When I was about 12, I had an enemy (敌人), a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings (缺点). Week by week her list grew: I was very thin; I
wasn’t a good student; I talked too much; I was too proud (骄傲), and so on. I tried to hear all these as long as I
could. At last, I became very angry. I 
ran
to my father with tears in my eyes.
He listened to me quietly.
Then he asked, “Are the thing she said true or not? Janet, didn’t you ever
think about what you are really like? Well, you now have that girl’s opinion.
Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true.
Pay no attention to the other things she said.”
I did as he told me. To my
great surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them
I couldn’t change (like being very thin), but a good number I could --- and
suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I got a very clear picture of
myself.
I brought the list back to
Daddy. He wouldn’t like to take it. “That is just for you,” he said, “You know
better than anyone else the truth about yourself. But you have to learn to
listen, not just close your ears in anger and feeling hurt. When something said
about you is true, you will find it will be of help to you. Our world is full
of people who think they know your duty. Don’t shut your ears. Listen to them
all, but hear the truth and do the right thing.”
Daddy’s advice has
returned to me at many important periods. In my life, I have never had a better
piece of advice.
1.Which do you think would be the best title (标题) for this passage?
A. Not An Enemy, But the Best Friend B.
The Best Advice I’ve Ever Had
C. My
Father
D. My
Childhood
2.Why did
the writer’s father listen to her quietly? Because__________.
A. he believed that most of what his daughter’s
“enemy” said was true.
B. he had been so angry with his daughter’s
shortcomings that he wanted to show this by keeping quiet for some time
C. he knew that his daughter would not listen to him
at that moment
D. he wasn’t quite sure which girl was telling the
truth
3.What did the father do after he had heard his
daughter’s complaint?
A. He told her not to pay any attention to what her
“enemy” had said.
B. He criticized(批评) her and
told her to overcome (克服) her shortcomings.
C. He told her to write down all that her “enemy” had
said about her and pay attention only to the things that were true.
D. He wouldn’t like to take the list and have a look
at it.
4.What does “I got a very clear picture of myself”
mean?
A. I had my picture taken and this time it was a very
clear one.
B. I asked someone to draw a very clear picture of
myself.
C. The picture I got this time was clearer than those
I had got before.
D. I came to know myself very clearly this time.
