17．In 1997，I found myself in a situation I never thought I'd be in：alone and begging for money in New York．My father had been separated from our family，and my mother had recently died from complications related to AIDS．What I remember most about such nights is lying on the cold marble floor and using my backpack for a pillow．
Even though I had lost my family，I made choices every single day to turn my life around．There was the haven for homeless teenagers called the Door，a non-profit organization that provided me with guidance，medical care and food，all of which kept me going while Icompleted my homework in train stations and under hallway lights．Perhaps the most surprising help though，I did not seek out﹔it found me．The New York Times told my story．In the weeks that followed，dozens of strangers reached out to me from all across the United States．At my high school，I began receiving handwritten letters of encouragement．Strangers showed up bearing clothes，books，and even hugs．Since the article mentioned I was applying to Harvard，one woman knitted a blanket for me．She attached this note to the box it was posted in："It getscold in those dorms．May you warm yourself knowing that people care about you"．
With the help of these people，my life today bears no resemblance at all to my life then．Igraduated not only from high school but also from Harvard University．
Before these people-some of them nameless-I just didn't realize how good people could be．But now I do，and I can say that the people who helped me have forever changed me．They are the reason behind my decision to join the board at the Door so that I can be part of a
small team of people opening a high school for homeless teenagers．They are the reason Idedicate my life to opening pathways for others．And they are the reason I travel around the world helping people transform their own lives．
56．According to the passage，the authorA．
A．tried to change her life
B．often slept m friends'homes
C．felt lonely because of her illness
D．felt quite desperate for her father
57．What can we learn about the Door？A
A．It helps the homeless teenagers．
B．It is an organization seeking profits．
C．It provides entertainment for children．
D．It reports the stories about the homeless．
58．The 3rd paragraph mainly tells aboutA．
A．how the author applies to Harvard
B．how the author struggles for her ideal
C．how The New York Times helps the author
D．how people help the author in different ways
59．Which of the following is the correct order to describe the author's life？C
a．The newspaper reported her story．
b．She graduated from Harvard University．
c．She slept on the cold floor at night．
d．She joined the committee at the Door．
e．Her mother died from the illness．
A．d→e→c→a→b B．e→c→d→a→b
C．e→c→a→b→d D．b→c→d→e→a
60．What can we learn from the last paragraph？B
A．Patience is a virtue．
B．Love can be passed on．
C．Time waits for no man．
D．Honesty leads to success．
分析 文章講述的是作者在遭遇不幸時得到媒體的報導，然后社會各界給予了他很大的幫助，使得他能夠完成學業(yè)，最終畢業(yè)于哈佛大學．在取得一定的成績后作者決定回報社會，投入到幫助別人的工作中．
解答 56．A；細節(jié)推理題，根據(jù)第二段I made choices every single day to turn my life around可知，作者想改變他的生活．
57．A；推理判斷題，根據(jù)There was the haven for homeless teenagers called the Door可知，the door專門幫助那些無家可歸的青少年．
58．A；判斷推理題，根據(jù)開頭With the help of these people…可以判斷作者是在人們的幫助下才得以上大學，故答案選A．
59．C；細節(jié)理解題；通斷全文可以理出順序：作者媽媽死于疾病，生活處于困境，不得不睡涼地板，報紙報道了他的故事，社會各界資助他，使他能上大學，大學畢業(yè)的他要回報社會，所以他加入了the committee at the Door，故正確順序為C．
60．B；推理判斷題．因為作者受到了別人的幫助，所以作者打算投入到幫助別人的工作中，這說明愛是可以傳遞的．
點評 解答本題時要要先通讀全文，認真分析，從整體上去把握文章的內(nèi)容，并注意前后連貫性，在理解短文的基礎上，靈活運用所學的基礎知識聯(lián)系上下文，選出合適的答案．．
