Tell a story and tell it well,and you may open wide the eyes of a child,open up

Tell a story and tell it well,and you mayopen wide the eyes of a child,open up lines of communication in a business,oreven open people’s mind to another culture or race.

People in many places are digging up the oldfolk stories and the messages in them.For example,most American storytellersget their tales from a wide variety of sources,cultures,and times.They regardstorytelling not only as a useful tool in child education,but also as ameaningful activity that helps adults understand themselves as well as thosewhose culture may be very different from their own.

“Most local stories are based on a larger theme,”American storyteller Opalanga Pugh says,“Cinderella(灰姑娘),or the central idea of a good childprotected by her goodness,appears in various forms in almost every culture ofthe world.”

Working with students in schools,Pugh helpsthem understand their own cultures and the general messages of the stories.Sheworks with prisoners too,helping them know who they are by telling stories thather listeners can write,direct,and act in their own lives.If they don’t likethe story they are living,they can rewrite the story.Pugh also works tohelp open up lines of communication between managers and workers.“For every advance inbusiness,”she says,“there is agreater need for communication.”Storytelling can have agreat effect on either side of the manager-worker relationship,she says.

Pugh spent several years in Nigeria,whereshe learned how closely storytelling was linked to the everyday life of thepeople there.The benefits of storytelling are found everywhere,she says.

“I learned how people used stories to spreadtheir culture,”she says.“What Ido is to focus on the value of stories that people can translate into their owndaily world of affairs.We are all storytellers.We all have a story to tell.Wetell everybody’s story.”

1.What do we learn about Americanstorytellers from Paragraph 2?

A.They share the same way of storytelling.

B.They prefer to tell stories from othercultures.

C.They learn their stories from the Americannatives.

D.They find storytelling useful for bothchildren and adults.

2.The underlined sentence(Paragraph 4)suggests that prisoners can _______.

A.start a new life

B.settle down in another place

C.direct films

D.become good actors

3.Pugh has practised storytelling with_______ groups of people.

A.2                 B.3                 C.4                 D.5

4.What is the main idea of the text?

A.Storytelling can influence the way peoplethink.

B.Storytelling is vital to the growth ofbusinesses.

C.Storytelling is the best way to educatechildren in school.

D.Storytelling helps people understandthemselves and others.

试题答案

【答案】

1.D

解析:这是一道细节题。根据第二段中的“Theyregard storytelling not only as a useful tool in child education,but also as ameaningful activity that helps adults understand themselves as well as thosewhose culture may be very different from their own. ”可判断出讲故事对孩子和成年人都有用处。

2.A

解析:这是一道猜义题。第四段中的“If theydon’t like the story they are living,they can rewrite the story.”的意思是“如果他们对自己生活的故事不满意，他们就可以重新写这个故事”。这句话暗示了囚犯也可以改变自己的生活。

3.B

解析:这是一道计算题。从第四段可知Pugh与学生、囚犯及经理和工人一起讲故事，所以是3组。

4.D

解析:这是一道主旨题。根据短文的内容可判断出这篇短文主旨是讲故事可以影响人们的思维方式。