四、阅读理解
“I really want to, but I can’t because...”
It hurts every time I hear someone say it. I see it for what it is—an excuse. Every one of us has hopes, dreams and goals. We talk about how we will achieve them, but when it’s time to do so, we use that sentence.
During my teen years, I felt stuck. I wanted to learn so many things and achieve my wildest dreams, yet I couldn’t. Living in an underdeveloped country, we suffered from a lack (缺乏) of water, electricity, security (安全) and chances. And we didn’t have training courses, libraries or clubs, and the internet was slower than a snail crawling (爬行) through peanut butter.
One day, I had had enough. I decided to use the resources I had to create the future I dreamed of. I set my mind on getting the Japanese Monbusho Scholarship (奖学金). I found articles and books online to become fluent (流利的) in Japanese. In a few months, I was able to hold a simple conversation in Japanese. I realized that I would need money. I set out to build a hedgehog (刺猬) care website. Every day, after school, I would research hedgehogs and write detailed articles about them. I studied Japanese and wrote about hedgehogs for three years. I’m sure you’re expecting a spirit-lifting ending where I travel to Japan and live off my website.
That’s not how this story ends. The fact is, I didn’t even get the chance to apply (申请) for the scholarship. I failed. Unwilling to accept the facts, I entered an online university the next year. And the hedgehog website made me a total of 60.
I can tell you that I tried, but it didn’t work out. It didn’t turn out the way I expected.
I’m not in Japan, but I know how to speak Japanese and have met many interesting people along the way. My hedgehog website didn’t succeed, but I created a new one that’s even better with the experience I gained.
I never let any difficulty stand in my way and managed to create my own chances. Everyone should value the cards they own and find their own way to turn them into a winning hand.
（ ）1. Why does the writer mention the underlined sentence at the beginning of the text?
A. To explain how it hurts her.
B. To lead to the writer’s opinion.
C. To show how often people say it.
D. To explain when people usually say it.
（ ）2. According to the passage, which graph can best show the writer’s thoughts towards life?
（ ）3. What do we know about the writer?
A. She won a scholarship to study in Japan.
B. She didn’t go to a university in the end.
C. She kept trying even though she failed.
D. Her hedgehog website earned (赚得) her a lot of money.
（ ）4. What does the writer want to tell us with this article?
A. Chances seldom knock twice.
B. Failure is the mother of success.
C. The more you expect, the more disappointed you will be.
D. The weak wait for chances; the strong create them.
