18．"Why do we have to learn all this dumb stuff？"
Of all the complaints and questions I have heard from my students during my years in the classroom，this was the one most frequently asked．I would answer it by telling the following legend．
One night a group of nomads （游牧民） were preparing to retire for the evening when suddenly they were surrounded by a great light．They knew they were in the presence of a godly being．With great expectation，they awaited a heavenly message of great importance that they knew must be especially for them．
Finally，the voice spoke，"Gather as many pebbles （鹅卵石） as you can．Put them in your bags．Travel a day's journey and tomorrow night will find you glad and it will find you sad．"
The nomads shared their disappointment and anger with each other．They had expected the inspiration of a great universal truth that would enable them to create wealth，health and purpose for the world．But instead they were given a silly task that made no sense to them at all．However，the memory of the brilliance of their visitor caused each one to pick up a few pebbles and store them in their bags while voicing their displeasure．
They traveled a day's journey and that night while making camp，they reached into their bags and discovered every pebble they had gathered had become a diamond．They were glad they had diamonds．They were sad they had not gathered more pebbles．
It was an experience I had with a student，whom I shall call Alan，early in my teaching career that illustrated the truth of that legend to me．
When Alan was in the eighth grade，he majored in"trouble"with a minor in"suspensions （停学）"．He had studied how to be a bully and was getting his master's degree in"thievery"．
Every day I had my students memorize a quotation from a great thinker．As I called the roll （点名），I would begin a quotation．To be counted present，the student would be expected to finish the thought．
"Alice Adams-‘There is no failure except…'"
"‘In no longer trying．'I'm present，Mr．Schlatter．"
So，by the end of the year，my young pupils would have memorized 150great thoughts．
"People nowadays know the price of everything and the value of nothing．"
"No pains，no gains．"
"If you can conceive it，and believe it，you can achieve it．"
No one complained about this daily routine other than Alan-right up to the day he was expelled （开除） and I lost touch with him for five years．Then one day，he called．He was in a special program at one of the neighboring colleges and had just finished parole（假释）．
He told me that after being sent to juvenile hall （少管所） and finally being shipped off to the California Youth Authority for his wrong doings，he had become so disgusted with himself that he had taken a razor blade and cut his wrists．
He said，"You know what，Mr．Schlatter，as I lay there with my life running out of my body，I suddenly remembered that quote you made me write 20times one day．"There is no failure except in no longer trying．"Then it suddenly made sense to me．As long as I was alive，I wasn't a failure，but if I allowed myself to die，I would most certainly die a failure．So with my remaining strength，I called for help and started a new life．"
At the time he had heard the quotation，it was a pebble．When he needed guidance in a moment of crisis，it had become a diamond．And so it is to you，I say，gather all the pebbles you can，and you can count on a future filled with diamonds．
55．What does the underlined sentence"it will find you sad"（Para.4）mean？D
A．The God told the nomads to gather pebbles that made no sense to them．
B．The pebbles won't enable the nomads to create fortune．
C．The God didn't give the nomads the message they expected．
D．The nomads regretted not having gathered as many pebbles as possible．
56．Which of following sentences from the passage brings out the author's sense of humor？B
A．They were given a silly task that made no sense to them at all．（Para.5）
B．He majored in"trouble"with a minor in"suspensions"．（Para.8）
C．People nowadays know the price of everything and the value of nothing．（Para.13）
D．You can count on a future filled with diamonds．（Para.19）
57．Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage？A
A．Not all the nomads gathered and stored some pebbles in their bags．
B．Students who finished the half-sentence quotation were counted present．
C．All students don't like the daily routine of finishing the half-sentence quotation．
D．It was the strong faith of never dying a failure that saved Alan's life．
58．Why did Alan want to kill himself after being shipped off to the California Youth Authority？D
A．He hated the hard life in the juvenile hall．
B．He was expelled by the school in the end．
C．He was badly treated at the California Youth Authority．
D．He felt so disappointed and hopeless about himself and his future．
59．According to the passage，we can conclude that Mr．Schlatter is an educator ofB．
A．sympathy and kindness
B．wisdom and patience
C．generosity and creativity
D．faith and devotion
60．Which of the following may probably be the best title？C
A．A Naughty Trouble-marker
B．Pebbles and Nomads
C．The Magic Pebble
D．A Quotation that Saved Life．
分析 本文通过一个关于鹅卵石的神话故事，告诉我们平时的艰苦付出是值得的，并且用自己的亲身经历来告诉我们这个道理．
解答 55-60 DBADBC
55．D 根据下文They were glad they had diamonds．They were sad they had not gathered more pebbles．可知，游牧民后悔没有拿尽可能多的鹅卵石，故答案为D
56．B 根据When Alan was in the eighth grade，he majored in"trouble"with a minor in"suspensions （停学）"．可知，Alan是一名问题学生，整天让老师头疼，此处的表达带有幽默之感，故答案为B
57．A 根据However，the memory of the brilliance of their visitor caused each one to pick up a few pebbles and store them in their bags while voicing their displeasure．
可知每个人都捡了鹅卵石带在身上，故答案A表述不对，答案为A
58．D 根据he had become so disgusted with himself that he had taken a razor blade and cut his wrists．可知，他非常痛恨自己认为自己没有了希望，所以想自杀，故答案为D
59．B 根据Mr．Schlatter 在处理犯错的学生问题上，没有采用极端方式，而是让他背诵默写名言，班里一直坚持让学生记忆名言，这都说明这位老师工作上聪明机智wisdom，并且做事坚持不懈，有耐心patience，故答案为B
60．C 本文通过一个关于鹅卵石的神话故事，告诉我们平时的艰苦付出是值得的，并且用自己的亲身经历来告诉我们这个道理，本文题目用The Magic Pebble 显得更准确和醒目，故答案为C
点评 本文讲述了一个很有哲理的故事，以推理题的考查为主，测试考生在阅读基础上的逻辑推理能力，要求考生根据文章所述事件的逻辑关系，对未说明的趋势或结局作出合理的推断；或根据作者所阐述的观点理论，对文章未涉及的现象、事例给以解释．考生首先要仔细阅读短文，完整了解信息，准确把握作者观点．
