I was 11 years old standing outside in just my underwear while I watched the house that I grew up in rapidly burn to the ground.
A few minutes earlier I had been in bed when a scream woke me up. My grandma’s bedroom was just next to mine and my brother’s. A fire had broken out there and awakened her. Hearing her, my brother jumped into action, running from room to room quickly waking everyone in the house. Before we could do anything the fire destroyed it. We all had just made it outside when the flames (火焰) took hold of every room.
I stood there shaking while the fire destroyed my books, clothes, and toys. I watched helplessly while my mom cried and my dad sighed. I wondered what was going to happen to us because we had lost all our things.
As I looked around, though, I realized something for the first time: The things that mattered were not things. I saw my brother running around to get help. I saw my grandma and dad wrapped in each other’s arms and my mom holding our little dog. I realized at that moment that we were all alive. Our lives would continue without the”stuff” that was burning. We would all live to love each other for many years to come. And that was all that mattered.
1. Who first found the house was on fire?| A．The author. | B．The brother. | C．The grandma. | D．The parents. |
| A．He was wondering how the fire got started. |
| B．He was worried about their life after the fire. |
| C．He was mad about losing his clothes and toys. |
| D．He felt lucky that they were saved by the firefighters. |
| A．That their life and family matter most. |
| B．That his family was lucky enough to escape. |
| C．That family and pets both meant a lot to him. |
| D．That the things burned in the fire didn’t matter at all. |
| A．“Keep calm and carry on.” —the Ministry of Information, UK |
| B．“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” —Friedrich Nietzsche |
| C．“You’ll be alive. That’s what matters. Enjoy what you have.” —Richelle Mead |
| D．“Home is where you are loved the most and act the worst.” —Marjorie Pay Hinckley |
相似题推荐
I once majored in architecture — something I had been crazy about for as long as I could remember — and then I suddenly had a change of heart. I made an appointment with my adviser, and told him I was no longer certain I wanted to pursue a career in architecture.
“Don’t give up on your childhood dream!” “He’s right,” I thought. “I should just stick it out and I shouldn’t disappoint the little girl who once loved architecture.”
It was awful. I was agonized, holding on to a childhood dream that had long since faded. When I talked with a friend about it a year later, he asked: “Right now, what do you want to do with your life?” That’s when I came to the realization that dreams change over time and that you should give up the childhood dream if it’s not what you want as an adult. Luckily, it wasn’t too late. After some serious thought, I changed my major to journalism. It wasn’t something I had always imagined myself pursuing — but at that moment, it was what I wanted.
We grow up, and sometimes our dreams change — and that’s perfectly OK. You just need to ask yourself every once in a while, “Is this still what I want?” If the answer is no, move on and start chasing a new one.
1. What does the author suggest in Paragraph 1?
| A．Past actions should be treasured. |
| B．It’s unwise to regret all the time. |
| C．Life would be dull without “What if?” |
| D．We make better decisions by looking back. |
| A．Proud | B．Determined | C．Unregretful | D．Painful |
| A．Changing a major was uncommon |
| B．Her advisor forced her not to do that |
| C．She thought it a betrayal(背叛) of her younger self |
| D．She didn’t want her childhood dream to fade. |
| A．Don’t follow others’ career advice |
| B．It’s OK to switch to our real love. |
| C．Improve us before realizing our dream |
| D．Childhood dreams are hard to insist on |
【推荐2】We always convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married，have a baby，then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.
We always tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse(配偶) gets his or her act together.When we get a nice car，and are able to go on a nice vacation when we retire. The truth is，there's no better time than right now. If not now，when? Our life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to ourselves and decide to be happy anyway.
One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred Souza. He said，“for a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin a real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way，something to be gotten through first，some unfinished business，time still to be served，a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.”
This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So treasure every moment that you have.
And remember that time waits for no one. So stop waiting until you finish school，until you go back to school；until you get married，until you get divorced；until you have kids；until you retire；until you get a new car or home；until spring; until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy...
Happiness is a journey，not a destination. So，work like you don't need money，love like you've never been hurt，and dance like no one's watching.
1. In the third paragraph，the author uses Alfred Souza's quote in order to________．| A．support his viewpoint |
| B．introduce one more topic |
| C．enrich the content of the article |
| D．compare their different views on happiness |
| A．life will be better after we get married，have a baby and another |
| B．our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together |
| C．when we retire，we are able to go on a nice holiday |
| D．our life is always filled with challenges |
| A．Owning the Present Is Owning the Future |
| B．Pursuing Happiness Is Nature of Us Humans |
| C．Happiness Is a Journey，Not a Destination |
| D．How to Possess Real Happiness |
| A．only when we get whatever we want can we feel our life is complete |
| B．whatever happens in our life，we should live at present |
| C．we shouldn't enjoy happiness at present but in the future |
| D．we cannot enjoy happiness now because we are facing many challenges |
【推荐3】There was once a farmer who had a large field of corn. He worked the land with the greatest care, for he wanted to sell the corn and buy good things for his family. But he saw his corn dry up, for no rain fell, and he feared that he was to have no crop. Every morning he went out to the field and looked at the thirsty stalks and wished for the rain to fall.
One day, as he stood looking up at the sky, two little raindrops saw him, and one said to the other: “Look at that farmer. I feel very sorry for him. He took such pains with his field of corn, and now it is drying up. I wish I might help him.”
“Yes,” said the other, “but you are only a little raindrop. What can you do? You can’t wet even one hill.”
“Well,” said the first, “I know, to be sure, I cannot do much; but perhaps I can cheer the farmer a little, and I am going to do my best. I’ll go to the field to show my good will, if I can’t do anything more. Here I go!”
The first raindrop had no sooner started for the field than the second one said: “Well, if you really insist upon going, I think I will go, too. Here I come!” And down went the raindrops. One came — pat —on the farmer’s nose, and one fell on a thirsty stalk of corn.
“Dear me,” said the farmer, “what’s that? A raindrop! Where did it come from? I do believe we shall have a shower.”
By this time a great many raindrops had come together to see what all the commotion was about. When they saw the two kind little drops going down to cheer the farmer, and water his corn, one said:“If you two are going on such a good errand, I’ll go, too!” And down he came. “And I!” said another. “And I!” And so said they all, until a whole shower came and the corn was watered. Then the corn grew and ripened — all because one little raindrop tried to do what it could.
1. Why does the first raindrop feel badly for the farmer?| A．His crops are dying. | B．His family is starving. |
| C．He is extremely thirsty. | D．He is bad at growing crops. |
| A．the first raindrop offers its support |
| B．the farmer gives the corn a shower |
| C．all the raindrops come and make a shower |
| D．the first two raindrops go on a good errand |
| A．Brave and humble. | B．Kind and inspiring. |
| C．Ambitious and cheerful. | D．Pessimistic and insistent. |
| A．Save it for a rainy day. |
| B．God helps those who help themselves. |
| C．It’s better to be a leader than a follower. |
| D．Doing your best can make a difference. |
“I finally decided to write about my experiences and my feelings at the newspaper. I wanted to be rid of that company and those people, once and for all. So I wrote and I wrote. It wasn’t just a story that poured out; it was a whole book! We called it A peacock in the Land of Penguins. I was the peacock and those newspaper executives were the penguins.”
“It took me several more years to finally get over my negative emotions. Through a lot of soul-searching and reflection, I finally was able to let go of my resentment. I came to see that there was nothing personal in the way they treated me, and they were good people doing what they thought best for the company. I was the one who had made it personal. I thought they were making my life miserable on purpose.”
“Finally, the time came when I decided to make amends (弥补) for the sharp, angry things I had said about the company. I invited my former boss to dinner and made my apology. It was a great healing process for me. I finally felt free of the resentment that had been eating me up.”
“What was the final outcome?” I asked her.
“Gratitude,” she replied. “Not only wasn’t I resentful any more, I was grateful to the company. If I hadn’t had those painful experiences, I would never have written a book. And the book became hugely successful – now published in 21 languages; it transformed my business.”
1. What made BJ Gallagher frustrated in the company?
| A．Unfair treatment by the senior executives. |
| B．The culture and tradition of the company. |
| C．The strict rules in the company. |
| D．Her low position in the company. |
| A．To make peace with the executives. |
| B．To make suggestions to the company. |
| C．To do soul-searching and reflection. |
| D．To express her anger. |
| A．making friends with | B．working with |
| C．arguing with | D．spending time with |
| A．she was forgiven by her former executives |
| B．she was accepted by the company again |
| C．her painful experiences there was valuable for her |
| D．she learned how to forgive others |
【推荐2】The Nobel Prize is considered as one of the most recognizable and admirable awards possible, honoring people of the world for their outstanding achievements in different fields.
Alfred Nobel was born in 1833 to a family of engineers in Stockholm, Sweden. In 1850, he met Ascanio Sobrero, the inventor of nitroglycerin (硝酸甘油) in Paris. Interested in its unpredictable nature of exploding under pressure or heat, Nobel started to find a way to control it and make a usable explosive. After years of efforts, in 1867, Nobel invented dynamite, which is much easier and safer to control than nitroglycerin.
During his lifetime, Nobel invented and patented various explosives. He built up his wealth from his 355 inventions, from which dynamite was the most important.
When Alfred’s brother Ludwig died in 1888, a French newspaper mistakenly published Alfred’s obituary (讣告). Reading his own obituary, Nobel was disappointed to find out his public image. The newspaper strongly blamed Nobel for inventing dynamite, giving him the nickname of “the merchant of death” and saying “Dr. Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before, died yesterday.”
To Alfred, this obituary was a warning. He spent his lifetime alone inventing things and was deeply concerned with how he would be remembered. This unfortunate event inspired him to make changes in his will, so as to improve his public image, and to be remembered for a good cause. In 1895, one year before his death, Nobel made the last will, saying clearly that his wealth would be used to create a series of prizes for those who have made great contributions to mankind in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace. To widespread astonishment, Dr. Alfred Nobel gave away 94% of his total wealth to found the five Nobel Prizes.
1. What led to Nobel’s invention of dynamite according to Paragraph 2?| A．The strong desire to make money. | B．His great curiosity and devotion to science. |
| C．His lifetime dream of achieving success. | D．The valuable help from his family. |
| A．34. | B．40. | C．42. | D．55. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Satisfied. | C．Upset. | D．Supportive. |
| A．To be remembered as “the merchant of death”. | B．To prove the importance of his inventions. |
| C．To publish his findings of scientific research. | D．To leave a good name to the public. |
【推荐3】A one-armed 13-year-old basketball player in a video moves China. He is Zhang Jiacheng, from Guangdong Province. In the video, facing a taller, stronger, and older opponent (对手), he isn't afraid at all.
Attracted by his good skills in the video, many people even fail to know that Zhang Jiacheng has only one arm. Although the young boy lost one of his arms in an accident, he became crazy about playing basketball at 12. "Work hard or just give up," he always says. Thus, he spent all of his free time on it without considering his body condition.
People's attention has encouraged him to work harder towards his goal---to become a top basketball player. "I just keep practising every day to improve myself whether at home or in the playground," he says, "My biggest challenge is to control the ball much better." After only a year of hard practising, Zhang Jiacheng has improved his skills greatly. Through patience, confidence and determination, the young basketball player is getting closer to his life goal.
His effort and courage finally caught the attention of Yi Jianlian, a Chinese professional (职业的) basketball player, who shared the video on his own Weibo.
1. Why do people fail to know the boy has only one arm?| A．Because his good skills attract people. |
| B．Because his life goal encourages people. |
| C．Because he jumps to an amazing height. |
| D．Because he hides the other arm carefully. |
| A．Controlling the ball better. | B．Keeping his balance. |
| C．Making some more friends. | D．Getting closer to his family. |
| A．To live a comfortable life. | B．To become a top basketball player. |
| C．To set up a basketball team. | D．To build a large gym for his school. |
| A．Yi Jianlian's cute pets. | B．Yi Jianlian's courage. |
| C．The video's influence. | D．The video's quality. |
【推荐1】We were standing at the top of a church tower. I saw twisting streets leading to the square. “See, my dear,” Father said gently. “There is more than one way to the square.”
Father’s words always guided me. Dreaming of becoming a fashion designer, I came to Paris, but without luck. Then one day I met a friend wearing a beautiful sweater. “What an interesting stitch!” I cried. “It was done by Mrs. Vidian,” my friend explained. “She learned the stitch in Armenia, her native country.” Suddenly I had a daring idea. Why not design, make and sell my own clothes?
I drew a butterfly pattern and asked Mrs. Vidian to knit it into a sweater. It proved a success. A New York store wanted 40 sweaters to be ready in two weeks. I accepted the order. My happiness disappeared, however, when Mrs. Vidian told me it took her almost a week to knit one sweater.
I was crushed. Then I remembered father’s words. There must be other Armenian women in Paris who mastered the special stitch. Then I searched for any Armenians living in Paris. At last I tracked down several. Two weeks later, the first shipment was on its way to the United States!
From that day on orders poured in. Then came another test. As I was busy getting ready to show my winter fashions, the sewing girls were called out on strike. Where was the way out this time? I wondered and worried. Then it dawned on me.
I worked hurriedly. And right on time, my show took place. Some coats had no sleeves; some were only patterns made of heavy cotton cloth, but on these I attached material to show what colors and textures the clothes would have when they were finished. What a show! Once again father’s words helped me.
1. What problem did the writer face after accepting the order?| A．It was impossible for Vidian to meet the deadline. | B．The sewing girls were called out on strike. |
| C．She found it hard to track Armenians living in Paris. | D．There was a shortage of suitable cloth. |
| A．Raw materials. | B．More orders. | C．The forty sweaters. | D．The special stitch. |
| A．She put off the show. | B．She showed the clothes unfinished. |
| C．She employed more sewing girls. | D．She completed the clothes in a hurry. |
| A．Practice makes perfect. | B．Like father, like son. |
| C．Easier said than done. | D．All roads lead to Rome. |
【推荐2】“He almost didn’t see the old lady, stranded(困在) on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front her Mercedes and got out.
Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt.
He said, “I am here to help you, ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.”
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.
As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was just passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid.
Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened, had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were many people who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.
He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, “And think of me.”
He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.
1. This story most probably took place_______.| A．in a garage | B．on a highway | C．in a busy street | D．near a gas station |
| A．ask what was wrong with her car | B．get the old lady out of her car |
| C．change her tire as soon as possible | D．make her know he wanted to help her |
| A．the old lady had got ready to pay the man | B．the old lady was grateful to the man |
| C．the man had a lot of difficulty changing the tire | D．the man didn’t stop changing the tire |
| A．Warm-hearted and sensitive. | B．Careful and serious. |
| C．Thoughtful and helpful. | D．Generous and open-minded. |
| A．the man was happy after helping the old lady |
| B．the man received a lot of money from the old lady |
| C．the man made the old lady feel cold and depressed |
| D．the man felt extremely frustrated all the way home |
【推荐3】When Schauna Austin was 20 years old, she lost her husband in a car crash. Unable to raise a baby alone, she made a difficult decision during pregnancy — to place her baby for adoption. She gave birth to a child she named Riley, and held him for 72 hours straight. “It was perfect,” Austin said, holding her new baby. “I knew I would have him for a short time, so I made every minute count. I didn’t sleep for three days until the time came to let him go.”
Her Riley became another family’s Steven. Like most closed adoptions, a firewall went up between Austin and Steven’s new parents — no communication whatsoever. But that only lasted about a week. Adoptive mother Jennifer Schoebinger and her husband, Chris Schoebinger, said they had no interest in excluding the birth mother. “You know, you can’t have too many people loving you, right? Why couldn’t he be both of ours?” Chris Schoebinger said.
So, year after year, they sent Austin piles of pictures and bound books detailing Steven’s every major and minor milestones. The Schoebingers said they did this so that when Austin and their son were ready, they could pick up right where they left off. The two reunited when Steven was 7 years old. Austin taught him how to fish, and they have kept in contact ever since. Austin felt blessed beyond words, and Steven felt he got the best of both worlds.
Steven is now 26, married, and with a baby boy of his own. Much to the delight of Austin, he named the child Riley. “I think the lesson we learned is that sometimes we create barriers where barriers don’t need to be. And when we pull down those barriers, we really find love on the other side,” Chris Schorbinger said.
That love on the other side has continued to grow. The families spend Thanksgiving as one, and will of course be getting together again in the days ahead.
1. What does the underlined sentence in the second paragraph mean?| A．The less people love you, the better. |
| B．There are too many people who care about you. |
| C．Being loved by many people is desirable. |
| D．It’s a burden to be cared about by too many people. |
| A．Tolerant. | B．Grateful. | C．Uneasy. | D．Angry. |
| A．They did not give birth to any children. |
| B．They contacted Austin as soon as they took Steven in. |
| C．They felt blessed beyond words when Austin taught Steven how to fish. |
| D．They believed it better to get the biological mother involved. |
| A．Biological parents are crucial to a child’s growth. |
| B．People create barriers where barriers don’t need to be. |
| C．Adoptive parents and biological parents should raise children together. |
| D．Love is found when we pull down unnecessary barriers. |
