Question

    Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they convey regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.

My father is famous in our family for saying, “Take the extra minute to do it right.” I always try to live by the “extra minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (衬垫) onto the sharp corners of a glass coffee table.

I don’t only avoid those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. It’s equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had foregone an opportunity to say “I love you” or “I forgive you.” When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn’t be here. But then I thought about the fact that he’s 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn’t give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.

I know there will still be occasions when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality. And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I’m buying myself peace of mind and that’s the best kind of insurance for my emotional well-being.

1.Why does the writer regard “if only” as two of the saddest words in the English language?

A.Because people use them when they feel sad

B.Because they express regrets and disappointment in life

C.Because the remind the writer of some sad experiences

D.Because they mean sadness in the English language

2.What’s the meaning of the underlined word “foregone” in Paragraph 3?

A.given up B.come across

C.got through D.held back

3.The author decided to go to her office on Good Friday to ________.

A.see a doctor B.finish her work

C.join a celebration D.accompany her father

4.What is the best title for the passage?

A.Advice from My Father B.Avoidance of saying “If Only”

C.The “Extra Minute” Rule D.The importance of Emotional Well-being

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.D

4.B

【解析】

这是一篇议论文。文章主要讲了作者认为“要是……多好”是英语中最悲伤的两个词，因为它们表达着生活中的后悔和失望，所以要珍惜现在所拥有的一切，尽可能避免做后悔的事情，避免说“要是……多好”。

1.细节理解题。由because they convey regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.可知作者认为“要是……多好”是英语中最悲伤的两个词，因为它们表达着生活中的后悔和失望，选B。

2.词义猜测题。由We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had forgone an opportunity to say “I love you” or “I forgive you”.可知我们都知道失去亲人的人当初放弃了一个机会说"我爱你"或"我原谅你"。所以划线词语意思是放弃，故选A。

3.推理判断题。由But then I thought about the fact that he’s 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn’t miss an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.可知作者决定在复活节前的星期五去办公室，是为了陪伴她的父亲。选D。

4.主旨大意题。由I know there will still be occasions when I have to say if only about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality.可知这篇文章主要讲了作者认为“要是……多好”是英语中最悲伤的两个词，因为它们表达着生活中的后悔和失望，所以要珍惜现在所拥有的一切，尽可能避免做后悔的事情，因此，本文的最佳标题为：避免说“要是……多好”。选B。