Saroo Brierley, a 4-year-old boy, lived in rural India. One day, he played with his brother along the rail line and fell asleep. When he woke up, he found himself alone. So he got on the train in front of him to search for his brother.
That train took him a thousand miles across the country to a totally strange city. He lived on the streets, and then in an orphanage (孤儿院), where he was adopted by an Australian family and taken to Tasmania.
Brierley is a famous writer now, and in his new book, A Long Way Home, he wrote he couldn’t help but wonder about his hometown back in India. He remembered landmarks, but since he didn’t know his town’s name, finding a small neighborhood in a vast country seemed impossible.
Then he found a digital mapping program. He spent years searching for his hometown in the program’s satellite pictures. In 2011, he came across something familiar. He studied it and realized he was looking at a town’s central business district from a bird’s-eye view. He thought, “On the right-hand side you should see the three-platform train station”—and there it was. “And on the left-hand side you should see a big fountain”—and there it was. Everything matched!
Standing in front of the house where he grew up as a child, he saw a lady standing at the entrance. It took him a few seconds but he finally remembered what she used to look like.
In an interview Brierley says, “My mother came forth and walked forward, and I walked forward, my eyes filled with tears and my brain blank. I just didn’t know what to say, because I never thought seeing my mother would ever come true. And here I am, standing in front of her.”
【小题1】Why did Brierley get on the train when he was a little boy?A.To go back to his home. |
B.To look for his brother. |
C.To travel to Tasmania. |
D.To follow a stranger. |
A.The vast area of India. |
B.The fact that he was nobody then. |
C.His not remembering the town’s name. |
D.The distance between Australia and his hometown. |
A.By studying digital maps. |
B.By analyzing old pictures. |
C.By travelling all around India. |
D.By spreading his story via his book. |
A.Love for Mother |
B.Union with Brother |
C.Memory of Hometown |
D.Long Way back Home |
When I became a writer, I had no future. What I had was a friend called George. He found me a home. It was cold and had no bathroom. I could only afford a used typewriter. A year later, however, I still hadn’t received a break and began to doubt myself. But I knew I wanted to write. I would keep putting my dream to the test—even though it meant living with fear of failure. This is the shadow land (阴影) of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there. Then one day I got a call from a friend who asked me to be an assistant for $6,000 a year. As the dollars were dancing in my head, something brought me to my sense. “Thanks, but no,” I heard myself saying. After that, I walked around my little room and started to feel like a fool. I felt a little low.
Later, I gradually began to sell my articles. It was after 17 years of being a writer that Roots was published. At once I had the kind of fame and success that few writers ever experienced. The shadows had turned into great sunlight. Before that, it was a long and slow climb out of the shadows.
【小题1】The second paragraph is mainly about ______.
A.the job chance the author ever had |
B.the difficulties before the author succeeded |
C.the great help from the author’s friends |
D.the important choices the author made |
A.the author’s dream of being a writer |
B.the author’s trouble in making money |
C.the author’s hard life before success |
D.the author’s wish to be successful |
A.confident | B.angry |
C.excited | D.unhappy |
The advertisement appeared in my e-mail—“1-800-Flowers: Mother’s Day Madness —for just $39.99” I almost clicked on it, forgetting that those services would not be needed this year. My mother, Margaret Feiddman, died at the age of 89, and so this is my first Mother’s Day without my mom.
In my childhood, my mom appeared to be a typical suburban housewife of her generation. She sewed many of my sisters’ clothes, including both of their wedding dresses and boy’s suits for me. And on the side, she won several national bridge tournaments (桥牌锦标赛).
My mom left many indelible marks on me. The first was to never lose heart and to be independent. My dad died suddenly when I was 19. My mom worked hard for a couple of years. But in1975, I won a scholarship to study in Britain and my mom surprised us all by announcing that she decided to go with me. When I met difficulties, she always said: “You’re a man, so never lose heart, never be knocked down, and try your best to pursue (追求) your dreams.”
My mom’s other big influence on me is a sense of optimism (乐观). She had taken her knocks. But every time life knocked her down, she got up and kept on marching forward, encouraged by the saying that pessimists (悲观者) are usually right, optimists are usually wrong, but most great changes are made by optimists.
How I wish to listen to my mother’s words, and give my best regards on this Mother’s Day, but I have no chance now! My best friends, treasure (珍惜)your mother’s love!
【小题1】The author mentioned the advertisement to ___.A.show he’s tired of the advertisements |
B.make you believe that he was very kind |
C.explain he missed his mother very much |
D.urge the readers to buy the present for their mothers |
A.That she gained knowledge all by herself. |
B.That she volunteered to go to Britain with her son. |
C.That she did all the housework by herself. |
D.That she won several national bridge tournaments. |
A.be impossible to forget | B.be easy to remember |
C.be destroyed easily | D.be out of control |
A.she felt very lonely in her late life |
B.She encouraged the author to pursue his dreams |
C.She never received a present from her children |
D.she passed away before the author’s father |
A.My Great Mother |
B.Mother and I |
C.Mother’s Day Madness |
D.Treasure Mother’s Love |
The day I first came across a harp (竖琴) is a memory stored by all my senses. In contrast to the vivid color in which I recall this first encounter, I still remember my parents faces turning pale when I announced “I’m going to play the harp!” My parents’ faces reflected then financial fears. But they still rented me a little harp and hired a man to teach me.
I felt complete every time I played the harp. Then something happened: sheet music. Suddenly I had to learn this foreign language in order to continue to play. What was once an effortless pleasure turned into a constant struggle. My dyslexic (诵读困难的) brain fed on the beauty of the music but fought with the way it was taught. I soon found myself stuck in a love-hate relationship.
For my 16th birthday, my parents used their savings to buy me a harp, in the hope that it might settle my relationship with it. But in the weeks that followed the harp exploded.
The remains of the harp sat at the bottom of our stairs for several weeks. Eventually, my father and I built a fire to burn it. It felt strange to burn something that once represented so much, and we both sat there staring in silence. My father said “I know you find it hard to read music. But have you ever thought about just playing?” What he said changed everything for me, “Yeah, but I don’t have a harp anymore.”
Two weeks later, an old and small harp turned up. I threw away all my music books and started playing by ear and from the heart. All the passion came back. Music is so much more than dots (小圆点) on a page. If you feel it and are excited by it, stick to it. Had I let traditional music teaching techniques put me off playing the harp, I would have lost a part of myself.
【小题1】What was the author’s parents’ reaction to her decision?A.They were excited and hopeful about it | B.They purchased her a harp immediately |
C.They showed concern but agreed to it | D.They hesitated over it for a long time |
A.It took away her enjoyment of playing the harp | B.It was beneficial to foreign language learning |
C.It led to her encountering difficulty in reading | D.It was an effective way of appreciating music |
A.Astonished | B.Sorrowful | C.Frightened. | D.disappointed. |
A.Hard work pays off | B.Strike while the iron is hot |
C.The simplest way is the best way | D.Never give up on what you really want to do |
组卷网是一个信息分享及获取的平台,不能确保所有知识产权权属清晰,如您发现相关试题侵犯您的合法权益,请联系组卷网