EACH of us fails from time to time. If we are wise, we accept these failures as a necessary part of the learning process. But all too often we convey to our children either by words or by actions that failure is something to be ashamed of, that nothing but top performance meets our approval.
Donnie was my youngest third-grader. His fear of failure kept him from classroom games that other children played excitedly. He seldom answered questions – he might be wrong. He seldom finished his work because he repeatedly checked with me to be sure he hadn’t made a mistake.
I tried my best to build his self-confidence. But nothing changed until midterm, when Mary Anne, a student teacher, was assigned to our classroom. She was young and pretty, and she loved children. My pupils, Donnie included, adored her. But even enthusiastic, loving Mary was baffled by this little boy who feared he might make a mistake.
Then one morning we were working math problems. Donnie had copied the problems with painstaking neatness and filled in answers for the first row. Pleased with his progress, I left the children with Mary. But when I returned, Donnie was in tears. He’d missed the third problem.
Mary looked at me in despair. Suddenly her face brightened. From the desk we shared, she got a canister (小筒) filled with pencils.
“Look, Donnie,” she said, “I’ve got something to show you.” She removed the pencils and placed them on his desk. “See these pencils, Donnie?” she continued. “They belong to Mrs. Lindstrom and me. See how the erasers are worn? That’s because we make mistakes too. Lots of them. But we erase the mistakes and try again. That’s what you must learn to do, too.”
She kissed him and continued: “I’ll leave one of these pencils on your desk so you’ll remember that everybody makes mistakes, even teachers.” Donnie looked up with love in his eyes and just a glimmer (少许) of a smile.
The pencil became Donnie’s prized possession. That, together with Mary Anne’s frequent encouragement and praise for even Donnie’s small successes, gradually persuaded him that it’s all right to make mistakes – as long as you erase them and try again.
1. The word “baffled” in Paragraph 3 most probably means __________.
A. eased B. confused C. defeated D. impressed
2. Which of the following words best describe Mary Anne as she is shown in the article?
A. Patient and inspiring. B. Creative and modest.
C. Determined and strict. D. Considerate and proud.
3.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the article?
A. Each of us should try our best to be a perfectionist.
B. Donnie rarely finished his work because he seldom answered questions and thus had difficulties.
C. The story was written mainly to sing high praise for Mary Anne.
D. The author seems to believe that failure is an opportunity to learn and make progress.
DEAR Daughter,
We have not seen you for a while now, so I thought we might check in. Did you fall off the edge of the Earth? Your mother worries, you know, and I am just curious. Well, I am more than curious. I feel abandoned.
Apparently you’ve dumped us for your career. I can understand that, because you’ve always had a wonderful work ethic (道德).
Look, obviously your long absence has confused us. As we go about our daily routines, your mother and I are distracted – both by your absence and our pride in your career. The other day, I entered my work password into the microwave, then stood there cursing it for not working. And I was so off my game (状态差) that I actually used that cholesterol-free mayo (不含胆固醇的蛋黄酱) your mother insisted on buying in an effort to drive me from the house.
Listen, a lot has happened since you’ve been away. Abraham Lincoln was shot. We had two more children – a princess, now 23; a boy, now 12.
Yesterday I bought a very clean 2001 Camaro car from an older woman. Your mother is not happy about this. She says it is the kind of muscle car driven by ex-convicts (有犯罪前科的人) when they examine your house at 2 am.
In response, I tell her it was the car of my dreams (when I was 18). So that’s where your long absence has left us. Your long absence is not so bad, though we miss your roaring laughter ... the way your cheeks flush (晕红) when you eat Thai food. How you always march too hard into the house, like a Scotsman stepping on snakes.
Each evening, your mother now waits by the window the way she did when you used to step off the bus in first grade, your hair full of rubber bands.
Bet that drove you crazy even then, her running out on the porch (门廊) like you’d just returned from a month-long journey to the moon.
Look, parents are not easy people.
But should the urge ever hit you, feel free to stop by some time. Our house is your house. Our hearts are yours too.
And your mother is still waiting by the window.
Love, Dad
1.The author entered his work password into the microwave because __________.
A. all kinds of passwords made him confused
B. he was thinking too much about his work
C. he was affected by his daughter’s long absence
D. he was getting old and he had forgotten how to use the microwave
2.The author describes his and his wife’s current situation by __________.
A. comparing the past and present
B. talking about history and his dream
C. listing changes they have made to their routines
D. detailing strange things they have started doing
3.With the last six paragraphs, the author is trying to __________.
A. describe what kind of person his daughter is
B. show how much he and his wife care about their daughter
C. show how annoyed his daughter must feel about her mother
D. remind his daughter of the problems they had
4.From the article, we can conclude that the author is __________.
A. humorous B. inspiring C. serious D. patient
阅读下面的短文，从短文所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳答案。
Not long ago, I was at a state conference (会议) with a group preparing for a week of meetings. I walked into the room where a handful of volunteers were ______ collating (装订整理) handouts. I asked if I could help. One of the ladies _____ said “Oh, no, thank you” and offered me a chair to just sit while they worked.
Then, another volunteer came into the room, saw me sitting there doing nothing and said: “Hey, Larry, come on over here. There’s work to do, and you can help.” He put a couple of chairs ______, placed two stacks of handouts on them and ______: “OK, the left sheet goes on top of the right one.”
“Fine. I can handle that,” I said. And just like that, I was now part of the team.
This member of the group saw that my ______ did not mean an inability to help. ______, I thanked him for having included me, and asked ______ motivated his action. He said: “Well, I figured ______ one more set of hands we’d finish more quickly. I was just using ______.”
I’m sure that the kind folks who initially (最初) ______ my offer of help did not mean to offend (冒犯) me. It just seemed more appropriate to them to say “No, thank you” than to stop their work and try and ______ how to include me. And that’s the real issue here. Too often, people with disabilities are _______ – within their _____ or within a social setting – because of their disability and not because of their inability.
It’s important for all of us to feel part of the group and to feel that we ______. It’s important to our self-esteem (自尊). And it is even more important for people with disabilities. ______ means we are accepted, appreciated and _____ as a full and ______ member of the group. It sends a ______ that states: “To us, your abilities are more important than your disability.”
1.A. focused B. devoted C. busy D. bored
2.A. particularly B. charmingly C. stiffly D. politely
3.A. aside B. together C. away D. out
4.A. instructed B. yawned C. whispered D. convinced
5.A. part B. help C. issue D. disability
6.A. Sooner B. Later C. However D. Otherwise
7.A. it B. which C. that D. what
8.A. by B. of C. with D. through
9.A. detailed evidence B. common senseC. confident gesture D. facial expression
10.A. turned down B. reacted to C. came across D. defended against
11.A. focus on B. figure out C. pick out D. refer to
12.A. excluded B. included C. supported D. brightened
13.A. conference B. nationality C. community D. occupation
14.A. observe B. intend C. remain D. belong
15.A. Consideration B. Inclusion C. Connection D. Function
16.A. advanced B. valued C. represented D. inspired
17.A. equal B. unique C. major D. fortunate
18.A. comment B. fantasy C. message D. statement
Some 5-star hotels specialize in mouth-watering buffet（自助餐），offering a rich selection of quality food. With a discount card, you can surely drink and eat to your heart’s _________.
A. association B. circulation
C. entertainment D. content
China’s one-child policy has been in place for decades and is causing ageing problem. So the news that China abandons one-child policy is _________ with cheers from many married couples.
A. behaved B. greeted C. hugged D. equipped
It takes years to _________ a good name but only seconds to destroy it. For example, some celebrities（名人）were caught taking drugs by the police.
A. build up B. take up C. make up D. put up
