万圣节“崩溃”经历对我的影响

My regrettable “mean girl” moment happened when I was in seventh grade.

I was living in a new town and struggling to fit in. As Halloween approached, I felt hopeful when a shy yet kind girl asked me if I would trick-or-treat with her. I jumped at the invitation, until another more “popular” girl invited me to walk around with her group. I made the selfish and unkind decision to tell the first girl that my parents said I needed to stay at home and pass out candy. I remember that painful feeling of shame that began to form in my heart as I delivered this dishonest excuse. But that little voice of conscience quickly disappeared. 

While we were trick-or-treating, the “cool” girls were less than kind to me, but I convinced myself I had made the right decision. Then, I experienced a moment of pure embarrassment and shame when I found myself face to face with the sweet girl I had lied to. I’ll always remember the look of hurt and hate on her face when she saw me with another group of girls.

I never took direct responsibility for my dishonest behavior. In the years that followed, we didn’t interact at school. We just ignored each other and every time I saw her, I heard a little voice that reminded me what an awful person I was. I also was never welcomed into the group of girls that I so desperately wanted to accept me. In fact, I became their target for aggressive behavior for the next few years.

Later, in my late 30s, I formed an interest in character education when I found myself at a personal and professional crossroads. With the guidance of a mentor, I began to consider the trajectory (轨迹) of my own character development and how relationships with family, friends, and educators, as well as experiences, such as my Halloween debacle (崩溃), had affected my values, beliefs, and decisions. This exploration uncovered a new sense of purpose that eventually led me to the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University (ASU).

1.What can we learn about the author when she was in seventh grade?

A She just transferred to a new school.

B She was popular at school.

C She passed out candy at Halloween.

D She was shy but kind.

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。根据第二段第一句“I was living in a new town and struggling to fit in.”可知，作者当时搬到一个新的小镇，新的学校，正在努力适应。故选A。

2.What does the underlined part “jumped at” probably mean?

A Refused.

B Accepted.

C Ignored.

D Suspected.

解析：选B。B 词义猜测题。结合后文的“as I delivered this dishonest excuse”可知，最初作者接受了这个女孩的邀请，后来改变主意对她撒了谎拒绝了她的邀请。故选B。

3.How did the author feel later in front of the sweet girl?

A Hurt.

B Cool.

C Ashamed.

D Welcomed.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据第三段的“Then, I experienced a moment of pure embarrassment and shame when I found myself face to face with the sweet girl I had lied to”以及第四段的“every time I saw her, I heard a little voice that reminded me what an awful person I was”可知，后来每次见到那个女孩，作者都感到羞愧。故选C。

4.Which of the following articles may this text be excerpted (节选) from?

A What Makes a Class Memorable?

B Things That Influence Our Character.

C Lessons from My Research on Creativity.

D Ways to Improve Teen Mental Health.

解析：选B。B 推理判断题。根据最后一段中的“character education”以及“my own character development”可知，本文可能是一篇与性格培养有关的文章，最有可能节选自文章“影响我们性格的事情”。故选B。