阅读理解

    This brief book is aimed at high school students, but speaks to anyone learning at any stage of life.

    Its formal, serious style closely matches its content, a school-masterly book on schooling. The author, W. H. Armstrong, starts with the basics: reading and writing. In his opinion, reading doesn't just mean recognizing each word on the page; it means taking in the information, digesting it and incorporating it into oneself just as one digests a sandwich and makes it a part of himself. The goal is to bring the information back to life, not just to treat it as dead facts on paper from dead trees. Reading and writing cannot be completely separated from each other; in fact, the aim of reading is to express the information you have got from the text. I've seen it again and again: some one who can't express an idea after reading a text is just as ineffective as someone who hasn't read it at all.

    Only a third of the book remains after that discussion, which Armstrong devotes to specific tips for studying languages, math, science and history. He generally handles these topics thoroughly and equally, except for some weakness in the science and math sections and a bit too much passion (激情) regarding history to his students, that was a hundred times more than my history teachers ever got across. To my disappointment, in this part of the book he ignores the arts. As a matter of fact, they demand all the concentration and study that math and science do, though the study differs slightly in kind. Although it's commonly believed that the arts can only be naturally acquired, actually, learning the arts is no more natural than learning French or mathematics.

    My other comment is that the text aged. The first edition apparently dates to the 1960s—none of the references(参考文献) seem newer than the late 1950s. As a result, the discussion misses the entire computer age.

    These are small points, though, and don't affect the main discussion. I recommend it to any student and any teacher, including the self-taught student.

阅读下文，完成小题

永恒的母亲

       ①我的母亲——缪进兰女士，在19岁高中毕业那年，经过相亲，认识了我的父亲。母亲20岁的时候，她放弃进入大学的机会，下嫁父亲，成为一个妇人。

       ②童年时代，很少看见她有过什么表情，她的脸色一向安详，在那安详的背后，总使人感受到那一份巨大的茫然。

       ③等我上了大学的时候，对于母亲的存在以及价值，才知道再做一次评价。记得放学回家来，看见总是在厨房里的母亲，突然脱口问道：“妈妈，你读过尼采没有？”母亲说没有。又问：“那叔本华、康德和沙特呢？还有……这些哲人难道你都不晓得？”母亲还是说不晓得。我呆望着她转身而去的身影，一时感慨不已，觉得母亲居然是这么一个没有学问的人。我有些发怒，向她喊：“那你去读呀!”这句喊叫，被母亲丢向油锅内的炒菜声挡掉了，我回到房间去读书，却听见母亲在叫：“吃饭了!今天都是你喜欢的菜。”

       ④以前，母亲除了东南亚之外，没有去过其他的国家。八年前，当父亲和母亲排除万难，飞去欧洲探望外孙和我时，是我的不孝，给了母亲一场心碎的旅行。外孙的意外死亡，使得父亲、母亲一夜之间白了头发。更有讽刺意味的是，母女分别了十三年的那个中秋节，我们却正在埋葬一个亲爱的家人。这万万不是存心伤害父母的行为，却使我今生今世一想起那父母亲的头发，就要泪湿满襟。

       ⑤母亲的腿上，好似绑着一条无形的带子，那一条带子的长度，只够她在厨房和家中走来走去。大门虽没有上锁，她心里的爱，却使她甘心情愿把自己锁了一辈子。

       ⑥我一直怀疑，母亲总认为她爱父亲的深度胜于父亲爱她的程度。

       ⑦还是九年前吧，小兄的终身大事终于在一场喜宴里完成了。那一天，当全场安静下来的时候，父亲开始致词。父亲要说什么话，母亲事先并不知道，他娓娓动听地说了一番话。最后，他话锋一转道：“我同时要深深感谢我的妻子，如果不是她，我不能得到这四个诚诚恳恳，正正当当的孩子，如果不是她，我不能拥有一个美满的家庭……”当父亲说到这里时，母亲的眼泪夺眶而出，她站在众人面前，任凭泪水奔流。我相信，母亲一生的辛劳和付出，终于在父亲对她的肯定里，得到了全部的回收和喜极而泣的感触。

       ⑧这几天，每当我匆匆忙忙由外面赶回家去晚餐时，总是呆望着母亲那拿了一辈子锅铲的手发呆。就是这双手，把我们这个家管了起来。就是那条腰围，没有缺过我们一顿饭菜。就是这一个看上去年华渐逝的妇人，将她的一生一世，毫无怨言，更不求任何回报的交给了父亲和我们这些孩子。

       ⑨回想到一生对于母亲的愧疚和爱，回想到当年读大学时看不起母亲不懂哲学书籍的罪过，我恨不能就此在她的面前，向她请求宽恕。今生惟一的孝顺，好似只有在努力加餐这件事上来讨得母亲的快乐。

       ⑩想对母亲说：真正了解人生的人，是她；真正走过来那么长路的人，是她；真正经历过那么多沧桑的，也全然用行为解释了爱的人，也是她。在人生的旅途上，母亲所赋予生命的深度和广度，没有哪本哲学书籍能够比她更周全。

       ⑪母亲啊母亲，在你女儿的心里，是源，是爱，是永恒。

       ⑫你也是我们终生追求的道路、真理和生命。