My Garden
-----by Nelson Mandela
In early 1977, the authorities (当局) announced the physical labour and arranged some kind of work for us to do in the courtyard. The free time also allowed me to hunt what became two of my favorite hobbies in Robben Island---gardening and tennis.
To survive in prison, one must develop ways to take satisfaction in one's daily life. One can feel fulfilled (充实) by washing one's clothes so that they are particularly clean. Just as one takes pride in important tasks outside of prison, one can find the same pride in doing small things inside prison. Almost from the beginning of my sentence on Robben Island, I asked the authorities for permission to start a garden in the courtyard. For years, they refused without offering a reason. But finally they gave in, and we were able to cut out a small garden in the prison.
The soil in the courtyard was dry and rocky. In order to start my garden, I had to remove a great many rocks to allow the plant room to grow.
The authorities supplied me with seeds. At first, I planned tomatoes and onions, because these plants did not require rich earth or constant care. The early harvests were poor, but they soon improved.
I began to order books on gardening. I studied different gardening techniques and types of fertilizers (肥料). For a time, I tried to grow peanuts, and used different soils and fertilizers, but finally I gave up. It was one of my few failures.
A garden was one of the few things in prison that one could control. The processes of planting a seed, watching it grow, taking care of it and then harvesting it offered a simple but long-lasting satisfaction. The sense of being the owner of the small patch of earth offered a small taste of freedom.
1.Mandela's hobbies on Robben Island were ____.
A. hunting and physical labour
B. gardening and tennis
C. washing his clothes
D. gardening techniques and types of fertilizers
2.When did Mandela ask the prison authorities for the permission to start a small garden?
A. Soon after 1997.
B. Some time in early 1977.
C. Almost as soon as he went to prison there.
D. Long after he went to prison there.
3.Why did Mandela wash his clothes especially clean although he was in prison?
A. To show he could do it as well as others.
B. To get some sense of pride and satisfaction from it.
C. To show others that he preferred to be clean.
D. To gain the authorities' permission to start a garden.
4.Hard as he tried, he failed ____ at last.
A. to get a sense of satisfaction and freedom
B. to grow tomatoes and onions
C. to grow peanuts
D. to get the same pride inside prison.
One young person, who was well educated, went for a job as a manager in a big company. The president did the final . He discovered the youth was and felt satisfied. Then the president asked who paid for his school fees. The youth answered, “My mother did it. She worked as a clothes .” The president requested the youth to his hands. So the youth did. They were smooth. Then he asked, “Have you ever your mother wash the clothes before?” The youth answered, “Never, my mother always wanted me to .”“Go and clean your mother’s when you go back today, and then me tomorrow morning,” the president said .The youth felt his chance of getting the job was high, so when he went back, he requested his mother to let him clean her hands. However, his tears fell he cleaned his mother’s hands slowly. It was the first time he had that his mother’s hands were so wrinkled (布满皱纹的). After that, the youth didn’t say a word and washed all the remaining clothes for his mother . That night, Mother and Son for a very long time, longer than any talk before.
The next , the youth went to the president’s office. The president noticed the tears in the youth’s eyes and asked: “Please tell me how you about helping your mother.” The youth said, “Number One, I know now what is. Without my mother, I wouldn’t be successful today. Number Two, by helping my mother, I realize how it is to get something done. Number Three, I’ve come to realize the of family relationship.” The president said, “You are . This is what I’m looking for to be my manager.”
1.A. electionB. testC. interviewD. competition
2.A. strong B. excellent C. humorous D. cute
3.A. maker B. cleaner C. mender D. seller
4.A. wash B. hide C. show D. dry
5.A. found B. let C. helped D. watched
6.A. study B. ignore C. work D. rest
7.A. clothes B. hands C. feet D. shoes
8.A. see B. move C. recognizeD. answer
9.A. on purposeB. in patience C. by chance D. at last
10.A. carefullyB. nervously C. happilyD. shyly
11.A. after B. until C. because D. as
12.A. believedB. sensed C. noticedD. expected
13.A. quietlyB. sadly C. excitedlyD. angrily
14.A. thought B. slept C. sat D. talked
15.A. morning B. noon C. afternoonD. evening
16.A. worried B. felt C. brought D. spoke
17.A. courageB. appreciationC. successD. family
18.A. important B. difficult C. differentD. impossible
19.A. value B. secret C. type D. change
20.A. educated B. respected C. trusted D. hired
Her answer is not acceptable, and ______.
A. neither am I B. either is mine C. neither is mine D. mine is neither
Not only _____ great thoughts but also they express their thoughts in words which powerfully influence our minds and emotions.
A. did great writers have B. great writers had
C. great writers have D. do great writers have
----What’s Joan doing?
----_________newspapers in the room.
A. She reading B. She reads C. To read D. Reading
In some countries such as France or Italy, it’s common to exchange a kiss when shaking hands, ______ in China, it’s not acceptable.
A. while B. when C. if D. because
