题目内容
I was 20 years old when my mother passed away.It was the first real blow that life had dealt me,and I thought I would never recover.Then,by the time the following spring came,the pain was almost bearable and again I could find pleasure in the miraculous reward of nature.
At first,I went to the cemetery with trepidation.But then,amazingly,by tending her grave and decorating it with flowers,I was ridding myself of the painful memories.
The years passed.I moved from Kaposvar,Hungary,the town where I had been born and had spent my youth.So did my siblings.We only came together on feast days,especially on All Souls’ Day in the cemetery.
Father lived with me for many years,to a ripe old age.Now that he,too,rests beneath the white marble stone,I go even more eagerly to the cemetery.While I tend my parents’ grave site,again I am with them in thought.
One day I noticed a modest grave site behind my parents’ plot.It lay among the magnificent granite and marble markers of the other graves,its very simplicity calling attention to itself.Ivy(常春藤) had covered the site and its only decoration was a simple wooden cross on which was written in copper letters a name,and that she lived 22 years.Whenever I went by,the plot and its surroundings looked cared for and neat,and each time I felt curious about this mysterious woman who had lived all of 22 years.
Once I saw an elderly man leaving from there.I concluded that perhaps he had come to visit his wife.In 1996 I was preparing for All Souls’ Day in the cemetery when again I caught sight of him,tending the grave.Tall,somewhat bent,he was well passed middle age.We nodded to each other and continued our work.Occasionally I stole a glance at my neighbor.When I noticed that he hadn’t got the tools for a proper cleanup,I offered him mine,which he gratefully accepted.After this,it seemed only natural to engage him in conversation.I asked him whose grave it was.This was his answer:
“My mother’s.She died young,in 1912 when I was only a year?and?a half old.I really never knew her.I made her that cross and the copper letters.”
Then he went on:“No one comes to visit this grave but me because I was her only child.She died of pneumonia.My father remarried and my stepmother only cared for her own children.So then I always came here to my mother,whether in sadness or in joy.Later,life took me far afield,but I never forgot this grave.For me it was the same as the family home is for others.I always came home here.”
“With the years passing,it is getting more difficult for me to come,but as long as my legs will carry me,at least twice a year I visit my mother.I’m in my 80s,so who knows how long I can still make it.”
In stunned silence I listened.Tears clouded my eyes as I realized that I had never seen such boundless love.How much easier is my lot,I thought,for at any moment I can reach into my storehouse of memories and draw out the joyful or sad vignettes(小插图) that bind me to my parents with a thousand threads.What memories might this kindly old gentleman harbor?Perhaps a face from an ancient faded photograph of his mother.
What a great attachment throughout his long life must have led him back again and again to the resting place of that young woman whose motherly love he could never truly savor(尝到),only forever feels its enormous lack.
We said good?bye.I was deeply moved because I knew that I had been given a great gift.I had been allowed a glimpse of the royal and long?lasting affection that bound a simple and noble?hearted man to his mother.I decided I would tend the grave together with that of my parents,where,finally,the aged child will have met his youthful mother.
1.All Souls’ Day is a feast day .
A. to visit the cemetery and memorize the dead
B. for families to get together in the cemetery
C. to give gifts to family members
D. for daughters and sons to memorize their parents
2.From the passage,we know .
A. the author’s mother died young and her father,too
B. the author’s mother was dead while her father enjoyed a long life
C. the man’s mother died very young before he was born
D. the author’s father lived long while the man’s mother died very young
3.The underlined words “calling attention to itself” in the 5th paragraph mean .
A. desiring to be paid attention to
B. making it easily noticed
C. too modest to be noticed
D. calling itself to draw others’ attention
4.The author stole a glance at her neighbor because .
A. they were living in the same neighborhood
B. the man was tall and straight,well passed middle age
C. she was wondering about the dead young lady’s story
D. she knew the dead in the grave was the man’s mother
5.From Paragraph 10 we can conclude that .
A. the author lived near the cemetery and can visit her parents at any time
B. the poor gentleman had hardly any memory of his dear mother’s love
C. the author is bound to her parents with threads
D. the gentleman comes back “home” whenever he wants to
6.What message is conveyed in the passage?
A. Love is a length of thread to bind mother and children together.
B. Mother needs love from her children even if she is dead.
C. Parents’ love is always royal and long?lasting to children.
D. Mother’s love can be a boundless gift to their children.
Some people believe that greed and selfishness has become the basis of modern society, and we should return to the old traditions of family and community then we will have a better life. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the above opinion?
In this fast-paced world, many values are undergoing major changes. While people traditionally prioritize caring, sharing and generosity in life and work, modern people seem to be more self-absorbed and self-concerned.
Modern people act selfishly to survive the harsh competition of life. They say that it is a jungle out there. To survive, you have to fight with whatever means that come handy. Obviously greedy and selfishness go perfectly well with such ideas. In a company, employees do everything they can to get better pay and higher position, even at the cost of colleagues. We are in any way advocating any selfish conduct. It is just that people are pressured to act in a certain way due to outside influences.
In spite of common practice, it is hard to conclude that modern society is built on greed and selfishness, both of which are not newly invented vocabulary. In ancient times people also did greedy and selfish things though such behaviors were more condemned then. But we can not ignore the fact that people in the past lived a relatively more isolated life and faced less pressure compared with their modern counterparts.
Are we happier to share with others and be generous to them? There is no fixed answer either. Some people take great pleasure helping and giving to others while others feel happy doing the opposite. But I personally think that people should not be too selfish. Caring for others can actually encourage the development of a mutually beneficial relationship.
In conclusion, modern people appear to be more self-centered than those in the past due to strong outside pressure. However, we should encourage people to know the importance of being caring and generous and to build a mutually beneficial relationship with others.
Are Modern People Becoming More Selfish?
Main comparisons | Contexts |
1. are changing | In the past people put caring, sharing and generosity in the first 2..[ |
Nowadays, people seem to be more 3.about themselves. | |
4. are changing too. | People in the past appeared to be modest and self-effacing(谦让的). |
People may strive to achieve their own 5. at the price of their coworkers. | |
The author’s understanding | |
6. for the changes in author’s eyes | Fierce 7. and great 8.on modern people may be responsible for the changes. |
The author’s 9.towards topic | A relationship which can 10. two sides should be established. |