One day, when I was working as psychologist in England, an adolescent boy showed up in my office. It was David. He kept walking up and down restlessly, his face pale, and his hands shaking slightly. His head teacher had referred him to me. “This boy has lost his family,” he wrote. “He is understandably very sad and refuses to talk to others, and I’m very worried about him. Can you help?”

I looked at David and showed him to a chair. How could I help him? There are problems psychology doesn't have the answer to, and which no words can describe. Sometimes the best thing one can do is to listen openly and sympathetically.

The first two times we met, David didn't say a word. He sat there, only looking up to look at the children's drawings on the wall behind me. I suggested we play a game of chess. He nodded. After that he played chess with me every Wednesday afternoon-in complete silence and without looking at me. It's not easy to cheat in chess, but I admit I made sure David won once or twice.

Usually, he arrived earlier than agreed, took the chess board and pieces from the shelf and began setting them up before I even got a chance to sit down. It seemed as if he enjoyed my company. But why did he never look at me?

“Perhaps he simply needs someone to share his pain with,” I thought. “Perhaps he senses that I respect his suffering.” Some months later, when we were playing chess, he looked up at me suddenly.

“It's your turn,” he said.

After that day, David started talking. He got friends in school and joined a bicycle club. He wrote to me a few times, about his biking with some friends, and about his plan to get into university. Now he had really started to live his own life.

Maybe I gave David something. But I also learned that one-without any word-can reach out to another person. All it takes is a hug, a shoulder to cry on, a friendly touch, and an ear that listens.

1.When he first met the author, David ________.

A. felt a little excited B. walked energetically

C. looked a little nervous D. showed up with his teacher

2.As a psychologist, the author ________.

A. was ready to listen to David

B. was skeptical about psychology

C. was able to describe David's problem

D. was sure of handling David's problem

3.What can be interred about David?

A. He recovered after months of treatment.

B. He liked biking before he lost his family.

C. He went into university soon after starting to talk.

D. He got friends in school before he met the author.

Should we allow modern buildings to be built next to older buildings in a historic area of a city? In order to answer this question, we must first examine whether people really want to preserve the historic feel of an area. Not all historical buildings are attractive. However, there may be other reasons—for example, economic (经济的) reasons—why they should be preserved. So, let us assume that historical buildings are both attractive and important to the majority of people. What should we do then if a new building is needed?

In my view, new architectural styles can exist perfectly well alongside an older style. Indeed, there are many examples in my own home town of Tours where modern designs have been placed very successfully next to old buildings. As long as the building in question is pleasing and does not dominate (影响) its surroundings too much, it often improves the attractiveness of the area.

It is true that there are examples of new buildings which have spoilt (破坏) the area they are in, but the same can be said of some old buildings too. Yet people still speak against new buildings in historic areas. I think this is simply because people are naturally conservative(保守的)and do not like change.

Although we have to respect people’s feelings as fellow users of the buildings, I believe that it is the duty of the architect and planner to move things forward . If we always reproduced what was there before, we would all still be living in caves. Thus, I would argue against copying previous architectural styles and choose something fresh and different , even though that might be the more risky choice.

1.What does the author say about historical buildings in the first paragraph?

A. Some of them are not attractive.

B. Most of them ate too expensive to preserve.

C. They are more pleasing than modern buildings.

D. They have nothing to do with the historic feel of an area.

2.Which of the following is true according to the author ?

A. We should reproduce the same old buildings.

B. Buildings should not dominate their surroundings.

C. Some old buildings have spoilt the area they are in.

D. No one understands why people speak against new buildings.

3.By “move things forward ” in the last paragraph , the author probably means“

A. destroy old buildings

B. put things in a different place

C. respect people’s feelings for historical buildings

D. choose new architectural styles

4.What is the main purpose of the passage?

A. To explain why people dislike change.

B. To argue that modern buildings can be built in historic areas.

C. To warn that we could end up living in caves.

D. To admit how new buildings have ruined their surroundings.

I had the meanest mother in the world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal (麦片粥), eggs and toast. Others had cokes and candy for lunch, while we had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different from the other kids’. But at least I was not alone in my suffering. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.

My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing. We had to wear clean clothes every day. Other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of disgrace (丢脸) because she made our clothes herself, just to save money.

The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by 9:00 each night and up at 7:45 the next morning. So while my friends slept, my mother actually had the courage to break Child Labor Law. She made us work. I believed she lay awake all night thinking up mean things to do to us. Through the years, our friends’ report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother, however, would merely be content with black marks. None of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout (辍学者).

She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults. Using this as a background, I’m now trying to bring up my three children. I’m filled with pride when my children think I am mean because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the world.

1.From the passage we can learn that the writer’s mother was .

A. not generous at all B. very strict with her children

C. very mean with money matters D. very cruel to her children

2.Which of the following things did the writer hate to do most?

A. Eating differently from other kids.

B. Wearing clean clothes which were made by mother.

C. Going to bed early and getting up early.

D. Letting mother know where they were.

3.It can be inferred from the passage that .

A. the writer worked hard and usually got good grades in studies

B. mother was punished for breaking the Labor Law

C. all the other kids studied better than the writer

D. the writer’s family lived a painful life

4.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Mother practised economy in running her home.

B. The writer is very thankful to her mother.

C. The writer is strict with her children when bringing them up.

D. The writer doesn’t love her mother for the past painful life.

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