Question

【题目】 Last week I did something that scared me. I stood in front of nearly 200 financial planners and I talked to them about why financial blogs are a good thing. I'm a confident writer. I've been doing this long enough that I know my strength and my limitations. I'm less confident as a speaker. I don't have time to pause to collect my thoughts. I'm not able to edit. I'm afraid of being trapped in a corner without being able to talk my way out. Basically, I'm scared to speak.

It would be easy to simply refuse the chances that come my way. When somebody asks me to speak in front of a group, I could say "no". When radio and television stations call for an interview, I could say "no". But for the past two years, I've been following my own policy to say "yes" to new chances.

To say "yes" is to live in fear. My goal is to continually improve myself to become better than I am today. One way to do that is to do the things that scare me, to take them on as challenges, and to learn from them—even if I fail.

In mid-November, a local station asked me to appear on live television. "I realize it's short notice," the producer wrote, "but we'd love to have you on the show if you're available tonight." I was frightened. I thought about recent taped television interviews that I had hated. I was afraid of what might happen.

But I also thought about the things that had gone right. I thought of how my speaking skills had improved over the past year. And then I thought of the book I was reading, a book that I had bought for $1.29 at the local store. The Magic of Thinking Big was a huge bestseller during the 1960s. Written by Dr. David Schwartz, a professor at Georgia State University, the book contains dozens of practical tips on how to take risks to achieve big goals. Schwartz argues that nobody will believe in you until you believe in yourself.

So when the television producer asked if I wanted to appear on his show, I thought big. "Sure," I said. "I'll do it." I acted confidently, but on the inside I was frightened. What I needed was techniques to build up my confidence and to overcome my fear.

【1】Why is the author afraid of speaking in public?

A.He is aware of his potential.B.He has few chances to talk.

C.He is not able to edit what he says.D.He likes writing better.

【2】The underlined words "my own policy" in Paragraph 2 probably mean ________.

A.self-improving through challenges

B.hesitating before chances

C.turning down the invitations

D.saying yes to fear

【3】The author mentioned the book The Magic of Thinking Big mainly because ________.

A.it was inspiringB.it was a bestseller

C.its author was famousD.its price was attractive

【4】What is the author's purpose to write the passage?

A.To analyze his strength and weaknesses.

B.To give practical tips on speaking in public.

C.To persuade people to follow his example.

D.To share his experiences of overcoming fear.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】A

【3】A

【4】D

【解析】

本文是一篇记叙文。文章中作者是一个自信的作家，但是他害怕在公众面前讲话。后来作者试图改变这一现状，对新机会说“是”，勇于在挑战中提升自己。

【1】

细节理解题。根据第一段中“I don’t have time to pause to collect my thoughts. I’m not able to edit. …Basically, I'm scared to speak.”作者害怕当众讲话是因为他觉得没有时间停下来汇集自己的想法，也没法编辑。故选C项。

【2】

词句猜测题。划线词所在句子的后半句“to say “yes” to new chances” 向新的机会说“是”；上文提到作者害怕在公众面前讲话，总是拒绝到来的机会；而现在对新的机会说“是”，即是接受挑战。第三段中提到“ My goal is to continually improve myself to become better” 作者的目标是不断提升自己。由此可意猜测“my own policy”意思为“接受挑战，不断地提升自我”。故选A项。

【3】

推理判断题。根据第五段中“the book contains dozens of practical tips on how to take risks to achieve big goals. Schwartz argues that nobody will believe in you until you believe in yourself. ”这本书包含了很多关于如何冒险实现大目标的实用的建议。该书作者Schwartz认为，直到你相信自己，才会有人相信你。作者先是害怕电视采访，但后又想到了The Magic of Thinking Big这本书作者说的话，让他有了勇气，最终接受了电视采访。由此可知，作者提到The Magic of Thinking Big这本书主要是这本书激励了他。故选A项。

【4】

推理判断题。作者是一个自信的作家，但是他害怕在公众面前讲话。作者试图改变这一现状，敢于向挑战说“是”。在电视台邀请他做电视采访时，他起初害怕，后来在“The Magic of Thinking Big”这本书的激励下，他鼓励自己克服恐惧心理，接受了电视采访。由此可知，作者写这篇文章是想与我们分享他是如何克服恐惧的体验。故选D项。