Question

    I thought I was pretty good at teaching myself—until I read Tara Westover’s Educated. Her ability to learn on her own blows my right out of the water. I was thrilled to sit down with her recently to talk about the book.

Tara was raised in a Mormon survivalist home in rural Idaho. Her dad had very non mainstream views about the government. He believed doomsday was coming and that the family should interact with the health and education systems as little as possible. As a result, she didn’t step foot in a classroom until she was 17, and major medical crises went untreated. (Her mother suffered a brain injury in a car accident and never fully recovered).

Because Tara and her six siblings worked at their father’s junkyard from a young age, none of them received any kind of proper homeschooling. She had to teach herself algebra and self-studied for the ACT, which she did well enough on to gain admission to Brigham Young University. Eventually, she earned her doctorate in intellectual history from Cambridge University.

Educated is an amazing story and I get why it’s spent so much time on the top of the New York Times bestseller list. It reminded me in some ways of the Netflix documentary Wild. Wild Country, which I recently watched. Both explore people who remove themselves from society because they have these beliefs and knowledge that they think make them more enlightened. Their belief systems benefit from their separateness, and you’re forced to be either in or out.

But unlike Wild, Wild Country—which revels in the strangeness of its subjects. Tara is never cruel, even when she’s writing about some of her father’s most fringe beliefs. It’s clear that her whole family, including her mom and dad, is energetic and talented. Whatever their ideas are, they pursue them.

Tara’s process of self-discovery is beautifully captured in Educated. It’s the kind of book that I think everyone will enjoy, no matter what genre you usually pick up.

1.What does the author think of Tara’s self-teaching?

A.unbelievable B.not bad C.doubtable D.impossible

2.Which of the following about Tara’s family is true?

A.There are altogether six children in the family.

B.Tara’s dad often holds mainstream beliefs about the government.

C.They are a Mormon family living in the urban area of Idaho.

D.Tara did not receive formal education until 17.

3.Why does the author mention Wild, Wild Country in the text?

A.To highlight that Educated is an amazing story worth reading.

B.To analyze the content of it.

C.To show that Educated is one the top of The New York Times bestseller list.

D.To introduce a documentary to the reader.

4.What genre does Educated belong to?

A.novel B.science fiction C.biography D.news report

Answer

1.A

2.D

3.A

4.C

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文。该文是一篇对Tara Westover自传“Educated”的读后感。文章介绍了 Tara 的生活背景，并把 Tara 的书同 Netflix 纪录片“Wild, Wild, Country”对比，虽然内容有相似之处，但 Tara 的叙述更温情，对于禁锢她思想的家庭，尤其是父亲，还是保留部分肯定和爱。

1.推理判断题。根据第一段中Her ability to learn on her own blows my right out of the water.可知她自学的能力把我打得落花流水，相形见绌。由此可推知，作者认为的Tara自学能力令人难以置信。故选A。

2.细节理解题。根据第二段中As a result, she didn’t step foot in a classroom until she was 17, and major medical crises went untreated.可知结果，她直到17岁才踏入教室，严重的医疗危机也没有得到治疗。由此可知D选项“Tara直到17岁才接受正规教育。”正确。故选D。

3.推理判断题。根据第四段中Educated is an amazing story and I get why it’s spent so much time on the top of the New York Times bestseller list. It reminded me in some ways of the Netflix documentary Wild. Wild Country, which I recently watched.可知《受教育》是一个很棒的故事，我知道为什么它在《纽约时报》畅销书排行榜上高居榜首。这让我想起了Netflix的纪录片《荒野》。由此可推知，作者在文中提到Wild, Wild Country是为了强调Educated是一个值得一读的精彩故事。故选A。

4.推理判断题。根据最后一段中Tara’s process of self-discovery is beautifully captured in Educated.可知Tara自我发现的过程在《教育》中被完美地捕捉到了。由此可推知，Educated 是传记。故选C。