I’ve always been creative since I was a little girl. My childhood was filled with arts, crafts (手工) and music, and every day was an exciting adventure of creation.

Somewhere along the way, however, I lost touch with my creative self. At 21, I landed a job at a big insurance company out of my business degree. I would go to the office, sit at my desk and repeat the same work five days a week 9 to 5. The days were long and tedious. Working this way for one year was painful enough, let alone a lifetime. Before long I decided to make a change.

One thing I had developed an interest in was sewing, so I took a sewing course at a community college. It was only a five-week course but it awakened my interest and got my confidence up.

As I dreamt bigger, I began looking into college courses for Fashion Design and three months later I signed up for a part-time design course. I attended classes two nights a week. Although exhausting, it gave me energy, enthusiasm and happiness.

As it became clearer that fashion was what I wanted to do full time, the reality of my day-to-day work at the insurance company became harder. I felt bored. No energy, no motivation and zero fulfilment (满足感).

I knew I needed to make a bigger change. After struggling for quite a while, I made a difficult decision—leaving my job and studying my design course full time. Two years later I got my diploma.

The last few years have been exciting because I’ve been following my heart to do what I love. Today I am living a creative life as the designer of my own fashion brand.

Sometimes it’s hard to make a change, but I’m so glad I set the wheels of change in motion with that very small first step because it has led me to where I am today.

56. What was the author interested in when she was a little girl? (no more than 10 words)

57. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 2 mean? (1 word)

58. How did the author feel when she was taking the part-time design course? (no more than 10 words)

59. What did the author do to get back to her creative life? Give two of the facts. (no more than 15 words)

60. Do you consider the author as your role model? Please explain. (no more than 20 words)

【答案解析】

56. She was interested in arts, crafts and music.

Or: She was interested in creative things.   

57. Boring./Dull./Uninteresting.   

58. She felt/was energetic, enthusiastic and happy.

Or: She was filled with energy, enthusiasm and happiness.   

59. She quit/quitted her job and took the fashion-design course.

Or: She attended a sewing class and took a part-time design course.   

60. Yes, (I do). She has the courage to follow her heart and do what she really likes.

Or: Yes, (I do). I’d like to live a creative life and make changes when necessary as she. Or: No, (I don’t). I don’t like changes and I want to live a secure life.

【分析】本文是一篇记叙文。文章讲述了作者坚持做自己真正喜欢做的事情，最后取得了成功。

【56题详解】

考查细节理解。根据文章第一段内容“I’ve always been creative since I was a little girl. My childhood was filled with arts, crafts (手工) and music, and every day was an exciting adventure of creation.（从我还是一个小女孩的时候起，我就很有创造力。我的童年充满了艺术、手工艺和音乐，每一天都是令人兴奋的创作冒险。）”可知，从作者还是一个小女孩的时候起，她就对有创意的东西感兴趣，对艺术、手工艺和音乐感兴趣。故答案为She was interested in arts, crafts and music./ She was interested in creative things.

【57题详解】

考查词义猜测。根据画线单词所在句后句“Working this way for one year was painful enough, let alone a lifetime. Before long I decided to make a change.（这样工作一年已经够痛苦的了，更别说一辈子了。不久我决定做出改变。）”可知，作者现在的工作让她感到痛苦，她并不喜欢这份工作。再根据第五段内容“As it became clearer that fashion was what I wanted to do full time, the reality of my day-to-day work at the insurance company became harder. I felt bored. No energy, no motivation and zero fulfilment (满足感). （当我越来越清楚地意识到时尚是我全职想要做的事情时，我在保险公司的日常工作变得更加困难。我觉得无聊。没有活力，没有动力，没有满足感。）”可知，作者真正喜欢的是和时尚相关的工作，保险公司的工作让她感觉无聊。由此可知，画线单词所在句表示的是，在保险公司工作的日子漫长而乏味。故答案为Boring./Dull./Uninteresting.

【58题详解】

考查细节理解。根据文章第四段内容“As I dreamt bigger, I began looking into college courses for Fashion Design and three months later I signed up for a part-time design course. I attended classes two nights a week. Although exhausting, it gave me energy, enthusiasm and happiness.（当我的梦想更大的时候，我开始研究时装设计的大学课程，三个月后我报名参加了一个兼职设计课程。我每周上两晚课。虽然很累，但它给了我活力、热情和快乐。）”可知，在参加了兼职设计课程后，作者感觉充满了活力、热情和快乐。故答案为She felt/was energetic, enthusiastic and happy./ She was filled with energy, enthusiasm and happiness.

【59题详解】

考查细节理解。根据文章第三段关键句“One thing I had developed an interest in was sewing, so I took a sewing course at a community college.（我对缝纫产生了兴趣，所以我在一所社区大学上了缝纫课。）”，第四段关键句“As I dreamt bigger, I began looking into college courses for Fashion Design and three months later I signed up for a part-time design course.（当我的梦想更大的时候，我开始研究时装设计的大学课程，三个月后我报名参加了一个兼职设计课程。）”和倒数第三段内容“I knew I needed to make a bigger change. After struggling for quite a while, I made a difficult decision—leaving my job and studying my design course full time. Two years later I got my diploma.（我知道我需要做出更大的改变。经过一段时间的挣扎，我做出了一个艰难的决定，离开我的工作，并全职学习我的设计课程。两年后我拿到了毕业证书。）”可知，作者为了恢复她有创造力的生活，她参加了一个缝纫班，并参加了一个兼职设计课程，辞去了工作，去上时装设计课，根据题目要求，从中选出两点事实即可，不超过15个词。故答案为She quit/quitted her job and took the fashion-design course./ She attended a sewing class and took a part-time design course.

【60题详解】

开放题。题目询问“你认为作者是你的榜样吗？请解释一下原因。”本题为开放性试题，根据自己的理解，言之有理，符合文章内容即可，不超过20个词，如果答案是肯定的，原因可以是“She has the courage to follow her heart and do what she really likes.（她有勇气追随自己的心，做自己真正喜欢的事。）”；如果答案是否定的，原因可以是“I don’t like changes and I want to live a secure life.（我不喜欢变化，我想过安全的生活。）”。故答案为Yes, (I do). She has the courage to follow her heart and do what she really likes./ Yes, (I do). I’d like to live a creative life and make changes when necessary as she./ No, (I don’t). I don’t like changes and I want to live a secure life.