Question

For most of my 20 years as a teacher, summer vacation was my time to relax. So why was I standing in the schoolyard of an unfamiliar school, wearing myself out for a summer teaching job? The extra paychecks were nice, but I lacked the energy of my younger colleagues. Like Stella. She was in her early twenties, and made keeping up with the kids look effortless. She reminded me of myself, back when I was a bright-eyed student teacher at Ramona Elementary…

I’d never forget my first day. I was too full of energy. Nervous energy. My supervising teacher was watching, and I wanted to make a good impression. I asked my third graders to take out their crayons for the day’s lesson. All of them obeyed. Except one. A girl with two long, dark braids(辫子). Everyone called her Estrellita, or “little star.” Why was she unprepared for class? I demanded to know.

“My sister has my crayons,” she said.

“You should each have your own crayons,” I told her. “That’s no excuse.”

“There are 10 children in my family,” Estrellita said quietly, her big brown eyes never leaving my face. “We have to take turns.”

I was taken aback. I’d completely misjudged the situation. All day Estrellita’s words played on my mind. The next morning I bought a pack of crayons to leave on Estrellita’s desk. She was so happy! That experience taught me an important lesson. Every student had a unique set of challenges—it was my mission to help my students overcome them. That mission used to energize(激励 )me.

Rest was almost over. Stella turned to me and we started chatting. “How long have you been teaching?” she asked. I told her I’d started twenty years before, at Ramona Elementary.

“I went to school there twenty years ago!” Stella said. I looked at her again, this time really seeing her. Those big brown eyes. That long, dark hair...

“Did you use to have two long braids?” I said. “We called you Estrellita… ”

Stella shouted. “ You ! You gave me the crayons!”

She’d become a teacher. To help students like I did. Even doing something that small mattered.

That summer, I threw myself into teaching with a renewed sense of purpose. Estrellita had taught me a lesson once again.

1.How did the author feel according to Paragraph 1?

A. She felt relaxed.    B. She felt very tired.

C. She was still excited.    D. She was proud of herself.

2.Why didn’t Estrellita take out her crayons?

A. She had to share them.    B. She was being naughty.

C. She forgot to bring them.    D. She lost them before the class.

3.Which can replace the underlined part “taken aback” in Paragraph 6?

A. fairly serious.    B. quite pleased.

C. very surprised.    D. extremely angry.

4.What did the author learn through Stella?

A. Never make excuses.    B. Why her job mattered.

C. How to be a good teacher.    D. To be a giver, not a receiver.

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.C

4.B

【解析】这篇文章主要讲了作者当年只是做了一件很小的事情，给自己贫困的学生买了一盒蜡笔，但是这件很小的事情，却对自己的学生产生了很大的影响。这名学生长大以后传承了这种精神。

1.根据For most of my 20 years as a teacher, summer vacation was my time to relax. So why was I standing in the schoolyard of an unfamiliar school, wearing myself out for a summer teaching job? The extra paychecks were nice, but I lacked the energy of my younger colleagues.可知20年的教学生涯，使得作者对这份职业有些倦怠。所以选B。

2.根据“There are 10 children in my family,” Estrellita said quietly, her big brown eyes never leaving my face. “We have to take turns.” 可知Estrellita没有取出她的蜡笔，是因为她的家里兄弟姐妹们比较多，蜡笔必须要分享，所以选A。

3.根据I was taken aback. I’d completely misjudged the situation. All day Estrellita’s words played on my mind. 可知作者并没有想到Estrellita的家境那么困难，所以作者非常的吃惊，选C。

4.作者当年只是做了一件很小的事情，给自己贫困的学生买了一盒蜡笔，但是这件很小的事情，却对自己的学生产生了很大的影响， 所以作者从Stella身上学到了自己工作的重要性，所以选B。