Question

What do you do when somebody hurts you? Do you want to hurt that person back, or do you hold it against them for the rest of your life? If you answered “yes” to these questions, know that you are like most people. To forgive is something that most people generally have difficulty with.

People don’t forgive readily, because it is easier to hate than to forgive. Some people think to forgive is a sign of weakness, but actually to forgive takes courage and effort.

Forgiveness is a gift from a generous heart. It is not a reward for good behavior. It is not based on whether the person deserves it or whether the person has asked for it.

Besides, forgiveness is an act and a process, which often takes time. The deeper your pain, the longer it usually takes to completely forgive. It is an act because it is not just the words you say, but also your actions which show if you’ve truly forgiven someone.

Forgiveness is necessary because it releases you from the burden of bitterness and hate. It takes a lot of energy to hate and to keep that hate in place. Hate puts unnecessary stress on your body. It is a well-known fact, proven by numerous studies, that bitterness and hate can actually make you sick. The moment that affected people forgive and let go of their hate, they will start to get well. Forgiveness brings freedom, whereas revenge (报复) is neither sweet nor satisfying.

I have personal experience of this. I used to be very cynical about life and didn’t forgive easily. At the time, I also struggled in every area of my life. Things just didn’t seem to work out for me. It is as if everything that could go wrong, always went wrong. That was until somebody told me to take a look at my attitude. And when I forgave those who wronged me and changed my attitude, everything else changed. It didn’t happen overnight. It took a while, but I could see and feel the difference.

Are things not working out in your life, despite you doing all the “right” things? Is it possible that you are holding “unforgiveness” in your heart? It is worth thinking about. By Leonard J. Roost

1.Why is it hard for people to forgive?

A. Forgiveness means not giving in.

B. Forgiveness depends on good behavior.

C. Forgiveness needs good will from both sides.

D. Forgiveness requires courage and generosity.

2.What can we conclude from the text?

A. Hate may actually cause illness.

B. Revenge helps to reduce the hate in your heart.

C. When you feel sick, it makes it difficult to hate.

D. Hate goes away when you say you will forgive.

3.Which of the following shows the development of ideas in the passage?

A.     B.     C.     D.

Answer

1. D

2. A

3. B

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文，很多人在受到伤害的时候，都不会轻易原谅别人。文章叙述了不会原谅他人给我们带来了很多的痛苦，建议我们要改变态度，学会原谅。

1.细节理解题。根据文章第二段People don’t forgive readily, because it is easier to hate than to forgive. Some people think to forgive is a sign of weakness, but actually to forgive takes courage and effort.可知人们很难原谅的原因是原谅需要人们有勇气，付出努力，因此D正确。

2.推理判断题。根据第五段Hate puts unnecessary stress on your body. It is a well-known fact, proven by numerous studies, that bitterness and hate can actually make you sick.可知恨会使人生病。而根据第五段最后一句Forgiveness brings freedom, whereas revenge (报复) is neither sweet nor satisfying.可知B错误。C想表述与第五段不符，不是生病使人不恨。D表述也是错误的，不是说不恨就不恨的，故选A。

3.文章的篇章结构题。根据文章内容可知第一段介绍主题To forgive is something that most people generally have difficulty with.（原谅是很多人很难做到的事情）第二段提出but actually to forgive takes courage and effort.原谅需要勇气和努力，接下来的三四段是解释第二段的观点，原谅需要勇气和努力。而第五段则提出了原谅的好处，第六段试举例说明，最后一段是得出结论，所以B正确。