Question

    Sometimes just when we need the power of miracles, they arise in the places we would least expect.

On a cold January afternoon in 1989, I was climbing Egypt’s Mt. Horeb, hoping to get to the peak by sunset to see the valley below. As I was winding up the narrow path, I’d sometimes see other hikers who were coming down. While they would generally pass with simply a nod or a greeting in another language, there was one man who did neither.

I saw him coming and as he got closer, I could see that, unlike other hikers, he was wearing traditional Egyptian galabia( 长 袍 ). What made his appearance so strange was that the man didn’t even appear to be Egyptian, but was a small-framed Asian man with little hair and round glasses.

As we neared one another, I said Hello, but not a sound came from him. I thought maybe he hadn’t heard me. Suddenly he stopped directly in front of me, looked up from the ground, and spoke a single sentence to me in English, “Sometimes you don’t know what you have lost until you’ve lost it.” As I took in what I had just heard, he simply stepped around me and continued his going down.

That moment in my life was a small miracle. The reason is less about what the man said but more about the timing and the context. The year was 1989, and it was during my Egyptian pilgrimage (朝圣), and specifically during my hike to Mt. Horeb, that I’d set the time aside to make decisions that would affect my career, my friends, my family, and ultimately, my life.

I had to ask myself what the chances were of an Asian man dressed in an Egyptian galabia coming down from the top of this historic mountain just when I was walking up, stopping before me, and offering his wisdom, seemingly from out of nowhere. My answer to my own question was easy: nearly no chance! In a meet that lasted less than two minutes, a total stranger had brought something clear and something of a warning, regarding the huge changes that I would make within a matter of days. In my way of thinking, that’s a miracle.

Miracles are everywhere and occur every day for different reasons, in response to the different needs that we may have in the moment. Our job may be less about questioning the extraordinary things that happen in our daily lives and more about accepting the gifts they bring.

1.Before the Asian man spoke, how did the author think about him?

A.He was very rude and strange.

B.He was different from others.

C.He was shy and nod to strangers.

D.He looked ordinary and was talkative.

2.Why did the author make a pilgrimage to Mt Horeb in Egypt ?

A.He was in search of a miracle in his life.

B.It was a place for a religious person to head for.

C.He intended to make arrangements for his future life.

D.He waited patiently in expectation of meeting a wise person.

3.What does the underlined part “my own question” refer to in paragraph 6 ?

A.For what reason did the man stop before me ?

B.Why did the Asian man go to the mountain ?

C.What change would I make within a matter of days ?

D.What was the probability that others told us the right words ?

4.Why did the author view the meet with the Asian man as a miracle in his life?

A.Because the Asian man’s appearance had a deciding effect on his future life.

B.Because his words were in perfect response to the need he had at that moment.

C.Because what the Asian man said was meaningful in the philosophy of life.

D.Because the Asian man impressed on him the worth of what he had possessed.

5.What might be the best title for the passage ?

A.Can you recognize a miracle? B.Is a miracle significant to us?

C.When might a miracle occur? D.Why do we need a miracle?

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.D

4.B

5.A

【解析】

这是一篇夹叙夹议文。作者以自己的亲身经历论述了“正当我们需要奇迹的力量时，奇迹却出现在我们最意想不到的地方”的故事。这个故事告诉我们奇迹无处不在，每天都在发生，因为不同的原因，为了回应我们此刻不同的需求。我们的工作可能不是质疑日常生活中发生的不寻常的事情，而是接受它们带来的礼物。

1.细节理解题。根据第三段中I saw him coming and as he got closer, I could see that, unlike other hikers, he was wearing traditional Egyptian galabia(长袍). 我看到他走过来，当他走近时，我可以看到，和其他徒步旅行者不同，他穿着传统的埃及长袍。可知，在那个亚洲人说话之前，作者认为他和其他人不一样。故选B项。

2.细节理解题。根据第五段最后一句中…that I’d set the time aside to make decisions that would affect my career, my friends, my family, and ultimately, my life. ……我抽出时间来做一些决定，这些决定将影响我的职业生涯、我的朋友、我的家人，最终，还有我的生活。可知，作者朝圣的目的是为他未来的生活做安排。故选C 项。

3.词义猜测题。根据划线词组上一句中的I had to ask myself what the chances were of an Asian man dressed... and offering his wisdom, seemingly from out of nowhere. 我不得不问自己，一个穿着埃及加拉比亚长袍的亚洲人从这座历史名山的山顶下来的几率有多大，就在我走上去的时候，他停在了我面前，似乎不知从什么地方冒出来，给了我智慧。及划线词组所在句中nearly no chance! 几乎没有机会！可知，“我的问题”是指他人告诉我们真理的可能性是多少。故选D 项。

4.推理判断题。根据第五段中That moment in my life was a small miracle. The reason is less about what the man said but more about the timing and the context. …那一刻在我的生命中是一个小小的奇迹。原因不在于他说了什么，而在于时间和背景……可知，原因并非他说了什么， 而是他说这话的时机以及当时我所处的背景。由此判断出为什么作者认为与亚洲人的相遇是他生命中的奇迹是因为他的话完全符合他当时的需要。故选 B项。

5.主旨大意题。通读全文可知，作者以自己的亲身经历论述了“正当我们需要奇迹的力量时，奇迹却出现在我们最意想不到的地方”的故事。这个故事告诉我们奇迹无处不在，每天都在发生，因为不同的原因，为了回应我们此刻不同的需求。我们的工作可能不是质疑日常生活中发生的不寻常的事情，而是接受它们带来的礼物。所以短文的最佳标题为“你能认出奇迹吗?”。故选A 项。