Unit 16 Stories李仕才一、阅读理解ATwo 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 tho ught 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 computer, 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 opportuni ty 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 there. 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(可能发生的事). 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.Which of the following is an example of the “extra minute” rule ?A. Start the car the moment everyone is seated.B. Leave the room for a minute with the iron working.C. Wait for an extra minute so that the steak tastes better.D. Move an object out of the way before it trips someone.2.The author decided to go to her office on Good Friday to __________.A. keep her appointment with the eye doctorB. meet her father who was already an old manC. join in the holiday celebration of the companyD. finish her work before the deadline approaching3.The underlined word “foregone” in Paragraph 3 is closed in meaning to “_________”.A. abandonedB. lackedC. avoidedD. wasted4.What is the best title for the passage ?A. The Emotional Well-beingB. The Two Saddest WordsC. The Most Useful RuleD. The Peace of Mind【文章大意】这篇文章主要讲解的是作者对于最悲哀的两个单词if only 的理解及看法。
1.D 【解析】推理判断题。
根据第二段的句子“When my children were young and likely tocause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an ‘if only’ moment,”可知，“extra minute”指的是“在发生意外之前防患于未然”，D项（在一个东西绊倒某人之前将它拿走）符合。
故选D。
3.A 【解析】猜测词义题。
根据foregone 所在句子“We all know people who lost a lovedone and regretted that they had foregone an opportunity to say ‘ I love you’ or ‘I forgive you’.”中的lost及regretted 可知此词与opportunity 搭配翻译成“放弃机会”，故选A。
4.B 【解析】标题判断题。
根据第一段第一句话“Two of the saddest words in the Englishlanguage are ‘if only’.”及文章大意，可知本文主要针对最悲哀的两个单词if only 展开话题进行讲解，故选B。
B(2017·太原八校高三联考)Wakehurst’s Big Summer AdventureA range of events for children keep them busy during the summer holidays，including fun activities which also encourage learning.Price：All activities are selfled and free to participate in.Children aged 16 and under go free，but adults will need to pay usual garden admission entrance fees of ￡12.50.Kids go wild at Wakehurst this summerCome and join us in our 50th anniversary year on an adventurous journey and celebratory events around the global gardens.Pick up your Big Summer Adventure visa and a map from the visitor centre.Be a Golden Globetrotter!Travel to 5 countries in 5 weeks.Explore the gardens to find the golden cases of outdoor activities.A new country and golden case will arrive in the gardens each week!Turkey：25 July to 6 SeptemberSouth Korea：1 August to 6 SeptemberAustralia：8 August to 6 SeptemberMexico：15 August to 26 SeptemberThe UK：22 August to 6 SeptemberBug Bootique Hotel TrailCan you help our garden creatures in their beautiful hotels to plan a perfect party?25 July to 26 SeptemberPlace：Children’s Heritage GardenMuddy Mondays!Make a special birthday cake for worms at the Mud Kitchen.Mondays：27 July，3，10，17，24，31 AugustPlace：Children’s Heritage GardenGo Potty!Get handson with our potty activities.25 July to 6 SeptemberPlace：Children’s Heritage Garden【解题导语】本文是一篇应用文，介绍了英国植物园Wakehurst在暑期举办的儿童冒险活动。