When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?"
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choice in life.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that was incurable, and that I would live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is my doctors' code for preparing yourself to die.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. I was completely in despair. Later that evening, I had another examination and my wife told me that tumor turned to be curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I' m fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death. To tell the truth, no one wants to die. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. It clears out the old to make room for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away.
Your time is so limited that you shouldn't waste it repeating someone else's life. Don' t be trapped by dogma(教條)— which is living with the results of other people' s thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart. It somehow already knows what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
小題1:The doctor advised the author to go home and get his affairs in order because ______.
A.he had to rest at home
B.his disease couldn't be cured
C.his disease was not serious at all
D.he had to wait for the result of the test
小題2:What does the author think of death?
A.He thinks it is impossible to avoid.
B.He thinks it is not the end of life.
C.He thinks it is nothing to be scared of.
D.He thinks it is the beginning of a new life.
小題3:In the author's opinion, we should ______.
A.follow others' adviceB.take no notice of diseases
C.take exercise and keep healthyD.have the courage to follow our heart
小題4:What does the underlined word “encountered” in paragraph 2 mean?
A.came acrossB.dealt withC.survivedD.supported

小題1:B
小題2:A
小題3:D
小題4:A

試題分析:蘋果公司CEO喬布斯在斯坦福大學(xué)畢業(yè)典禮上的節(jié)選部分。主要內(nèi)容是:?jiǎn)滩妓拐J(rèn)為“記住你即將死去”是他一生中遇到的最重要箴言。人們的時(shí)間有限,所以不要將它們浪費(fèi)在重復(fù)其他人的生活上。不要被其他人喧囂的觀點(diǎn)掩蓋你真正的內(nèi)心的聲音。要有勇氣去聽(tīng)從直覺(jué)和心靈的指示。
小題1:細(xì)節(jié)理解題。由第三段的incurable以及…which is doctor’s code for preparing yourself to die可知醫(yī)生認(rèn)為作者的病無(wú)法醫(yī)治,所以讓他回去安排自己的事情。選B。
小題2:推理判斷題。由第五段To tell the truth, no one wants to die. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it可知,作者認(rèn)為沒(méi)有人愿意死,但是死亡是我們每個(gè)人共同的終點(diǎn),從來(lái)沒(méi)有人能夠逃脫它。選A。
小題3:推理判斷題。最后一段中,作者提到:人們的時(shí)間有限,所以不要將它們浪費(fèi)在重復(fù)其他人的生活上。不要被其他人喧囂的觀點(diǎn)掩蓋你真正的內(nèi)心的聲音。要有勇氣去聽(tīng)從直覺(jué)和心靈的指示——它們?cè)谀撤N程度上知道你想要成為什么樣子,所以其他的事情都是次要的。選D。
小題4:猜詞題:所在的句子的意思是:記得我要死了是我遇到的最重要的工具可以讓我做出最大的決定,encounter是“遇到”,選A
練習(xí)冊(cè)系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

There was great excitement on the planet of Venus (金星) . Venusian scientists managed to land a satellite on the planet Earth, and it has been sending back signals as well as photographs ever since.
The satellite was directed into an area known as Manhattan, named after the great Venusian astronomer Professor. Manhattan, who first discovered it with his telescope 20000 light years ago.
Because of excellent weather conditions and extremely strong signals, Venusian scientists were able to get valuable information as to feasibility (可行性) of a manned flying saucer landing on Earth. A press conference was held at the Venus Institute of Technology.
"We have come to the conclusion, based on last week's satellite landing," Prof. Zog said, "that there is no life on Earth."
"How do you know this?" the science reporter of the Venus Evening Star asked.
"For one thing, Earth's surface in the area of Manhattan is made up of solid concrete and nothing can grow there. For another, the atmosphere is filled with carbon monoxide (一氧化碳) and other deadly gases and nobody could possibly breathe this air and survive."
"What does this mean as far as our flying saucer program is concerned?"
"We shall have to take our own oxygen with us, which means a much heavier flying saucer than originally planned."
"Are there any other dangers that you discovered in your studies?"
"Take a look at this photo. You see this dark black cloud hovering (盤旋) over the surface of Earth? We don't know what it is made of, but it could give us a lot of trouble and we shall have further tests before we send a Venus Being there."
"Over here you will notice what seems to be a river, but the satellite findings indicates it is polluted and the water is unfit to drink. This means we shall have to carry our own water, which will add even greater weight to the saucer."
"If all you say is true, won't this set back the flying saucer program several years?"
"Yes, but we shall continue as soon as the Grubstart gives us the added funds(資金)." Profession. Zog replied.
小題1:According to the passage, the Venusian scientists succeeded in getting important information about _____.
A.the feasibility of landing a satellite on Earth
B.the possibility of making a first-rate flying saucer
C.the feasibility of sending a Venus Being to Earth
D.the possibility of directing a flying saucer into Manhattan
小題2:Why will the Venusian have to take their own oxygen with them when they carry out their flying saucer program because _____. 
A.they need it in their way to the planet of Earth
B.the Earth's atmosphere is filled with deadly gases
C.there is a low level of oxygen for Venusians
D.there is no air on the planet of Earth
小題3:It can be inferred from the passage that ______. 
A.landing a manned flying saucer on Earth will be carried out soon
B.Venusians will land on Earth to help to stop serious pollution
C.it’s unnecessary to land a manned flying saucer on Earth at present
D.pollution on Earth makes it impossible for Venusians to survive there
小題4:Where can you probably read such a passage?. 
A.In a popular magazine. B.In a fairy tale.
C.In an observation journalD.In science fiction

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

I learned how our attitudes made a big difference in our everyday lives from my friend Mary.
She doesn’t have any pets. I happened to see her outside on a -30 degree morning walking a dog. I felt sorry for Mary, out there walking a dog that’s not hers in such cold weather. I thought maybe she was saying to herself, “Yeah, this is why I don’t have any pets! I hate walking dogs.”
Later that day I saw Mary and said, “I saw you out there walking a dog this morning. Are you unhappy because you had to walk it on such a cold day?” To my surprise, she said that she enjoyed getting out there and walking the dog and that she got good exercise because of the dog. She also said she had talked to her brother, the dog’s owner, who was on holiday in Orlando, Florida with his family. He said his children were enjoying Disney World and the resorts (勝地). His four-year-old son had breakfast with Mickey Mouse and said it was the best day in his life. Mary said, “If I can help my brother and his family have a wonderful time relaxing for a week, knowing that their pet is being loved and cared for, what more could I ask for?” She added, “It’s worth it for me to make the sacrifice (犧牲) so that they can go and have fun.”
I learned a lesson from Mary.
小題1:What do we know about Mary?
A.She liked exercising outside before that day.
B.In fact she likes taking care of dogs very much.
C.She likes helping others.
D.She was sorry for not going on holiday with her brother.
小題2:Why did the author feel sorry for Mary?
A.It was a cold morning.
B.He thought Mary was suffering because of others.
C.Mary didn’t have any pets.
D.He found Mary was unhappy to walk the dog.
小題3:Mary’s brother and his family could have a wonderful holiday because __________.
A.the children could have breakfast with Mickey Mouse
B.the children enjoyed Disney World and the resorts
C.Mary did not go with them
D.Mary looked after their dog
小題4:What lesson did the author learn from Mary?
A.Traveling is fun, and walking dogs is also fun.
B.Walking dogs will make you feel warm.
C.Helping others is also a kind of enjoyment.
D.Walking dogs is also a kind of exercise.
小題5:What can we infer from the passage?
A.The author mistook Mary that morning.
B.Mary would raise a dog after helping her brother.
C.Mary made a lot of sacrifices for her brother.
D.Mary disliked raising any pets.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

My husband and I had just opened up a pet sitting business earlier that year. Our customers had slowly risen from three to thirty a month. We were busy through those hot summer months, driving between visits. Our services were strictly held at the pet owner’s home. It was almost too busy for the two of us, but we were making good money! 
We asked pet owners new to our services to phone two weeks ahead so we had enough time to meet the owners and pets at their homes and make any following meetings before the owner leaves.
One day, we decided to take on a new customer just two days before they would leave. We met the family, filled in a form, and spent some time with their dog, Hercules. He playfully jumped on us and touched our hands and arms using his tongue. The family laughed as he did this, showing us that he was very loving.
Two days later I appeared at the house, alone. I came up to Hercules and said hello happily. I filled up his water bowl and cleaned any messes he made. Meanwhile, he was so lovely sitting beside. I thought this would be the good picture to send to the owners, a usual service. After the light and “click” sound went off, Hercules rushed at me. I didn’t know what had just happened until I noticed the drops of blood. I ran out and did the only thing — calling my husband.
Then I went to neighbors for help. My husband arrived after ten minutes. The helpful neighbor and my husband led Hercules back into his pen (圈). Then my husband and I took off to the hospital.
I must have looked like I was shot when I walked into the hospital. The nurses quickly moved me to a room. I asked the doctor in a weak but playful manner, “ Am I going to die?” He replied, “Finally.”
小題1:According to the text, the author’s work was        .
A.tiring and dangerousB.easy and free
C.well paidD.done outdoors
小題2:What did the author often do during her work?  
A.Cleaning the clients’ house.
B.Walking the pets outside.
C.Bringing the pets to her own house.
D.Taking a photo of pets to the owners.
小題3:It can be inferred from the text that the author was attacked because         .
A.Hercules feared the sound and the flash
B.the author attacked Hercules first
C.Hercules was very hungry then
D.the author treated Hercules badly
小題4:The doctor’s answer gave us a sense of         .
A.a(chǎn)ngerB.humorC.carelessnessD.patience

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

A programmer and an engineer are sitting next to each other on a long flight from Los Angeles to New York.The programmer leans over to the engineer and asks if he would like to play a fun game.The engineer just wants to take a nap, so he politely declines and rolls over to the window to catch a few winks.
The programmer persists and explains that the game is really easy and has a lot of fun.He explains, "I ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, you pay me $5.Then you ask me a question, and if I don't know the answer, I'll pay you $5." Again, the engineer politely refuses and tries to get to sleep.
The programmer, now somewhat anxious, says, "OK, if you don't know the answer you pay me $5, and if I don't know the answer, I'll pay you $50!" This catches the engineer's attention, and he sees no end to this torment(折磨) unless he plays, so he agrees to the game.
The programmer asks the first question."What's the distance from the earth to the moon?'' The engineer doesn't say a word, but reaches into his wallet, pulls out a five dollar bill and hands it to the programmer.Now, it's the engineer's turn.He asks the programmer, "What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down on four?" The programmer looks up at him with a puzzled look.He takes out his laptop computer and searches all of his references.After about an hour, he wakes the engineer and hands him $50.The engineer politely takes the $50 and turns away to try to get back to sleep.The programmer, more than a little angry, shakes the engineer and asks, "Well, so what's the answer?" Without a word, the engineer reaches into his wallet, hands the programmer $5, and turns away and goes back to sleep.
小題1:What's the best title for the passage?
A.A Boring ConversationB.A Fun Game
C.A Trick During The FlightD.A Question Without Answer
小題2:What kind of person is the programmer according to what he said?
A.Confident.B.Selfish.C.Greedy.D.Generous.
小題3:What can we infer according to the last sentence?
A.The engineer has little money with him.
B.Actually the engineer doesn't know the answer, either.
C.The engineer is bored with programmer.
D.The engineer beats the programmer at last.
小題4:Which is NOT true according to the passage?
A.In the beginning the engineer is not interested in the game.
B.The engineer is too sleepy to want to play the game.
C.At last the engineer gains $45 from the programmer.
D.Nobody knows the answer to the engineer's question.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:完形填空

“It is never too late and you are never too old to start something new!” says Englishtown       Ellen Rema. Ellen began to learn English at the age of 50, and in just a few years, she has made      progress!
Ellen chose to study at Englishtown because no evening classes were       in the German countryside where she lives. At Englishtown, she joins       classes online and speaks with live native English-speaking teacher.
In 2010, Ellen began with the first level of Englishtown and quickly    . “I spent hours and hours studying,” she said “Maybe I wanted too much in a short time. I finished all my       after 2 years and studying English isn’t all about hard work. It should also be       ! I really like the online conversation classrooms, in which I can learn so much about other cultures and traditions. I am open for all      .”
Ellen has been able to        her English to use by visiting England five times! “I am very thankful to Englishtown because most of the English I know now was learned here,” Ellen says. “My life has       with Englishtown.”
小題1:
A.professorB.friendC.studentD.reporter
小題2:
A.a(chǎn)mazing B.challengingC.discouraging D.disturbing
小題3:
A.satisfiedB.offeredC.a(chǎn)ttendedD.represented
小題4:
A.conversationB.compositionC.listeningD.reading
小題5:
A.droppedB.brushedC.a(chǎn)wardedD.progressed
小題6:
A.channelsB.schedulesC.coursesD.papers
小題7:
A.funB.wasterC.weaknessD.wonder
小題8:
A.measuresB.topicsC.timetablesD.fashions
小題9:
A.takeB.setC.makeD.put
小題10:
A.ruinedB.startedC.changedD.Turned

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

William Butler Yeats, a most famous Irish writer, was born in Dublin on June 13, 1865. His childhood lacked the harmony(和睦)that was typical of a happy family. Later, Yeats shocked  his family by saying that he remembered “l(fā)ittle of childhood but its pain”. In fact, he inherited(繼承)excellent taste in art from his family—both his father and his brother were painters. But he finally settled on literature, particularly drama(戲劇)and poetry. 
Yeats had strong faith in the coming of new artistic movements. He set himself the fresh task in founding an Irish national theatre in the late 1890s. His early theatrical experiments, however, were not received favorably at beginning. He didn’t lose heart, and finally enjoyed success in his poetical drama.
Compared with his dramatic works, Yeats’s poems attract much admiring notice. The subject matter includes love, nature, history, time and aging. Though Yeats generally relied on very traditional forms, he brought modern sensibility to them. As his literary life progressed, his poetry grew finer and richer, which led him to worldwide recognition.
He had not enjoyed a major public life since winning the Nobel Price in 1923. Yet, he continued writing almost to the end of his life. Had Yeats stopped writing at age 40, he would probably now be valued as a minor poet, for there is no other example in literary history of a poet who produces his greatest works between the ages of 50 and 75. After Yeats’ death in 1939, W. H. Auden wrote, among others, the following lines:
Earth, receive an honored guest:
William Yeats is laid to rest.
Let the Irish vessel(船)lie
Emptied of its poetry.
小題1:Which of the following can describe Yeats’s family?
A.It filled Yeats’s childhood with laughter
B.It was shocked by Yeats’s choice
C.It was a typically wealthy family
D.It had an artistic atmosphere
小題2:According to the passage, what do we know about Yeats’s life?
A.Yeats founded the first Irish theater
B.Yeats stuck to modern forms in his poetry
C.Yeats began to produce his best works from the 1910s
D.Yeats was not favored by the public until the 1923 Noble Prize
小題3: What kind of feeling is expressed in W. H. Auden’s lines?
A.EnvyB.SympathyC.EmptinessD.Admiration
小題4:What is the passage mainly about?
A.Yeats’s literary achievementsB.Yeats’s historical influence
C.Yeats’s artistic ambitionD.Yeats’s national honor

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

When two Bangs meet
SHELDON Cooper is a scientific genius on the popular American TV show, The Big Bang Theory (《生活大爆炸》). He finally met his match last year: Stephen Hawking.
This is not the first time that the scientist has appeared on TV. He has also been on Star Trek (in 1987) and The Simpsons (in 1989). Each time, he played himself.
Hawking, 71, is perhaps the world’s most famous scientist after Albert Einstein. He has spent his whole life studying the beginning and the end of the universe, including the Big Bang (宇宙大爆炸) theory.
The Big Bang theory explains the early development of the universe. According to the theory, about 13.7 billion years ago everything was all squeezed together in a tiny, tight little ball, and then the ball exploded. The results of that explosion are what we call the universe.?
Hawking has always tried to make science more popular with people. His book: A Brief History of Time was published in 1988. In the book he shares his understanding of the universe in simple language. The book tries to explain many subjects about the universe to common readers, including the Big Bang, black holes and light cones (光錐).
Hawking’s achievements are even greater if you think about his disability. When he was 21, Hawking caught a bad illness that slowly stopped him from moving or talking. Now he sits on a wheelchair with a computer by his side. To communicate, he moves two fingers to control the computer’s mouse. He chooses his words from the screen, which are then spoken by a voice synthesizer (合成器).
Hawking also believes that there might be aliens in space. However, he believes they are probably very dangerous, so we should not look for them. “I imagine they might exist in very big ships ... having used up all the resources from their home planet,” Hawking said in a British documentary named Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking. 
小題1:What does the “two Bangs” in the title refer to?
A.The director of “The Big Bang Theory” and the founder of it.
B.The director and the actor of “The Big Bang Theory”.
C.The founder of the “Big Bang” theory and its spreader.
D.The scientific genius on TV show and the one alive in real life.
小題2:Acting in The Big Bang Theory is Hawking’s _____ time on TV.
A.first B.second C.third D.fourth
小題3:According to Paragraph 5, Hawking wrote the book A Brief History of Time especially for _____.
A.scientists who study the universe
B.people who know a lot about the universe
C.people who know little about the universe
D.people who only know simple language
小題4:The Big Bang theory mainly explains _____.
A.how the universe startedB.what the universe is like
C.how old the universe isD.how the universe exploded
小題5:According to the passage, which of the following about Hawking is TRUE?
A.He was born with a disability.
B.He uses a computer to communicate.
C.He believes aliens are our friends.
D.He encourages people to look for aliens.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:完形填空

It was 20 years ago. I was driving home with my 4-year-old son. Traffic was light. I was singing quietly along       the song playing on the radio. I    at the intersection(交叉路口) and looked both ways. The road was      . I slowly started to make a right turn when suddenly a car rounded the curve at high speed and came      at me. I stomped (猛踩) on the brakes of my car killing the engine in the process. The speeder zoomed (疾馳) past my dead car     me by inches without even slowing down.
     I knew it, a stream of rude words was flying from my lips,      after the car and its driver. I then saw my son who was staring up at me     . With a red face and a(an)      smile I started the car, pulled back onto the road, and headed home.
Later that evening I was reading a book when I heard certain     words coming from my son’s bedroom. He was replaying the       over and over in his mind. Too          I realized the       of those words that had flown from my lips in that moment of    . It took a lot of talks about good language and bad language with my son to undo (消除)the      of that incident.
That     , however, did teach me just how strong words      be. It helped me to decide to stop swearing (咒罵) in my own life and to start using words uplifting and inspire instead. I slowly realized that language is a      from God and should be used to make our world better but not worse. I learned      that a few loving words can help a hurting heart, strengthen a       spirit, and lighten a heavy load. I pray then that all of your words today are full of love, joy, happiness, and light.
小題1:
A.throughB.byC.toD.over
小題2:
A.pushed upB.forced upC.put upD.pulled up
小題3:
A.cleanB.clearC.lightD.busy
小題4:
A.straightB.hardC.farD.high
小題5:
A.leavingB.knockingC.missingD.a(chǎn)pproaching
小題6:
A.BeforeB.WhenC.AfterD.Until
小題7:
A.seekingB.chasingC.huntingD.looking
小題8:
A.a(chǎn)wfullyB.bravelyC.typicallyD.innocently
小題9:
A.embarrassedB.pleasedC.surprisedD.worried
小題10:
A.a(chǎn)cuteB.a(chǎn)ccurateC.unpleasantD.marvelous
小題11:
A.musicB.storyC.languageD.incident
小題12:
A.sorryB.badlyC.lateD.soon
小題13:
A.powerB.strengthC.natureD.potential
小題14:
A.regretB.a(chǎn)ngerC.worryD.fear
小題15:
A.processB.lessonC.imageD.damage
小題16:
A.a(chǎn)ccidentB.mistakeC.crashD.phenomenon
小題17:
A.shouldB.needC.canD.would
小題18:
A.talentB.evidenceC.donationD.gift
小題19:
A.tooB.otherwiseC.orD.however
小題20:
A.challengingB.strugglingC.risingD.caring

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊(cè)答案