Question

A Writing Fool

In the seventh grade I realized I was dyslexic, which made it difficult for me to read and spell. I did really badly in my history course, so my mother said to me, “I’ll work with you for a full week. I’m going to show you what you can do if you put in the right amount of effort.” So we did. We worked on history for a full week, an extra hour every day. Then I went to school and failed the test, as always. It was really upsetting.

By the time I got to college I came to know that I couldn’t spell no matter how hard I tried. So I would sign up for extra courses. I’d be in registration lines all day. Then I would go around the first day of class and ask each professor: “What’s your policy on misspelling?” If he said, “Three misspellings is a fail,” I’d drop it.

Although I was an academic failure, I had a great time. I had many friends and I was always popular. I was a good football player, which was important in those years because I could read my name in the newspaper. I never had a day when I would think, “People don’t like me.”

In spite of my obvious weaknesses, I became successful in my career, so much so that people say to me, “So you’ve overcome dyslexia.” No. I don’t overcome it. I just learn to compensate for it. Some easy things are hard for me. Most people read 500 words a minute. I only read 200. I try not to dial a phone because I sometimes have to dial three times to get the number right. I owe my successful career to my writing instructor, Ralph Salisbury. He looked past my misspellings and gave  me  encouragement.  So  I  always  feel  confident.  When  I  write  my  books, I’m  seeing everything in my imagination. I write quickly and go like the wind.

The real fear that I have for dyslexic people is not that they have to struggle with their reading skills or that they can’t spell correctly, but that they will quit on themselves before they get out of school.

1.When the author did badly in the course, his mother thought that      .

A. he needed a better teacher

B. he did not work hard enough

C. he was probably too ill to study

D. he was not as smart as other children

2.In college, the author was in registration lines all day to      .

A. choose most interesting courses

B. become friends with new classmates

C. stay distance from language teachers

D. avoid courses that require correct spelling

3.Which of the following best describes the author in college?

A. Happy and active.

B. Shy and unhappy.

C. Successful and funny.

D. Quiet and unsuccessful.

4.According to the author, it is important for dyslexic people      .

A. not to get out of school

B. not to give up so easily

C. to learn to spell correctly

D. to develop reading skills

Answer

1. B

2. D

3. A

4. B

【解析】

这是一篇记叙文。叙述了作者在求学期间是一名诵读困难者，但作者并没有因为是一名阅读困难者而感到沮丧，而是在其它面弥补了这一缺陷。后来作者在事业上获得了成功，并能自己写书。他告诫其他的人，做什么事情都不能放弃，总有一天会成功。

1.推理判断题。由第一段“so my mother said to me, “I’ll work with you for a full week. I’m going to show you what you can do if you put in the right amount of effort”可知， 所以我母亲对我说，“我要和你一起学习整整一周。我要告诉你，如果你付出了努力，你可以做些什么。所以我们判断当作者在课程中表现不佳的时候，母亲认为作者的努力和付出不够。故B选项正确。

2.细节理解题。由第二段“Then I would go around the first day of class and ask each professor: “What’s your policy on misspelling?” If he said, “Three misspellings is a fail,” I’d drop it.”可知，然后我在第一天上课的时候问每一位教授：“你对拼写错误的政策是什么？”如果他说，“三次拼写错误就是失败，”我就会放弃。所以在大学期间作者整天都在登记站选择课程就是为了避免上一些要求正确拼写的课程。故D选项正确。

3.推理判断题。由第三段“Although I was an academic failure, I had a great time. I had many friends and I was always popular..... I never had a day when I would think, “People don’t like me.”可知，虽然我在学业上失败了，但我过得很开心,我有很多的朋友并且很受欢迎……我从来没有一天会想到，“人们不喜欢我”。所以判断出，作者在上大学期间很快乐，很积极。故A选项“快乐和积极”能最好地描述作者。故A选项正确。

4.推理判断题。由最后段“The real fear that I have for dyslexic people is not that they have to struggle with their reading skills or that they can’t spell correctly, but that they will quit on themselves before they get out of school.”可知，我对诵读困难的人真正担心不是他们必须与他们的阅读能力斗争或者他们不能正确拼写，而是他们会在他们离开学校之前放弃自己。所以判断出根据作者的说法，对诵读困难的人很重要的是不要轻言放弃。故B选项正确。