1、 he says, there were students who had a real talent for something. Maybe it was for writing or acting or sports. Maybe it was an interest and a joy in working with people. Sometimes it was just their capacity for being so alive that made you more alive to be with them. Yet now, a good many years lat
2、er, I have the feeling that more than just a few of them are spending their lives at work in which none of these gifts is being used. Matt Lamb could have been one of those people. Until 1987, Matt owned and ran his own restaurant in Chicago. But that year, a doctor told Matt that he had a fatal dis
3、ease. So he closed the restaurant and pursued his true passion, painting. Soon, Matts art drew national attention. He became quite successful. Only after Matt had found success in his dream career did doctors discover that they had misdiagnosed him. He wasnt going to die after all. A misdiagnosis（误诊
4、） may have saved him from a life of meaninglessness. Not that owning ones own small business is in any way unworthy, but it simply was not Matts true passion. In his heart, he wanted to paint, and he would never be truly happy until he pursued that dream, wherever it finally led him. Those beautiful
5、 dreams we have for the rest of our lives too often dont materialize. And, again too often, we look back dissatisfied with the direction we took or the place we finally reached. You dont get to choose how youre going to die or when. You can only decide how youre going to live. That decision is too i
6、mportant to put off another day. 1. We can infer from what Frederick says that . A. most people dont use their gifts B. every student has a gift for something C. you are alive when working with people D. many people are working without talents 2. Why did Matt give up his restaurant business? A. Beca
7、use he couldnt make a lot of money. B. Because he was told he would die soon. C. Because he found no passion for cooking. D. Because he wanted to become a doctor. 3. The example of Matt reflects that A. anything unexpected may happen B. where there is a will, there is a way C. misfortune may be an a
8、ctual blessing D. a slow sparrow should make an early start 4. According to the writer, Matt was truly happy A. when he attracted attention from others B. when he owned his own small business C. when he knew he wouldnt die soon D. when he realized his dream of painting 5. The writers purpose of writ
9、ing this passage is to expect people A. to decide how to live their life B. to give up dreams and be practical C. to make correct decisions in life D. to live a happy life every dayB Jinesh was around 7 or 8 years old when I first met him. He was a soft spoken boy from a southern place in India. Eve
10、ryone carries some load; Jinesh too had one. Camouflaged in his smile was something I dont know what it means to carry. But there he was going around with courage I have seen only in a few. He wore a mask, required of people who experience chemotherapy（化疗）, for he was battling a cancer. First time I
11、 smiled and said a Hi and Jinesh gently responded back. He was preparing to leave for his hometown. His father was kind enough to share his sons treatment. I could do nothing to offer comfort, just a smile and a couple of words. They were off. I never thought our relationship would grow in the next
12、few years. A few months later they were again in the hospital for a follow up. I came across them at the restaurant and I recognized that little face, now without the mask. I said a Hello and asked the little man whether he recognized me. It was an honor that he remembered me. Our journey grew furth
13、er. I spent many minutes with him and we exchanged phone numbers. I promised I would visit him later and carried on. He was staying next to our hospital. What could I gift a boy like Jinesh? I decided on a pack of colors. What could I expect in the room of a small boy undergoing chemotherapy? As I e
14、ntered he was beaming with a smile and I felt small before his ability to take life as it comes. I relearnt that the most important things in life are not things. He started showing me the drawings and crafts he had done, for he done quite a bit of them and decorated his room. How many times do I fail to decorate my life? On July 7, 2012 Jinesh breathed last after his battle. I still find it hard to think that it all happened. He was calm enough to say Goodbyes to people he knew during his last days. Jinesh is one of the real-life heroes. 6. The underlined word camouflaged may mean
