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读一读 If you do what you love,it is the best way to relax.~ If you do what you love,it is the best way to relax.~I was a single parent, pedaling fast to take care of my four kids. I had no family nearby to help and little ___1___ time after work and the kids’ sports. All my days were the same. I got up, hustled the kids off to school, went to work, and then picked them up, fitting dinner in around their karate, softball and soccer.At the end of the day, I fell into bed ___2___.Then the insomnia returned.One night, I sat down, grabbed my brushes and painted. I did the same thing the following night, and then again, until a week had flown ___3___. One morning — I must have been painting for two or three weeks by then — I sat down at the dining-room table and listened to the kids ___4___ as they finished their breakfast.One of my girls turned to me. “Hey, Mom, you’re ___5___ when you paint.”Before I could ___6___, another spoke up. “Yeah. Nicer.”At first, I was surprised that they’d even noticed. Then my head swirled as I ___7___ their words. Nicer? Did that mean I wasn’t nice the rest of the time?My stomach flip-flopped as I pondered the ___8___. I wasn’t a good mom — I was mean. My heart sank as I fought back the ___9___. Finally, with a ___10___ voice, I asked, “So, I’m not nice normally?” A chorus of voices followed, each child offering up his or her thoughts and explaining ___11___ they meant. Trying to ___12___ my insomnia by filling the time with painting, I’d stumbled on a ___13___ to taking care of myself — just by letting my creative self come out of ___14___.And now, when days get long, work is too busy, and life wants to swallow me whole again, I can still hear their voices telling me how much nicer I am when I ___15___. 1.A. extra B. enough C. plentiful D. leisurely 2.A. happy B. exhausted C. satisfied D. comfortable 3.A. away B. off C. by D. up 4.A. talk B. gossip C. sing D. chatter 5.A. cooler B. nicer C. sweeter D. prettier 6.A. respond B. answer C. say D. start 7.A. understood B. thought C. considered D. absorbed 8.A. conclusion B. implication C. question D. puzzle 9.A. wishes B. words C. tears D. sweats 10.A. shaky B. exciting C. joyful D. calm 11.A. how B. why C. what D. when 12.A. ease B. control C. decrease D. stop 13.A. tip B. secret C. way D. means 14.A. finding B. expressing C. covering D. hiding 15.A. rest B. relax C. paint D. recall 【答案解析】 1.A 照顾四个孩子而且附近又没有家人帮忙，所以没有多余的空闲时间extra可理解为spare; 2.B繁忙的一天结束之后，感觉疲惫； 3.C fly by (时光)飞逝； 4.D 早餐时四个孩子叽叽喳喳聊天，gossip 流言；八卦； 5.B 后句提示nicer 在孩子们看来应该是calmer and kinder温柔平和； 6.A respond /react 指对孩子们的话还没有一下子反应过来； 7.D absorbed 此处意思是try to work out or make sense of 努力去理解孩子们话语的真实含义； 8.B 此刻作者正在内心自我反思，既问又答，implication指的是mental puzzle 心理上的困惑； 9.C 经过深刻的反省，作者意识到自己作为妈妈的不足，也感受到孩子们的关注，所以饱含热泪 tears of excitement and guilt; 10.A在得到孩子们的肯定和认可会，作者内心油然而升的是relief and relaxation安慰和放松，shaky体现了作者好奇和试探的心理； 11.C 孩子们纷纷说出自己的想法； 12.A 此段是对全文的总结，ease 精确地概括出作者以画画精神减压释放自我的历程； 13.B 注意介词搭配to, secret形象地点明了作者在认识上的柳暗花明又一村； 14.D 作者获得画画减压的方法是经过一番exploration and probe探索和发现之后得到的,my creative self原先是hidden,一段时间的try and practice尝试和操练后被dig out; 15.C 画画的这段经历是作者自我完善不断成熟的重要一步，也让作者终身难忘。 【双语对照】 If you do what you love,it is the best way to relax.~I was a single parent, pedaling fast to take care of my four kids. I had no family nearby to help and little extra time after work and the kids’ sports. 逃避失眠如果你做你喜欢的事，这是最好的放松方式。我是单亲妈妈，骑自行车照顾我的四个孩子。我附近没有家人可以帮忙，下班后和孩子们的运动后几乎没有额外的时间。 All my days were the same. I got up, hustled the kids off to school, went to work, and then picked them up, fitting dinner in around their karate, softball and soccer.At the end of the day, I fell into bed exhausted.Then the insomnia returned.One night, I sat down, grabbed my brushes and painted. I did the same thing the following night, and then again, until a week had flown by. 我所有的日子都一样的。我起床，带着孩子们去学校，去上班，然后去接他们，在他们的空手道、垒球和足球周围准备晚餐。一天结束时，我筋疲力尽地躺在床上。然后失眠又回来了。一天晚上，我坐下来，抓起刷子，画画。第二天晚上，我也做了同样的事，然后又做了一次，直到一个星期过去了。 One morning — I must have been painting for two or three weeks by then — I sat down at the dining-room table and listened to the kids chatter as they finished their breakfast.One of my girls turned to me. “Hey, Mom, you’re nicer when you paint.”Before I could respond, another spoke up. “Yeah. Nicer.”At first, I was surprised that they’d even noticed. Then my head swirled as I absorbed their words. Nicer? Did that mean I wasn’t nice the rest of the time?My stomach flip-flopped as I pondered the implication. I wasn’t a good mom — I was mean. My heart sank as I fought back the tears. 一天早上，那时我一定已经画画了两三个星期，我在餐桌前坐下，听孩子们吃完早餐时聊天。我的一个女儿转向了我。“嘿，妈妈，你画画的时候会更好。”我还没来得及回答，另一个人就开口说话了。“是的。更好的产品。”一开始，我很惊讶他们竟然注意到了。然后我开始着他们的话。更好吗？这是否意味着我在其他时间都不好？当我思考这个暗示时，我的胃翻转了。我不是一个好妈妈，但我很刻薄。我强忍住泪水，我的心沉了下来。 Finally, with a shaky voice, I asked, “So, I’m not nice normally?” A chorus of voices followed, each child offering up his or her thoughts and explaining what they meant. 最后，我用颤抖的声音问道：“那么，我平时不友善？”接着是一阵合唱，每个孩子都说出自己的想法，解释它们的意思。 Trying to ease my insomnia by filling the time with painting, I’d stumbled on a secret to taking care of myself — just by letting my creative self come out of hiding.And now, when days get long, work is too busy, and life wants to swallow me whole again, I can still hear their voices telling me how much nicer I am when I paint. 为了通过绘画来打发时间来缓解我的失眠，我偶然发现了一个照顾自己的秘密——只是让我的创造性自我从隐藏中走出来。而现在，当日子很长，工作太忙，生活想再次把我整个吞下去时，我仍然能听到他们的声音告诉我，画画的时候，我有多美好。 【单词积累】 1.pedal [ˈpedl] n.踏板; vt.& vi.骑自行车adj.踏板的 2.hustle [ˈhʌsl] vt.& vi.催促; 硬挤; 强夺vi.赶紧; 硬挤过去; n.忙碌，奔忙; 3.karate [kəˈrɑ:ti] n.<日>空手道 4.insomnia [ɪnˈsɒmniə] n.[医]失眠，失眠症 5.swirl [swɜ:l] vi.旋转; 眩晕; vt.使成漩涡; 使眼花;n.（水，风）旋转，漩涡; 6.flip-flop [ˈflipflɔp] n.后滚翻; 人字拖鞋vt.使翻转；使突然转变vi.作后手翻；突然改变 7.ponder [ˈpɒndə(r)] vt.思索，衡量 8.stumble [ˈstʌmbl] vi.蹒跚; 结巴; 弄错，失足; 偶然碰见 |
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