Question

Dear editor,

Several days ago, I heard that a dear friend of mine had killed herself. I was deep in sorrow by the sudden news. I can’t keep calm any longer. 1.

Life is so precious. If we can slip into death in an impulsive (冲动的) moment, what use in all our efforts and hopes? Our families, our ambitions, everything is thrown into total darkness. 2.Nevertheless, the suicide rate increases year by year, particularly of young people. Reasons may vary from person to person, 3.

First, today’s young people are morally weak. They hunger for success but can not face failure; they are eager to be understood but afraid of opening their hearts to others. They live in a wide world, from east to west, ancient to present, but their hearts beat in a narrow desert, closed tight, unable to communicate. Each becomes an isolated fortress(孤堡), lonely, and weak.

4.. As a young teacher, she was devoted to her work but was disappointed with her students’ occasional failures. She fell in love with a colleague but he deserted her. With no friends, disappointed at. work and in love, death seemed to her the only remaining choice and she took it.

Another reason for the weakness of today’s youth, in my opinion, comes from society’s pressures. 5.On the other hand, society refuses to accept that children sometimes do fail. But failure. is more important because it can teach the young how to win next time.

What can we do to save the desperate young?

A. I’m always thinking about life and death

B. yet I think they share something in common

C. The young are forced to try too hard to succeed

D. My friend is a good example of that

E. And death allows no time for regret

F. people love success and are afraid of failure

G. failure is the mother of success

Answer

1.A

2.E

3.B

4.D

5.C

【解析】本文是“我”写给编辑的一封信，信中讲述了“我”的一个好朋友自杀了，“我”感到很震惊，无法保持平静。自杀率越来越高，对此作者分析了原因，并提出了我们能做什么来降低自杀率的问题。

1.根据上文提到了“我”的一个好朋友自杀了，我感觉很震惊，无法保持冷静。A项I’m always thinking about life and death（我一直在考虑生死）符合“我”此刻的想法。故选A。

2.根据后边Nevertheless, the suicide rate increases year by year, particularly of young people.可知，然而，自杀率逐年攀升，特别是年轻人。E项And death allows no time for regret. （死亡没有时间去后悔）符合语境，与下文是对比关系，故选E。

3.根据前文Reasons may vary from person to person.可知，原因因人而异。B项yet I think they share something in common.（但我认为它们有相同的地方）都是分析自杀的原因，这里讲的是“我”的看法，故选B。

4.根据上一段主要介绍了现在的年轻人很软弱，内心封闭，孤独；再根据后文讲述她就符合这种情况，故D项My friend is a good example of that（我的朋友就是一个很好的例子）承上启下，故选D。

5.根据上文Another reason for the weakness of today’s youth, in my opinion, comes from society’s pressures.可知，以“我”的观点，当今社会上的青年软弱的另一个原因来自于社会压力，C项The young are forced to try too hard to succeed（年轻人被强迫去努力尝试成功）是社会压力的具体表现，故选C。