The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.

She said, “Hi, girl! My name is Rose. I’m 87 years old. Can I give you a hug?”

I laughed and enthusiastically(热情地)responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant squeeze.

 “Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked. She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a couple of children, and then retire and travel!”

 “No seriously,” I said. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

 “I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!” she told me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us.

 “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only two secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor everyday. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die!” she said.

“There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will turn 20 years older. If I am 87 years old, and stay in bed for a year, and never do anything, I will turn 88. Anybody can grow older. But every minute counts for young men,” she added.

 “The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.”

She concluded her speech by courageously singing “The Song of Rose”. She challenged each of us to study the lyrics(歌词)and live them out in our daily lives.

At the year’s end, Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

13. Rose made herself known to the author in a ______ manner.

  A. serious          B. cold           C. humorous          D. crazy

14. From the information provided in the passage, we know ______.

A. Rose finished the college degree within a year

B. Rose did realize her dream of meeting a rich husband and getting married through college education

C. Rose enjoyed her campus life very much

D. Rose grew so old that she stopped playing

15. Rose delivered the speech ______.

  A. at the graduation                               B. which she prepared carefully

  C. ended with “The Song of Rose”                   D. to challenge all the other speakers

16. According to her speech, ______.

  A. whenever you have a dream, you succeed          

B. all people don’t grow up while growing older

C. Rose usually regretted having done something

D. a nine-year-old is as old as a 87-year-old if he doesn’t do anything

Living an Adventurous Life
Nearly ten years ago, I was told that I had a brain tumor (瘤), and this experience changed my attitude about adventure forever.I thought that I was going to die and that all my adventures were over.I did not have a brain tumor, it turned out, but rather multiple sclerosis (多发性硬化症), which meant that, although they were not over, the nature of my adventures could have to change.
Each morning that I wake up is a fresh event, something that I might not have had.Each gesture that I make carries the weight of uncertainty and demands significant attention: buttoning my shirt, changing a light bulb, walking down stairs.I might not be able to do it this time.If I could not delight in them, they would likely drown me in anger and in self-pity.
I admire the grand adventures of others.I read about them with interest.With Peter Matthiessen I have hiked across the Himalayas to the Crystal Mountain.I have walked with Annie Dillard up, down, into, and across Tinker Creek in all seasons.David Bain has gone with me along 110 miles of Philippine coast, and Ed Abbey has rowed me down the Colorado River.I enjoy the adventures of these courageous figures, who can strike out on difficult trips – 2 miles, 250 miles, 3000 miles – ready to bear cold and tiredness, indeed not just to bear but to celebrate.
But as for me, I can no longer walk very far from the armchair in which I read.Some days I don’t even make it to the backyard.And yet I’m unwilling to give up the adventurous life, the difficulty of it, even the pain, the anxiety and fear, and the sudden brief lift of spirit that makes a hard journey more attractive.
I refine adventure, make it smaller and smaller.And now, whether I am moving on my hands and knees across the dining room to help my cat, lying wide-eyed in the dark battling another period of sadness, gathering flowers from the garden, meeting a friend for lunch, I am always having the adventures that are mine to have.
【小题1】Which of the following is TRUE about the author’s reaction after the illness?

A.The author is drowned in anger and self-pity.
B.The author travels to places he/she has dreamed of.
C.The author can’t take care of himself/herself any longer.
D.The author adapts to the condition successfully.
【小题2】Why does the author admire the people mentioned in Paragraph 3?
A.Because they write popular novels.B.Because they are great adventurers.
C.Because they are famous geographers.D.Because they fight with hardship in life.
【小题3】Which of the following shows the author’s strong love for adventures?
A.The author spends almost every day looking for adventures.
B.The author works hard to make more money for adventures.
C.The author imagines having adventures while reading.
D.The author expects to recover only to continue adventures.

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网