Sometimes we experience pain that seems just too big to feel, too frightening to face - it looks like a tsunami. So, we run. My tsunami came when I was nine years old.
I was woken up by my mother’s screams - “Bob? Bob?! BOB!” I ran to my parents’ bedroom. My father was on all fours, unconscious. My mother was crazy - desperately trying to figure out how to stop what was happening. I ran to the phone - 9-1-1, the neighbors, anyone - “help us!” Soon rescue came, but my father didn’t come back to life.
When my friends came to comfort me, I remember “pulling myself together” as I walked toward them, determining to show them that I was fine.
The more I denied my pain, the more I was praised by the adults around me-”Oh, look how strong she is!” So, I kept saying “I’m fine.” Over and over and over. I said it enough - performed it enough - that I even fooled myself. I believed that I was okay.
But pain doesn’t just “go away” - that whole “time heals” thing is a total crock 30 years after my father died, when I looked around for an explanation for all the years of destructive behavior, I couldn’t find the root of the pain in my life because I had covered it up so well. All the “I’m fine” - 30 years of them - buried the pain of that nine years old girl.
Her pain had been trying to come out, to be heard, to be healed.
And, finally, it was.
After years of treatment, I found my way back to that night where the pain started, back to the tsunami. This time, I didn’t run. It hurt - it still hurts - but now, when it hurts, I let the pain come. I m not scared to say, “I’m not fine” - because I know, eventually, I will be.
1. What did the author do when her father was in danger?| A．She ran out to look for rescue. | B．She kept calm and asked for help. |
| C．She offered first aid to him at once. | D．She was too afraid to do anything. |
| A．fact | B．theory |
| C．experiment | D．lie |
| A．She behaved politely. |
| B．She seemed to be confident. |
| C．She could look after herself. |
| D．She could handle the blow properly. |
| A．Hiding our pain can be harmful. |
| B．Expressing pain is not very easy. |
| C．Being strong means hiding one’s pain. |
| D．Children are good at covering up their pain. |
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【推荐1】When I was a child, my grandmother Adele took me to museums, restaurants, dances. She showered me gifts from her travels around the world. But I can only remember a book she gave me—one book that, to this day, I have not read. She presented me with her own favorite childhood book: Hans Brinker. My grandmother was happy to share this book with me. She even decorated the title page with her proud writing.
I tried to read it. I adored reading, and would dive into a new pile of books from the library all at once. But something about Hans Brinker just wouldn’t let me in. The story was set in Holland, a long time ago. It felt dull and unfamiliar, even though I was a fan of classics of other times and places. I simply read the first pages over and over. I could not progress.
Standing on a bookshelf in our living room, the book was like something I avoided. It scolded me for not being interested, for not trying hard enough, for disappointing my grandmother. The book started to fit in, almost forgotten, until Adele asked. Had I read it? Did I like it? Always determined, she wanted to know the answer. I would make some kind of excuse, but feel bad, and open it again, hoping for a new reaction. The book weighed on me.
Years passed and finally Adele and I both accepted that I would never read Hans Brinker. Eventually I cleared the book from the shelf. The Hans Brinker experience led me to set a rule that I’ve lived by ever since: Do not ask about a book given as a gift and don’t let anything become your barrier. What Adele originally wanted to do is to give book-giving special meaning, but she increased the possibility of the owner to be a disappointment.
1. What is the similar hobby of the author and his grandmother?| A．Reading. | B．Writing. |
| C．Travelling. | D．Buying books. |
| A．He didn’t like Holland. | B．The book was boring. |
| C．The book had many stories. | D．He hadn’t enough time to read it. |
| A．The author began to hope for a change. |
| B．The author began to dislike reading books. |
| C．The author felt stressed facing the book. |
| D．The author felt sorry for his grandmother. |
| A．The author. | B．The grandmother. |
| C．The writer of Hans Brinker. | D．The publisher of Hans Brinker |
【推荐2】People generally see themselves through achievements. In doing that, they end up caring more about their image than the reality of who they actually are. Rather than their work doing the talking, they end up defining themselves by external markers that they hope will earn them respect.
The problem with this is that it encourages both themselves and other people to judge their worth based on some relatively unimportant measure. For example, one day, their educational diploma (文凭) may overshadow what they actually learned. Therefore, a better way to know a person, I think, is to ask a different set of questions: What motivates them? What makes them ache? What do they long for?
It’s in this spirit that I want to publicly share my values. They are the compass (罗盘) that guides my life. The kindest and most sincere thing I can do is to see, recognize, and understand another person before I make judgments. From there, I can learn to treat others appropriately, depending on the context, learning from my mistakes with time and experience. It’s just a reminder that life is hard for all of us, while at the same time accepting that it’s important we are all also held accountable for our actions.
I have learned that we are all deeply self-interested. I hope to be self-aware enough to check out of the power and status games. That means I’m not competing with anyone for a shiny object; I’d rather compete with myself. It’s about becoming so uniquely different that it would be an insult for me to measure myself against someone else. I believe if I do the work to be internally free from the pull of the power and status games, then I can add value to others based on my unique knowledge and experience.
If this resonates with (与……共鸣) you, I invite you to join me on this journey in understanding and relating to this complex world. It’s a wonderful mystery, and I think together we can better define it — not just personally, but also collectively.
1. According to the article, which of the following is TRUE?| A．The external markers are better ways to know a person. |
| B．People generally judge others’ worth by what they have achieved. |
| C．The author is someone who is keen on power games. |
| D．Learning from mistakes is the first step of treating others kindly. |
| A．Be relatively similar to. | B．Cause something to be stronger than. |
| C．Make something less important. | D．Block off light from something. |
| A．Life is hard, so we shouldn’t criticize others when they are not responsible. |
| B．One should overcome self-interest in order to judge others objectively. |
| C．Everyone is unique, so showing off uniqueness is an insult to others. |
| D．One should see and understand another person using a real compass. |
【推荐3】In the fall of 1988, I visited many Buddhist temples, but after a while they all began to fade from my memories. However, there was one temple that left a great impression in my heart.
It is called the Temple of the Golden Buddha. After walking around it and taking some photos, I walked over to a glass case, next to which was a typewritten page describing the history of this magnificent (壮丽的，宏伟的)piece of art.
Back in 1957 a group of monks from a monastery (修道院) had to relocate a clay Buddha from their temple to a new location. The monastery was to be relocated to make room for the development of a highway. When the crane (吊车) began to lift it, the weight of it was so large that it began to crack. What’s more, rain began to fall. The head monk decided to lower the statue back to the ground and cover it with a large oilcloth to protect it from the rain.
Later that evening the head monk went to check on the Buddha. He shined his flash-light under the oilcloth to see if the Buddha was staying dry. As the light reached the crack, he noticed a little beam shining back and thought it strange. As he took a closer look at this beam of light, he wondered if there might be something underneath the clay. He went to fetch a chisel and hammer from the monastery and began to chip away at the clay. As he knocked off pieces of clay, the little beam grew brighter and bigger. Many hours of labor went by before the monk stood face to face with the extraordinary solid-gold Buddha.
Historians believe that several hundred years before the head monk’s discovery, the army was about to invade the country. The monks, realizing that their country would soon be attacked, covered their precious golden Buddha with an outer covering of clay in order to keep their treasure from being robbed by the enemy.
Unfortunately, it appears that the enemy killed all the monks, and the well-kept secret of the golden Buddha remained uncovered until the day in 1957.
As I flew home I began to think to myself, “We are all like the clay Buddha covered with a shell of hardness created out of fear, and yet underneath each of us is a ‘golden Buddha’, a golden Christ, or a ‘golden spirit,’ which is our real self. Somewhere along the way, between the ages of two and nine, we begin to cover up our ‘golden spirit’, our natural self. Much like the monk with the hammer and the chisel, our task now is to discover our true spirit once again.”
1. Why was the author greatly impressed by the golden Buddha?| A．Because he likes it very much. |
| B．Because of its history. |
| C．Because it differs from others. |
| D．Because of the protection of the monk. |
| A．Protecting it from being damaged. |
| B．Hiding it from being stolen. |
| C．Protecting it from being taking photos. |
| D．Avoiding being seen. |
| A．Visiting Buddhist Temples |
| B．The Golden Buddha |
| C．Protecting Their Country |
| D．Relocating the Buddha |
| A．Covering up ourselves. |
| B．Finding the truth. |
| C．Building up our belief. |
| D．Discovering our true spirit. |
【推荐1】Competing in the Mongol Derby
Standing at the finishing line, 70-year-old Bob Long spent a while reflecting on the achievement he’d just made. Behind him was the wild, endless Mongolian grassland extending into the distance. This American had just become the oldest person to ever complete and win the Mongol Derby, the world’s longest horse race.
Long, a rider all his life, entered the race after being inspired by All the Wild Horses, a movie based on the exhausting event.
Fearing that he wouldn’t be able to complete it, he set about preparing his mind and body for this “hardest, toughest, most demanding thing you can do on a horse”, an annual 1,000-kilometer race that was recognized as the world’s longest horse race by The Guinness Book of Records in 2011. He confirmed his belief that preparation can surpass (超过；胜过) youth, as some of the other riders were less prepared.
Although Long had been riding horses for many years, the hardship and uncertainty of the task pushed him to his limit and forced him to depend entirely on his own will. The race organizers had provided an extensive support network to keep an eye on the participants from afar. Despite that, the physical pressure of riding such a long distance made simple things like squatting (蹲) down at the end of the day almost impossible.
Along the vast race course there were unpredictable circumstances beyond Long’s control, however well prepared he’d been. Weather was one of them, which could switch from heavy rain to burning sun unexpectedly.
Above all else, the biggest obstacle was the state of mind. Without a living soul in sight, Long was desperate for interaction, guidance, and comfort. This feeling of loneliness accounted for his hope that one of his fellow competitors would catch up.
Regardless of the hardship, Long felt a sort of spiritual adventure while traveling through the wilderness. He was provided with some memorable moments while connecting with nature. He also grew to love the country and the communities along the route.
Still holding the passion for riding, Long never dismisses the idea of competing in another Mongol Derby.
1. What distinguished Bob Long from other competitors in the Mongol Derby?| A．He rode the whole race course alone. |
| B．He completed the toughest part of the course. |
| C．He was the oldest participant of the horse race. |
| D．He was most likely to enter the competition again. |
| A．His strong willpower. | B．His thorough preparation. |
| C．His passion for nature. | D．An extensive support provided by the organizers. |
| A．The changeable weather. |
| B．The psychological condition in the course. |
| C．The difficulty in finding the competitors. |
| D．The physical demand of riding a long distance. |
| A．An introduction to the Mongol Derby. |
| B．A review of a film based on the longest horse race. |
| C．The experience of the Mongol Derby’s oldest winner. |
| D．The preparations before a long and difficult horse race. |
Dr. Mellinkoff asked to see the patient. He introduced himself in Spanish and, in a very gentle voice, asked how he felt. The patient smiled and said everything was all right. Then the doctor asked if he was able to eat. The patient said that he had no desire to eat.
“ Are you getting food you like? ”
The patient said nothing.
“ Do you get the kind of food you have at home? ”
The answer was no.
The doctor put his hand on the man’s shoulder and his voice was very soft.
“If , you had food that you liked , would you eat it? ”
“Yes , yes. ” the patient said.
The change in the patient’s appearance couldn’t have been more obvious. Nothing was said, but it was easy to tell that a message had been sent and had also been received.
Later, the doctor asked why the Guatemalan man wasn’t getting food he could eat. One of the students said, “ We all know how difficult it is to get the kitchen to make special meals. ”
“ Suppose, ” the doctor replied, “ you felt a certain medicine was absolutely necessary but that our hospital didn’t carry it, would you accept defeat or would you insist the hospital meet your request? ”
“ I would probably insist, ” the student said.
“ Very well, ” the doctor said. “ You might want to try the same method in the kitchen. It won’t be easy, but I can help you. Meanwhile, let’s get some food inside this man as fast as possible, and stay with it. Or he’ll be killed by hunger. By the way, there must be someone among you who can speak Spanish. If we want to make real progress, we need to be able to talk with him. ”
Three weeks later, Dr. Mellinkoff told me that the Guatemalan man had left the hospital under his own power. It takes more than medicine to help sick people; you also have to talk to them and make them comfortable.
1. The patient had no desire to eat because __________.
| A．he was not hungry |
| B．he was seriously ill |
| C．he was given special meals |
| D．he was not satisfied with the food |
| A．the patient was from another country . |
| B．the patient’s illness was caused by hunger |
| C．Dr. Mellinkoff performed an operation on the patient |
| D．the hospital failed to provide the right medicine for the patient |
| A．Cold. |
| B．Considerate. |
| C．Curious . |
| D．Confident. |
| A．Doctors should know their patients’ real problems. |
| B．Doctors should be able to speak foreign languages. |
| C．Doctors should try to improve their medical skills. |
| D．Doctors should give more medicine to patients. |
【推荐3】Ryuichi Sakamoto, the Japanese composer who died on March 28, 2023, was a talented musician. For many, his combination of noisy notes and joyous ones made him timeless and avant-garde (前卫的). But for me, Sakamoto was first and foremost a creator of complex emotions.
Before I learned to love Sakamoto, my mother loved him. After her days studying textiles (纺织) at a women’s college in our hometown of Nagoya, Japan, she would come home and play the Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence theme over and over. When she sat at her piano bench, she was trying to mold herself into the most attracting woman that she could be. Still, her childhood desire for a bigger life never died. Years later, when she played it again on that same piano, now transported to our Chicago home, her hands would crash down on Sakamoto’s drumming and upset bridge. It seemed that she buried herself in her younger dream and at the same time got lost in the reality of living away from her home and family. Both the joy of a fulfilled dream and the sorrow of its harsh realities mixed in Sakamoto’s score, pervading (弥漫) our living room.
Following in my mother’s footsteps, I too learned to play Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. I played it in an open music room at college, where I was quite depressed under the gaze of strangers as well as excited about becoming my own adult. I played Sakamoto again in my then-boyfriend’s grandparents’ sitting room, the piece now reflecting my struggle to see how my Japanese and American self could fit into this white family, even though I was in love.
Sakamoto’s genius for telling the contradictions (矛盾) of existence arises again and again. I’m still playing Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, now at the electric piano in my living room, as I puzzle through becoming a new mother, frightened and thrilled at the same time. Maybe someday my daughter will play Sakamoto’s music, and it will help her understand her life too.
1. The author loves Sakamoto for_________.| A．his Japanese identity |
| B．his talent as a composer |
| C．his way to combine notes |
| D．his creation of mixed emotions |
| A．Contented with her current life. |
| B．Joyful and sorry at the same time |
| C．Annoyed with the difficult bridge |
| D．Lonely and upset away from home. |
| A．The life and accomplishments of Ryuichi Sakamoto. |
| B．The challenges of being a Japanese-American woman. |
| C．Contradicting emotions aroused by Sakamoto’s music. |
| D．A mother and daughter’s shared love for playing the piano. |
【推荐1】An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer of his plans to leave the house building business and enjoy his late life.
The employer was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He did his job carelessly and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
When the carpenter finished his work, the employer came to examine the house and handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you."
What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.
So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently.
Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or build a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived well. The plaque (匾牌) on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project."
Who could say it more clearly? Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.
1. What’s the possible meaning of the underlined word “inferior” in Paragraph 2?| A．not enough | B．not so good |
| C．not special | D．not expensive |
| A．surprised and grateful | B．ashamed and thankful |
| C．shocked and regretful | D．pitiful and annoyed |
| A．Every man is his own worst enemy. | B．Experience is the mother of wisdom. |
| C．Actions speak louder than words. | D．Every man is the builder of his own future. |
【推荐2】Carl Allamby started his car repair business at 19, working alone in a garage (汽车修理厂). Over the years it had grown into two shops, but Allamby wanted something more. At first, he thought that meant growing his business even further. So at 34, Allamby decided to go for his bachelor’s degree (学士学位) in business management. After taking classes part-time over the next five years, Allamby was told he had to take biology (生物学) to get his degree.
Biology class reawakened Allamby’s childhood dream. He remembered the feeling of wanting to be a doctor back when he was younger.
Born in East Cleveland, Ohio, Allamby and his five sisters and brothers were raised by their stay-at-home mother and a father who sold home goods door to door. “That didn’t pay so well,” Allamby says.
Growing up in an African American neighborhood, he faced many difficulties. His school didn’t offer advanced science classes. Even if it had, doing well in school could get him into trouble. “Sometimes you wouldn’t carry your books home because other kids would laugh at you,” Allamby says. So he gave up thoughts of becoming a doctor and chose to fix cars.
With his family’s support, Allamby decided to take science classes he’d need to become a health care worker. Becoming a doctor when he would be nearly 50 years old seemed crazy. He would instead become a nurse.
But Allamby’s chemistry teacher stopped him after class one day. “Carl,” he said, “you’re like the oldest student here. What’s your end game?”
Allamby told him how he’d like to become a doctor but it would be better to have a smaller goal.
“Why not a doctor?” the teacher asked. “You have a great intuition (直觉) for the work. You will go a long way.”
He was right. Allamby did well in all his courses. So in 2015, Allamby started at Northeast Ohio Medical University. In 2019, at age 47, Carl Allamby became a doctor, and took a job in emergency (急诊) medicine at Cleveland Clinic Akron General.
1. Why did Allamby go for a bachelor’s degree at first?| A．He had an interest in biology. | B．He wanted to be a doctor. |
| C．He wanted to be more successful in business. | D．He wanted to realize his childhood dream. |
| A．poor and hard. | B．dangerous but attractive. |
| C．peaceful but lonely. | D．simple and interesting. |
| A．He should have a smaller goal. | B．He had a gift for medicine. |
| C．He had wasted too much time. | D．He was not serious about the class. |
| A．Life is not full of roses. | B．Education is the key to success. |
| C．Chance favors the prepared mind. | D．You’re never too old to live your dream. |
【推荐3】17-year-old Elexis Webster grew up homeless with cruel family members and serious health problems. But Webster has got over these difficulties to become an honor student at her high school.
The teen spent her childhood living in dug-outs (防空洞), cars, and any place where her family could find shelter. She was treated cruelly by her mother, a drug user, who left her and her sister alone without food for days. Her older brother disturbed her study too many tunes. Her poor living conditions led to her becoming extremely weak, which caused her to miss school often.
However, she got a 4.1 GPA in the exam, though many wouldn’t expect her to have such a hard life. Surviving in the family in an environment like that, she was able to come out of it, and she knew she had to make the best of what happened to her.
At 14, her mother was put in prison for leaving Webster and her sister in a car in the middle of a school day. The two girls were placed in foster care (寄养所) with a woman whom Webster still lives with. She calls her “Mema”.
“Mema”, who the teen sees as her mom, encouraged Webster as she returned school again. Even after missing three years of school, Webster was able to be excellent. Now Webster has planned to attend University of California at Los Angeles and study physics.
“I got to a place where I was able to keep going and push for higher than a 4.1 and push to get into a really great college or university. I see success. I see happiness and I see peace,” she told KPIX 5.
1. Where does Webster live now most probably?| A．In a car. | B．In the dug-out. |
| C．In foster care. | D．At the University of California. |
| A．She was always taking drugs. |
| B．She left her daughters alone in a car. |
| C．She stole food for her three children. |
| D．She didn’t let her children attend school. |
| A．Becoming a physics teacher. |
| B．Earning enough money to buy a house. |
| C．Being admitted into a really good college. |
| D．Breaking away from her mother and brother. |
| A．She wouldn’t believe in anyone any longer. |
| B．She got a lot of help from her brother. |
| C．She was brought up in a warm family. |
| D．She got motherly love from Mema. |
