One of my fondest memories as a child is going by the river and sitting idly on the bank. There I would enjoy the peace and quiet, watch the water rush downstream and listen to the singing of birds and the rustling of leaves in the trees. I would also watch the bamboo trees bend under pressure from the wind and watch them return gracefully to their original position after the wind had died down.
When I think about the bamboo trees’ ability to bounce back or return to its original position, the word “resilience” comes to my mind. When used in reference to a person, this word means the ability to readily recover from shock, depression or any other negative situation that stretches the limits of a person’s emotions.
Have you ever felt like you are about to lose control of your emotions? Have you ever felt like you are at your breaking point? Thankfully, you have survived the experience to live to talk about it.
During the experience you probably felt a mix of emotions that threatened your health. You felt emotionally tired, mentally exhausted and you most likely bored unpleasant physical symptoms.
Life is a mixture of good times and bad times, happy moments and unhappy moments. The next time you are experiencing one of those bad times or unhappy moments that take you close to your breaking point, bend, but don’t break. Try your best not to let the situation get the best of you.
A measure of hope will take you through the unpleasant moments. Will hope for a better tomorrow or a better situation, things may not be as bad as they seem to be. The unpleasant moment may be easier to deal with if the end result is worth having.
If the situation gets tough and you are at your breaking point, show resilience. Like the bamboo trees, bend, but don’t break!
What does the underlined word “resilience” mean in Paragraph 2?
A.The ability to overcome any difficulty. |
B.The quality of hoping for a better tomorrow. |
C.The quality of being brave at the breaking point. |
D.The ability to recover easily and quickly from unpleasant or damaging events. |
Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A.Life is like a bamboo tree that never breaks. |
B.Whatever difficulties we may meet with in our life, we can bend, but can never break. |
C.Life is a mixture of good times and bad times, happy moments and unhappy moments. |
D.If you get over your breaking point, you can survive to live longer and more happily than others. |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A.The author was an idle child when he was living near the river. |
B.We should try our best not to let our bad times get the best of us. |
C.Our being likely to lose control of our emotions is common in our life. |
D.We should always believe things may not be as bad as they seem to be. |
Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?
A.Bend, but don’t break. |
B.My wonderful childhood. |
C.The bamboo trees. |
D.Love the bamboo trees and your life. |