A
When I was 12 years old, I already knew that my teen years were going to be the worst years of my life. I was a total outsider, bullied (欺凌) at school. I felt completely alone in my small town.
But by starting to do volunteer work when I was 14, I turned my problem into a passion for helping others. The opportunity to practice kindness in the face of so much anger made me feel like my life had a greater purpose. The more positive energy I shared, the more kindness and appreciation I received. I realized that my purpose in life would be to reach out to people, specifically teenagers, and help them feel less alone.
Books were my true friends back then. I was so thankful that the authors wrote those books. The kindness they offered me with their books saved my life. One of my biggest dreams was to become an author so I could write books that would help other teenagers the way those books helped me.
After surviving terrible experiences at school and at home, I made a choice to take the optimistic, positive road in the next steps of my journey. My dream career, one I thought was only possible for the authors I loved, is what I am doing now. I have been a full-time author of teen novels since 2007 and am grateful for this amazing opportunity to reach out to readers every single day.
Kindness saved me when I needed help the most. Even small acts of kindness can change someone’s life. You never know what someone else is going through. But by practicing daily kindness, you become an architect of positive change.
【文章大意】本文是一篇记叙文, 作者讲述了自己参加志愿活动的经历, 通过志愿者活动改变了自己的人生态度, 并且介绍了一些书使作者做出这些改变——做志愿者去帮助别人。
1. What was the author’s life like when he was 12?
A. Boring. B. Peaceful.
C. Unhappy. D. Meaningful.
【解析】选C。推理判断题。由第一段When I was 12 years old, I already knew that my teen years were going to be the worst years of my life. 可知, 十二岁时, “我”就意识到青少年时期是“我”一生中最糟糕的阶段。接着介绍了糟糕状况的表现“I was a total outsider, bullied at school”, “我”觉得自己是局外人, 说明此时的生活是不如意的。因此答案为C。
2. How did the volunteer work benefit the author?
A. It made him popular in his town.
B. It helped him find the meaning of life.
C. It helped him understand others’ lives better.
D. It helped to shape his dream career.
【解析】选B。推理判断题。由第二段“But by starting to do volunteer work when I was 14, I turned my problem into a passion for helping others. The opportunity to practice kindness in the face of so much anger made me feel like my life had a greater purpose. ”可知, 但是在我14岁的时候开始做志愿者工作, 我把我的问题变成了帮助别人的热情。面对如此多的愤怒, 我有机会实践仁慈, 这让我觉得我的生活有了一个更大的目标。因此推断参加志愿活动给“我”提供了表达善意的机会, 让“我”感觉到生活有更大的意义。因此答案为B。
3. Why did the author choose writing as his job?
A. He was inspired by his teacher.
B. He could pass positive energy to readers.
C. He wanted to share his school experiences.
D. He found he had a talent for writing.
【解析】选B。细节理解题。由第三段The kindness they offered me with their books saved my life. One of my biggest dreams was to become an author so I could write books that would help other teenagers the way those books helped me. 可知, 书中作者的善意拯救了“我”的生活, “我”最大的梦想就是成为一名作家, 可以写书去帮助其他的青少年, 把善意传递给他们。因此答案为B。
4. What does the author suggest readers do in the last paragraph?
A. Say “no” to bullies bravely.
B. Make positive changes in their lives.
C. Treat others with kindness in daily life.
D. Learn to care more about others’ feelings.
【解析】选C。推理判断题。由最后一段Even small acts of kindness can change someone’s life. You never know what someone else is going through. But by practicing daily kindness, you become an architect of positive change. 可知, 作者在提醒我们注意善意的力量, 一次小善举也可能改变一个人的一生, 平时以善意待人, 会让人们成为积极改变的缔造者。因此答案为C。A、D两项未体现, B项不符合作者意思, 作者强调的是在平时生活中对他人施以善举, 而不是改变自己的生活。
【知识拓展】长难句分析
1. The more positive energy I shared, the more kindness and appreciation I received.
分析: the+比较级, the+比较级: 越……, 越……
翻译: 我分享的正能量越多, 我收到的善意和感激就越多。
2. My dream career, one I thought was only possible for the authors I loved, is what I am doing now.
分析: one是career的同位语; I thought was only possible for the authors是定语从句修饰先行词one; I loved是定语从句修饰先行词authors; what引导表语从句。
翻译: 我现在从事的正是我梦想中的职业, 以前我认为只有我喜欢的作者才能做的职业。
