I had been skiing since childhood. I had hardly fallen. I had never crashed into anything, and I’d skied mostly on the “blue” trails—the ones for intermediate (中级水平的) skiers. For this season, I decided to take a blue run, one I had done many times before. But whenever I reached the top, I started to slow down. Why did the blues look so...vertical (垂直的)? Were they always like this?
Simply having skied “many times before” didn’t mean I was getting better at it. Practice doesn’t always make perfect. Getting better or learning means doing different types of tasks instead of repeating the same mistake. With skiing, rather than just doing that same “blue” over and over again, we should go to different hills, trying different trails. The joy of getting better comes after the pain of getting worse.
One afternoon, I met a ski coach named Bob. When I told him my problem, he offered to watch me practise once, to see what I was doing wrong. Bob told me that the learning process isn’t always an up or forward improvement. When babies first learn to talk, they do it by copying adults. As they learn to talk about something in the past, they add an “-ed” to the end of a word. They might say something like, “We goed to the library today.” Though that’s not correct in grammar, the baby progressed from copying to using one of the rules of grammar. Adults do this, too.
Bob skied with me a bit more, until I had completed enough turns to make him feel like his volunteer-coach time wasn’t wasted.
“You’re skiing better already, young man!” he said.
“Thank you!”
Then I skied a few more feet and fell.
1. We can learn from Paragraph 1 that the writer might be ________ when he reached the top.| A．calm | B．confident | C．careless | D．afraid |
| A．practice doesn’t always make perfect |
| B．learning always takes time and trouble |
| C．people make progress by making mistakes |
| D．adults should sometimes learn from babies |
| A．would try to go on skiing | B．had no chance of winning |
| C．wanted to stop and gave up | D．might become a skiing coach |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】A friend wrote me a letter a few weeks ago. He felt terrible at that time. He finished his letter with this question, “We can’t really change this cray (疯狂的) world we live in, right?”
I wrote back to him and started my own letter with these words, “Yes, we certainly can!”
I can still remember someone changing my world. She was a music teacher at my primary school. She played the guitar quite well. I wanted her to remember me. However, I didn’t know how to play any instruments.
One day, she let me try to play her guitar. I did my best, but I couldn’t play it well. I put my head down and told her, “I guess I am not good at it.” She looked at me with her kind eyes, smiled at me and said, “We are all good at something. You just need to find out what you are good at. Then, you can share it with the world.”
Those simple words changed me. They planted a seed (种子) in my heart. It has kept growing to this day. They made me know that I had something good inside of me. I just had to find it and share it.
Can you change the world? Yes, you can! Mother Teresa once said that we didn’t have to do great things to change the world. Small things with great love can make it, too. So all you have to do now is to share your kindness.
根据材料内容，选择最佳答案。
1. What may be the main purpose (意图) of the writer’s friend writing him the letter?
| A．To ask the writer a question. | B．To ask the writer to write back to him. |
| C．To ask the writer for help. | D．To share how he felt with the writer. |
| A．The writer’s friend. | B．The writer’s music teacher. |
| C．Mother Teresa. | D．The writer’s classmate. |
| A．To introduce his music teacher to his friend. |
| B．To show his friend his music talent. |
| C．To give an example of someone who changed his world. |
| D．To tell his friend how he learned to play the guitar. |
a. The writer received his friend’s letter.
b. The writer learned something from his teacher’s words.
c. The writer tried to encourage his friend with his letter.
d. The writer tried to play his teacher’s guitar.
| A．c-d-a-b | B．b-c-d-a | C．a-b-c-d | D．a-c-d-b |
| A．Nobody can be good at everything. |
| B．We can change the world by sharing our kindness. |
| C．People must try their best to change the world they live in. |
| D．We need to find out what we are not good at and change it. |
A boy was at a market with his sister. The sister was standing in front of a toy shop. She was looking at something inside the shop’s window.
The boy asked, “What are you looking at?” The sister pointed at the doll. The boy told her that he would buy the doll for her. The sister was very happy.
Then the boy asked the shopkeeper, “How much does this doll cost?”
The shopkeeper looked at the boy and said, “Well, what can you pay?”
The boy took out all the seashells (贝壳) that he had collected from the beach and gave them to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper took the shells and started counting as if he were counting coins (硬币). Then he turned to the boy. The boy asked him, “Is it enough?”
The shopkeeper said, “No, it’s plenty. In fact, it’s more than enough,” He kept four of the seashells and gave the rest back to the boy.
The boy happily put the shells back in his pocket and left with his sister and her new doll. The shopkeeper’s assistant (助手) was surprised. He asked the shopkeeper, “Why did you do that? That doll cost a lot of money. And it certainly costs more than four seashells.”
The shopkeeper replied, “To us, these are just seashells. But to that boy, they’re very valuable. When he grows up, he’ll remember that he once bought a doll for his sister with seashells. It might remind him that the world has generous and kind people in it. And perhaps, he too will be generous and kind to others.”
1. Why did the little girl stop at the shop’s window?| A．Because she was very tired and couldn’t walk. | B．Because she wanted to buy a toy for the boy. |
| C．Because she saw some beautiful seashells. | D．Because she was interested in a toy inside. |
| A．thought there were coins inside the seashells |
| B．knew the boy was playing a trick on him |
| C．acted like what he was counting were coins |
| D．knew he could get the money back from their mom |
| A．Be generous and kind to others. | B．Be ready to learn from others. |
| C．Don’t treat children like fools. | D．Don’t give kids valuable things. |
①When I was a university teacher in Ningbo, I told my students that it would be wise to keep their smartphones in their backpacks. They were young adults. I didn’t want to take their property（财产）, nor could I shout at them. You can guess what happened. Some students were polite, using their phones between activities. Others would rudely text（发短 信）their friends during lessons, sometimes even while I talked to them individually. One young woman, K, openly played a game at her desk with earphones!
②I began to think my class was boring （probably true） and that my students hated me （I could understand）. But what could I do? I couldn’t fail every student. Maybe I was just being a crazy old person.
③With all the recent talks about banning（禁止）smartphones at schools, you might think I’m in favor. I’m actually not so sure. This technology isn’t going away. Teachers probably need to adjust（调整）as much as students.
④I designed（设计）activities to force more participation, using pens and paper and moving around the room to talk to classmates. It kind of worked! I also found ways to use their phones. Things like research, translation and creative projects. I found that my students worked hardest on these activities.
⑤Phones might not be the biggest problem. Once, walking on campus, I saw K standing alone in the dark. I could see her face lit up by her mobile game. Maybe smartphone addiction（上瘾）at school is a sign of loneliness or a boring teacher.
1. Which of the following shows the structure（结构）of the passage?A． | B． | C． | D． |
a. How the author（作者）treated his students. .
b. Why the author supported the idea of banning smartphones in schools.
c. What all the students looked at on their phones in the author’s class.
d. How students used their phones in the author’s class.
| A．ad | B．bc | C．ac | D．bd |
| A．Me forced his students to use pens and paper. |
| B．He took his students’ phones away before class. |
| C．He designed activities to get more students to take part in. |
| D．He talked to students who used their phones in class. |
| A．Many students are addicted to smartphones. |
| B．Teachers feel upset when students misbehave. |
| C．Smartphones should not be banned in universities. |
| D．Smartphone addiction might have some deeper causes. |
【推荐1】A bus stops at the bus station. It’s 8:00a.m.Mr. Brown looks out of the window and he sees a woman. The woman is selling cakes. People from other buses buy a lot. He also wants to buy one. He doesn’t have breakfast at home this morning. But the woman is far from his bus. And he doesn’t want to go out.
At that time, he sees a boy. He is not far from the bus. “Come here, boy!” Mr. Brown calls to him.
“Do you know how much those cakes are?”Mr. Brown asks the boy.
“Thirty cents for one,”The boy answers.
Mr Brown gives sixty cents to the boy and asks him to buy two cakes. Mr. Brown says,“One cake is for you and the other is for me.”After five minutes, the boy comes back with one cake. He eats the cake and gives thirty cents to Mr. Brown and says, There is only one left.
1. Mr. Brown wants to have a cake for____.| A．breakfast | B．lunch | C．supper | D．dinner |
| A．the boy knows the woman |
| B．he doesn’t want to leave the bus. |
| C．he wants to buy one for the boy. |
| D．he doesn’t like the woman. |
| A．The bus stops at the station at eight in the morning. |
| B．The woman is selling cakes. |
| C．Mr. Brown wants to have a cake. |
| D．One cake is twenty cents. |
| A．离开的 | B．剩下的 | C．美味的 | D．能吃的 |
| A．Mr. Brown knows the boy very well |
| B．Lots of people in Mr. Brown’s bus buy cakes. |
| C．The bus leaves before the boys back. |
| D．Mr. Brown doesn’t have the cake. |
【推荐2】Do you like sports? Here is what three students say about their sports.
Yes, I do. My favorite sport is tennis. I have three tennis bats. I love the game. I think it’s relaxing and fun. I often play tennis with my cousin, David. He loves the game, too. But he can’t play it well. He thinks it’s too difficult. —Alice |
Yes, I do. I love sports and I’m good at them. I’m in the school basketball team(队). On weekdays we play basketball from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. We play it on Saturday, too. My favorite basketball star is Kobe. He is a great NBA basketball player. I want to be a basketball player like him. —Eric |
No, I don’t. I don’t play sports. I think they’re boring. I like playing computer games. My parents say it’s not healthy. They say I will be fat. They want me to do sports with them. —Cindy |
1. _________ doesn’t like sports.
| A．Alice | B．David | C．Cindy |
| A．two | B．three | C．four |
| A．David can’t play tennis well. |
| B．Alice’s favorite sport is basketball. |
| C．Cindy thinks computer games are boring. |
【推荐3】Oz wanted to take Dorothy home. They got into the basket. But Dorothy didn’t because she couldn’t go without Toto. She got out of it. Then the rope broke and the hot-air balloon rose with the basket into the air and was soon high in the sky and out of sight. The Guardian of the gates told them to ask the Witch of the South for help.
Without wasting any time, Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Lion set off to look for the Witch of the South.
The journey was long and hard, but at last they reached the palace of the Witch of the South. Her name was Glinda, and she was beautiful and looked very young.
“I will help you to get home, Dorothy,” she said, “but I need your golden cap.” “Of course you can have it,” Dorothy said, “but remember you can use it only three times.”
“I only need it three times,” Glinda said. “The first time, I shall ask the Winged Monkeys to take Scarecrow back to the City of Emeralds. He will be a wonderful ruler of the city. The second time, I shall ask the Winged Monkeys to take the Tin Woodman to the lands of the Winkies. He loves them and they love him. He will be the ruler of the Winkies. The third time, I shall ask the Winged Monkeys to take the Lion to the jungle where he will be King of all the Beasts.” “And how will I get home to Kansas?” Dorothy asked. “All you need to do,” Glinda said, “is to click the heels(鞋跟) of your silver shoes and say, “take me home”.
Dorothy did not want to spend any more time away from home, so she thanked Glinda and said good bye to her friends. Then, holding Toto in her arms, she clicked her heels three times and said, “Take me home.”
The next moment, she was sitting on the ground outside her home. It was a new house. And her uncle was just finishing building it. He aunt Em was running out of the house to meet her.
“I am so happy to see you, darling.” She said. “What happened to you?” “Oh,” Dorothy said, “nothing much. I just visited the Land of Oz.”
—From Wizard of Oz
1. What did Glinda want before she helped Dorothy?
| A．The Winged Monkeys. | B．The balloon. |
| C．Silver shoes | D．The golden cap. |
| A．Dorothy wanted to leave with Oz at first. |
| B．After Oz left, they started to look for the Witch of the South at once. |
| C．The golden cap helped Dorothy and her friends get home. |
| D．The heels of Dorothy’s shoes helped her get home. |
①Aunt Em asked Dorothy what happened to her.
②The Witch of the South told Dorothy how to get home.
③Dorothy and her friends went to see the Witch of the South.
④The Wizard Oz floated away in a hot-air balloon.
⑤The Witch of the South helped the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion.
| A．④⑤③①② | B．③④⑤②① | C．③④⑤①② | D．④③⑤②① |
| A．The Wizard came back to pick her with the balloon. |
| B．She used the golden cap to help her get home. |
| C．She clicked the heels of her shoes. |
| D．The Winged Monkeys took her back home. |
【推荐1】After my husband died, my teenage son Karl became withdrawn(沉默寡言). As a single parent , I tried to do my best to talk to him. But the more I tried, the more he pulled away. When his report card arrived during his junior year, it said that he had been absent 95 times from classes and had six falling grades for the year. In this case he would never graduate(毕业). I sent him to the school adviser, and I even begged(乞求) him. Nothing worked.
One night I felt so powerless that l got down on my knees and begged for help. “Please God，I can’t do anything more for my son. I’m at the end of my rope. I’m giving the whole thing up to you.”
I was at work when I got a phone call. A man introduced himself as the headmaster. “I want to talk to you about Karl’s absences.”Before he could say another word, all my disappointment and sadness over Karl came pouring out into the ears of this stranger, “I love my son but I just don’t know what to do. I’ve tried everything to get Karl to go back to school and nothing has worked. It’s out of my hands.” For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line. The headmaster seriously said, “Thank you for your time.” and hung up.
Karl’s next report card showed a marked improvement in his grades. Finally, he was even made the honor roll(优等生). In his fourth year, I attended a parent-teacher meeting with Karl. I noticed that his teachers were surprised at the way he had turned himself around. On our way home, Karl said, “Mum, remember that call from the headmaster last year?” I nodded. “That was me. I thought I’d play a joke but when I heard what you said, it really hit me how much I was hurting you. That’s when I knew I had to make you proud.”
1. Karl_______ after his father’s death.| A．wanted to ask his mother for help | B．become active in his life |
| C．began to dislike his mother | D．have difficulties in school |
| A．Karl was often absent from school | B．she was a single parent |
| C．She tried to help Karl but nothing worked | D．the headmaster phoned her |
| A．surprised and angry. | B．disappointed and helpless. |
| C．shocked(震惊) and moved. | D．grateful and happy |
【推荐2】Here is the last letter from Jim, a war reporter, to his family and friends:
Dear Family and Friends,
I remember going to the Mall with Dad, a very long bike ride with Mom. I remember so many great family times that take me away from this prison.
I know you are thinking of me and praying（祈祷）for me. And I am so thankful. I feel you all especially when I pray. I pray for you to stay strong and to be happy. I really feel I can touch you even in this darkness when I pray.
Eighteen of us have been held together in one cell（牢房）, so we have had each other to have endless long conversations about movies, chores, and sports. We have found ways to play chess, and games ... The games and teaching each other have helped the time pass. They have been a huge help. We repeat stories and laugh to break the tension（紧张）.
I have had weak and strong days. We are so grateful when anyone is freed; but of course, yearn for our own freedom. We try to encourage each other and share strength. We are being fed better now and daily. We have tea, sometimes coffee. I have put on most of my weight back lost last year.
I think a lot about my brothers and sister. I remember playing Werewolf in the dark with Michael and so many other adventures. I think of chasing(追逐) Mattie around the kitchen counter. It makes me happy to think of them. If there is any money left in my bank account, I want it to go to Michael and Matthew. I am so proud of you, Michael and thankful to you for happy childhood memories.
And Mark so proud of you too. I think of you on the West coast and hope you are doing some snowboarding and camping, I especially remember us going to the Comedy Club in Boston together and our big hug after. The special moments keep me hopeful.
Katie, so very proud of you. You are the strongest and best of us all!! I think of you working so hard, helping people as a nurse. I am so glad we texted just before I was shut here. I pray I can come to your wedding ... Stay strong because I am going to need your help to change my life.
Jim
1. According to Paragraph 3, Jim _____________.| A．loves talking a lot about movies, chores and sports |
| B．tries different ways to ease tension with others |
| C．likes to tell the old stories again and again |
| D．often plays chess and games for fun |
| A．look for | B．care for | C．cheer for | D．expect for |
| A．Going to Katie’s wedding | B．Thinking of family and friends |
| C．Happy to Katie’s childhood | D．Going to the Comedy Club with those he loves |
| A．he likes to share his happy memories in his childhood |
| B．he thanks them for all the joy they gave him |
| C．how he spends the time in the cell |
| D．he prays for them |
【推荐3】One day, I took my two kids to a playground. As soon as we got there, my daughter ran to the swing and asked for a push (推). When I was helping my daughter go higher, I saw another girl tying to make her own swing go higher. Her grandmother was sitting quietly on a bench (长凳).
I gave my daughter one big push and then walked to the girl. I asked her if she wanted me to push her. She said, “Yes!” For the next two hours, I pushed swings and played with my children and the girl. When we went home, I was very tired, but I felt happy.
Two years later, I was tired after a long day’s work. But I needed to pick up my kids before going home. I stood in the parents’ waiting area. Suddenly, a girl hugged (拥抱) me. I looked down and found she was the girl in the park. She gave me one big hug before getting on the school bus. As I watched her back, I didn’t feel tired anymore.
In life, the love we give others will find its way back to us again.
1. What was the girl doing when the writer pushed her daughter?| A．Watching the writer’s daughter play. |
| B．Playing with her grandmother. |
| C．Trying to make her swing go higher. |
| D．Sitting quietly on a bench. |
| A．For half an hour. |
| B．For one hour. |
| C．For two hours. |
| D．For one and a half hours. |
| A．In a park. |
| B．At the school gate. |
| C．In a theater. |
| D．In a hospital. |
| A．Because her kids hugged her. |
| B．Because she played with the girl. |
| C．Because she had enough rest. |
| D．Because she got the girl’s love. |
| A．We should give our love to others in need. |
| B．We should play with kids more often. |
| C．You won’t feel tired if someone hugs you. |
| D．It’s good to make more friends in life. |
