When I was seven years old, my family made me an ant farm. First, we put clean sand in a thin glass box. Then we waited for the ants to arrive.
After the ants were in the glass farm, they started to make tunnels(地道). I was amazed that each one knew exactly what to do. Each had its own job.
On the fifth day a tragedy(悲剧)happened. I put my face so close to the glass farm that I knocked it over. All the tunnels fell down. Although the ants remained alive after their earthquake, one by one they began to die. I was scared as I watched them give up building their tunnels to carry the bodies to a corner of the farm.
My mother said that the ants were dying of sadness. They simply could not stand that their tunnels were gone.
Although much time has passed, I still think of that ant farm. Mom had hoped it would teach me about the natural world, but it taught me much more.
Over the years, I came to realize the importance of teamwork. Working together, the ants were able to make an amazing world for themselves. I also learned that they should be admired(钦佩)for their hard work.
But there was an even larger lesson that I did not realize until recently: Adversity(逆境)is a natural part of life, and must be accepted. Unlike the ants, we cannot give up when we are sad. We have to realize that if a tunnel is gone, we must build another.
Giving up, I say, is not a good choice.
【小题1】 What did the writer’s family do for him when he was seven?
A.They built a farm of ants.B.They bought a few ants.
C.They caught a lot of ants.D.They found an ant city.
【小题2】Which statement is WRONG according to the passage?
A.The writer knocked the glass box over because he put his face so close to the glass farm.
B.The ants didn’t die one by one after the tunnels were destroyed.
C.Like people, teamwork is very important for the ants.
D.Giving up isn’t a good way when we meet trouble.
【小题3】Among the following events, which one happened first?
A.All the tunnels fell down.B.The ants died one by one.
C.The ants got into the glass box.D.The ants began making tunnels.
【小题4】What did the writer learn from the ant tragedy a few years later?
A.Working together is useless.B.Teamwork is important.
C.He can’t accept adversity.D.Working alone is amazing.
【小题5】What is the best title for the passage?
A.Ants Fear Adversity B.My Family and Ants
C.Giving Up in AdversityD.Don’t give up anytime

People have their own ways of saying things with their own special expressions. Some of these expressions are easy to understand. “As Easy as Falling off a Log (圆木)” is one such expression. It describes a job that does not take much effort. If you ever tried to walk on a falling tree log, you may understand what the expression means. It is easier to fall off the log than to stay on it.

There are several other expressions that mean the same thing. And their meaning is as easy to understand as falling off a log. One is “Easy as Pie.” Nothing is easier than eating a piece of sweet juicy pie, unless it is a piece of cake. “A Piece of Cake” is another expression that means something is extremely easy to do.

Another expression is “As Easy as Shooting Fish in a Barrel (桶)”. Clearly, fish in a barrel will be much easier to shoot than fish in a river. In fact, it would be as easy as falling off a log.

Sometimes, things that come to us easily also leave us just as easily. In fact, there is an expression “Easy Come Easy Go”. Another easy expression is “To Go Easy on a Person”. It means to treat a person kindly or gently, especially in a situation where you might be expected to be angry with him. A wife might ask her husband to go easy on their son, because the boy did not mean to destroy the toy. If you want to borrow some money to fix the car, you should look for a friend who is an “Easy Touch”. An easy touch or a soft touch is someone who is kind and helpful.

And there is one more expression that means do not worry or work too hard. Try to keep away from difficult situations. “Take it easy”, until we meet again.

1.Which of the following expressions has the same meaning with “As easy as falling off a log?”

A. Shooting fish in a barrel                         B. Walking on a falling tree log.

C. Staying on a log                                    D. Shooting fish in a river

2.A friend might tell you that his new job was___________.

A. easy come easy go                                   B. as easy as shooting fish in a barrel             

C. to take it easy                                             D. to go easy on a person

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

A. That he goes easy on me means that he is angry with me.

B. He is always helping others, so he is an easy touch.      

C. When he asks me to repair his broken bike, I say, “A piece of cake. I can help repair it.”

D. When a girl loses her way, I say, “Take it easy, I will send you home.”

 

We all have our own ways of sharing our life experiences with others.

Photographers use cameras, artists use brushes, musicians use songs and writers use stories.

Spencer Johnson’s story Who Moved My Cheese? shows changes exist in(存在于)our life. Life changes and so we do. We must change ourselves to face the changing environment, or we will fail.

Just look at the cycle(循环)of the seasons. Trees bud(发芽)in spring and in summer their leaves turn green. In autumn, their leaves start to fall onto the ground. When winter comes, there are no leaves on trees. Next spring the cycle begins again. Since we know there are cycles in nature, we can prepare for them. We know it is colder in winter and hotter in summer, so we can dress properly.

Since we accept the cycles of nature, we should also accept the changes in our life.

We can prepare ourselves for changes by becoming more flexible(灵活的). We can regard the changes in our life as chances. As we keep changing ourselves, we can keep up with the changes in our life.

1.What do writers use to share their life experiences?       

A. Stories.  B. Newspapers.    C. Basketballs.     D. Pianos.

2.Who Moved My Cheese? tells us that ______________.

A. changes exist in our life 

B. we should move others’ things      

C. we should use books to share our life experiences    

D. there are difficulties in our life

3.The cycle of the seasons means _____________.

A. we should wear warm clothes in winter      

B. we should accept the changes in our life

C. we should prepare for the weather                           

D. leaves turn yellow in autumn

4.If you fail a test,what should you think according to the passage?

A. I have no chance to pass the test.

B.Exams are hard for me.

C. I have bad luck.                         

D. It’s good for me because I know there are more to learn.

5.What’s the main idea of this passage?

A. Weather changes in different seasons.    

B. Who Moved My Cheese? Is a good book.

C.We should change ourselves when life changes.                        

D. We should not lose heart when we meet with difficulties.

 

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