One night,when I was eight,my mother gently asked me a question I would never forget.“Sweetie,my company wants to1me but needs me to work in Brazil.This is like your teacher telling you that you’ve done2and allowing you to skip a grade(跳级),but you’ll have to3your friends.Would you say yes to your teacher?”She gave me a hug and asked me to think about it.I was puzzled.The question kept me4for the rest of the night.I had said“yes”but for the first time,I realized the5decisions adults had to make. 

For almost four years,my mother would call us from Brazil every day.Every evening I’d6wait for the phone to ring and then tell her every detail of my day.A phone call,however,could never replace her7and it was difficult not to feel lonely at times. 

During my fourth-grade Christmas break,we flew to Rio to visit her.Looking at her large8apartment,I became9how lonely my mother must have been in Brazil herself.It was then10I started to appreciate the tough choices she had to make on11family and work.12difficult decisions,she used to tell me,you wouldn’t know whether you made the right choice,but you could always make the best out of the situation,with passion and a13attitude. 

Back home,I14myself that what my mother could do,I could,too.If she15to live in Rio all by herself,I,too,could learn to be16.I learnt how to take care of myself and set high but achievable17. 

My mother is now back with us.But I will never forget what the18has really taught me.Sacrifices19in the end.The separation between us has proved to be a20for me. 1.

What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

The examples mentioned in Paragraph 4 show that________.

What can we learn from Paragraph 3?

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According to Paragraph 2,creators_______.

You are given many opportunities in life to choose to be a victim or a creator.When you choose to be a victim,the world is a cold and difficult place.“They”did things to you which caused all of your pain and suffering.“They”are wrong and bad,and life is terrible as long as“they”are around.Or you may blame yourself for all your problems,thus internalizing(内化)your victimization.The truth is,your life is likely to stay that way as long as you feel a need to blame yourself or others. 

Those who choose to be creators look at life quite differently.They know there are individuals who might like to control their lives,but they don’t let this get in the way.They know they have their weaknesses,yet they don’t blame themselves when they fail.Whatever happens,they have choice in the matter.They believe their dance with each sacred(神圣的)moment of life is a gift and that storms are a natural part of life which can bring the rain needed for emotional and spiritual growth. 

Victims and creators live in the same physical world and deal with many of the same physical realities,yet their experience of life is worlds apart.Victims relish(沉溺)in anger,guilt,and other emotions that cause others—and even themselves—to feel like victims,too.Creators consciously choose love,inspiration,and other qualities which inspire not only themselves,but all around them.Both victims and creators always have choice to determine the direction of their lives. 

In reality,all of us play the victim or the creator at various points in our lives.One person,on losing a job or a special relationship,may feel as if it is the end of the world and sink into terrible suffering for months,years,or even a lifetime.Another with the same experience may choose to first experience the grief,then accept the loss and soon move on to be a powerful creative force in his life. 

In every moment and every circumstance,you can choose to have a fuller,richer life by setting a clear intention to transform the victim within,and by inviting into your life the powerful creator that you are. 

1.What does the word“they”in Paragraph 1 probably refer to?

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