3 . “Do not get the idea that you’re anything special, because you’re not.” This is what English, teacher David McCullough told graduating seniors at Wellesley High School. Mothers and fathers present at the ceremony — and a whole lot of other parents across the internet — took issue with McCullough’s words. But lost in the anger and protest was something we really should be taking to heart: our young people actually have no idea whether they’re particularly talented or not. In our eagerness to raise their self-esteem, we forgot to teach them how to realistically assess their own abilities. In fact, it’s not just privileged high-school students: we all tend to view ourselves as above average. Therefore, it is of vital significance for us to learn and teach our kids how to evaluate ourselves (themselves) objectively.

Inflated (膨胀的) self-judgments have been found in study after study, and it’s often exactly when we’re least competent (有能力的) at a given task that we rate our performance most generously. In a 2020 study published in the journal Medical Education, for example, medical students who scored the lowest on an essay test were the most sympathetic in their self-evaluations, while high-scoring students judged themselves much more strictly. Poor learners, the authors note, “lack insight” into their own incapability. Why should this be? Another study, led, by Cornell University psychologist David Dunning, offers an explanation. People who are incapable, he writes, suffer from a “dual burden”: they’re not good at what they do, and their incapability prevents them from recognizing how bad they are.

In Dunning’s study, subjects scoring at the bottom on tests of logic, grammar and humor “extremely overestimated” their talents. Although their test scores put them in the 624 ^th, they guessed they were in the 12^th. What these individuals lacked (in addition to clear logic, proper grammar and a sense of humor) was “meta cognitive skill” (元认知技巧): the ability to monitor how well (or badly) they’re performing. In the absence of that ability, the subjects arrived at an overly hopeful view of their own abilities.

Fortunately, there are a couple of ways to cope with this problem. First, we can learn to make honest comparisons with others. Train yourself to recognize excellence, even when you yourself don’t possess it, and compare what you can do against what truly excellent individuals are able to accomplish. Second, seek out feedback that is frequent, accurate and specific. Find a critic who will tell you not only how poorly you’re doing, but just what it is that you’re doing wrong. As Dunning notes, success indicates to us that everything went right, but failure is more ambiguous: any number of things could have gone wrong. Use this feedback to figure out exactly where and when you made a mistake.

If we adopt these strategies — and most importantly, teach them to our children — they won’t need parents, or a graduation ceremony speaker, to tell them whether they’re special or not. If they are, they’ll already know that they are. Or they’ll have a plan to get that way.

1. Which of the following best describes the parents’ attitude towards David McCullough’s words?

A．Critical.

B．Unknown.

C．Neutral.

D．Supportive.

2. The author thinks the problem that shouldn’t be ignored is that ______.

A．we don’t know whether our young people are talented or not

B．young people can’t reasonably define themselves

C．no requirement is set up for young people to get better

D．we always tend to consider ourselves to be privileged

3. Which is NOT mentioned about poor learners according to the passage

A．They lack the capacity to monitor how they are performing.

B．They usually give themselves high stores in self-evaluations.

C．They tend to be unable to know exactly how badly they perform.

D．They are intelligently incapable in tests and exams.

4. We can infer from the passage that those high-scoring students ______.

A．are not confident about their logic and grammar

B．tend to have overly hopeful view of their own abilities

C．don’t know how well they perform due to their strict self-judgment

D．are more strict in their self-evaluations because of their proper meta cognitive skills

5. The strategies of becoming special suggest that ______.

A．the best way to recognize excellence is to study past success and failure

B．through comparison with others, one will know where and when he fails

C．we need internal honesty with ourselves and external honesty from others

D．neither parents nor a graduation ceremony speaker can tell whether one is special

6. Which can be the best title of this passage?

A．Special or Not? Teach Kids To Figure It Out

B．Let’s Admit That, We Are Not That Special

C．Tips On Making Ourselves More Special

D．Tell The Truth: Kids Overestimate their Talents

6 . I’d done it before, and so I had no reason to believe that this time would be any different. I was sure that when I returned home from my mission trip, as always, I’d bring back nothing more than some mud on my boots, a hole or two in my jeans and, of course, a lot of great memories.

The summer before my high school graduation, I went to West Virginia with others as volunteers to repair the homes of those in need. Arriving at our destination, my group was assigned the task of rebuilding sections of a home that had been damaged by fire. No sooner had we parked on the home’s dirt driveway than we saw an excited little girl, no more than six years old, standing in the doorway of the family’s temporary home. Shoeless and wearing dirty clothes and the biggest smile I’d ever seen, she yelled, “Ma, Ma, they really came!” I didn’t know it then, but her name was Dakota, and four more days would pass before she’d say another word near me.

Behind Dakota was a woman in a wheelchair — her grandmother, we’d soon learn. I also discovered that my job that week would be to help change a fire-damaged dining room into a bedroom for this little girl. Over the following days, I noticed Dakota peeking at us every now and then as we worked. A few times, I tried talking with her, but she remained shy and distant, always flying around us like a tiny butterfly but keeping to herself.

By our fifth and final day, however, this was about to change. Before I went to work on her home on that last morning, I spoke for a moment or two with the grandmother. I was especially pleased when she told me how much Dakota loved her new room — so much. As we talked, I noticed something I hadn’t seen before — Dakota was hiding behind her grandmother.

Cautiously, she stepped into view, and I could see that just like her clothes, her face was still dirty. But no amount of soil could hide those bright blue eyes and big smile. She was simply adorable. Slowly, she began walking toward me. It wasn’t until she was just inches away that I noticed the folded piece of paper in her tiny hand. Silently, she reached up and handed it to me. Once unfolded, I looked at the drawing she’d made with her broken crayons on the back of an old coloring book cover. It was of two girls — one much taller than the other — and they were holding hands. She told me it was supposed to be me and her, and on the bottom of the paper were three little words that instantly broke my heart: “Please don’t leave”. Now almost in tears, I couldn’t control myself anymore — I bent down and hugged her. She hugged me, too. And for the longest time, neither of us could let go.

I left for home early the next morning. I was returning with muddy boots and holes in my jeans. But because of Dakota, I brought back something else, too — a greater appreciation for all of the blessings of my life. I’ll never forget that barefoot little butterfly with the big smile and dirty face. I pray that she’ll never forget me either.

1. What did the author expect before taking this mission trip?

A．An exciting experience.	B．A special memory.
C．A routine result.	D．A surprising change.

2. From the appearance description of the little girl, we know ________.

A．she was an innocent and lovely child	B．she hoped for a better education
C．she was strong and calm in the inner world	D．she formed a bad living habit

3. The underlined part means that the little girl ________.

A．enjoyed meeting me	B．feared to talk with me
C．desired to approach me	D．resisted accepting me

4. How did the author feel after unfolding the piece of paper?

A．She worried about the little girl’s future.

B．She decided to keep helping the little girl.

C．She felt a greater affection for the little girl.

D．She got surprised at the little girl’s worthless gift.

5. What does the passage mainly tell us?

A．One must learn to share life experiences.

B．One should be more grateful for the gift of life.

C．One often wants to lead a meaningful life.

D．One occasionally benefits from the poverty.

7 . In October, I told the eight-year-olds about my plan. “I’d like all of you to do extra jobs to _________ some money. Then we’ll buy food for a Thanksgiving dinner for someone who might not have a nice dinner _________.” I wanted the children to _________ that it’s more blessed to give than to _________. I wanted them to understand that kindness is _________ nice ideas and that people somehow have to make it come _________.

Early in the week, the boys and girls arrived in class seizing their hard-earned money and couldn’t wait to go shopping. I watched _________ they ran up and down the supermarket aisles. _________, we headed toward the checkout. Then someone _________ a “necessity” that sent them racing.

“Flowers!” Kristine cried. The group rushed toward the holiday __________. I pronounced, “You can’t eat flowers.” “But Mrs. Sherlock, we want flowers.” __________, I sighed as the children moved a pot of purple daisies (雏菊) into the cart.

Then we set off for the house of a needy grandmother and finally __________ in front of a small house in the woods. A woman with a tired face came to the door to __________ us. My little group hurried to get the turkey and the trimmings. As each box was carried in, the old woman thanked us — much to children’s __________. When Amy put the daisies on the counter, the woman seemed __________.

We returned to the car. Fastening seat belts, we could see the kitchen window. The woman inside waved goodbye, then turned and walked across the room, past the turkey, past the trimmings, __________ to the daisies. She put her face in the flowers. When she raised her head, there was a __________ on her lips. She was transformed before our eyes. The children were quiet. In that one brief __________ they had seen for themselves the __________ they possessed to make another’s life better. The children had __________ that sometimes a person needs a pot of funny flowers on a dark November day.

1.

A．spend

B．earn

C．withdraw

D．save

2.

A．either

B．though

C．otherwise

D．anyway

3.

A．experience

B．expect

C．advocate

D．clarify

4.

A．enjoy

B．receive

C．accumulate

D．share

5.

A．better than

B．rather than

C．other than

D．more than

6.

A．alive

B．wrong

C．fresh

D．fair

7.

A．until

B．before

C．as

D．since

8.

A．Gradually

B．Eventually

C．Frequently

D．Occasionally

9.

A．observed

B．confirmed

C．recognized

D．spotted

10.

A．plants

B．lights

C．cards

D．foods

11.

A．Panicked

B．Moved

C．Defeated

D．Determined

12.

A．pulled up

B．settled down

C．turned out

D．got through

13.

A．accompany

B．welcome

C．inspect

D．instruct

14.

A．puzzle

B．astonishment

C．pleasure

D．disappointment

15.

A．surprised

B．depressed

C．embarrassed

D．amused

16.

A．straight

B．abruptly

C．gradually

D．close

17.

A．terror

B．shock

C．pain

D．smile

18.

A．chance

B．decision

C．moment

D．condition

19.

A．energy

B．power

C．talent

D．interest

20.

A．sensed

B．noticed

C．marked

D．checked

9 . 读短文，并按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

When I was in primary school, I got into an argument with a boy in my class. I have forgotten what the argument was about, but I have never forgotten the lesson learned that day.

I was convinced that “I” was right and “he” was wrong—and he was just as convinced that I was wrong and “he” was right. The teacher decided to teach us a very important lesson. She brought us up to the front of the class and placed him on one side of her desk and me on the other.

In the middle of her desk was a large, round object. I could clearly see that it was black. She asked the boy what color the object was. “White,” he answered. “I couldn’t believe,” he said “the object was white, for it was obviously black!” Another argument started anytime, this time about the color of the object.

The teacher told me to go to stand where the boy had been standing and told him to come to stand where I had been. We changed places, and now she asked me what the color of the object was. I had to answer, “White.” It was an object with two differently-colored sides, and from his viewpoint it was white. Only from my side was it black.

My teacher taught me a very important lesson that day: You must stand in the other persons’ shoes and look at the situation through their eyes in order to truly understand their perspective.

1. What is the meaning of the underlined words “was convinced” in Paragraph 2? (No more than 3 words)
2. What did the teacher ask the students while changing positions? (No more than 8 words)
3. Why are both of their answers right? (No more than 10 words)
4. What is the main idea of the text? (No more than 10 words)
5. What do you think of the teacher? And why? (No more than 20 words)

10 . Half a year before graduation from college, my son David began to seek a job. Due to the financial crisis, the competition was ever-fierce. My son targeted a company that was located in a coastal city. It was intended to employ only one person among more than twenty people. I said to David, “You should not have too much hope for fear that you would feel terribly disappointed when you fail." He said to me, "I am not afraid of disappointment. As long as I try, there will always be hope!"

Three young men could enter the final round, which would later decide one person to be employed, Everything seemed to go quite well and David entered the final round in a week. Unexpectedly, the interview was unbelievably simple, during which the interviewer only chatted with them for a while. The interview strategies my son prepared were not useful at all. The interviewer said the company would inform them of the result in 3 days. On the morning of the third day, David received the text from the company that he was not employed. David felt disappointed.

In nightfall that day, David suddenly told me excitedly on phone that he had been employed. Greatly surprised, I asked him, "What's the whole matter?" David told me that he received another text saying that he was employed. David felt very confused about it. Later he found out the first text sent to him was also part of the test in the interview. Three men received the same text this morning and only David's reply was satisfying to the company. I asked my son, “How did all of you reply?" My son said, "One did not reply. The other said "goodbye" and I said "thank you"."

Only then did I know that my son's “hope" came in that way. That is, when you feel disappointed, do not forget to say “Thank you" to the one who disappoints you. Actually, it is a piece of cake to say "Thank you". Saying “Thank you" shows respect for others' work and demonstrates your grand generosity. Therefore, while under the same condition, you will get the upper hand in terms of opportunities compared with others!

1. What can we learn about David from Paragraph 1?

A．He was not hopeful of getting the job.

B．He wasn't afraid of failure.

C．He wanted to work for a company in the local city.

D．David was eager to find a job because of the pay.

2. Which of the following is True about David's final round interview?

A．The result was announced on the spot.

B．The three young men performed equally well.

C．David's preparations for the interview were not used.

D．David was nervous because the competition was really fierce.

3. How did David feel at first when he got the job offer?

A．Puzzled.

B．Thankful.

C．Nervous.

D．Pleased.

4. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．The author thought it's not easy to say thank you.

B．The author believed it's helpful to say thank you.

C．The author was sure that his son would get the job.

D．The author was disappointed when his son was not employed.

5. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Never Give Up Hope

B．A Young Man And His Hope

C．The Magic Power of "Thank You"

D．Sunshine Always Appears After Storm