Norah has a cottage on a cliff above a big bay. In winter it could be very nasty because of strong winds and sea
spray. In fact, when a gale was blowing, Norah and her husband got used to sleeping in a small room downstairs, because their bedroom upstairs, which faced the gales, had a very big window, and they were afraid that an extra violent gust might break it and blow pieces of broken glass over them.
Also, the salt spray from the sea put an end to many of the colorful plants Norah planted in the garden. She tried putting up a fence to protect them, but the wind just hit it, went up over the top and then down the other side, so in the end she filled the garden with trees and bushes that liked salt.
But most of the summer Norah enjoyed her cottage and garden very much. At weekends she could sit out-of-doors in the sun, looking at the beautiful view, with interesting ships and boats passing by, and she could very easily cycle down to the sea for a swim.
Now, Norah and her husband had plenty of friends and relations. In the summer most of them used to come to enjoy the beautiful place, and in the end it really became quite annoying for Norah and her husband. When they were at home, they found friends and relations arriving, expecting to be given unlimited drinks and meals, and to sit in the sun for hours, talking as if Norah and her husband had nothing else to do but entertain and listen to them.
This went on for several years. Norah did not wish to appear rude by refusing to let her friends and relations in, but on the other hand, she was getting tired every summer.
Then one day Norah was complaining about this to her hairdresser while she was doing her hair. “You’re disturbed by too many uninvited guests, are you?” said the hairdresser. “Why don’t you try my way of escaping?”
“What’s that?” asked Norah.
“Well,” the hairdresser answered, “when the bell rings, I put on my coat and take my shopping bag. If it’s someone I don’t want to see, I say innocently, ‘I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go out. But…’”
小題1:In paragraph one the underlined word “spray” probably means
.
| A．wastes produced by some birds living near the sea |
| B．great waves caused by strong wind |
| C．plants floating on the surface of the sea |
| D．very small drops of sea water sent through the air by something |
小題2:We can infer that
.
| A．a(chǎn) lot of friends came to visit them in winter |
| B．few friends came to visit them in winter. |
| C．Friends came to visit them only for drinks and meals |
| D．Norah was a good cook |
小題3:The best title for the passage might be
.
| A．A Good Place of Enjoying the Sea |
| B．A Warm-hearted Couple |
| C．A Clever Way of Escaping |
| D．A Visit to Norah |
小題4:What the hairdresser is likely to continue to say in the end is “
”
| A．If I am tired, I say, ‘Sorry, can you come next time?’ |
| B．If it’s someone I like to see, I say, ‘How lucky! I’ve just come in!’ |
| C．If it’s someone I like to see, I say, ‘How happy to see you! I was going shopping, but now I’ve changed my mind.’ |
| D．If it is fine that day, I say, ‘I am tired, but I’ll show you around the place, anyhow.’ |
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