Question

    The stories we share with one another are important. They show wisdom and provide inspiration. They are important to our development. But sometimes people choose not to tell.

Consider the negative effects of not sharing a story in the news: People are wondering if public health officials are holding back too much information about the recent outbreak of Ebola.

There is a danger in holding back stories that ought to be told. Bobette Buster said it like this, “The fact is, history has shown us that stories not told can become like a dangerous genie (妖怪) left in a bottle. When they are finally uncorked, their power to destroy is set free.”

There are a number of reasons why we hide parts of our story: they often show our weaknesses or expose our disadvantages; they require courage and strength to share; and of course, there are some stories that should be kept secret—especially those that embarrass someone else.

Most of us have two selves: the one we display on the outside and the one we actually are on the inside. And the better we get at hiding the stories that show our true selves, the more damage we may be causing to ourselves and to others.

Honesty and openness is important: it proves we are trustworthy. It displays we are human. We are not perfect or better. It highlights the importance of hard work and personal development. Hard work may not allow us to overcome our disadvantages completely. But with hard work, we do not have to be restricted to our mistakes.

Does this mean we admit every weakness, every disadvantage, and every secret regret to everybody we meet? No, of course not. There is a time and a place and a certain level of relationship necessary for some stories to be told in an appropriate manner.

1.What’s the function of the example in Paragraph 2?

A.It reflects that people are concerning about the spread of Ebola.

B.It shows the bad effect caused by sharing a story.

C.It proves not sharing a story can cause trouble.

D.It concludes that one should share a story at a proper time.

2.Which is close in meaning to the underlined word “uncorked” in Paragraph 3?

A.freed B.broken

C.unfolded D.untouched

3.One of the reasons why people are unwilling to share experiences is that _______.

A.story-sharing highlights the importance of hard work

B.people are used to exposing their weaknesses

C.people sometimes have no courage to share their stories

D.some stories make themselves feel sad

4.The writer aims to convince us to _______.

A.be open to people close to you by sharing some secrets

B.share stories appropriately for the good of others and ourselves

C.remove the dangers that can be caused by untold stories

D.realize the importance of being honest when making friends

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.C

4.B

【解析】

这是一篇议论文。作者在文章中指出不分享本该被告知的故事会带来麻烦并且进一步论述了人们隐藏自己故事的一部分有很多原因。同时指出有些故事需要以适当的方式讲述。

1.推理判断题。根据第三段中There is a danger in holding back stories that ought to be told. 应该讲的故事被隐瞒是危险的。可知，第2段的例子是用来说明不分享一个故事会引起麻烦。故选C项。

2.词义猜测题。根据下一句their power to destroy is set free. 他们的毁灭力量就释放了。可知，划线词uncorked意为“打开，释放”之意，与A选项freed“解放，使自由”相近。故选A项。

3.细节理解题。根据第四段There are a number of reasons why we hide parts of our story: they often show our weaknesses or expose our disadvantages; they require courage and strength to share; and of course, there are some stories that should be kept secret—especially those that embarrass someone else. 我们隐藏自己故事的一部分有很多原因：它们经常显示我们的弱点或暴露我们的缺点；它们需要勇气和力量来分享；当然，有些故事应该保密，尤其是那些让别人难堪的故事。可知，其中一个原因是人们有时没有勇气分享他们的故事。故选C项。

4.推理判断题。根据最后一段最后一句There is a time and a place and a certain level of relationship necessary for some stories to be told in an appropriate manner. 有些故事需要以适当的方式讲述，这需要时间、地点和一定程度的关系。可知，作者的目的是说服我们为了他人和自己的利益适当地分享故事。故选B项。