1 . “Listen!” Mr. Lee said seriously at the beginning of his first class, “I will put a lie into each of my classes. Your job is to try and catch me in the Lie of the Day.”
That was really a clever way to fix our attention on the dry and boring subject- geography. Then in the following weeks, we didn’t let off every single word of what he was saying in class and challenged (质疑) his lectures. When his class ended with nobody seeing through the lie, Mr. Lee would say, “Ah ha! Each of you has a lie in your notes. Discuss among yourselves what it might be, and I will tell you at the end of this term.”
Mr. Lee’s special style of teaching worked. All of us reviewed and discussed about our notes actively.
One Monday at the end of the term, Mr. Lee listened carefully to what we were questioning for almost ten minutes. Then he finally said, “Do you still remember the first lesson how I said that every lecture has a lie?”
Confused (疑惑), we said yes.
“Well, that was a real big lie. In fact, all the lectures I’ve given before are completely true. But I am glad you worked so hard. Move on.”
Hearing this, all eyes in the classroom went wide.
While my knowledge of geography has been forgotten over time, the lessons have stayed with me. “Experts” can be wrong and say things that sound right, so build a habit of evaluating (评估) new information and check it against things you already accept as a fact.
1. We can know that Mr. Lee was ________.| A．wise | B．serious | C．boring | D．confusing |
| A．he always told lies |
| B．the students always questioned him |
| C．everyone had to write down all of his words |
| D．it was difficult for the students to see through the lie |
| A．the students opened their eyes | B．Mr. Lee opened the students’ eyes |
| C．the students got shocked and amazed | D．the students had a look at the classroom |
| A．Mr. Lee was an expert |
| B．it’s easy to forget the knowledge of geography |
| C．Mr. Lee succeeded drawing the students’ attention |
| D．the students would never check what the teachers said again |
| A．A Real Lie | B．Learn to Question |
| C．A Special Teaching Style | D．The First Geography Lesson |
2 . Quite a few years ago, as I celebrated my 25th birthday with a party, I was surprised to receive an unusual present. The gift-giver smiled widely and said loudly, “It’s a nice, strong plant, so even you can’t kill it.”
I was well known in my circle of friends as an “anti-gardener” — how was I going to care for this piece of greenery?
For four years the plant received little care. I felt guilty (内疚的) just looking at it!
As a non-gardener, my offers to look after friends’ houses were met with laughter: “We appreciate (感激) the offer but, really, we don’t want to come home to a dead garden!” It didn’t occur to (想到) them that I just had no interest in having a garden. It was a choice, not a failing.
Some time later my husband accepted a job in Belgium. Because I couldn’t throw away a gift, I decided to ask my neighbor to care for my plant.
Our lovely house in Belgium had a beautiful garden. Slowly gardening became a part of my daily life, teaching me to slow down and to be happy in the silence of the garden. It was with regret that I left that garden to return to Sydney some months later.
Back home life soon went back to normal. Then one day, it occurred to me that I could start my own little garden. So, I went to collect my unwanted plant from my neighbor. I took the plant home, watered it and watched as its leaves turned from a lifeless yellow to a rich green within weeks. Many years on, I still don’t know the name of my first plant, but I do know that as it grows, so do I. It symbolises a change in me when I stopped listening to the voices around me and started to believe in myself.
1. When the author received a plant as a birthday gift, she felt _____.| A．funny | B．guilty | C．excited | D．displeased |
| A．Her anti-gardening was a weakness. |
| B．She was bored with gardening. |
| C．She was a good housekeeper. |
| D．Her dead garden was ugly. |
| A．She threw it away. |
| B．She asked for help. |
| C．She left it in the house. |
| D．She gave it to a neighbor as a gift. |
| A．miss her days back in Sydney |
| B．feel sorry for her first plant |
| C．fall in love with gardening |
| D．become strangely silent |
| A．We should try to be perfect. |
| B．Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. |
| C．We should learn to make clear choices. |
| D．Don’t refuse something you’ve never tried. |
