阅读理解。
Have you ever received a gift that was so clearly not your taste that you wondered if perhaps it had been
handed to you by mistake? Worse, have you ever given a present and watched your friend look as though she
had opened the wrong box? Maybe she responded (回应) with a polite "Why, thank you" , but you knew you
had missed the mark. Why do presents sometimes go wrong? And what do your choices (good and bad) tell
about your personal qualities (品质)?
Choosing the right gift is an art, I believe. It calls for empathy-the ability to put yourselfinto someone else's
head and heart. We're all able to do this; in fact, we're born with a kind of natural empathy. After the earliest
period of childhood, however, it needs to be reinforced (加强) by our parents, teachers, friends. When it isn't,
we're not able to understand other people's feelings as sharply. This can show in the gifts we select, and so can
many other emotional qualities.
Think back to the presents you've given over the past year, the time and effort you put into your selection,
how much you spent your thoughts while you were shopping, and your feelings when the receiver opened the
package. Keep in mind that what you choose shows your mner world. Of course, you may express yourself
differently with different friends, relatives, and other people you know.
We live in a society where exchanging presents is an important part of communication. Paying no attention
to the tradition won't make it go away. If you really dislike such a tradition, tell your friends ahead of time.
1. The underlined expression "you had missed the mark" means "you had failed to _____."
A. make her feel better
B. keep your friendship
C. receive a present in return
D. get the expected effect
2. In the third paragraph, the writer tells us that _____.
A. attention should be paid to the receivers' responses
B. one learns from what he did in the past
C. the choice of gifts shows one's emotional qualities
D. one should spend more time choosing gifts
3. The best possible title for this passage is _____.
A. Ways of Choosing Gifts
B. An Important Tradition
C. Exchanging Presents
D. Message in a Gift
