It was rainy, and I had no desire to drive up the winding mountain road to my daughter Carolyn’s house. But she had insisted that I come to see something at the top of the mountain.
So here I was, reluctantly making the two-hour journey through fog that hung like veils. By the time I saw how thick it was near the summit, I’d gone too far to turn back.
Nothing could be worth this, I thought as I inched along the dangerous highway.
“I’ll stay for lunch, but I’ m heading back down as soon as the fog lifts,” I announced when I arrived.
“But I need you to drive me to the garage to pick up my car,” Carolyn said, “Could we at least do that?”
“How far is it?” I asked.
“About three minutes,” she said, “I’ll drive—I’m used to it.”
After ten minutes on the mountain road, I looked at her anxiously. “I thought you said three minutes.”
She grinned. “This is a detour.”
Turning down a narrow track, we parked the car and got out. We walked along a path that was thick with old pine needles. Huge black-green evergreens towered over us. Gradually, the peace and silence of the place began to fill my mind.
Then we turned a comer and stopped—and I gasped in amazement.
From the top of the mountain, sloping for several acres across the mountain side and valleys, were rivers of flowers in numerous colors. It looked as though the sun had tipped over and spilled gold down the mountainside.
A series of questions filled my mind. Who created such beauty? Why? How?
As we approached the home that stood in the center of the property, we saw a sign that read: “Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking.”
The first answer was: “One Woman—Two Hands, Two Feet, and Very Little Brain.” The second was: “One at a Time.” The third: “Started in 1958.”
As we drove home, I was so moved by what we had seen. I could scarcely speak. “She changed the world.” I finally said, “one bulb (球茎) at a time. She started almost 40 years ago, probably just the beginning of an idea, but she kept at it.”
The wonder of it would not let me go. “Imagine,” I said, “if I’d had a vision and worked at it, just a little bit every day, what might I have accomplished?”
Carolyn looked at me sideways, smiling. “Start tomorrow,” she said. “Better yet, start today.”
1. What was the weather like when the author drove to visit her daughter?| A．It was snowing. | B．It was foggy. |
| C．It was freezing. | D．It was sunny. |
| A．She told a white lie to her mother. |
| B．She was an experienced driver. |
| C．She didn’t know the way very well. |
| D．She knew everything about the woman. |
| A．they were driving in the car |
| B．they were at the garage |
| C．they were on their way back |
| D．they were walking in the woods |
| A．Crazy and silly. | B．Determined and persistent. |
| C．Brave and careful. | D．Beautiful and courageous. |
| A．She will look after her grandchildren. |
| B．She will pay a second visit to the garden. |
| C．She will begin to do something meaningful. |
| D．She will come and live with her daughter. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Two good friends, Simon and Jason, met with a car accident on their way home one snowy night. The next morning, Simon woke up blind. His legs were broken. The doctor, Mr. Smith, was standing by his bed, looking at him worriedly. When he saw Simon awake, he asked, " How are you feeling, Simon?” Simon smiled and said, “Not bad, doctor. Thank you very much for doing the special operation. Mr. Smith was moved by Simon. When he was leaving, Simon said, "Please don’t tell Jason about it. “Well…Well…OK,” Mr. Smith replied.
Months later when Jason’s wounds healed, Simon was still very sick. He couldn’t see or walk. He could do nothing but stay in his wheelchair all day long. At first, Jason stayed with him for a few days. But days later, Jason thought it boring to spend time with a disabled man like Simon. So he went to see Simon less and less. He made new friends. From then on, he didn’t go to visit Simon any more. Simon didn’t have any family or friends except Jason. He felt very sad.
Things went from bad to worse. Simon died a year later. When Jason came, Mr. Smith gave him a letter from Simon. In the letter Simon said, “Dear Jason, I am disabled. But I want you to be a healthy man. So I gave my eyes to you so that you can enjoy life as a healthy man. Now you have new friends.
I’m glad to see that you are as healthy and happy as usual. I’m glad you live a happy life. You are always my best friend". Simon”. When he finished reading the letter, Mr. Smith said, “I have promised that I will keep this a secret until Simon is gone. Now you know it.
Jason stood there like a stone. Tears ran down his face.
1. The car accident happened .| A．only to Simon | B．on a cold evening |
| C．the next morning | D．on the way to work |
| A．saved his friend Jason? s life |
| B．was very kind and friendly to him |
| C．came to see him early in the morning |
| D．did the operation according to his wish |
a. Jason made new friends.
b. Simon gave his eyes to Jason.
c. Simon and Jason met with a car accident.
d. Jason felt bored when staying with Simon.
e. Simon died and Jason knew the truth.
| A．c—b—d—a—e | B．d—c—b—e—a |
| C．d—a—c—b—e | D．c—d—b—e—a |
| A．Simon caused the car accident |
| B．Simon’s operation was not successful |
| C．Jason was made blind in the car accident |
| D．Jason knew how Simon helped him before Simon died |
| A．Simon played a joke on Jason |
| B．Simon always told lies to his friends |
| C．Simon thought friendship was important |
| D．Simon regretted doing the operation in the end |
【推荐2】“Has anyone seen Charge?”I asked, only half expecting a reply. The kids were running around the house, each doing their own thing, and my husband was watching the football game. Since she had only been out of sight for a few hours, I wasn’t overly concerned. I thought she must be under one of the kids’ beds, hiding from all the mess that was normal for a Sunday afternoon in our home.
①
Charge was not good-looking, to put it kindly. It wasn’t her fault; she was simply gifted with the worst appearance traits（特征）in her background.
My husband had found Charge wandering along the freeway one day on his way home from work. She looked as though she hadn’t eaten in weeks, so he stopped and fed her with bits of his leftover lunch. Not knowing what to do, he brought her home with the hope of finding her owners or at least a loving family that would take her. However, once she was in the house, the kids were determined not to let her go. After a day or two of begging, we unwillingly gave in and told them we could keep her.
After observing her actions for days, I found she was extremely distrustful and afraid of everyone. In time, though, she came to love the kids and slept on their beds every night. I wondered if what she had experienced had conditioned her to be protective of those who were hurting. Every time the kids cried, Charge would run to them and gently offer her comforting paw（爪子）. Unlike our cat, who had recently given birth to five kittens, Charge would have been a great mother.
②
When I was finally able to get everyone’s attention at the dinner table, I asked again if anyone had seen Charge. After a unanimous（异口同声的）“No”, I decided to take a look around the neighborhood.
③
“Charge!”I cried, because there she was in the closet! She looked up at me from inside the little cats’box as if to say,“Shhh, I just got them to sleep!”
We usually kept the closet door open a bit so our mamma cat could go in and feed her kittens, but she always left as soon as she finished nursing. Obviously, Charge knew they needed more mamma time and was more than willing to help out.
④
The kids smiled upon seeing the dog with the kittens. My husband shook his head and said,“Only you, Charge. Only you!”
Charge continued to mother the kittens until they were placed in their new homes. Charge may not have been an attractive dog, but she truly had her inner beauty.
1. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that_________.| A．the kids were not willing to play with Charge |
| B．the author didn’t worry too much about Charge |
| C．Charge liked playing hide and seek games with the kids |
| D．the author’s husband was watching the football game with the kids |
| A．fed her with his lunch | B．decided to adopt her |
| C．felt pity for her | D．helped to find her owner |
| A．It was really an energetic hunter. | B．It was not a very caring mother. |
| C．It was quite clean and lovely. | D．It was too selfish and lazy. |
| A．proof one’s past could influence their characteristics |
| B．indicate those who love the kids will be loved by others |
| C．inform a pet dog can bring both joy and sadness to its owner |
| D．show beauty isn’t in the face but from the bottom of the heart |
“Who wants to go look for Charge with me?”I asked as I opened the door of the hall closet and reached in to get my shoes.
| A．① | B．② |
| C．③ | D．④ |
| A．The most beautiful Charge | B．The greatest mamma |
| C．A loving story | D．A special Sunday |
【推荐3】阅读表达
During the final term of my theater and performance degree at the University of Leeds, I found myself standing outside Berkeley Court care home with three classmates and an underdeveloped idea. We planned to hold some interactive workshops with the residents to try to inspire memory and social engagement.
I remember being nervous, aware that we were working with people who were vulnerable, and that I had no idea what I was doing. Some residents were almost nonverbal, some were clearly not with ability. Some were happy to see us, and some were not.
I had decided to play music at the end of the session. We went with the song My Way because the residents, all roughly 80 years old, were probably listening to the hit song in their late 20s.
Once I pressed play, it was as if a spell had been cast. Nearly everyone in the room stood up and sang what seemed like every word. I was so profoundly moved. Many of them were communicating much better. It looked and felt like magic.
Off I went to drama school, but I thought about that experience almost daily. So when we were given the opportunity to write a script for a theater festival, I created a love story about music and dementia (痴呆), spanning 50 years of a couple’s life.
And now, 10 years later, the show I made is running again in London thanks to the Music for Dementia campaign.
When my grandma was diagnosed with dementia toward the end of her life, I didn’t struggle to communicate with her in the way that other people in their might have done. I felt more able to tune into what she needed and better equipped to see her underneath the disease.
I now know that music-based intervention reduce the need for medication in more than 60% of people living with dementia. I don’t know what My Way would be, but I certainly think we should all strive to find our song and do our best to stay connected to the people we share it with.
1. Why did the author choose the song My Way to play? (No more than 15 words)【推荐1】I was 16 years old the day I skipped school for the first time. It was easily done: Both my parents left for work before my school bus arrived on weekdays, so when it showed up at my house on that cold winter morning, I simply did not get on. The perfect crime!
And what did I do with myself on that glorious stolen day, with no adult in charge and no limits on my activities? Did I get high? Hit the mall for a shoplifting extravaganza (狂欢)?
Nope. I built a warm fire in the wood stove, prepared a bowl of popcorn, grabbed a blanket, and read. I was thrilled and transported by a book — it was Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises — and I just needed to be alone with it for a little while. I ached to know what would happen to Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley and Robert Cohn. I couldn't bear the thought of sitting in a classroom taking another biology exam when I could be traveling through Spain in the 1920s with a bunch of expatriates(异乡客).
I spent that day lost in words. Time fell away, as the room around me turned to mist, and my role — as a daughter, sister, teenager, and student-in the world no longer had any meaning. I had accidentally come across the key to perfect happiness: I had become completely absorbed by something I loved.
Please note that absorption is not the same as distraction or obsession. To be absorbed by something is to become it and when we come out of it, we are richer for it. To be distracted by something is also to disappear, but not in a good way. We become nothing at all. We don't get enriched. And to be obsessed by something, finally, is to become consumed and destroyed by it. So the trick to happiness, then, is to find something that absorbs you and become that thing by pursuing it with devoted attention.
Looking back on it now, I can see that some subtle things were happening to my mind and to my life while I was in that state of absorption. Hemingway's language was quietly braiding itself into my imagination. I was downloading information about how to create simple and elegant sentences, a good and solid plot. In other words, I was learning how to write. Without realizing it, I was hot on the trail of my own fate. Writing now absorbs me the way reading once did and happiness is their generous side effect.
1. Why did the author skip school on that day?| A．Because her parents left home early. |
| B．Because she was eager to read a novel. |
| C．Because it was a cold winter morning. |
| D．Because she hated to have biology class. |
| A．Reading by the fire. | B．Travelling in Spain. |
| C．Breaking the regulations. | D．Being occupied by one's passion. |
| A．Maintaining. | B．Entering. | C．Mending. | D．Blocking. |
| A．You picture yourself as the characters in a book and live and breathe and love and die with them. |
| B．When you read a book, you frequently turn to your smartphones, checking WeChat messages, |
| C．You spend endless time and amounts of money on computer games without caring about anything else. |
| D．Your mind always wanders about various things and it takes you a lot of time. |
| A．The author was tired of her real-life roles. |
| B．The author learned how to write through online courses. |
| C．Being fully engaged in writing now makes the author happy. |
| D．The author knew when she would be good at handling her life. |
【推荐2】One day, I found myself faced with a traffic jam leading up to a lane closure about a mile ahead. The left lane of traffic was almost at a standstill as the right one crept (缓慢移动) steadily ahead, filtering (汇入) into the left at the last possible moment. At first, I stayed in the moving lane. I crept guiltily past a few cars but, afraid of running out of space, moved back into the left lane with plenty of room to spare.
“That's you all over,” said my friend, “you're always afraid of running out.”
His throwaway (脱口而出的) comment hit one of those sore spots I'd rather not acknowledge. So many of my self-defeating actions are typical of my deep, underlying fear of not having enough.
You can see me give up moving to the front of a traffic queue because I'm afraid that I'll run out of room before I can change lanes. Observe a fridge full of leftovers where I've put a little of each dish away for later. Watch me getting ready to go out and you'll see that I pack too much food, and too many clothes, “just in case”. Receiving an invitation from a friend, I'll often turn them down or cut the occasion short because I sense a lack of time...
Somehow, though, saving something for later doesn't help. It just serves to prevent you getting the best out of life. The poverty mentality doesn't just increase your awareness of lack; it creates new absences that feed the fear and make it grow. Take a moment to picture the worst-case scenario: you'll have to wait a few moments for a gap in the traffic. So what? Not exactly life-threatening!
This can only be broken by wholehearted enjoyment of what you have, by taking risks and using everything in your possession for its intended purpose: food to be eaten, time and friends to be enjoyed.
1. Why did the author move back to the left lane?| A．To give others more space to pass. | B．To avoid missing the chance to filter. |
| C．To choose a faster lane. | D．To keep away from the jam. |
| A．Sensitive. | B．Indifferent. | C．Considerate. | D．Overcautious. |
| A．It can help us save something for later. | B．It can help us get the best out of life. |
| C．It can decrease our awareness of lack. | D．It can give rise to more fear for lack. |
| A．Facing the Fear of Not Enough | B．Getting the Best out of Life |
| C．Saving Money for A Rainy Day | D．Being Prepared for the Worst |
【推荐3】I have the bad habit of skipping to the last pages of a book to see how it ends while I am still in the middle of it.
Often my impatience wouldn’t be limited just to the books I read but also to what they were reading as well. Finally one day my daughter told me in anger, “Dad please just read a book one page at a time like everyone else!”
Time and again, I would foolishly jump ahead and try to solve every imaginable problem before it happened so I could reach that storybook happily ever after ending.
Recently when I found myself returning to that bad habit of rushing ahead and living in the future again, something unexpected struck into my heart.
| A．Life, however, doesn’t work like that. |
| B．I realized life is always going like this. |
| C．There is no skipping ahead in the book of life. |
| D．Nevertheless, her words didn’t have much influence on me. |
| E．At times I haven’t limited this bad habit to just books either. |
| F．I heard a special soul gently telling me I needed to live one day at a time. |
| G．This annoyed first my Mom, then my friends, and finally even my own daughter. |
