Like many new graduates, I left university full of hope for the future but with no real idea of what I wanted to do. My degree, with honours, in English literature had not really prepared me for anything practical. I knew I wanted to make a difference in the world somehow, but I had no idea how to do that. That's when I learned about the Lighthouse Project.
I started my journey as a Lighthouse Project volunteer by reading as much as I could about the experiences of previous volunteers. I knew it would be a lot of hard work, and that I would be away from my family and friends for a very long time. In short, I did not take my decision to apply for the Lighthouse Project lightly. Neither did my family.
Eventually, however, I won the support of my family, and I sent in all the paperwork needed for application. After countless interviews and presentations, I managed to stand out among the candidates and survive the test alone. Several months later, I finally received a call asking me to report for duty. I would be going to a small village near Abuja, Nigeria. Where? What? Nigeria? I had no idea. But I was about to find out.
After completing my training, I was sent to the village that was small and desperately in need of proper accommodation. Though the local villagers were poor, they offered their homes, hearts, and food as if I were their own family. I was asked to lead a small team of local people in building a new schoolhouse. For the next year or so, I taught in that same schoolhouse. But I sometimes think I learned more from my students than they did from me.
Sometime during that period, I realized that all those things that had seemed so strange or unusual to me no longer did, though I did not get anywhere with the local language, and I returned to the United States a different man. The Lighthouse Project had changed my life forever.
36. What do we know about the author?
A. His university education focused on theoretical knowledge.
B. His dream at university was to become a volunteer.
C. He took pride in having contributed to the world.
D. He felt honoured to study English literature.
37. According to Paragraph 2, it is most likely that the author ________.
A. discussed his decision with his family
B. asked previous volunteers about voluntary work
C. attended special training to perform difficult tasks
D. felt sad about having to leave his family and friends
38. In his application for the volunteer job, the author ________.
A. participated in many discussions
B. went through challenging survival tests
C. wrote quite a few papers on voluntary work
D. faced strong competition from other candidates
39. On arrival at the village, the author was ________.
A. asked to lead a farming team
B. sent to teach in a schoolhouse
C. received warmly by local villagers
D. arranged to live in a separate house
40. What can we infer from the author's experiences in Nigeria?
A. He found some difficulty adapting to the local culture.
B. He had learned to communicate in the local language.
C. He had overcome all his weaknesses before he left for home.
D. He was chosen as the most respectable teacher by his students.
【要点综述】 这是一篇记叙文。文章主要讲述了作者在大学只是学习理论的东西，而毕业后不知自己要干什么。后来作者通过了一项参加志愿者活动的申请，是志愿者活动改变了作者的人生。
36. A 细节理解题。根据第一段的“My degree, with honours, in English literature had not really prepared me for anything practical.”可知作者在大学里所学的不是实践的(practical)，而是理论上的(theoretical)东西。故选A。
37. A 推理判断题。根据第二段的“In short, I did not take my decision to apply for the Lighthouse Project lightly. Neither did my family.”和第三段的“Eventually, however, I won the support of my family, and I sent in all the paperwork needed for application.”可知，作者跟家人商量了是否参加志愿者活动。故选A。
38. D 细节理解题。根据第三段的“After countless interviews and presentations, I managed to stand out among the candidates and survive the test alone.”可知最后只有一个人可以胜出，因此作者经历了激烈的竞争。故选D。
39. C 细节理解题。根据第四段的“Though the local villagers were poor, they offered their homes, hearts, and food as if I were their own family.”可知作者受到了村民们的热情招待。故选C。
40. A 推理判断题。根据最后一段的“…I realized that all those things that had seemed so strange or unusual to me no longer did…and I returned to the United States a different man.”可知选A。
