Life is difficult.
This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend (超越) it. Once we truly know that life is difficult — once we truly understand and accept it — then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.
Most do not fully see this truth. Instead they complain about their problems and difficulties as if life should be easy. It seems to them that difficulties represent a special kind of suffering especially forced upon them or else upon their families, their class, or even their nation.
What makes life difficult is that the process of facing and solving problems is a painful one. Problems, depending on their nature, cause us sadness, or loneliness or regret or anger or fear. These are uncomfortable feelings, often as painful as any kind of physical pain. And since life causes an endless series of problems, life is always difficult and is full of pain as well as joy.
Yet, it is in this whole process of solving problems that life has its meaning. Problems are the serious test that tells us success from failure. When we desire to encourage the growth of human spirit, we encourage the human ability to solve problems, just as in school we set problems for our children to solve. It is through the pain of meeting and working out problems that we learn. As Benjamin Franklin said, those things that hurt, instruct. It is for this reason that wise people learn not to fear but to welcome the pain of problems.
小题1:The writer probably used just one short sentence in the first paragraph to ________.| A．save space | B．persuade readers | C．make readers laugh | D．get readers’ attention |
小题2:According to the passage, we give school children difficult problems to solve in order to________.| A．encourage them to learn | B．teach them to fear the pain of solving the problem | | C．help them learn to deal with pain | D．teach them how to respect for problems |
小题3:From the passage, it can be inferred that _________.| A．everybody has problems | | B．we become stronger by meeting and solving the problems of life | | C．life is difficult because our problems bring us pain | | D．people like to complain about their problems |
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小题1:D
小题2:A
小题3:B |
试题分析：文章介绍人生的艰难，但是我们要面对这些困难，解决它们才能成长。
小题1:写作意图题：文章第一段就是一句话Life is difficult.这样可以吸引读者的注意力。选D
小题2:细节题：从第四段的句子：It is through the pain of meeting and working out problems that we learn. 可知我们给孩子很难的问题解决是为了鼓励他们去学习。选A
小题3:细节题：从第四段的句子：it is in this whole process of solving problems that life has its meaning. Problems are the serious test that tells us success from failure. When we desire to encourage the growth of human spirit, we encourage the human ability to solve problems可知通过解决问题，我们可以成长。选B
点评：文章分析了具体的现象。测试考生在阅读基础上的逻辑推理能力，要求考生根据文章所述事件的逻辑关系，对未说明的趋势或结局作出合理的推断；或根据作者所阐述的观点理论，对文章未涉及的现象、事例给以解释。考生首先要仔细阅读短文，完整了解信息，准确把握作者观点。 |
核心考点
试题【Life is difficult.This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a gre】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
If you want to learn a new language, the very first thing to think about is why. Do you need it for a ___36___reason, such as your job or your studies?___37____ perhaps you’re interested in the ___38____ , films or music of a different country and you know how much it will help to have a ___39____ of the language.
Most people learn best using a variety of ___40____, but traditional classes are an ideal（理想的）start for many people. They___41__an environment where you can practice under the __42___ of someone who’s good at the language. We all lead ___43___ lives and learning a language takes __44___. You will have more success if you study regularly, so try to develop a ___45___. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t got long. Becoming fluent in a language will take years, but learning to get by takes __46__.
Many people start learning a language and soon give up. “I’m too __47___, ” they say. Yes, children do learn languages more __48___ than adults, but research has shown that you can learn a language at any ___49___. And learning is good for the health of your brain, too. I’ve also heard people ___50___ about the mistakes they make when ___51___. Well, relax and laugh about your mistakes __52____ you’re much less likely to make them again.
Learning a new language is never ___53___. But with some work and devotion, you’ll make progress. And you’ll be __54___ by the positive reaction of some people when you say just a few words in ___55___ own language. Good luck!
| 小题1: | | A．technical | B．political | C．practical | D．physical |
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| 小题3: | | A．literature | B．transport | C．agriculture | D．medicine |
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| 小题4: | | A．view | B．knowledge | C．form | D．database |
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| 小题5: | | A．paintings | B．regulations | C．methods | D．computers |
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| 小题6: | | A．protect | B．change | C．respect | D．provide |
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| 小题7: | | A．control | B．command | C．guidance | D．pressure |
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| 小题8: | | A．busy | B．happy | C．simple | D．normal |
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| 小题9: | | A．courage | B．time | C．energy | D．place |
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| 小题10: | | A．theory | B．business | C．routine | D．project |
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| 小题11: | | A．some risks | B．a lot less | C．some notes | D．a lot more |
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| 小题12: | | A．old | B．nervous | C．weak | D．tired |
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| 小题13: | | A．closely | B．quickly | C．privately | D．quietly |
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| 小题14: | | A．age | B．speed | C．distance | D．school |
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| 小题15: | | A．worry | B．hesitate | C．think | D．quarrel |
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| 小题16: | | A．singing | B．working | C．bargaining | D．learning |
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| 小题18: | | A．tiresome | B．hard | C．interesting | D．easy |
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| 小题19: | | A．blamed | B．amazed | C．interrupted | D．informed |
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I used to be a very self-centered person, but in the past two years I have really changed. I have started to think about other people__36__I think about myself. I am happy that I am becoming a__37__person.
I think my __38__started when I was at Palomar College. At first, I just wanted to get my__39__and be left alone. I thought I was smarter than everyone else, so I hardly ever__40__ to anyone in my classes. By the end of my first semester, I was really__41__. It seemed as if everyone but me had made friends and was having fun. So tried a(n) __42__. I started asking people around me how they were doing, and if they were having trouble I__43__ to help. That was really a big__44__for me. By the end of the year, I had several new friends, and two of__45__are still my best friends today.
A bigger cause of my new__46__, however, came when I took a part-time job at a Vista Nursing Home. One old lady there who had Alzheimer’s disease became my__47__ . Every time I came into her room, she was so __48__ because she thought I was her daughter. Her real daughter never__49__her, so I took her place. She let me __50__that making others feel good made me feel good, too. When she died, I was__51__, but I was very grateful to her.
I think I am a much__52__ person today than I used to be, and I hope I will not__53__ these experiences. They have __54__ me to care about other people more than about myself. I __55__who I am today, and I could not say that a few years ago.
| 小题1: | | A．since | B．before | C．or | D．unless |
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| 小题2: | | A．famous | B．simple | C．different | D．skilled |
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| 小题3: | | A．education | B．career | C．tour | D．change |
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| 小题4: | | A．balance | B．homework | C．degree | D．interest |
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| 小题5: | | A．talked | B．wrote | C．lied | D．reported |
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| 小题6: | | A．careful | B．lonely | C．curious | D．guilty |
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| 小题7: | | A．argument | B．game | C．experiment | D．defence |
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| 小题8: | | A．dared | B．offered | C．hesitated | D．happened |
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| 小题9: | | A．dream | B．problem | C．duty | D．step |
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| 小题10: | | A．us | B．which | C．them | D．whom |
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| 小题11: | | A．attitude | B．hobby | C．hope | D．luck |
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| 小题12: | | A．friend | B．partner | C．guide | D．guest |
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| 小题13: | | A．polite | B．happy | C．strange | D．confident |
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| 小题14: | | A．bothered | B．answered | C．visited | D．trusted |
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| 小题15: | | A．explain | B．guess | C．declare | D．see |
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| 小题16: | | A．homeless | B．heartbroken | C．bad-tempered | D．hopeless |
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| 小题17: | | A．quieter | B．busier | C．better | D．richer |
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| 小题18: | | A．forget | B．face | C．improve | D．analyze |
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| 小题19: | | A．forced | B．preferred | C．ordered | D．taught |
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| 小题20: | | A．miss | B．like | C．wonder | D．expect |
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I used to believe in the American Dream, which meant a job, a mortgage (按揭), credit cards, success. I wanted it and worked toward it like everyone else, all of us 36 chasing the same thing.
One year, through a series of unhappy events, it all fell 37 . I found myself homeless and alone. I had my truck and $ 56. I 38 the countryside for some place I could rent for the 39 possible amount. I came upon a shabby house four miles up a winding mountain road 40 the Potomac River in West Virginia. It was 41 , full of broken glass and rubbish. I found the owner, rented it, and 42 a corner to camp in.
The locals knew nothing about me, 43 slowly, they started teaching me the 44 of being a neighbor. They dropped off blankets, candles, and tools, and began 45 around to chat. They started to teach me a belief in a 46 American Dream—not the one of individual achievement but of 47 .
What I had believed in, all those things I thought were 48 for a civilized life, were nonexistent in this place. 49 on the mountain, my most valuable possessions were my 50 with my neighbors.
Four years later, I moved back into 51 . I saw many people were having a really hard time, 52 their jobs and homes. I managed to rent a big enough house to 53 a handful of people. There are four of us now in the house, but over time I’ve had nine people come in and move on to other places. We’d all be in 54 if we hadn’t banded together.
The American Dream I believe in now is a shared one. It’s not so much about what I can get for myself; it’s about 55 we can all get by together.
| 小题1: | | A．separately | B．equally | C．violently | D．naturally |
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| 小题3: | | A．crossed | B．left | C．toured | D．searched |
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| 小题4: | | A．fullest | B．largest | C．fairest | D．cheapest |
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| 小题5: | | A．at | B．through | C．over | D．round |
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| 小题6: | | A．occupied | B．abandoned | C．emptied | D．robbed |
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| 小题7: | | A．turned | B．approached | C．cleared | D．cut |
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| 小题8: | | A．but | B．although | C．otherwise | D．for |
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| 小题9: | | A．benefit | B．lesson | C．nature | D．art |
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| 小题10: | | A．sticking | B．looking | C．swinging | D．turning |
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| 小题11: | | A．wild | B．real | C．different | D．remote |
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| 小题12: | | A．neighborliness | B．happiness | C．friendliness | D．kindness |
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| 小题13: | | A．unique | B．expensive | C．rare | D．necessary |
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| 小题15: | | A．cooperation | B．relationships | C．satisfaction | D．appointments |
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| 小题16: | | A．reality | B．society | C．town | D．life |
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| 小题17: | | A．creating | B．losing | C．quitting | D．offering |
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| 小题18: | | A．put in | B．turn in | C．take in | D．get in |
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| 小题19: | | A．yards | B．shelters | C．camps | D．cottages |
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| 小题20: | | A．when | B．what | C．whether | D．how |
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In 1978, I was 18 and was working as a nurse in a small town about 270 km away from Sydney, Australia. I was looking forward to having five fays off from duty. Unfortunately, the only one train a day back to my home in Sydney had already left. So I thought I’d hitch a ride (搭便车).
I waited by the side of the highway for three hours but no one stopped for me. Finally, a man walked over and introduced himself as Gordon. He said that although he couldn’t give me a lift, I should come back to his house for lunch. He noticed me standing for hours in the November heat and thought I must be hungry. I was doubtful as a young girl but he assured (使……放心)me I was safe, and he also offered to help me find a lift home afterwards. When we arrived at his house, he made us sandwiches. After lunch, he helped me find a lift home.
Twenty-five years later, in 2003, while I was driving to a nearby town one day, I saw an elderly man standing in the glaring heat, trying to hitch a ride. I thought it was another chance to repay someone for the favour I’d been given decades earlier. I pulled over and picked him up. I made him comfortable on the back seat and offered him some water.
After a few moments of small talk, the man said to me, “You haven’t changed a bit, even your red hair is still the same.” I couldn’t remember where I’d met him. He then told me he was the man who had given me lunch and helped me find a lift all those years ago. It was Gordon.
小题1:The author had to hitch a ride one day in 1978 because .| A．her work delayed her trip to Sydney | | B．she was going home for her holidays | | C．the town was far away from Sydney | | D．she missed the only train back home |
小题2:Which of the following did Gordon do according to Paragraph 2?| A．He helped the girl find a ride | | B．He gave the girl a ride back home. | | C．He bought sandwiches for the girl | | D．He watched the girl for three hours. |
小题3:The reason why the author offered a lift to the elderly man was that .| A．she realized he was Gordon | | B．she had known him for decades | | C．she was going to the nearby town | | D．she wanted to repay the favour she once got |
小题4:What does the author want to tell the readers through the story?| A．Giving sometimes produces nice results | | B．Those who give rides will be rapid. | | C．Good manners bring about happiness | | D．People should offer free rides to others. |
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Zigfried, a little mouse, blew his breath on the frosty window of the farmhouse and rubbed it to see the outside. Still nobody came. Maybe today, he thought 31 . It was only a few days before Christmas and he was watching for a miracle (奇迹).
This farmhouse had been 32 too long. It needed a family. Zigfried’s 33 made a noise. He realized that he hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday. He jumped from the windowsill (窗沿), grabbed a 34 from his home, and went next door to Farmer Mike’s.
Farmer Mike’s house had been a great place for the little mouse 35 the farmer married a wife who had a cat. Zigfried 36 when he thought of it. He looked around cautiously as he 37 into the room where grain was stored and was quite 38 as he filled his bag with wheat. He was turning to leave when suddenly he 39 a hot breath about his ear. His heart beat 40 , and without thinking he started to run and luckily 41 the cat’s paws (爪子).
The next afternoon Zigfried heard some good news: a 42 family would be moving into the farmhouse soon. Zigfried’s granny would arrive on Christmas Eve to 43 with him. He hoped that the family would come before his granny came. Before long, a car came 44 the road leading to the house, with butter sandwiches, cheese and chocolate.
Zigfried’s Christmas miracle did arrive!
The house came 45 the next few days. Zigfried 46 every single hour of them. 47 , the day before Christmas when he was drinking hot chocolate with a 48 smile at the door of his home, he heard the 49 of the children of the family about what they might get for Christmas. What? A cat? The 50 froze on his face； his mouth fell wide open. After a long while, he at last found his voice: “Hey! Whose Christmas miracle is this?”
| 小题1: | | A．carefully | B．excitedly | C．hopefully | D．proudly |
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| 小题2: | | A．shabby | B．noisy | C．messy | D．empty |
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| 小题3: | | A．mouth | B．nose | C．stomach | D．throat |
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| 小题4: | | A．bag | B．stick | C．bowl | D．coat |
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| 小题5: | | A．although | B．until | C．whereas | D．unless |
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| 小题6: | | A．leapt | B．sniffed | C．trembled | D．withdrew |
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| 小题7: | | A．broke | B．marched | C．paced | D．stole |
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| 小题8: | | A．curious | B．nervous | C．pitiful | D．sensible |
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| 小题9: | | A．took | B．released | C．felt | D．drew |
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| 小题10: | | A．strongly | B．irregularly | C．slowly | D．wildly |
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| 小题11: | | A．escaped | B．seized | C．rubbed | D．scratched |
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| 小题12: | | A．close | B．happy | C．new | D．young |
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| 小题13: | | A．celebrate | B．communicate | C．compete | D．compromise |
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| 小题14: | | A．across | B．from | C．off | D．up |
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| 小题15: | | A．alive | B．loose | C．open | D．still |
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| 小题16: | | A．counted | B．enjoyed | C．missed | D．wasted |
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| 小题17: | | A．However | B．Instead | C．Moreover | D．Therefore |
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| 小题18: | | A．bitter | B．forced | C．polite | D．satisfied |
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| 小题19: | | A．introduction | B．discussion | C．comment | D．debate |
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| 小题20: | | A．blood | B．smile | C．tear | D．sweat |
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