历届高考完形填空语篇荟萃(7)

(七)

The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.
－Thomas Macaulay.
Some thirty years ago, I was studying in a public school in New York. One day, Mrs Manette O'neill gave an arithmetic¹ test to our class. When the papers² were marked she discovered that twelve boys had made exactly the same mistakes throughout³ the test.
There is nothing really new about cheating in exams. Perhaps that was why Mrs. O'neill didn't even say a word about it. She only asked the twelve boys to remain after class ， I was one of the twelve.
Mrs.O'neill asked no questions, and she didn't scold⁴ us either. Instead, she wrote on the blackboard the above words by Thomas macaulay. She then ordered us to copy these words into our exercisebooks one hundred times.
I don't know about the other eleven boys. Speaking for myself I can say: it was the most important single lesson of my life. Thirty years after being introduced to Macaulay's words, they still seem to me the best yardstick(准绳),because they give us a way to measure ourselves rather than others.
Few of us are asked to make great decisions about nations going to war or armies going to battle. But all of us are called upon daily to make a great many personal decisions. Should the wallet, found in the street, be put into a pocket or turned over to the policeman? Should the extra change received at the store be forgotten or returned? Nobody will know except you . But you have to live with yourself, and it is always better to live with someone you respect.[NMET96]
简析：记叙文文体，作者叙述大约三十年前学生时代的一次作弊，并阐述Macaulay的名言对自己人生观的影响。

1 arithmetic   

n.算术，算法；adj.算术学的，算术的

参考例句：

• The waiter got his arithmetic wrong.服务员算错了账。
• John was competing against James for the prize in arithmetic.约翰和詹姆斯比赛争夺算术奖。

2 papers   

n.文件，纸币，论文

参考例句：

• I want to check with my secretary before I sign the papers.在签署这些文件前，我要与我的秘书商议。
• The lawyer read all the papers relating to the case.律师阅读了与该案有关的全部文件。

3 throughout   

adv.到处，自始至终；prep.遍及，贯穿

参考例句：

• These magazines are sold at bookstores throughout the country.这些杂志在全国各地书店均有发售。
• Guilin is known throughout the world for its scenery.桂林以山水著称于世。

4 scold   

n.好责骂的人，责骂；vi.责骂，唠唠叨叨地骂；vt.怒骂

参考例句：

• Don't scold the child，It's not his fault.别责怪那孩子，那不是他的过错。
• His father gave him a bad scold this morning.他父亲今晨狠狠训了他一顿。