Last January, my wife received a 1,000-piece jigsaw (拼图) puzzle as a birthday gift from some dear friends. The puzzle was of a cabin by the lake that looked like the one we live in. We were not sure when we would actually do the puzzle, but it was nice to have it in case the need arose.
Then the need arose.
On the 16th day of our isolation (隔离), we cut the box open and ceremoniously (郑重地) dumped (倒) the pieces on the table. We knew the drill. We tackled the frame first and then the large objects with distinctive lines and colors. My wife primarily used the color and shape of the pieces to solve the puzzle; I relied more heavily on the picture on the box as a guide. And so began our odyssey (漫长的历程) of the puzzle.
I came to know every piece of that puzzle more intimately than I have known anything in my life. Some pieces found a home in the puzzle the first time I picked them up. Others hung around for more than a week until the puzzle filled in enough to be properly placed. But once a piece joined the collective (整体), it lost its individuality and blended into the puzzle to complete the picture.
What is a jigsaw? First and foremost, it is a puzzle to be solved. But unlike many puzzles, it can be solved eventually with some talent and a sufficient (充足的) reserve (储备) of stubborn determination. In our case, three to four hours a day for 16 days.
Ultimately (根本上), a jigsaw puzzle is a testament (证明) to one’s character. You usually complete this time-consuming but ultimately useless task for no better reason than not quitting. I documented the odyssey on Facebook and received both encouragement along the way and hearty congratulations upon our eventual success.
So what to do with the completed puzzle? The only reasonable option seemed to be to break it up and put it back in the box. It took 16 days to put the puzzle together and only two minutes to tear it apart.
Once our pieces were back in the box, it became apparent (显而易见的) that the goal was never to complete the puzzle at all. Rather it was merely a mechanism (方法) to kill time. In this way, jigsaw puzzles are like life itself: It’s all about the journey; the destination is, in fact, of little importance.
1. Why did the author and his wife decide to do a jigsaw puzzle?| A．Their friends encouraged them to do so. | B．They were attracted by the picture on the box. |
| C．They wanted to kill time during isolation. | D．They wanted to document it on Facebook. |
| A．How the couple solved the jigsaw puzzle. |
| B．How the couple felt about doing the jigsaw puzzle. |
| C．The support the couple got from friends while doing the jigsaw puzzle. |
| D．The problems the couple came across doing the jigsaw puzzle. |
| A．They made fun of their efficiency. | B．They were pleased for them. |
| C．They persuaded them to tear it apart. | D．They considered it meaningless. |
| A．It is helpful to do jigsaw puzzles. | B．Determination matters in life. |
| C．It takes patience to achieve success. | D．The process matters more than the result. |
| A．A wonderful birthday gift | B．How to play with jigsaw puzzles |
| C．Playing with jigsaw puzzles | D．Ways to kill time during isolation |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】The Danger of Overusing Exclamation Marks (感叹号)
I’m well-known for my cheerfulness. Even on my worst days, I still put on a happy face to communicate with people.
I used to catch myself using exclamations at the end of every sentence in emails to express friendliness.
The reality is that I’m not always excited to hear from someone I don’t know.
Sure, people will think I’m nice, but I sacrifice a lot in this process. First, when I manage others’ feelings in this way, I’m putting my own needs second.
| A．I’m not always happy to help |
| B．I used to be hesitant to refuse others |
| C．Chances are that you’ve sent those emails too |
| D．Managing others people’s feelings is exhausting |
| E．There are many ways to build a connection beyond punctuation |
| F．This behaviour can be found in my emails as exclamation marks |
| G．Now I use exclamations only when it feels honest and authentic |
Oh, how I wish you could see what I see now. I’m older, and life has made me wiser. Nothing is the way I thought it would be, it’s so much better.
When I look back, I see you as one person but I know there were two of you:one that the world saw and the secret one that only you knew. I remember the nights and days filled with worry, sadness, and confusion(困惑). I remember being both of you. I remember the smile I would show to my friends and then I remember the tears no one knew that I cried behind my closed bedroom door.
Oh, how I wish I knew that everything would be okay someday. But I probably wouldn’t have believed it at the time.
Oh, how I remember those teenager years as the most painful years of my life. Living under a microscope（显微镜），everything was enlarged ,you think that whatever happens will stay that way forever. In fact , Nothing is farther from the truth.
Ever heard of Marcel Proust? He had a particularly painful life, but when he came to the end of it, looking back, he felt that the most painful things in his life were the best things in his life, because they made him who he was.
It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. Your teenage years were the best suffering of your life. Those painful breakups, lonely nights, and tears cried are the times that will make you stronger, smarter and shape you become a determined adult in the future.
1. Who might be the writer of the letter?| A．This is a letter from Marcel Proust to encourage the Youth. |
| B．This is a letter from an adult to his youth. |
| C．This is a letter from a teacher to his students |
| D．This is a letter from a father to his son. |
| A．Teenagers are easy to hurt. |
| B．Everything stays the same. |
| C．Teenagers years are suffering. |
| D．The growing pains of teenagers will pass one day. |
| A．He had a painful life and he was upset. |
| B．He complained about his past life. |
| C．He thought blaming others is meaningless. |
| D．He was grateful for the painful experience of his youth. |
| A．Sunshine always come after the rain. |
| B．Better late than never, |
| C．Joy is shared, but sorrow is tasted. |
| D．Actions speak louder than words. |
【推荐3】Teaching is a constant process of upgrade, where every moment you learn new things, not only as a teacher, but also as a human being.
At the start of my career, I believe I should come across to my students as a ‘no-nonsense’ type of person. My entire focus was towards maintaining classroom discipline (纪律). It was tough. Most of my Indian students were from a rural background. They would intentionally use vocabulary that sounded Greek to me. They did all in their power to make me feel like a fish out of water.
My last lecture ended at 2.30 in the afternoon. Some of the students approached me begging to let them leave 15 minutes early as they had a bus to catch. My permission resulted in a stir and restlessness as half of the class stood up to leave. They all had buses to catch! Unable to distinguish between the genuine ones and those faking it, I put a ban on anybody leaving before time.
One evening, I spotted three boys from my last class at the bus stop. I called out, “You constantly blame me for not allowing you to leave early because you have a bus to catch and here you are still hanging around at 5 pm!” One of the boys replied respectfully and humbly, “Madam, the bus leaves at 2:30. If we leave the class at 2:15, we are able to make it. In case we miss it, the next bus to our village comes after three hours. Now we are waiting for it. At this hour, the bus will be overloaded and we will not even get a seat.”
I was full of remorse (懊悔). The next day, I asked all the students who had a bus to catch to write an application, get it signed and leave whenever they wanted, without seeking my permission. I learnt the first lesson of my life as a teacher — learn to empathize (共鸣) with your students, for they would learn better from you when they respect you than when they fear you.
1. What gave the author the biggest headache when she started teaching?| A．Her students’ serious violent behavior. |
| B．Her inability to understand Greek words. |
| C．Her struggle to keep her classes in order. |
| D．Her students’ diverse educational backgrounds. |
| A．She took it seriously. | B．She approved it instantly. |
| C．She rejected it completely. | D．She processed it gracefully. |
| A．Embarrassed. | B．Concerned. |
| C．Regretful. | D．Annoyed. |
| A．Show students that you respect them. |
| B．Relate to students’ emotional experiences. |
| C．Cooperate with students to promote learning. |
| D．Evaluate yourself first and the students second. |
【推荐1】At the beginning of my 8:00 a.m. class one Monday at UNLV(拉斯维加斯内华达大学), I cheerfully asked my students how their weekend had been. One young man said that his weekend had not been very good. The young man then proceeded to ask me why I always seemed to be so cheerful.
His question reminded me of something I’d read somewhere before: “Every morning when you get up, you have a choice about how you want to approach life that day,” I said to the young man. “I choose to be cheerful.”
“Let me give you an example,” I continued. “In addition to teaching here at UNLV, I also teach out at the community college in Henderson. One day a few weeks ago I drove to Henderson. I exited the freeway and turned onto College Drive. But just then my car died. I tried to start it again, but the engine wouldn’t turn over. So I put my flashers on, grabbed my books, and marched down the road to the college.”
As soon as I got there, the secretary in the Provost’s office asked me what had happened. “This is my lucky day”, I replied, smiling.
“Your car breaks down and today is your lucky day?” She was puzzled, “What do you mean?”
“I live seventeen miles from here. I replied. My car could have broken down anywhere along the freeway. It didn’t. Instead, it broke down in the perfect place: off the freeway, within walking distance of here. I’m still able to teach my class, and I’ve been able to arrange for the tow truck to meet me after class. If my car was meant to break down today, it couldn’t have been arranged in a more convenient fashion.”
1. What should you do if you want to be cheerful?| A．Try to succeed in doing everything. |
| B．Choose to be cheerful every day. |
| C．Earn a lot of money by working. |
| D．Try to please your boss every day. |
| A．By bus. | B．By truck. | C．On foot. | D．By taxi. |
| A．Near UNLV. | B．Along the way. |
| C．Near Henderson. | D．Near the community college. |
【推荐2】Stinky tofu is such a special dish in China, and it seems quite surprising that I can t recall my first encounter with it. But what I do remember is my father's reaction to it in his first encounter.
My father and my brother came to see me in Nanjing last year, and I showed them around the city. We were walking down the street when my father suddenly stopped, looked around with a slightly worried expression on his face, as if he was searching for the source of something unpleasant.
"What's that smell? " he asked in a puzzled tone.
I pointed to a food stall (摊位)and said, "That’s what they call stinky tofu. It's really delicious!Do you want to have a try? "Without saying a word, my father left at an unusually quick pace, and didn’t slow down until he was safely out of range of the smell。
His reaction is understandable. Indeed, the smell of stinky tofu can be a bit too much for someone who has never tried such dishes before. It is often said that stinky tofu is to China what Stilton cheese(斯提尔顿奶酪) is to England. Actually, stinky tofu wins great popularity in China and you can find it in many cities, but very often on the street stalls.
One mans meat is another man's poison. I stayed in Nanjing for many years and eventually developed a taste for stinky tofu. It is now one of my favourite street snacks. It takes years for my father to make a return trip. I wonder if memories of stinky tofu have something to do with that.
1. Why did the author's father suddenly stop while walking on the street?| A．He wanted to look at the map. |
| B．He found someone was following him. |
| C．He lost something important. |
| D．He smelt something unpleasant. |
| A．Strange | B．Reasonable | C．Unacceptable | D．Crazy |
| A．The author's father likes the smell of stinky tofu. |
| B．The author likes the smell of stinky tofu the first time he tried it. |
| C．The author develops a taste for stinky tofu after many years in Nanjing. |
| D．The author's brother likes the smell of stinky tofu. |
【推荐3】As an educator and health care provider, I have worked with numerous children infected with the virus that causes AIDS. The relationships that I have had with these special kids have been gifts in my life. They have taught me so many things, but I have especially learned that great courage can be found in the smallest of packages. Let me tell you about Tyler.
Tyler was born infected with HIV: his mother was also infected. From the very beginning of his life, he was dependent on medications to enable him to survive. When he was five, he had a tube inserted (插入) in a vein in his chest. This tube was connected to a pump, which he carried in a small backpack on his back. Medications were linked to this pump and were continuously supplied through this tube to his bloodstream. At times, he also needed supplemented (补充的) oxygen to support his breathing.
Tyler wasn’t willing to give up one single moment of his childhood to this deadly disease. It was not unusual to find him playing and racing around his backyard, wearing his medicine-laden backpack and dragging his tank of oxygen behind him in his little wagon. All of us who knew Tyler were amazed at his pure joy in being alive and the energy it gave him. Tyler’s mom often teased him by telling him that he moved so fast that she needed to dress him in red. That way, when she peered through the window to check on him playing in the yard, she could quickly spot him.
This dreaded disease eventually wore down even the likes of a little dynamo like Tyler. He grew quite ill and, unfortunately, so did his HIV-infected mother. When it became apparent that he wasn’t going to survive, Tyler’s mom talked to him about death. She comforted him by telling Tyler that she was dying too, and that she would be with him soon in heaven.
A few days before his death, Tyler called me over to his hospital bed and whispered, “I might die soon. I’m not scared. When I die, please dress me in red. Mom promised she’s coming to heaven, too. I’ll be playing when she gets there, and I want to make sure she can find me.”
1. From the passage, we can learn that Tyler is _________.| A．courageous and optimistic | B．confident and energetic |
| C．enthusiastic and adventurous | D．ambitious and passionate |
| A．it contained his favourite toys from his mother |
| B．it provided oxygen to support his breathing |
| C．it had the pump supplying medications to his bloodstream |
| D．it made himself recognized by his mother in the crowd |
| A．Gifts in my life | B．Dress me in red | C．Never give up | D．Live with HIV |
【推荐1】As a dad of 4 children, Joel Wegener of Loveland, Ohio, is always looking out for his kids. That includes Mary Kate, who is 18. She has Down syndrome, which, unfortunately, has made it difficult for her to find employment.
Mary Kate finished up at Pathways, a program designed for people of all abilities, not long ago. While she was there, she was often asked questions about what she would like to do. Her answer: “I wanna work with Papa.” That's when Joel decided to take action to make her dreams come true.
One of his first steps was buying an ice cream truck. Fittingly, he was able to purchase one from another family with special needs in Indiana, Soon after, his wife came up with a perfect name for their new business: Special Neat Treats.
Although their business is still relatively new, they're already a massive hit! In fact, according to Joel, they're “exceeding expectations” with thousands of desserts sold. They're even planning on expanding outside of the Cincinnati area with more trucks next summer.
All the while, Joel is spending precious time with his child and teaching her valuable financial and social skills, such as how to manage money and how to interact with customers. One thing the teen loves best is smiling and waving to customers who, according to Mary, go crazy for their ice cream!
Joel created this business for his kid, but their mission goes beyond their family. It's about the special needs community as a whole - and raising awareness about the difficulties they face.
Joel shows other parents there is something creative out of the box that we can come up for our family and for our kids to do.
“Almost every time I find a family with special needs, it's just been an unbelievable journey,” Joel said. “No matter what your abilities are, there's something that you can do and you can spread joy and interact with other people.”
1. Why did Joel start an ice cream truck business?| A．To raise money for Mary's disease. | B．To help a family with special needs. |
| C．To satisfy his daughter's inner desire | D．To develop Mary's further potentials. |
| A．The impact of the new family business. | B．The popularity of the family business. |
| C．The long-term plan of the new company. | D．The quality of desserts the business sold. |
| A．Learning financial and social skills. | B．Serving customers with enthusiasm. |
| C．Travelling around the whole country | D．Appreciating the delicious ice cream. |
| A．Special community need more care and love | B．Covernment should solve teenage problems |
| C．Parents are to accompany children all the time. | D．Kids can learn a lot from traveling with parents. |
【推荐2】Well, there was a man here once by the name of Jim Smiley, in the winter of 1894—or maybe it was the spring of 1850. But any way, he was the strangest man. He was always making money on anything that turned up if he could get anybody to try to make money on the other side. And if he could not do that, he would change sides—anyway that suited the other man would suit him—anyway just as long as he got a bet, he was satisfied. But still, he was lucky, uncommonly lucky. He most always come out winner. He was always ready and laying for a chance. If there was a dog-fight, he would try to win money on it. If there was a cat-fight, he would take the risk. If there was a chicken-fight, he would try to bet on it. If there were two birds setting on a fence, he would want you to decide which one would fly first so he could win money.
Lots of the boys here have seen that Smiley and can tell you about him. Why, it did not matter to him. He would try to make money on anything. He was the most unusual man. Parson Waler’s wife was very sick once, for a long time, and it seemed as if they were not going to save her. But one morning he came in, and Smiley asked him how was his wife, and he said she was better, thank God. And Smiley, before he thought, says, “Well, I will risk my money she will not get well.”
And Smiley had a little small dog. To look at the dog, you would think he was not worth anything but to sit around and look mean and look for a chance to steal something. But as soon as, money was up on him, he was a different dog. Another dog might attack and throw him around two or three times. Then all of a sudden Smiley’s dog would grab that other dog by the back leg and freeze to it till the men said it was over.
Smiley always came out the winner on that dog, at least until he harnessed a dog once that did not have any back legs. The dog’s legs had been sawed off in a circular saw. Well, the fighting continued long enough and the money was all up. Then when Smiley’s dog came to make a grab of the other dog’s back legs, he saw in a minute how there was a problem. The dog appeared surprised, and then discouraged, and didn’t try no more to win the fight, and so he got shucked out (摆脱) bad. He gave Smiley a look, as much as to say his heart was broke, and it was his fault, for putting up a dog that had no back legs for him to take hold of, which was his main dependence in a fight, and then he limped off a piece and laid down and died. He was a good dog, and would have made a name for himself if he had lived, for he had intelligence. It always makes me feel sorry when I think of that last fight of his and the way it turned out.
1. Which of the following statements is most accurate of Jim Smiley according to this passage?| A．Jim Smiley was extremely strange and unlucky. |
| B．Jim Smiley was always getting into trouble at work. |
| C．Jim Smiley loves and knows a lot about animals. |
| D．Jim Smiley was always ready to bet on anything. |
| A．thoughtless | B．tricky |
| C．unconventional | D．adventurous |
| A．It was good-looking and worth a lot of money. |
| B．It was so imposing as to frighten other dogs. |
| C．It won a fight by grabbing the opponent’s back leg. |
| D．It was loyal to Jim Smiley and stole money for him. |
| A．it was ashamed for losing the fight | B．it was exhausted in the fight |
| C．it was abandoned by the owner | D．it was not as intelligent as expected |
【推荐3】Kristin and Dakota Bowden of Texas have been going through a hard time. Their worries began in early March when Lula Beth,their 3yearold daughter, started experiencing great pain.
“Throughout March we visited different doctors’ offices at least six times. She was diagnosed (诊断) with a UTI 2－3 times.RSV once. Flubug once.” Kristin wrote on Internet.
By March 23, they were almost mad for answers. They headed to the hospital for more tests. Then came the most dreadful news for every parent: Lula Beth had a footballsized cancerous tumor (癌肿瘤) that would require surgery (手术) to remove.
“I will forever remember that feeling,” her mom wrote later. “Heartbreak. The heaviest sadness. Shock. Fear.”
The girl had surgery on March 26. After five long hours, her doctors were able to remove the tumor. Yet no cancer fight is easy, and Lula Beth needed chemotherapy (化疗) treatments for the following weeks.
When their family was warned about hair loss due to chemo, Kristin did her best to prepare her daughter for it. She explained that she might have to shave (剃) Lula Beth’s head.
“To my surprise her reply was, ’Let’s do it right now!’” Kristin said. “That’s my girl! 3 years old, not afraid of anything, and ready to deal with any task.”
And her brother made sure she wouldn’t have to do it alone! After Kohen found out what she was going to do, he asked to shave his head like his sister’s. He even let Lula Beth do the shaving!
“Best. Brother. Ever. Hands down!” their proud mom wrote later.
By the end of May, Lula Beth had completed her weekly chemotherapy treatments—and had her first clean scan!
Now, she’s back on the road to wellness, and it’s all thanks to her wonderful care team and the love and support her family and friends have shown her.
1. What happened when Lula Beth was first brought to the doctor’s office?| A．She was treated carelessly. |
| B．She was diagnosed wrongly. |
| C．She received surgery at once. |
| D．She was too afraid to go through tests. |
| A．Strange. | B．Terrible. |
| C．Difficult. | D．Important. |
| A．She accepted it at once. |
| B．She turned to her brother. |
| C．She refused it out of sadness. |
| D．She was too surprised to believe it. |
| A．By having his hair cut off too. |
| B．By offering to do the shaving. |
| C．By teaching her how to shave. |
| D．By making her a beautiful gift. |
