Each of us struggles for self-respect and self-worth to some degree. I spent much time trying to achieve perfection in every aspect of my life.

I was a happy kid with a lot of friends and a supportive family. But growing up was really and even scary sometimes.

During my childhood, I was constantly involved in something that included people’s viewing my achievements or my _ . I wanted everyone’s praise and acceptance, but I was my own toughest critic (挑剔的人).

After I graduated from high school, my to be “thin” began to trouble me. I began trying to diet by my food.

In the beginning, I felt great—attractive and successful, almost superhuman. I even thought that I was better than everyone else. What I didn’t see was that I was slowly _ myself.

People around me began to my weight loss. They said with concern. “You’re losing too much weight.” “Elisa, you’re so thin.” All their words only suggested that I was getting closer to “ ” .

Sadly, I took my physical the first important in my life, that it was the way to become successful and accepted.

Then I cut down my more and more, until a day consisted of half a teaspoon of nonfat yoghurt and coffee in the morning and a cup of grapes at night.

But my poor began to cause me to lose . Then one night, like many nights before, I couldn’t sleep and my heart felt as though it might beat out of my chest. I tried to , but I couldn’t. The beating became so rapid and so strong that I could no longer . What I had done to diet nearly caused me to have a heart attack. I stood up, and immediately fell down. I was really , and I knew I needed help. My roommate rushed me to the , beginning the long road to my . It took a lot—doctors, nurses, nutritionists, food supplements…

And most important, a sense of what was true about myself got back on track with reality. I realized that, with my of trying to be “perfect” on the , I had sacrificed who I was on the inside. What I know now is, we are—each and every one of us—already perfect.

1.A. hard B. natural C. easy D. possible

2.A. natures B. failures C. backgrounds D. scores

3.A. problem B. promise C. way D. desire

4.A. controlling B. checking C. collecting D. balancing

5.A. questioning B. forgetting C. asking D. killing

6.A. help B. accept C. notice D. reject

7.A. devotion B. perfection C. destination D. attention

8.A. appearance B. exercise C. examination D. strength

9.A. pretending B. realizing C. believing D. declaring

10.A. expense B. food C. movement D. travel

11.A. pleasant B. typical C. different D. difficult

12.A. nutrition B. memory C. knowledge D. taste

13.A. sleep B. hope C. weight D. job

14.A. walk B. cry C. relax D. talk

15.A. resist B. breathe C. wake D. remember

16.A. disappointed B. annoyed C. discouraged D. scared

17.A. bed B. hospital C. school D. office

18.A. glory B. discovery C. recovery D. victory

19.A. experience B. decision C. skill D. deal

20.A. outside B. face C. mind D. whole

I went to a group activity, “Sensitivity Sunday”, which was to make us more the problems faced by disabled people. We were asked to “ a disability” for several hours one Sunday. Some members, , chose to use wheelchairs. Others wore sound-blocking earplugs(耳塞)or blindfolds(眼罩).

Just sitting in the wheelchair was a experience. I had never considered before how it would be to use one. As soon as I sat down, my made the chair begin to roll. Its wheels were not . Then I wondered where to put my . It took me quite a while to get the metal footrest into . I took my first uneasy look at what was to be my only means of for several hours. For disabled people, “adopting a wheelchair” is not a temporary(临时的) .

I tried to find a position and thought it might be restful, kind of nice, to be around for a while. Looking around, I I would have to handle the thing myself? My hands started to ache as I the heavy metal wheels. I came to know that controlling the of the wheelchair was not going to be a(n) task.

My wheelchair experiment was soon . It made a deep impression on me. A few hours of “disability” gave me only a taste of the , both physical and mental, that disabled people must overcome.

1.A. curious about B. aware of C. interested in D. careful with

2.A. cure B. choose C. prevent D.analyze(分析)

3.A. instead B. strangely C.as usual D. like me

4.A. learning B. working C. satisfying D. relaxing

5.A. convenient B.clumsy C. boring D. exciting

6.A. height B. force C. skill D. weight

7.A. locked B. repaired C. powered D. grasped(抓紧)

8.A. hands B. feet C. keys D. handles

9.A. place B. action C. play D. effect

10.A. operation B. communication C. transportation D. production

11.A. exploration B. education C. experiment D.entertainment

12.A. flexible B. safe C. starting D. comfortable

13.A. yet B. just C. still D. even

14.A. shown B. pushed C. driven D. guided

15.A. realized B. suggested C. agreed D. admitted

16.A. lifted B. turned C. pressed D. seized

17.A. path B. position C. direction D. way

18.A. easy B. heavy C. major D. extra

19.A. forgotten B. repeated C. conducted D. finished

20.A. weaknesses B. anxieties C. challenges D. illnesses

We don’ t always get a second chance to achieve our dreams. But some people are lucky, like Matthew McConaughey. Once almost unknown, the actor has recently found himself back on the list of the best actors in Hollywood. His new movie Interstellar is just another sign that his career reinvention has been an incredible success. “The film relies on McConaughey’ s performance to hold together the emotional story of a father and his daughter against the background of space travel and the end of the world,”Forbes commented.

But only years ago, the Texas native was often the butt of jokes(笑柄)about being too handsome. In 1993, after meeting with director Richard Linklater, McConaughey starred in Dazed and Confused. And a Hollywood career was born, mostly in romantic comedies. For a long time, the whole world believed McConaughey was just a handsome guy with comic talent.

But McConaughey stopped starring in that type of movie, and began to use his looks differently. Slowly he built up his reputation as a serious actor. In 2013, McConaughey was offered to play an AIDS activist in Dallas Buyers Club. The role saw the normally muscular actor losing 50 pounds in order to appear sick. His performance won him an Oscar for Best Actor.

The actor gave thanks to someone he has always looked up to as a hero during his Oscar acceptance speech. When he was 15, the actor said, he decided that his hero would be himself in 10 years. But 10 years later, he pushed the deadline ahead another decade. Then 10 years later, another decade.“My hero’ s always 10 years away,” he said. “I’ m never going to attain that. That keeps me with somebody to keep on chasing.”Or perhaps constantly chasing the chance to be his own hero has given him a second chance to follow his dreams.

1.Why was McConaughey often the butt of jokes in his early career?

A. He was limited to handsome roles.

B. He was unknown to the audience.

C. He played in romantic comedies.

D. He was handsome and emotional.

2.What role won Mc Conaughey an Oscar for Best Actor?

A. A caring father. B. An AIDS activist.

C. A serious buyer. D. A strong hero.

3.What can we learn about McConaughey?

A. He was born in Hollywood.

B. He has become a hero of his own.

C. He wasn’ t famous until recently.

D. He isn’ t content with his achievements.

4.Which of the following can be the best title?

A. McConaughey, a Romantic Comedian

B. McConaughey, a Man Making a Hit

C. McConaughey, a Man Daring to change

D. McConaughey, Handsome and Talented

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