Question

Give yourself a test. Which way is the wind blowing? How many kinds of wildflowers can be seen from your front door? If your awareness is as sharp as it could be, you’ll have no trouble answering these questions.

Most of us observed much more as children than we do as adults. A child’s day is filled with fascination, newness and wonder. Curiosity gave us all a natural awareness. But distinctions that were sharp to us as children become unclear; we are numb(麻木的）to new stimulation(刺激), new ideas. Relearning the art of seeing the world around us is quite simple, although it takes practice and requires breaking some bad habits.

The first step in awakening senses is to stop predicting what we are going to see and feel before it occurs. This blocks awareness. One chilly night when I was hiking in the Rocky Mountains with some students, I mentioned that we were going to cross a mountain stream. The students began complaining about how cold it would be. We reached the stream, and they unwillingly walked ahead. They were almost knee-deep when they realized it was a hot spring. Later they all admitted they’d felt cold water at first.

Another block to awareness is the obsession(痴迷) many of us have with naming things. I saw bird watchers who spotted a bird, immediately looked it up in field guides, and said, a "ruby-crowned kinglet" and checked it off. They no longer paid attention to the bird and never learned what it was doing.

The pressures of "time" and "destination" are further blocks to awareness. I encountered many hikers who were headed to a distant camp-ground with just enough time to get there before dark. It seldom occurred to them to wander a bit, to take a moment to see what’s around them. I asked them what they’d seen. "Oh, a few birds," they said. They seemed bent on their destinations.

Nature seems to unfold to people who watch and wait. Next time you take a walk, no matter where it is, take in all the sights, sounds and sensations. Wander in this frame of mind and you will open a new dimension to your life.

1.According to Paragraph 2, compared with adults, children are more ____________.

A. anxious to do wonders

B. sensitive to others’ feelings

C. likely to develop unpleasant habits

D. eager to explore the world around them

2.What idea does the author convey in Paragraph 3?

A. To avoid jumping to conclusions.

B. To stop complaining all the time.

C. To follow the teacher’s advice.

D. To admit mistakes honestly.

3.The bird watchers’ behavior shows that they __________.

A. are very patient in their observation

B. are really fascinated by nature

C. care only about the names of birds

D. question the accuracy of the field guides

4.Why do the hikers take no notice of the surroundings during the journey?

A. The natural beauty isn’t attractive to them.

B. They focus on arriving at the camp in time.

C. The forest in the dark is dangerous for them.

D. They are keen to see rare birds at the destination.

Answer

1. D

2. A

3. C

4. B

【解析】

本文是一篇散文。我们有多久没有仔细观察我们周围的世界了。作者通过此文要告诉我们：放慢脚步，带着我们所有的感官来感受周围世界的奇妙。

1.推理判断题。根据文章第二段Most of us observed much more as children than we do as adults. A child’s day is filled with fascination, newness and wonder.可知，与成人相比较，孩子观察得更多，孩子的一天充满了魔力、新奇和惊奇。从而可以推断出孩子更急于探索他们周围的世界。故选D。

2.推理判断题。根据文章第三段作者叙述在一个寒冷的夜晚，作者和学生徒步旅行穿过一条小溪的时候，学生们抱怨水太冷而不愿往前走，结果事实上那是一个温泉。作者举这样一个事例是为了向读者传递这样的观念：避免过早下结论。故选A。

3.细节理解题。根据文章第四段全段及首句Another block to awareness is the obsession(痴迷) many of us have with naming things.可知，鸟观察者发现鸟后只关心鸟的名字，并不关心它在做什么。故选C。

4.细节理解题。根据文章第五段I encountered many hikers who were headed to a distant camp-ground with just enough time to get there before dark. It seldom occurred to them to wander a bit, to take a moment to see what’s around them.可知，徒步旅行者只关心能够及时到达目的地，而很少关心周围的事物。故选B。