最后的也是最美好的七个月

——英文完型填空多层次的思考

□ 刘兴惠

Eleven years ago it seemed as if the world came to an end. My husband of 19 years, the father of my two sons, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Over the course of seven months, Bill went from beating me easily at tennis to needing my help to go to the bathroom.

It was the best seven months of my life. Maybe I don't actually mean that. But it was certainly the time when I felt most 4. During those seven months. I came to understand that whatever else I did in my life; nothing would matter more than taking care of my husband. I discovered that the minor complaint of an annoying coworker or a flat tire pales in comparison with the beauty of sincere laughter, the smell of a bakery. There were moments of sincere laughter, and tenderness in every day. I found I could train myself to see beauty 10 bother.

In the days after Bill's diagnosis and brain surgery, being his caregiver also meant being fully 11 as much as possible. During his last weekend, when we had dinner together a relative visited. I noticed that she'd changed her appearance, and not in a good way. It was the kind of thought I’d usually keep to myself. Just then, Bill voiced out what I'd been thinking, in that truthful way he had, and I found myself shouting out loud. I thought I could live with this man forever, but he passed away in four days.

Eleven years later, I haven't made much achievement. But every day, I try to be the person I became during those seven months. I try to be a little less judgmental, a little more generous, a little more 19 for the small moments in life.

I am a better person for having been Bill's caregiver. It was his last, best 20 to me.

4  A .alive   B .awake   C .afraid   D .alone

11   A .responsible   B .absent

            C .present        D .informed

高中英语试卷中的完形填空大都是短小精悍，意义深远的哲理小短文。毫不例外，这篇短文大致内容为女主人公因为老公患了结肠癌，在老公去世之前的七个月支持陪护照顾老公,这最后七个月成了女主人公一生中最有意义、也是最美好的七个月，对人少了很多评判，更加宽容，也更加珍惜生命中那些看起来微不足道的时刻。于我这个有了一定岁月历练，正在逐步内观的我来说当然是很畅快淋漓的。

可是高二的学生们完全蒙圈，在试卷讲评时要求我逐个讲解（一般只需要讲错题，逐个讲意味着每题都有相当多的同学做错，并且基本没看懂），我这个老师都仔细看了三遍，也难怪他们觉得很难。

一般来说,成功地做好一道完形填空有以下几个层次：

第一层次：词汇语法基本无障碍，基本能理解文章的意义，只有极少数词汇不认识。

第二层次：能在一定程度上理解文章的弦外之音，把握作者想表达的真实意图。

第三层次：能够通过词语、句式等是否地道，文章的风格是否一致，语意衔接是否等流畅来选择。

一般情况下，理解能过这三个层次，已比较到位。这篇文章，还有更深的层次即第四层次：要求学生具有超越意识表层思维的领悟能力。而这种领悟能力与经历、岁月的沉淀有关。并且即使有岁月的沉淀，也不一定有超越表层意识比如思维习气或者模式的境界。最关键的一点，除了从逻辑、道理等方面分析，习惯思维的学生们似乎碰到问题更多是用脑在思考，而很少用心体会，正如樊登读书所指的类似：“我们习惯性地思考更多，却体会更少，这不仅将我们与他人分离开来，也隔绝了自我”。

现在侧重举两例说明：

例1：It was the best seven months of my life. Maybe I don't actually mean that. But it was certainly the time when I felt most 4.

第4空提供的选项为：A .alive B .awake C .afraid D .alone答案为A，大部分学生都选择答案D alone ,意为“单独、独自一人”，学生选D是第一个层次的问题，词语意思不明白，把它理解成了孤独，认为照顾老公的这七个月是最孤独的7个月，把alone 和lonely 搞混了。但是即使是lonely意为“孤独、寂寞”也不能选择，这属于第二层面，可以基本理解文章的意图。但几乎没学生选择alive，其意为“活着的，有活力的，情绪饱满的，生机勃勃的”。这属于第四层面，是否能超越表层的逻辑思考，贴近“此时此地”最真实的状态。

学生问：“老公生病了，她不伤心吗？”

所以，怎么也不会选择alive 看起来阳光积极的词语，在逻辑上或者道理上不合理，讲不通，所以，迷惑了。实际在这里已经远远超越了思维的表层，暗指的是女主人公因为在巨大的痛苦面前，放下很多东西，生命品质更加纯净和真实，如文中所说“During those seven months, I came to 5 that whatever else I did in my life, nothing would 6 more than taking care of my husband. I discovered that the minor complaint of an annoying coworker, or a flat tire pales in 7 with the beauty of sincere laughter, the 8 of a bakery. There were moments of 9 laughter, and tenderness in every day. I found I could train myself to see beauty 10 bother. (在这7个月里，我终于明白，生活中其他别的事情跟我照顾我老公相比，都显得不重要。令人恼火的同事的小抱怨，轮胎爆胎，跟真诚的笑容，面包房的香味相比都黯然失色)。因为这生命中的剧痛让她的生活真实起来，慢下来，能够欣赏感受到曾经被忽略的美好，于是女主人公从来没有这样真正的活过。这是最有活力的时候，是最好的时候。

例2：  In the days after Bill's diagnosis and brain surgery, being his caregiver also meant being fully 11 as much as possible.

第11空提供的选项为：A .responsible B .absent C .present D .informed 答案为C,但所有的同学都不约而同的选择了A 项。他们认为作为妻子及癌症患者的照顾者，自然是负责任的。从道理上逻辑上自然如此。这属于第三层次的理解，也是高中学生们比较习惯并且“很拿手”或者“屡试不爽”的思维方式，可是此处的present 在我看来，无比精妙。从前文看来，女主人从来没有这么清净，纯粹的心，全然投入的活在当下，感受生活中点滴美好，比如“Just then, Bill voiced 15 what I'd been thinking, in that truthful way he had, and I found myself 16 out loud. I thought I could live with this man forever, but he 17 in four days. （老公居然真诚地说出我不愿意说出来的想法，我认为这个男人就是可以一生的男人，虽然他4天后就离开了我）。”夫妻俩心领神会，我不愿意说出的小心思老公都全然了悟。当我们都足够静的时候，真正会倾听的时候，我们的觉察力，顿悟力会大大提高。可以达到了神交，心心相印的水乳交融的美好境界。因此，正如女主人所说   “Eleven years later, I haven't made much achievements. 18 every day, I try to be the person I became during those seven months. I try to be a little less judgmental, a little more generous, a little more 19 for the small moments in life.  I am a better person for having been Bill's caregiver. It was his last, best 20 to me.”（我没有取得很大的成就，但是在这个7个月里，我每天努力成为现在的样子，成了一个少评判，多宽容，更慷慨，更珍惜感激生活中点滴的人，因为老公，我成为了一个更好的人，这是我老公送给我的最后的也是最好的礼物）。而present有“当下，在场，礼物”等含义，所有的痛苦都是包装丑陋的礼物，一切都是生命的馈赠。在这里融合了表层及深层的含义，远远超越了前面几个层次，属于第四层次。

课后思考：

英语学习远远不是词汇及语法的记忆和学习，重要的是不同语言的载体下承载的思想内容，思维方式，情感价值观，以及全人共同拥有的普世的美好和感动。

当老师25年，做心理辅导三年以来，所有的真正有价值的都是相通的。做心理咨询，内在小我没有转化，内在的小孩没有疗愈，很难真正去疗愈他人，做老师也是如此，如果不是一颗开放的心，很难去理解孩子们五花八门的答案，也很难做真正理解他们共同思维而导致的不约而同的宝贝错误的根源，也难真正说服他们，更难成为他们学习的榜样，成为他们成长路上的明灯。

作为文化的传播者，精神世界的引领者，不仅要不断学习技能技巧，更应当去修身养性，略去浮躁的、功利的浮沫，去倾听孩子们的心，去引导他们接近他们自己的真心，也去了解他们的真心，培养及提高共情的能力，理解他人及文本的能力。真正的学习不仅仅限于书本，应当多引领孩子们关注生活，关注周围的人和事，打下丰富饱满的情感的、思维的生命底色，以应对即将展开的多变且多姿的生活。