Question

My grandmother Adele loved culture and was generous with its gifts. When I was a child, she took me to museums, restaurants, dances. She showered me with gifts from her travels around the world. But I can only remember her giving me one book ― a book that, to this day, I have not read. She presented me with her own favorite childhood book: Hans Brinker. My grandmother was happy to share this book with me. She even decorated the title page with her proud writing.

I tried to read it. I adored reading, and would dive into a new pile of books from the library all at once. But something about Hans Brinker just wouldn’t let me in. The story was set in Holland, a long time ago. It felt dull and unfamiliar ― even though I was a fan of classics of other times and places. I simply read the first pages over and over. I could not progress.

Standing on a bookshelf in our living room, the book was like something I avoided. It scolded me for not being interested, for not trying hard enough, for disappointing my grandmother.

The book started to fit in, almost forgotten, until Adele asked. Had I read it? Did I like it? Always determined, she wanted to know the answer. I would make some kind of excuse, feel bad, and open it again, hoping for a new reaction. The book weighed on me.

Years passed and finally Adele and I both accepted that I would never read Hans Brinker. Eventually I cleared the book from the shelf. The Hans Brinker experience led me to set a rule that I’ve lived by ever since: Do not ask about a book given as a gift. Don’t ask, despite your desire to discuss it to grow closer. The desire for such connection is what gives book-giving with special meaning ― and increases the owner’s possibility to be a letdown.

Guilt is basically the same as for all gifts, though. If the giver doesn’t have the pleasure of seeing or hearing about the gift being enjoyed, and asks whether it is, then the owner ― unless she can truthfully say “yes” ― either has to admit to not liking the present, or else lie on the spot. Neither is pleasant. So, don’t ask.

1.When the author was a kid, his grandmother ________.

A. took him to travel around the world a lot

B. loved to take him to museums and stores

C. shared her childhood stories with him

D. gave him many gifts

2.What does the author think about the book his grandmother gave him?

A. Boring. B. Interesting.

C. Puzzling. D. Disappointing.

3.The underlined sentence “The book weighed on me” in Paragraph 4 probably means

________.

A. the book is too heavy for the author to carry

B. the author feels stressful facing the book

C. the book is full of powerful viewpoints

D. the author keeps reading the book

4.The author learns from the Hans Brinker’s experience that never ________.

A. give others books as gifts

B. lie to people who give you gifts

C. get close to others through gifts

D. talk about the books given as gifts

 

Answer 1

1.D

2.A

3.B

4.D

【解析】

試題分析: 本文是一篇記敘文。作者的奶奶是一個慷慨的人，她曾送給作者一本書，但是我認為這本書很無聊，所以一直沒有去讀。而奶奶一直問作者讀了沒有，作者總是找借口。這個經歷讓作者得出一個教訓: 不要詢問作為禮物送出去的書。因為如果你問了，如果對方沒有讀那會很尷尬。

1.D判斷推理題。根據第一段第一二句My grandmother Adele loved culture and was generous with its gifts. When I was a child, she took me to museums, restaurants, dances. She showered me with gifts from her travels around the world.描述可知作者的奶奶對于禮物是非�？犊�的，由此可判斷奶奶送給他許多禮物，故選D。其它三項都與文章細節(jié)所述不符。

2.細節(jié)理解題。根據第二段第三行It felt dull and unfamiliar……描述可知作者認為他奶奶送給她的這本書是無聊的，dull與boring同義，都是無聊的意思。故選A。

3.句意猜測題。根據本句上文Always determined, she wanted to know the answer. I would make some kind of excuse, feel bad, and open it again, hoping for a new reaction. 描述當奶奶想知道作者有沒有讀過那本書的時候，他總是找各種各樣的借口搪塞過去�？梢酝茰y“The book weighed on me.”意思是面對這本書，作者感覺很有壓力，因為奶奶給作者了，但是作者卻沒有讀，但奶奶老是問。故選B。

4.第五段第二行The Hans Brinker experience led me to set a rule that I’ve lived by ever since: Do not ask about a book given as a gift.描述可知作者從奶奶送的這本書的經歷中得出一個教訓:不要詢問作為禮物送出去的書。因為如果你問了，如果對方沒有讀那會很尷尬。故選D。

考點：考查日常生活類短文閱讀