A
[2019·河北联盟考试] Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they convey regrets, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.
My father is famous in our family for saying, “Take the extra minute to do it right.” I always try to live by the “extra minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (衬垫) to the sharp corners of a glass coffee table.
I don't only avoid those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. It's equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had forgone an opportunity to say “I love you” or “I forgive you”. When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn't be here. But then I thought about the fact that he was 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn't miss an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.
I know there will still be occasions when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality. And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I'm doing the right thing. I'm buying myself peace of mind and that's the best kind of insurance for my emotional wellbeing.
体裁：夹叙夹议 题材：社会生活 主题：把事情做好避免遗憾
【语篇解读】 “我”认为英语中最悲伤的两个词是“if only”，因为它们表达了遗憾。父亲在“我”小时候经常告诉我们花费额外的时间也要把事情做好来避免遗憾，“我”听从父亲的建议并认为这样做是对的。
【难句分析】 I know there will still be occasions when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality.
分析：该句是由but连接的表示并列的两个分句组成，其中在第一个分句中，“there will still be occasions when I have to say ‘if only’ about something”是省略了连接词that的宾语从句，从句中又使用了when引导的定语从句，修饰先行词occasions。在第二个分句中，动词不定式作目的状语。
译文：我知道，仍然将会有一些场合我不得不就一些事情说“if only”，但是由于我的准则是做一切可能的事情来避免那种事情的发生，我的生活毫无疑问会更加美好。
1．Why does the writer regard “if only” as two of the saddest words in the English language?
A．Because people use them when they feel sad.
B．Because they express regrets and disappointment in life.
C．Because they remind the writer of some sad experiences.
D．Because they mean sadness in the English language.
答案与解析：B 考查细节理解。由第一段中的“Two of the saddest words in the English language are ‘if only’．.. because they convey regrets, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment”可知，“我”认为英语中最令人伤心的两个词是“if only”，因为这两个词表达了后悔、错失的机会、错误和失望，故选B项。
2．What's the meaning of the underlined word “forgone” in Paragraph 3?
A．Given up. B．Come across.
C．Got through. D．Held back.
答案与解析：A 考查词义猜测。该词所在的句子表达的意思是：我们都认识这样的人，他们在失去所爱之人后会后悔错失了说“我爱你”或“我原谅你”的机会。所以画线词表示“失去了”，和短语give up意思接近，故选A项。
3．The author decided to go to her office on Good Friday to ________.
A．see a doctor B．finish her work
C．join a celebration D．accompany her father
答案与解析：D 考查细节理解。题干中的关键信息“decided to go to her office”对应原文中的“I had decided to go to work”，由此定位到倒数第二段。从倒数第二段可以看出，“我”知道父亲要去自己办公室对面看眼科医生时，本来打算按原计划休假，但突然意识到父亲已经84岁了，所以“我”决定即便是自己的休息日，为了陪父亲，也会去上班。故选D项。
4．What is the best title for the passage?
A．Advice from My Father
B．Avoidance of Saying “If Only”
C．The “Extra Minute” Rule
D．The Importance of Emotional Wellbeing
答案与解析：B 考查主旨大意。根据首尾段的第一句话及文章大意可知，本文主要是针对避免说英语中最伤心的两个词“if only”进行阐述的，所以B项“避免说‘if only’”符合全文内容。
