8．For years I fought with the bird's nest that sat on top of my head-my Medusa（神話中的蛇發(fā)女妖） hair．No matter what I did and how hard I tried，in no way could I make my unruly （亂蓬蓬）hair to my satisfaction．
Growing up in a Russian-Jewish home with parents who thought North American styling products were something illegal such as drugs，I was never allowed to put them in：my hair．¨Why buy hair gel？Your hair is so beautiful naturally，"my mother would say．The teens at school did not agree．From boys'not wanting to kiss me when we played spin the bottle in Grade 7to being called the mop，I suffered from my hair．
When I got to university，I believed my hair was a wall that stood between me and everything-finding a part-time job，getting a boyfriend，etc．
If only I could find a way to manage the curls and put it behind bars，I told myself，I would feel secure and sexy．I tried everything：rollers，hairspray，gels and，at one point，an iron．Then，in my second year，a miracle happened．I was asked to be a hair model for Japanese hair straightening，a process by which the molecules（分子）of my curls would be broken and reset in a bone-straight position．I was the perfect candidate，the hairdresser told me． Although they said how hair relaxing could damage the：scalp （頭皮），for the next five years I didn't find them to be true． All of the hairdresser's promises were fulfilled：With my hair straight and smooth，I was no longer the¨mop"．
However，there was extreme damage done to my wallet． To keep up the straightening cost $ 700every six months，and that was considered cheap．While some people thought I was crazy，I was willing to do anything to never again feel like that anxious，curly-headed girl in Grade 7．But when I moved out． of my parents"house'at age 26and rented an apartment，the upkeep of my new image became too costly．
I couldn't hide from my inner Medusa any longer．It was time to hug her and let her fly．Seeking a choice，I turned to the Internet，Google．After hours of searching，I hit upon a"curly haired"salon，a place designed for girls like me．I doubted these so-called"Curl Ambassadors"could do anything
without using machine of some sort，and though I bought the service called the"Curly-Doo，"I suspected I'd have the same unruly mop at the end of the appointment．
I dragged my feet so hard getting there that I arrived 45minutes late． I secretly hoped they would turn me away．Instead，my stylist simply said：‘‘You are very late． Let me see your hair"At． that moment，my world and beliefs about myself were turned upside down along with my hair． As my head was in a basin full of freezing-cold water，then covered with a jelly-like jam，I wondered what I had got myself into．
¨Do you really think this will work？"I asked the stylist，Jones．"My curls are a disaster．""No curly hair is hopeless，"she replied．"They just haven't found a way to work with it，that's all．"
After the hour was over，Jones had completed her work． She had styled my hair using only her hands，water and a mixture of organic jam． I couldn't believe what I was seeing in the mirror：a naturally curly，Medusa-free me．You could argue that hair is just hair． Yet，it is just such physical features that have such a large influence on how we view ourselves．
According to Jones，75percent of the population have a wave or curl in their hair and don't know what to do with it． Men cut theirs short． Women flat-iron theirs to death． When I read through a beauty magazine or take the subway to work，it makes me sad to see so many people repressing their natural beauty．
Since then，my world has changed． I have always been outgoing，but these days I seem to be more outspoken and confident than ever． On top of that，friends and co-workers tell me I am looking better than ever，but they don't know the source of the change．
I don't need to tell them*My Medusa hair speaks for herself．
55．What can we learn about the writer's hair in the first place？C
A． Her parents considered it was bird's nest．
B． Teens at school laughed at it as Medusa hair．
C． She hated it because it couldn't be straightened．
D． North American styling products harmed her hair．
56．Japanese hair straightening caused a problem for the writer thatC．
A． her wish to feel secure and sexy didn't come true
B． her hair was seriously damaged after the straightening
C． the cost to keep her hair straight was too high for her
D． she was called¨the mop"with her hair straight and smooth
57．The writer wasA when she went to the"curly haired"salon．
A． hesitated B． excited C． disappointed D． determined
58．What was the reaction of the stylist in the salon when she saw the writer？C
A．She was very angry because the writer was late．
B．She thought totally the writer's hair was a disaster．
C．She was calm and sure of her work．
D．She thought there was no way to fix the writer's hair．
59．The writer's world has changed because sheA．
A． has removed her inner Medusa
B． has removed her curls on her head
C． has found a way to straighten her hair in the stylish salon
D． has found the admiration for her from her friends and co-workers
60．The best title of the passage can beB．
A． A Successful Stylist
C． Road to Beauty
B． My Medusa Hair
D． Accept the Way We Are．
分析 本文屬于故事類短文閱讀．主要講述這些年來我一起在努力與頭上的"鳥巢"作斗爭，我的美杜莎式的濃密的頭發(fā)，很硬 而且還向下垂著，沒有任何辦法能讓它們服服帖帖的，但是最后終于在一位發(fā)型師的幫助下理順了頭發(fā)，關(guān)鍵是作者也恢復了自信．
解答 C CACAB
55：C 細節(jié)理解題．根據(jù)第一段提到No matter what I did and how hard I tried，in no way could I make my unruly （亂蓬蓬）hair to my satisfaction無論我怎么做，我的頭發(fā)仍然是亂蓬蓬的．可知選C項．
56：C 細節(jié)理解題．根據(jù)第五段提到To keep up the straightening cost $ 700 every six months，and that was considered cheap 為了保持它的順直，六個月花了700美元，還被認為是便宜的，故選C項．
57：A 細節(jié)理解題．根據(jù)第七段提到without using machine of some sort，and though I bought the service called the"Curly-Doo，"I suspected I'd have the same unruly mop at the end of the appointment，我懷疑最后還是亂蓬蓬的，所以選A項．
58：C 細節(jié)理解題．根據(jù)第八段提到Instead，my stylist simply said：‘‘You are very late． Let me see your hair"At． that moment，my world and beliefs about myself were turned upside down along with my hair．當我遲到后，我的發(fā)型師只是你遲到了，讓我看看你的頭發(fā)，很是鎮(zhèn)定，故選C項．
59：A 細節(jié)推斷題．根據(jù)倒數(shù)第四段提到I couldn't believe what I was seeing in the mirror：a naturally curly，Medusa-free me．You could argue that hair is just hair． Yet，it is just such physical features that have such a large influence on how we view ourselves我難以相信改變的頭發(fā)，終于擺脫以前的樣子，故選A項．
60：B 考查主旨大意．本文講述我的亂蓬蓬的頭發(fā)，伴隨了我很多年，終于在一位發(fā)型師的幫助下恢復了自信，所以題目是我的美杜莎頭發(fā)更貼近主題，故選B項．
點評 有關(guān)故事類的閱讀理解，文中很少有中心句，所以需要細心的閱讀細節(jié)以捕捉文中所傳遞的信息．需要整體閱讀人物故事，進行提煉重點內(nèi)容，然后使用排除法，從而獲取最佳答案．
