I look back sometimes at the person I was before I rediscovered my old professor. I want to talk to that person. I want to tell him what to look out for, what mistakes to avoid. I want to tell him to be more open, to ignore the temptation of advertised values, to pay attention when your loved ones are speaking, as if it were the last time you might hear them.
Mostly I want to tell that person to get on an airplane and visit a gentle old man in West Newton, Massachusetts, sooner rather than later, before that old man gets sick and loses his ability to dance.
I know I cannot do this. None of us can undo what we’ve done, or relive a life already recorded. But if Professor Morrie Schwartz taught me anything at all, it was this: there is no such thing as “too late” in life. He was changing until the day he said good-bye.
Not long after Morrie’s death, I reached my brother in Spain. We had a long talk. I told him I respected his distance, and that all I wanted was to be in touch—in the present, not just the past—to hold him in my life as much as he could let me.
“You’re my only brother,” I said. “I don’t want to lose you. I love you.”
I had never said such a thing to him before.
A few days later, I received a message on my fax machine. It was typed in the sprawling, poorly punctuated, all-cap-letters fashion that always characterized my brother’s words.
“HI I’VE JOINED THE NINETIES!” it began. He wrote a few little stories, what he’d been doing that week, a couple of jokes. At the end, he signed off this way:
I HAVE HEARTBURN AND DIAHREA(腹泻) AT THE MOMENT—LIFE’S A BITCH. CHAT LATER?
[signed] SORE TUSH.
I laughed until there were tears in my eyes.
This book was largely Morrie’s idea. He called it our “final thesis.” Like the best of work projects, it brought us closer together, and Morrie was delighted when several publishers expressed interest, even though he died before meeting any of them. The advance money helped pay Morrie’s enormous medical bills, and for that we were both grateful.
The title, by the way, we came up with one day in Morrie’s office. He liked naming things. He had several ideas. But when I said, “How about Tuesdays with Morrie?” he smiled in an almost blushing way, and I knew that was it.
After Morrie died, I went through boxes of old college material. And I discovered a final paper I had written for one of his classes. It was twenty years old now. On the front page were my penciled comments scribbled to Morrie, and beneath them were his comments scribbled back.
Mine began, “Dear Coach . . .”
His began, “Dear Player . . .”
For some reason, each time I read that, I miss him more.
Have you ever really had a teacher? One who saw you as a raw but precious thing, a jewel that, with wisdom, could be polished to a proud shine? If you are lucky enough to find your way to such teachers, you will always find your way back. Sometimes it is only in your head. Sometimes it is right alongside their beds.
The last class of my old professor’s life took place once a week, in his home, by a window in his study where he could watch a small hibiscus(木槿) plant shed its pink flowers. The class met on Tuesdays. No books were required. The subject was the meaning of life. It was taught from experience.
The teaching goes on.
1.What kind of a person was the author before he rediscovered Professor Morrie Schwartz?
A. He was very open to life’s challenges.
B. He cared much about the people he loved.
C. He was probably lost in the material world.
D. He kept close contact with his teacher.
2.What did the author learn from Professor Morrie?
A. Pain past is pleasure.
B. Life is a difficult journey.
C. It’s never too late to mend.
D. Tomorrow is another day.
3.According to the passage, what is the author’s attitude toward life now?
A. He is very content with his life.
B. He is willing to make changes in his life.
C. He has always been hopeful about the future.
D. He prefers to live in the past.
4.The underlined sentence in the passage implies that ________.
A. he was so glad to reconnect with his brother
B. his brother’s style of writing was really funny
C. his brother was good at telling jokes
D. it was surprising to receive the message
5.According to the author, which of the following is the criterion of a good teacher?
A. Being skillful in what he/she teaches.
B. Being able to understand what you need.
C. Being willing to teach you all he/she knows.
D. Being good at changing you for the better.
6.Where in the entire book would this passage be best placed?
A. In the acknowledgments of the book Tuesday with Morrie.
B. In the first chapter of the book Tuesday with Morrie.
C. At the turning point of the book Tuesday with Morrie.
D. At the conclusion of the book Tuesday with Morrie.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
I look back sometimes at the person I was before I rediscovered my old professor. I want to talk to that person. I want to tell him what to look out for, what mistakes to avoid. I want to tell him to be more open, to ignore the temptation of advertised values, to pay attention when your loved ones are speaking, as if it were the last time you might hear them.
Mostly I want to tell that person to get on an airplane and visit a gentle old man in West Newton, Massachusetts, sooner rather than later, before that old man gets sick and loses his ability to dance.
I know I cannot do this. None of us can undo what we’ve done, or relive a life already recorded. But if Professor Morrie Schwartz taught me anything at all, it was this: there is no such thing as “too late” in life. He was changing until the day he said good-bye.
Not long after Morrie’s death, I reached my brother in Spain. We had a long talk. I told him I respected his distance, and that all I wanted was to be in touch—in the present, not just the past—to hold him in my life as much as he could let me.
“You’re my only brother,” I said. “I don’t want to lose you. I love you.”
I had never said such a thing to him before.
A few days later, I received a message on my fax machine. It was typed in the sprawling, poorly punctuated, all-cap-letters fashion that always characterized my brother’s words.
“HI I’VE JOINED THE NINETIES!” it began. He wrote a few little stories, what he’d been doing that week, a couple of jokes. At the end, he signed off this way:
I HAVE HEARTBURN AND DIAHREA(腹泻) AT THE MOMENT—LIFE’S A BITCH. CHAT LATER?
[signed] SORE TUSH.
I laughed until there were tears in my eyes.
This book was largely Morrie’s idea. He called it our “final thesis.” Like the best of work projects, it brought us closer together, and Morrie was delighted when several publishers expressed interest, even though he died before meeting any of them. The advance money helped pay Morrie’s enormous medical bills, and for that we were both grateful.
The title, by the way, we came up with one day in Morrie’s office. He liked naming things. He had several ideas. But when I said, “How about Tuesdays with Morrie?” he smiled in an almost blushing way, and I knew that was it.
After Morrie died, I went through boxes of old college material. And I discovered a final paper I had written for one of his classes. It was twenty years old now. On the front page were my penciled comments scribbled to Morrie, and beneath them were his comments scribbled back.
Mine began, “Dear Coach . . .”
His began, “Dear Player . . .”
For some reason, each time I read that, I miss him more.
Have you ever really had a teacher? One who saw you as a raw but precious thing, a jewel that, with wisdom, could be polished to a proud shine? If you are lucky enough to find your way to such teachers, you will always find your way back. Sometimes it is only in your head. Sometimes it is right alongside their beds.
The last class of my old professor’s life took place once a week, in his home, by a window in his study where he could watch a small hibiscus(木槿) plant shed its pink flowers. The class met on Tuesdays. No books were required. The subject was the meaning of life. It was taught from experience.
The teaching goes on.
1.What kind of a person was the author before he rediscovered Professor Morrie Schwartz?
A. He was very open to life’s challenges.
B. He cared much about the people he loved.
C. He was probably lost in the material world.
D. He kept close contact with his teacher.
2.What did the author learn from Professor Morrie?
A. Pain past is pleasure.
B. Life is a difficult journey.
C. It’s never too late to mend.
D. Tomorrow is another day.
3.According to the passage, what is the author’s attitude toward life now?
A. He is very content with his life.
B. He is willing to make changes in his life.
C. He has always been hopeful about the future.
D. He prefers to live in the past.
4.The underlined sentence in the passage implies that ________.
A. he was so glad to reconnect with his brother
B. his brother’s style of writing was really funny
C. his brother was good at telling jokes
D. it was surprising to receive the message
5.According to the author, which of the following is the criterion of a good teacher?
A. Being skillful in what he/she teaches.
B. Being able to understand what you need.
C. Being willing to teach you all he/she knows.
D. Being good at changing you for the better.
6.Where in the entire book would this passage be best placed?
A. In the acknowledgments of the book Tuesday with Morrie.
B. In the first chapter of the book Tuesday with Morrie.
C. At the turning point of the book Tuesday with Morrie.
D. At the conclusion of the book Tuesday with Morrie.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
It was the night before the composition was due. As I looked at the list of topics, "The Art of Eating Spaghetti(意大利面条)" caught my eye. The word "spaghetti" brought back the _________of an evening at Uncle Alien's in Belleville___________all of us were seated around the table and Aunt Pat_________ spaghetti for supper. Spaghetti was an exotic(外来的)treat in __________days. Never had I eaten spaghetti, and ______of the grown-ups had enough experience to be _____ it. What laughing ________ we had about the ________ respectable method for moving spaghetti from plate to mouth. ___________,I wanted to write about that, but I wanted to _______it down simply for my own_________,not for Mr. Fleagle, my composition teacher, _______, I would write something else.
When I finished it the night was half gone and there was no _________left to write a proper composition for Mr. Fleagle. There was no choice next morning but to ________ my work. Two days passed before Mr. Fleagle returned the________papers. He said, "Now, class, I want to read you a composition, 'The Art of Eating Spaghetti'. "
My words! He was reading my words out__________to the whole class. ________ laughed, then the whole class was laughing with open-hearted enjoyment. I did my best not to show ____,but what I was feeling was pure happiness, _________my words had the power to make people _____.
1.A. memory B. thought C. knowledge D. experience
2.A. when B. where C. since D. after
3.A. cooked B. served C. got D. made
4.A. their B. past C. last D. those
5.A. none B. one C. some D. neither
6.A. careful about B. good at C. fond of D. interested in
7.A. speeches B. lessons C. sayings D. arguments
8.A. nearly B. naturally C. officially D. socially
9.A. Especially B. Probably C. Suddenly D. Fortunately
10.A. settle B. put C. take D. let
11.A. work B. story C. luck D. joy
12.A. However B. Therefore C. As for him D. Except for that
13.A. time B. excuse C. way D. idea
14.A. give up B. continue C. hand in D. delay
15.A. written B. graded C. collected D. signed
16.A. loud B. fast C. publicly D. calmly
17.A. People B. Nobody C. Somebody D. I
18.A. shock B. wonder C. worry D. pleasure
19.A. if B. for C. while D. although
20.A. excited B. satisfied C. think D. laugh
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Ray Travers sat back at the large desk, and looked around his plush(豪华的)office. He was tired
Ray's eyes stopped at a painting on the wall. It was a gift given by an old friend,Bull,as a farewell gift when he left his hometown He recalled the life spent in that small town; pleasant times. The many hours he spent talking to his good friend, and the tales he was told about hunting in the Africa of old.
Memories flowed back more than ten years; he remembered how he enjoyed hearing about the wonderful hunting,and how he wished he could have shared those times.
Ray opened his desk drawer and brought out a wooden box. He opened the lid and exposed a work of art,a hand-made hunting knife. This was a gift from Bull,given to Ray more than 20 years ago. It was one of the first knives Bull had made, and Ray had called it "Zambezi",the river where Bull had been so many times.
He closed the box and sat upright at his desk;he was driving himself hard, and deserved a break. Things were going well with the business,everything running smoothly. He could afford a week off!
He went back home. A week in the hometown would be like going back in history. "Man, it's going to be good,”Ray said aloud,as he turned onto the highway and watched the city lights fast disappearing,as he looked in the rearview mirror. The powerful car going its way through the night, headlights piercing(穿透)the darkness. Memories danced through the man's mind. Memories of good times,when he knew what it was to relax, to talk,and to really visit.
Slowly entering town he looked around. Ray sat in his car, looking at the old building,smiling. Inside it was almost as though it was the same people as 15 years ago.
1.We learn from the text that __________.
A. Ray's old friend, Bull, is a painting artist
B. Ray visited Africa together with Bull many times
C. Ray and Bull often went hunting together
D. Ray left his hometown more than ten years ago
2.Which of the following words can best describe Ray's feeling about going back home?
A. Worried B. Excited C. Calm D. Nervous
3.It can be inferred from the text that________.
A. Ray was a successful businessman
B. Ray had a hard time in the hometown
C. Ray's hometown was a small remote mountain village
D. Ray was the first promising young man in the hometown
4.What may the author talk about in the paragraph that follows the text?
A. Ray's childhood spent in his hometown.
B. Why Ray left his hometown alone.
C. The situation in Ray's hometown.
D. How Ray went into business.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Ray Travers sat back at the large desk, and looked around his plush(豪华的)office.He was tired.
Ray's eyes stopped at a painting on the wall.It was a gift given by an old friend, Bull, as a farewell gift when he left his hometown.He recalled the life spent in that small town; pleasant times.The many hours he spent talking lo his good friend, and the tales he was told about hunting in the Africa of old.
Memories flowed back more than ten years; he remembered how he enjoyed hearing about the wonderful hunting, and how he wished he could have shared those times.
Ray opened his desk drawer and brought out a wooden box.He opened the lid and exposed a work of art, a hand-made hunting knife.This was a gift from Bull, given to Ray more than 20 years ago.It was one of the first knives Bull had made, and Ray had called it "Zambezi”, the river where Bull had been so many times.
He closed the box and sat upright at his desk; he was driving himself hard, and deserved a break.Things were going well with the business, everything running smoothly.He could afford a week off!
He went back home.A week in the hometown would be like going back in history."Man, it's going to be good," Ray said aloud, as he turned onto the highway and watched the city lights fast disappearing, as he looked in the rearview mirror.
It was well into the night when Ray pulled into an all-night gas station He walked around the gas station and the memories started … He was finally back on the road, the powerful car going its way through the night, headlights piercing (穿透) the darkness.Memories danced through the man' s mind.Memories of good times , when he knew what it was to relax , to talk, and to really visit.
Slowly entering town he looked around.Ray sat in his car, looking at the old building, smiling. Inside it was almost as though it was the same people as 15 years ago.
1.We learn from the passage that Bull is________.
A.Ray's colleague | B.a man in Ray' s hometown |
C.Ray's relative in Africa | D.an African woodcarving artist |
2.What does the author mainly want to tell us in Paragraphs 2 -5?
A.Bull loved Africa and knew much about it. |
B.Bull was good at making works of art. |
C.Ray missed his hometown and relatives. |
D.Ray missed the time he spent with Bull in his hometown. |
3.What do we know from the passage?
A.Ray visited Africa together with Bull many times. |
B.Ray and Bull often went hunting together. |
C.Zambezi is the name of a river in Hay a hometown. |
D.Ray planned to stay in his hometown for about a week. |
4.What does the under lined part in Paragraph 7 mean?
A.Ray knew how to relax after keeping busy for along time. |
B.Ray didn't want to leave his hometown because of so many memories. |
C.Ray's hometown changed a lot and was worth a visit. |
D.The visit to his hometown reminded Ray of the days together with Bull. |
5.What may the author talk about in the paragraph that follows the passage?
A.The hard time Ray experienced in his career. |
B.Why Ray left his hometown alone. |
C.The situation in Ray's hometown. |
D.How Ray became a successful businessman. |
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
It was 9:00 am already! Richard had to leave for work! Before leaving he hurriedly looked at the newspaper and stood still! Is he seeing it right? He rubbed his eyes and saw again… Yes, it was his name in the obituary(讣告)! He threw the paper in the bin and screamed.
Richard started to recollect. He remembered that last night when he went to bed he had a chest pain and he was rushed to hospital. Then he went into a sound sleep. But what happened after that?
He could suddenly see his living room filled with people… all in tears; his mom, his wife and his children. He also saw his best friend, the one he had a serious misunderstanding a few days back. He wanted to say “Sorry” to him… but now no one could hear his voice.
He wondered how he could tell his mom that he felt so thankful to have her in his life! He wanted to tell his children how much he loved them. He wanted to tell his wife how much he loved her; he felt sorry to have hurt her sometimes.
Richard started crying and pleading to God for one LAST chance! “God, one last chance, please”, shouted Richard and opened his eyes.
Oh, this was a dream!
He woke up; looked around everywhere. He was on his bed; his wife lay beside him, deep in sleep. Richard whispered in her ears, “You are the best thing to have ever happened to me!”
He went up to the window, looking outside. Yes, everything was just the way he has been knowing so long. He decided to meet up his friends and clear all misunderstandings; he also decided to tell everyone who mattered to him all that has remained unsaid so far!
1.When Richard saw his name in the newspaper, he felt _________.
A. sad B. shocked C. regretful D. worried
2.Richard felt sorry to his wife because _________.
A. they had a quarrel the other day B. he misunderstood her
C. he hurt her sometimes D. he didn’t love her
3.After the dream, Richard would probably _________.
A. be on good terms with his friend again
B. express appreciation and thanks to his friend
C. demand an apology from his friend
D. break up with his friend
4.The writer of the story mainly tells us that _________.
A. misunderstanding between friends is common
B. we need to see a doctor when having a chest pain
C. getting along well with friends is important
D. we should tell our family how much we love them
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
请认真阅读下列短文,根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格内填入一个最恰当的单词。注意:每个空格只填1个单词。
Looking back at my younger years, I am sometimes amazed at how life has turned out. Nothing is exactly what I had originally planned for. The only thing that stays the same is who I am, my values, and my interests. If I could go back in time and hang out with my younger self for a day, here's what I would tell her.
1. Everything happens for a reason.
Without mistakes and failure, you would never have learned. Without pain, you would never have grown. So don't stress or think that life is unfair, because everything happens for a reason. And only time will tell what it will teach us.
2. Focus on one thing at a time. You can have it all but not all at once.
It is not surprising that many of us are doing too many things at once. We need to make ends meet. But if you are working three jobs at a time, it is not likely that you will succeed at any of them. You have to keep your eyes on the big picture. You have to ask yourself what exactly do you want to achieve for the next 10 years? Focus on one thing at a time. Achieve your goals one by one.
3. You can plan ahead, but your plan will definitely change when the time comes.
You can plan ahead because sometimes planning ahead can give you a clearer direction of where you want to go. However, plans will almost always change, so be prepared!
4. Trust your instincts.(直觉)
Don't worry too much about a decision you have to make. Just do what feels right. You know what you want. You might consult other people. But deep down, you know what you want. Do what makes you happy. Because at the end of the day, even if you follow logic, you will want to quit and follow your heart.
5. It's okay to be unsure about your purpose in life.
You might be graduating or have hit a turning point with your career. You might feel a bit lost and unsure of where to go. It's okay. Go out there and try as many different things as you can. Don't ever feel like you're wasting your time. Enjoy the journey. Don't rush. Every little path will lead you somewhere. And looking back, you will be able to connect the dots. It will all make sense.
6. Don't try too hard with people.
Don't worry if you feel like it's hard to make new friends. Just be yourself and be as open as you can. It might take a while until you find new best friends and a mate for life, but when you do, you will know it. It's not hard work. So, just do your thing and be yourself.
A letter to my younger self
Introduction | My values and interests stay the same even when life always offers me 1. results. |
Everything happens for a reason. | Mistakes, failure and sufferings help us learn and grow. So don’t question the 2. of life. Everything comes in to 3. a purpose and time will give us answers eventually. |
Focus on one thing at a time. | In order to make a 4., people have to do too many things at once, but many of them are not likely to succeed in this way. You need to have a(n) 5. plan for your future. |
Don’t be afraid of change. | You can plan 6. but also make sure that you get prepared for the change. |
Follow your 7.. | Find out what you really want and do it firmly. |
It's okay to be unsure about your purpose in life. | If you can’t see your future 8., it is not a waste of time going out and trying as many different things as you can. Whatever little things you do, when you connect the dots year later, you will see the 9. hidden behind them. |
Don't try too hard with people. | Be 10. when you can’t find your new best friends or mate for life. Things happen when they are going to happen. So be yourself. |
高三英语任务型阅读简单题查看答案及解析
When enough years _____ to enable us to look back, we sometimes discussed the events leading to his accident.
A.went by B.were to go by C.had gone by D.goes by
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
"When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood. The happy childhood is hardly worth your while. "Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood. And worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood." That was Frank McCourt reading the opening lines of his book Angela's Ashes, released in nineteen ninety-six.
This Irish American author best known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography Angela's Ashes that recorded his poor upbringing, died of cancer on Sunday, The New York Times reported. He was 78.
Born in New York City, he was the eldest of seven children born to Irish immigrant parents. Angela's Ashes was a memoir that captured an irresponsible, drunkard father with a gift for story-telling. When not drunk, his father was absent, turning his back on a family so poor, McCourt wrote, that they were reduced to burning the furniture in their rented hut to keep warm. His mother struggled to raise her many children after his father left the family.
Already struggling when the Great Depression hit, the family moved back to Limerick, where they slipped ever deeper into poverty in the 1930s.
Three of McCourt's siblings died of diseases worsened by hunger and the wretchedness of their surroundings. McCourt himself almost died of typhoid(伤寒的) fever as a child.
In Angela's Ashes, he wrote of hunger, a home flooded with rainwater and the unbearable humiliation of seeking handouts from charities in the Irish city. But he told the story in a way that is expressive, warm and light-hearted.
Frank McCourt left Ireland at the age of nineteen to return to New York City where he was born. He earned a degree in- English education and taught creative writing for nearly thirty years. After retiring in nineteen eighty-seven, he decided to write about his childhood. "Angela's Ashes" became a huge success and brought McCourt a 1997 Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award and other honors. Millions of copies of the book were sold worldwide and it was adapted into a 1999 movie starring Emily Watson and Robert Carlyle.
1.What's the text mainly about?
A.A brief introduction to Frank McCourt and one of his works.
B.A literary review on Frank McCourt's book Angela's Ashes.
C.An account of Frank McCourt's miserable childhood.
D.A comment on Frank McCourt's life experience.
2.By saying "The happy childhood is hardly worth your while", the writer really means that .
A.a lot of readers don't deserve happy childhood
B.his childhood is not worth of others' sympathy
C.his childhood is mixed with happiness and misery
D.smooth childhood surely will not draw readers' attention
3.From the passage, we know Frank McCourt's father is .
A.humorous and trustworthy B.alcohol-addicted but loves his family
C.poor but warm-hearted D.irresponsible but gifted in telling stories
4.What does the underlined word "handouts" mean in the 6th paragraph?
A.Reliefs. B.Compensations.
C.Leaflets. D.Teaching materials.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Until a century ago, bloodletting was used to treat many ailments. Dating back to before the time of Christ, the treatment involved letting a type of worm, called a leech, such blood from the patient. People believed that there were liquids called humors in the body and that these determined a person’s personality and heath. Bloodletting, they thought, restored a balance to these humors.
At the time, little was known of the working of the human body, but people did know that the same liquid, blood, flowed throughout everyone’s body. They knew it was a vital substance, for loss of any great amount of it meant certain death. Thus, they concluded that all diseases were carried in the bloodstream, and that if the body was relieved of bad blood, heath would return. Bloodletting, however, came to be used as a cure-all. Woman were bled to keep them from blushing while members of the clergy were bled to prevent them from thinking sinful and worldly thoughts.
From the 11th to the 18th centuries, barbers were the people to go to if you needed to be bled. This custom explains the significance of the traditional barber’s pole: the white stripes stand for bandages and the red stripe for blood.
1. This passage is concerned about .
healthy people and doctors B. bleeding as a cure-all
C. barbers of long ago D. leeches with special jobs to do
2. The red and white stripes on barber pole symbolize .
sin and redemption B. the bleeding form
C. women who are nurses D. humors in the body
3. Why is bloodletting no longer considered a cure-all?
Because more is known about the workings of the human body.
Because leeches were outlawed
Because barbers were too busy cutting hair.
Because today we know that blood is necessary for health
4. In the second paragraph, the word “Thus” could be replaced by the word .
A. When B. However C. If D. So
5. Ailments means .
A. cures B. women C. disease D. medicines
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
--- Alex came back home the day before yesterday.
--- Really? Where ______ at all?
A.had he been B.has he been C.had he gone D.has he gone
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析