Question

（共15小题，每小题2分，满分30分）

Elephants are trained, at an early age, not to escape. One leg of a baby elephant is tied with a rope to a wooden post planted in the ground. The rope limits the baby elephant to an area determined by the length of the rope. At first the baby elephant tries to break free from the rope, but the rope is too strong. Soon the elephant learns that he cannot break the rope in any case. This space defined by the rope becomes the elephant's comfort zone.

As the elephant grows up it could easily break the rope, but it does not even try because it was conditioned as a baby to think that it still could not break free. As a result, the large elephant remains tied and stays in a small space.

This metaphor(隐喻) can be used to describe what happens to human beings as we become trapped in a comfort zone. Just as the elephant's space determines what it can do, our comfort zone determines what we are able to achieve. Fortunately, humans are born with the ability to make conscious choices. The elephant doesn't try to break the rope free while we can easily leave our comfort zone.

In order to expand our potential and succeed in life, we must expand our comfort zone into unfamiliar fields. You will never realize what you are truly able to achieve if you remain in your comfort zone.

1. The area where the baby elephant can move around is decided by ________.

A. the space covered by the elephant

B. the length of the rope

C. the elephant’s comfort zone

D. the wooden post planted in the ground

2.The large elephant does not try to break the rope, because ________.

A. the rope is too strong

B. a wooden post is planted in the ground

C. the elephant likes the small space

D. the elephant thinks it still could not break free

3. What can be the best title for the text?

A. How to train elephants

B. A cautious elephant

C. A comfort zone

D. Expand your comfort zone

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.D

【解析】

试题分析: 本文是一篇议论文。大象在年幼时就被训练不能逃跑，象宝宝被绳子捆在一定的范围，即使大象长大了也不会想着去挣脱。作者以此来隐喻处在舒服状态下的人们，并且建议人们为了扩大我们的潜力和获得成功，我们必须扩大舒服状态到不熟悉的领域。

1.B 细节理解题。根据第一段第二行“The rope limits the baby elephant to an area determined by the length of the rope.”描述可知小象宝宝能够移动的区域大小是由绳子的长度决定的。故选B。

2.C 细节理解题。根据第二段第一行“but it does not even try because it was conditioned as a baby to think that it still could not break free.”描述可知大象不想尝试挣脱绳子是因为它仍然像象宝宝那样认为那是无法打破的。故选D。

3.A标题归纳题。本文告诉我们大象在年幼时就被训练不能逃跑，象宝宝被绳子捆在一定的范围，即使大象长大了也不会想着去挣脱。作者以此来隐喻处在舒服状态下的人们，并且建议人们为了扩大我们的潜力和获得成功，我们必须扩大舒服状态到不熟悉的领域。由此可知本文最好的题目是D. Expand your comfort zone扩大你的舒适区。故选D。

考点：考查教育类短文阅读。