《阅读理解特训：3 真 2 模含解析》2014 届高三英语二轮突破 21Ⅳ.阅读理解（每小题 2 分，满分 40 分）AFor a long time, a boy wondered why his next-desk-pal was always the first in the class, whereas he could only rank the 21st.At home, he asked his mom:“Am I more stupid than other kids? How can I always fall behind? I just can’t come up with an answer.”Mom was aware that her son’s self-respect had been damaged by the ranking system, but she didn’t know what to say to help.She tended to say that intelligence differs and that yes, her son’s friend really was the smarter boy. But that would so upset her son. Thank goodness she resisted the temptation to say it.Her son and his friend went on to high school that year, but despite trying as hard as he could, her son’s friend still outdid him. But she was proud of her boy for his hard work, sincerely proud. It was around this time that she decided to take him on a trip to the seaside. On the trip, she at last found an answer for him.Today her son no longer cares about rankings. He doesn’t have to, for he himself is now the top of the class at the top national university he attends. After university his teachers and peers fully expect him to have a promising career.Invited to speak to his old high school, he mentioned a valuable childhood experience. It concerned that holiday his mother had prepared for them:“Once, on a trip to the sea, my mother and I were lying on the beach. She pointed to the sea and said to me: Do you see the seabirds fighting for food out there? When a wave comes near, the little birds rise quickly. The clumsy seagulls are far slower and have to struggle to get away from the wave. But these clu...
