13．Exactly five years ago，on New Year's Eve，I was invited to a children's ball by a man high up in the business world，who had his connections，his circle of acquaintances，and his close friends．So it seemed as though the children's ball was merely an excuse for the parents to come together and discuss matters of interest to themselves，quite innocently and casually．
I was an outsider，and，as I had no special matters to air，I was able to spend the evening independently of the others．There was another gentleman present who like me had just stumbled upon this affair of domestic happiness．He was the first to attract my attention．His appearance was not that of a man of noble birth．He was tall，rather thin，very serious，and well dressed．Obviously he had no heart for the family celebration．The instant he went off into a corner by himself the smile disappeared from his face，and his thick dark brows knitted into a frown（皺眉）．He knew no one except the host and showed every sign of being bored to death，though bravely keeping the role of thorough enjoyment to the end．Later I learned that he was a provincial，had come to the capital on some important business，had brought a letter of recommendation to our host，and our host had taken him under his protection，not at all with love．It was merely out of politeness that he had invited him to the children's ball．
They did not play cards with him．They did not offer him cigars．No one entered into conversation with him．Possibly they recognized the bird by its feathers from a distance．Thus，my gentleman，not knowing what to do with his hands，was forced to spend the evening stroking （撫摸） his beards．His beards were really fine，but he stroked them so eagerly that one got the feeling that the beards had come into the world first and afterwards the man in order to stroke them．
28．According to the author，what's the purpose of the children ball？B
A．To offer children a place to meet．
B．To make parents meet and socialize．
C．To please all the guests invited．
D．To welcome a very important guest．
29．What does the underlined part"stumbled upon"in the second paragraph mean？A
A．Happened to attend．
B．Settled．
C．Intended to conduct．
D．Arranged．
30．Why was the gentleman unhappy？D
A．He wasn't well off enough．
B．He was from the countryside
C．He failed to develop his trade．
D．He wasn't really welcome．
31．Why does the author mention the gentleman's stroking his beards in Paragraph 3？C
A．To show his good behavior．
B．To expose his weakness．
C．To stress his embarrassment．
D．To express his interest．
分析 本文作者寫得是在一次孩子的舞會上對一位先生的觀察和描寫，
解答 28．B 細(xì)節(jié)理解題．根據(jù)句子So it seemed as though the children's ball was merely an excuse for the parents to come together and discuss matters of interest to themselves，在作者看來，孩子們的舞會僅僅是家長們聚在一起討論他們感興趣的事情的借口．所以答案選B．
29．A 猜測詞義題．I was an outsider，and，as I had no special matters to air，我是個局外人，因為我沒有什么特別的事情要考慮．There was another gentleman present who like me had just stumbled upon this affair of domestic happiness，另一個出席的人和我一樣，應(yīng)該是個局外人只是碰巧參加了這個活動沒有特別的事情，可以猜測stumbled upon是碰巧參加，所以答案選A．
30．D 推理判斷題．根據(jù)句子 he was a provincial had come to the capital on some important business，had brought a letter of recommendation to our host，and our host had taken him under his protection，not at all with love．可知他是一個來自外省的人來首都做重要的事情憑著一封舉薦信來到這里，完全不是因為愛，可以推斷出這個人是不受歡迎的，所以答案選D．
31．C 推理判斷題．根據(jù)句子Thus，my gentleman，not knowing what to do with his hands，was forced to spend the evening stroking （撫摸） his beards．可知因為整個晚上沒有人理他，因為不知道手該干些什么，這位先生一個晚上都在撫摸自己的胡子．由此可以推斷他是多么尷尬，所以答案選C．
點評 故事類文章在閱讀過程中，我們一直在某個線索的引導(dǎo)下，隨著作者的思路去了解一個故事或一件事情的始末，因此會感到比較輕松．命題往往從故事的情節(jié)、人物或事件之間的關(guān)系、作者的意圖和態(tài)度、故事的前因和后果等方面入手，考查學(xué)生對細(xì)節(jié)的辨認(rèn)能力以及推理判斷能力． 閱讀故事類文章時，應(yīng)注意把握主旨大意，弄清主要情節(jié)，立足文章的內(nèi)容揣摩作者的態(tài)度和意圖，根據(jù)文章的情節(jié)展開合理的想象，從而達(dá)到解題的目的．
