A
(2020·北京市海淀区第二学期期末)
Stuttering(口吃)has nothing to do with intelligence. I know this because I stutter. If it takes me a while longer to say a word, it's not because I can't remember the word; it's because the neural (神经的) pathway that transforms words in my head into sounds in my mouth is wired differently. And differences, of course, are the best way to get negative attention in our society. Taking extra time to get my words out can surely be frustrating, but that's nothing compared to the misery of dealing with people's reactions.
Almost all children who stutter are discouraged from speaking in one way or another. It's usually not as direct as someone walking up to them and saying, “Hey, stuttering kid! Keep your mouth shut！” But when your voice causes adults and peers to snicker(窃笑)or roll their eyes, it's pretty discouraging.
Growing up, I learned to avoid speaking whenever possible. I hated what came out of my mouth, full of awkward pauses. I figured whatever future I had, it probably involved a vow of silence.
Today I'm a touring author and comedian. It took me 30-something years to get over stuttering. Did I stop stuttering? No! I couldn't stop if I wanted to. But I stopped wanting to stop. Instead of wasting all my time and energy trying to meet unattainable standards, I learned that it's OK to stutter. And I learned by example. I attended the National Stuttering Association conference and met all kinds of people who stuttered—people who didn't hate themselves and who didn't silence themselves. They stuttered, and they were OK with it! I remember watching them and thinking, “That's who I want to be！”
There's a popular saying in comedy: Your weakness is your strength. When I first entered my local open-mic scene, I quickly met some “smart” guys wanting to make a cheap joke at my expense. I remember introducing myself to one comedian and stuttering on my name, as I usually do. Eager to demonstrate his smartness, he replied, “Is that Nina with five Ns？”“No，” I said, “it's Nina with two Ns！” Just like that, I had created a joke as the result of someone making fun of my stutter.
To this day, whenever I need inspiration for a new joke, I just think about all the ridiculous comments I get from nonstuttering people. It's a comedy gold mine!
文章大意：本文是一篇记叙文。作者自小口吃，但作者发现口吃与智力无关，而是因为自己的神经系统有问题。但是别人对待口吃的不友好的反应让作者很心烦，作者决定尽量不说话。之后作者参加了一个会议，遇到了各种口吃的人，而这些人觉得口吃没问题，作者决定学习他们，调整对口吃的态度。作者成为喜剧演员后更是把别人对她口吃的可笑评价当作喜剧的创作素材。
1．It takes the author longer to say a word because she has D .
A．a comparatively low IQ
B．trouble in organizing ideas
C．a relatively small brain
D．problems in her neural system
解析：细节理解题。根据第一段第三句“If it takes me a while longer...is wired differently.”可知，作者口吃是因为她的神经系统有问题。故D项正确。
2．What annoyed the author most about her stuttering is A .
A．the unfriendly reactions of others
B．the difficulty in memorising words
C．her unpromising future as a stutterer
D．her embarrassing pauses during talks
解析：细节理解题。根据第一段尾句和第二段尾句“But when your voice causes adults and peers to snicker(窃笑) or roll their eyes, it's pretty discouraging.”可知，最让作者对自己的口吃感到心烦的是他人对此不友好的反应。故A项正确。
3．The author got over stuttering by A .
A．adjusting her attitude towards it
B．getting help from non-stutterers
C．telling herself constantly to stop it
D．silencing herself whenever possible
解析：推理判断题。根据第四段的内容可知，作者参加了一个会议，遇到了各种口吃的人，作者发现他们不讨厌他们自己，不让他们自己沉默；虽然他们口吃，但他们觉得没问题。作者决定学习他们，改变自己。又结合下文陈述的作者将别人对自己口吃的可笑评价当作喜剧的创作素材可推知，通过调整对口吃的态度，作者解决了口吃问题。故A项正确。
4．Paragraph 5 is mainly about the author's D .
A．success as a comedian
B．respect for other comedians
C．resistance to others' strength
D．acceptance of her imperfection
解析：段落大意题。通读第五段可知，该段第一句是该段的主题句，提出“在喜剧中你的弱点就是你的长处”的观点；接着该段用“作者因对方对自己的取笑而创作出了一个玩笑”的事例证明了该观点。据此可知，该段的内容主要是关于“作者接受自己的缺点”的。故D项正确。
