Question

For most people, graduation is an exciting day – the culmination (顶点) of years of hard work. My graduation day... was not.
I remember that weekend two years ago, Family and friends had traveled far to watch our class walk across the stage. But like everyone else in my graduating class, I had watched the economy go from bad to worse during my senior year. We graduates had degrees, but very limited prospects (前景). I hadn’t secured a job, and I knew that the next day, when my lease (租约) ended, I would no longer have a place to call home.
The weeks ahead weren’t easy. I gathered up everything I couldn’t carry and put it into storage. Then, because I had no opportunities in my small university town, I packed up my car and drove to California to find work. But what I thought would take a week dragged into two, then four, and 100 job applications later, I found myself still jobless. The due date to begin paying back my student loans was creeping even closer.
Have you ever felt utter dread? That feeling became a constant in my life. The most frustrating part was no matter how much I tried, I just couldn’t seem to make any progress.
So what did I do to maintain my sanity? I wrote. Something about putting my words on a page made everything clearer. Something about writing gave me hope.
I channeled my frustration into a children’s book. Beyond the river was the story of an unlikely hero, a little fish who refused to give up.
And then one day, with no writing degree or contacts in the writing world – just hard work and perseverance – I was offered a publishing contract for my first book. After that, things were in place, I was offered a second book deal. Then, a few months later, I got an interview with the Walt Disney Company and was hired shortly after.
The moral of this story is… don’t give up, even if things look bleak now.  Two years ago I was drinking cold soup right out the can. Things change. All we need is the courage to push beyond the river.
【小题1】When it was time to graduate, the author felt _____.

A．Bored

B．Relieved

C．depressed

D．hopeful

【小题2】After the author’s graduation, _____.

A．he went on a short trip with his family to California

B．things turned even worse than he had expected

C．he focused on writing instead of applying for jobs

D．he found his salary was hardly enough to pay back his student loans

【小题3】When did the author’s career life begin to run smoothly according to the article?

A．After he got his first publishing contract.

B．After he began to write his book Beyond the river.

C．After he finished his book Beyond the river.

D．After he got hired by the Walt Disney Company.

【小题4】What is the main message the story intends to convey?

A．Opportunity lies everywhere.

B．Perseverance is essential to success.

C．It’s important to adapt yourself to society.

D．We should devote ourselves to whatever we do.

Answer 1

【小题1】C
【小题2】B
【小题3】A
【小题4】B

解析试题分析：本文主要讲了作者在毕业后，生活贫困潦倒，但他却不放弃，最终作者取得成功。通过这个故事，告诉我们面对困境，要坚持不懈的努力，这才是通向成功的正确道路。
【小题1】根据For most people, graduation is an exciting day – the culmination (顶点) of years of hard work. My graduation day... was not，故选C，depressed沮丧的。
【小题2】根据But like everyone else in my graduating class, I had watched the economy go from bad to worse during my senior year.故选B。
【小题3】根据And then one day, with no writing degree or contacts in the writing world – just hard work and perseverance – I was offered a publishing contract for my first book. After that, things were in place, I was offered a second book deal.故选A。
【小题4】根据The moral of this story is… don’t give up, even if things look bleak now.故选B。
考点：故事类短文阅读理解
点评：这篇文章非常简单，先看问题，再带着问题仔细阅读短文，理解了全文内容，很容易选出正确答案。阅读短文时，常常会遇到一些生词。这时，要沉着，冷静，细心思考。首先要把整段、整篇文章看完。通过对全篇短文的理解，就很有可能猜测出生词的大意。另外，还可以从含有生词句子的上下文，以及句子和段落之间的关系来判断、理解生词以求获得其真正含义。猜测生词的另一种方法是，根据构词法推测。遇到生词后，可从构词法角度分析判断生词。