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 ________.

took him to travel around the world a lot

loved to take him to museums and stores

shared her childhood stories with him

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】本文講述了奶奶送給我一本書，但是我認(rèn)為這本書很乏味，所以一直沒有去讀。而奶奶一直在問我讀了沒有，我總是找借口。讓我得出一個(gè)教訓(xùn)：永遠(yuǎn)不要談?wù)撟鳛槎Y物送出去的書。因?yàn)槟悴恢�道�?duì)方有沒有讀，如果對(duì)方?jīng)]有閱讀會(huì)很尷尬。

1.D

【試題解析】推理題。根據(jù)文章1,2行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.可知我的奶奶對(duì)于禮物是很慷慨，可知她經(jīng)常會(huì)給我一些禮物。故D正確。

2.2】A

【試題解析】推理題。根據(jù)文章第二段2,3行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.可知我對(duì)這本根本不感興趣，也沒有讀的愿望，是因?yàn)槲艺J(rèn)為這本書很無(wú)聊。故A正確。

3.3】B

【試題解析】推理題。根據(jù)前面兩句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.可知當(dāng)奶奶問我有沒有讀過(guò)那本書的時(shí)候，我總是找各種各樣的借口�？芍�當(dāng)我面對(duì)著這本書的時(shí)候，總是感覺很有壓力，因?yàn)槟棠探o我了，但是我卻沒有讀。故B正確。

4.4】D

【試題解析】細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)第五段2,3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. Don’t ask, despite your desire to discuss it to grow closer.可知從這本書里我得出一個(gè)教訓(xùn)：永遠(yuǎn)不要談?wù)撟鳛槎Y物送出去的書。因?yàn)槟悴恢�道�?duì)方有沒有讀，如果對(duì)方?jīng)]有閱讀會(huì)很尷尬。故D正確。

【長(zhǎng)難句解析】

1.Standing on a bookshelf in our living room, the book was like something I avoided.

【翻譯】站在起居室的書架前面，這本書就像是我要避開的東西。

【分析】本句是一個(gè)省略句，在standing前面省略了When I was…；同時(shí)本句中還有一個(gè)定語(yǔ)從句something I avoided,其中的something是先行詞，在后面省略了that，因?yàn)樽蛲韯?dòng)詞avoid的賓語(yǔ)，所以可以省略。

2. 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.

【翻譯】這本書的經(jīng)歷讓我哥自己設(shè)立了有生以來(lái)一個(gè)規(guī)則：不要詢問關(guān)于作禮物送出去的書的問題。

【分析】本句中有一個(gè)同位語(yǔ)從句that I’ve lived by ever since: Do not ask about a book given as a gift.

用來(lái)解釋前面的名詞a rule的內(nèi)容，that在這個(gè)同位語(yǔ)從句中不充當(dāng)任何成分，只是一個(gè)引導(dǎo)詞而已，但是不能省略。