to be my second home. I first went there in 2005 to help start a small family business, and to this day I return often. It’s hard not to fall in love with this country. I see beautiful beaches, wild forests and breathtaking views everywhere. The wildlife is especially amazing! I never know what I’ll see right from the window of my guesthouse. It’s a country that helps me see the good in everything.
When I’m in Costa Rica, I live in Montezuma, which is on the ocean near Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve. This little town is an out-of-the way tourist destination. Getting there can be an adventure, but it’s all pura vida !
People often ask when they should visit Costa Rica. I always answer, “Do you want to come during the dry season or the green season?” The dry Season starts in December and is the perfect time to enjoy blue waters and sandy beaches. However, the sun is very strong, so use lots of sunscreen.
When the rains return in May, the green season begins. It’s the perfect time to see wildlife and so much more. I love watching wildlife so the green season is my personal favorite.
Keep an eye out at the beach. Several species of turtles (海龟) live on Costae Rica’s beaches. I suggest supporting the organizations that are working to protect by taking a tour of their nesting sites.
No matter when you visit, a trip to Costa Rica is truly pura vida!
1. What is pura vida used as?| A．A greeting. | B．A smile. | C．A book. | D．A season, |
| A．To learn Spanish. | B．To be a tour guide. |
| C．To do science research. | D．To help start a family business. |
| A．He can watch wildlife. | B．He likes to put on sunscreen. |
| C．He enjoys blue waters. | D．He loves to see nesting sites. |
| A．Sports. | B．Travel. | C．Technology. | D．Education. |
【推荐3】 The phone rang. I waited for the answering machine to get it, but it was not picking up. I was angry because I knew the call was either going to be for my wife, Susan, who had left to take Alyce to school ten minutes earlier, or it was the latest of 300 attempts (企图) to sell me something I had absolutely no interest in. “Hello,” I said. “Daddy, it’s me, Alyce. Mommy was just in a car accident.” “Are you all right?” “Yes.” “Is Mommy?” A deep sob (哭泣).“I don’t know. . . I don’t think so. Come quick”. I walked quickly a few blocks to what looked like a shoot for a disaster movie. Fire engines, police cars, and ambulances were parked in the street; helicopters circled. A city bus was on the wrong side of the road. In front of it were the remains of Susan’s destroyed car.
Susan was trapped under the dashboard (仪表盘). Alyce was standing on the comer, crying, covered in some glass but uninjured. Susan wasn’t so lucky. But she was alive. She spent almost three months in the hospital.
More than two years later, Susan and I were at an event and met with a woman, who told us she lived in the apartment building by where the accident had happened. That morning, she rushed to the street and saw Alyce standing there, crying. Alyce told her that she needed to call me, but her phone was missing. So the woman lent Alyce her phone.
We had our picture taken together, and as we were saying goodbye, we realized we had never been formally introduced, so she said to me, I’m sorry, but I never got your name. I told her it was Doug, and she paused, as if she hadn't heard me. I repeated, “Doug, like Douglas.”
She looked at us and said, “Wait, your name is Susan?” Susan nodded. “And your name is Doug?” The woman put her hand over her heart. “Oh my goodness,” she said. “My name is Susan Douglas.”
1. What can we know from the first paragraph?| A．The daughter was seriously injured in the accident. |
| B．The husband was waiting for an important call at that moment. |
| C．The family had received many calls about promoting products. |
| D．The wife was picking up Alyce from school when the accident happened. |
| A．His wife got stuck in the car. |
| B．His wife had been sent to hospital. |
| C．A disaster movie was being made. |
| D．A city bus had been ruined on the street. |
| A．Call her father. | B．Lend her a phone. |
| C．Save her mother. | D．Ask the police for help. |
| A．They sounded funny. | B．They were similar to hers. |
| C．They were heard quite often. | D．They were exactly the same as hers. |
