英语高级口语教程(15)

someone complimented her on what she wore and asked whether it was new, she could honestly answer no. She did not "deserve" to wear new clothes. She could not bear the pain of hearing compliments, of seeing herself as intelligent, pretty, or worthwhile.

As a child, Marya had received little or no criticism from her parents. She was prized by them. Their major disappointment in her apparently was that she often rejected their overtures of kindness and appreciation, not in anger but in embarrassment, as though she were undeserving. This seemingly mild-mannered young woman, exceptionally courteous and considerate to others, held onto her own negative self judgment with tenacity. Finally, friends and interested faculty members quit acceding to her persuasive requests for criticism that they could not honestly give. Instead, they gently but firmly confronted her with her own blindness to what she truly was like.

II . Read

Read the following passages. Underline the important viewpoints while reading.

l. Unfair Criticism

Stuart is a typical sixteen-year-old boy who experienced and suffered from the criticism of an alcoholic parent. It seemed to Stuart the only thing his father ever had to say to him was, "You haven't got a brain in your head? Stuart was a sophomore in high school. It was true he was a poor student, or what his dean called an "underachiever".

Even though Stuart knew he was an underachiever, he would have liked to hear his father say, just once, something else when he brought home his report card other than his usual, "You haven't got a brain in your head."

Stuart was determined to prove to his father he did have a brain in his head. Stuart

studied very hard. Some nights it was difficult for him to concentrate on his homework because he could hear his parents bickering in the next room.

"You forgot to pay the mortgage again. The bank is fed up."

"How many times can a person smash up a car? I'm surprised they haven't taken your license away! "

"If you wouldn't drink so much . . . "

Stuart didn't like the bickering, and wondered if his parents might separate. He wondered, too, because his father was so forgetful about paying the bills, if they might lose their home.

He kept telling himself that if he studied hard, maybe, by some miracle, things would get better at home.

Stuart's determination to concentrate on his school work, in spite of the bickering and worries at home, paid off. His next report card showed a marked improvement. There was even a personal note of praise from his dean written on the report card.

Proudly Stuart put the report card on his father's desk. Stuart felt happier than he had felt in a long time. He knew that his father could only be pleased with such a report, but more important, maybe now his father would realize that he was intelligent and would