A
(2020·湖北八校第一次联考)
I always wanted to be extraordinarily good at something.I wanted to be the best in the class—aweinspiring and tiptop；a worldfamous genius，like Michael Phelps.
Unfortunately，my version of reality did not quite line up with this delusional vision.I was a good swimmer，but I peaked at the collegiate State Championships level.My academic record was pretty solid，but I never would have made it into one of those Ivy League schools.
Though I rose to aboveaverage status in a couple of areas，the disappointing truth was that I would never amount to anything better than a midsized fish in a small pond.The destiny apparently had other plans.
What drove me crazy，though，was the superstar talent thrown in my face at every turn.Some folks just seemed to get an unfair dose(一剂) of the talent.Why couldn't I be like Bernie Williams，the famed New York Yankees player who also happened to be a worldclass guitar virtuoso(艺术大师)?
Some say greatness is simply a function of putting in the practice time.It is around ten thousand hours，to be precise，according to author Malcolm Gladwell.I don't question the theory of devoting extraordinary efforts to developing one's expertise，but it seems that the talent is equally important.
I've heard that as people approach middle age，their life satisfaction increases because they begin to accept the gap between the expectations of themselves and the reality.After a few decades of frustration without the desired results，we eventually come to terms with our life as it comes out，even if it falls far short of our idealized youthful expectations.
Hope bends，it seems.
语篇解读 本文是一篇夹叙夹议文。作者一直想成为最优秀的人，但是现实跟不上作者的期望；作者后来明白天赋和努力同样重要，人们最终会接受期望与现实的差距。
1．What does the underlined word “delusional” in Para.2 most probably mean?
A．Imaginary. B．Realistic.
C．Disappointing. D．Material.
A [考查词义猜测。根据画线词所在句中的“did not quite line up with”和上一段的内容(作者对自己的期望)可知，此处表示现实与作者对自己的期望并不完全一致。A项意为“幻想的”，与画线词词义相近，故选A项。]
2．In the passage，the writer thinks of himself as________．
A．a worldfamous genius
B．a midsized fish in a small pond
C．a worldclass virtuoso
D．a student in an Ivy League school
B [考查细节理解。根据第三段的内容，尤其是“I would never amount to anything better than a midsized fish in a small pond”可知，作者把自己视为池塘中的一条中等大小的鱼。故选B项。]
3．According to the writer，what makes “greatness”？
A．Extraordinary efforts.
B．Ten thousand hours of practice.
C．Talent and expertise.
D．Talent and practice.
D [考查细节理解。根据第五段第一句和最后一句可知，作者认为“伟大”来自大量的练习和天赋，故选D项。]
4．Which of the following might be the best title?
A．Hope Bends B．Frustrating Decades
C．Practice Works D．Youthful Expectations
A [考查标题判断。根据尾段“Hope bends，it seems”并结合文章其他内容可知，本文主要讲述了期望与现实的差距——随着我们步入中年，我们最终会接受自我理想化的期望与现实的差距，故A项最适合作文章标题。bend意为“弯曲”。]
