I looked at my beautiful Christmas tree and sighed. It was time. The New Year wa
题型：不详难度：来源：
I looked at my beautiful Christmas tree and sighed. It was time. The New Year was a week old and my tree still stood in the corner of our room with its collection of memories proudly displayed in a shower of colorful lights. I’d procrastinated（拖延，耽搁）long enough.
I got up, went to the garage and dragged all the boxes into the room. The garland(花环)was the first to come down. The tree looked naked(光秃秃的)already. I took the large ornament（装饰物）off next. They made a large pile on our bed. An hour later, our bed was covered with Christmas memories. Each pile contained an ornament along with its matching brothers and sisters from sets purchased many years ago.
I prepared the boxes and carefully placed ornaments in their protective packaging, pausing every few minutes to admire a favorite. “Hey, little Santa!” I held the Santa from my childhood. “Thanks for being my friend for almost fifty years.” He was a little ragged but still gives me a flood of wonderful memories. “Until next year, my dear friend.”
There was a collection of handmade ones. My children made in the their first years of school, more than twenty years ago. Made by tiny hands, they are far from perfect in design, but every year they go on my memory tree－memories of young giggles(咯咯地笑)on Christmas morning and a smiling face when they handed them to me when I came home from work. “Look what we made, Daddy!”
“Oh! It is beautiful. Let’s find a special spot on the tree for it.” Every year since, they are displayed.
A few hours after I started, the filled boxes were back in the garage, the room was vacuumed(用吸尘器清扫)and I sat staring at a barren(空荡荡的)corner. The room seemed so empty. It took me two days of work to assemble(收集)and decorate my tree, but only a few hours to take it apart.
My tree is like a good marriage or a great friendship. Like the tree, they take a long time to assemble and decorate with memories, but can be torn down quickly.
Every year I have to put my tree away, but not my marriage or friendships. I take great care of those. They get to glow in the corner of my life for as long as I live. I get to analyze my tree and find memories for a few weeks every year. I can do the same with the loves in my life every day. Take great care of your friendships and your marriage. Once they come down, they aren’t as easy to put back together as a Christmas tree. Stand them in that special spot in the corner of your heart and admire their glow.
小题1:In the author’s eyes, the Christmas tree .| A．is a collection of childhood memories | | B．is a symbol of long-lasting relations | | C．takes too much time to decorate | | D．is full of out-of-date ornaments |
小题2:To the author, a Christmas tree is similar to a good marriage in that .| A．both take time to build but fall apart easily | | B．both remind him of bittersweet memories | | C．both need to be admired for some time | | D．both get less attractive over the years |
小题3:What is the main theme of the article?| A．We’d better put away Christmas decorations and recycle them each year. | | B．Friendships and marriages should be valued and managed carefully. | | C．Memories with friends and family should be cherished and relived. | | D．We should decorate Christmas trees with personal stuff and recycle. |
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答案
小题1:B
小题2:A
小题3:B |
解析
试题分析：作者通过自己拆卸圣诞树的事情告诉我们友谊或者婚姻这些人与人之间的联系很难建立，但是却很容易就被破坏。我们应该珍惜这样的人际关系。
小题1:B 推理题。根据文章倒数3，4,5行I get to analyze my tree and find memories for a few weeks every year. I can do the same with the loves in my life every day. Take great care of your friendships and your marriage.可知在作者的眼里圣诞树是长久的友谊或者婚姻等关系的标志。故B正确。
小题2:A 推理题。根据文章最后一段My tree is like a good marriage or a great friendship. Like the tree, they take a long time to assemble and decorate with memories, but can be torn down quickly.可知作者把圣诞树比喻成婚姻，因为它们的建立都是要花费很多的时间，但是拆除却很快。故A正确。
小题3:B 主旨大意题。作者通过自己拆卸圣诞树的事情告诉我们友谊或者婚姻这些人与人之间的联系很难建立，但是却很容易就被破坏。我们应该珍惜这样的人际关系。故B正确。
点评：作者通过自己拆卸圣诞树的事情告诉我们友谊或者婚姻这些人与人之间的联系很难建立，但是却很容易就被破坏。我们应该珍惜这样的人际关系。本文主要考查推理题。在解题时要立足已知，推断未知。立足现在，猜测未来。不能主观臆想，凭空想象，随意揣测，更不能以自己的观点代替作者的观点;要把握句、段之间的逻辑关系，了解语篇的结构。要体会文章的基调，揣摸作者的态度，摸准逻辑发展的方向，悟出作者的弦外之音。 |
举一反三
People often view the “last” moments of an event positively simply because they signal the end of an experience, say experts.
University of Michigan researchers found that even if an experience is painful or negative, but ends on a good note, people will consider it to be positive.
“Endings are powerful,” said Ed O’Brien, a graduate student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan.
O’Brien and colleague Phoebe Ellsworth, the Frank Murphy Distinguished Professor of Law and Psychology, conducted a chocolate tasting experiment with 52 college students to test the theory.
Volunteers could taste five different Hershey’s Kisses chocolates—milk, dark, cream, caramel and almond – but did not know in advance how many pieces they would eat or the type. Participants rated how much they enjoyed the chocolate and described each flavor so that the researchers could record the order in which the randomly (随机的) selected treats were eaten.
Volunteers were assigned to the “next” or the “last ” condition by chance.
In the “next” condition, the experimenter said “Here is your next chocolate” before offering each chocolate, including the fifth.
For the “last” condition, the experimenter said “Here is your last chocolate” before offering the fifth chocolate.
These participants rated the fifth chocolate more enjoyable than volunteers in the “next” condition.
As predicted, participants who knew they were eating the final chocolate of a taste test enjoyed it more.
In fact, when asked to pick their favorite chocolate, the majority of “last” participants chose the fifth – even though the flavor of the fifth was randomly chosen.
They also rated the overall experience as more enjoyable than volunteers who thought they were just eating one more chocolate in a series.
O’Brien says these findings may have far-reaching implications. For example, the last book or film in a series or the last speaker in a symposium (研讨会) may receive unwarranted praise.
The last job applicant, meanwhile, may look more qualified.
小题1:Which of the following is TRUE about the experiment?| A．The majority of “last” participants chose the almond flavor as their favorite. | | B．Some participants enjoyed the experiment more because the last flavor tasted better. | | C．The result would be different if researchers had used another brand of chocolate. | | D．Some participants didn’t know it was their last chocolate when offered the fifth one. |
小题2:What does the underlined word “unwarranted” in the second-to-last paragraph mean?| A．Fake. | B．Unwanted. | C．Unreasonable. | D．Insincere. |
小题3:Which of the following is the best title for the article?| A．“Last” is the best. | | B．Why “last” matters most. | | C．It is the last step that is the hardest. | | D．He who laughs last laughs best. |
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A true apology is more than just acknowledgement of a mistake. It’s recognition that something you’ve said or done has damaged a relationship—and that you care enough about that relationship to want it __46__ .
It’s never __47__ to acknowledge you are in the wrong. Being human, we all need the art of apology. Look back and think how __48__ you’ve judged roughly, said __49__ things, pushed yurself ahead at the expense of a friend. Some deep thought lets us know that when __50__ a small mistake has been made, your __51__ will stay out of balance until the mistake is acknowledged and your regret is __52__.
I remember a doctor friend, telling me about a man who came to him with __53__ illnesses: headache, insomnia, stomachaches and so on. No physical __54__ could be found. Finally the doctor said to the man, “__55__ you tell me what’s on your conscience, I can’t help you.”
After a short silence, the man told the doctor that he __56__ all the money that his father gave to his brother, who was __57__. His father had died, so only he himself knew the matter. The doctor made the man write to his brother making an __58__ and enclosing a __59__. In the post office, the man dropped the letter into the mail box. As the letter disappeared, the man burst into tears. “Thank you, doctor,” he said, “I think I’m all right now.” And he __60__.
| 小题1: | | A．built | B．formed | C．repaired | D．damaged |
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| 小题2: | | A．difficult | B．easy | C．foolish | D．shy |
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| 小题3: | | A．long | B．often | C．much | D．soon |
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| 小题4: | | A．unusual | B．harmful | C．worthless | D．unkind |
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| 小题5: | | A．hardly | B．even | C．only | D．such |
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| 小题6: | | A．sense | B．brain | C．weight | D．feeling |
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| 小题7: | | A．apologized | B．explained | C．offered | D．expressed |
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| 小题8: | | A．strange | B．fatal | C．various | D．dangerous |
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| 小题9: | | A．sign | B．injury | C．cause | D．symptom |
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| 小题10: | | A．Whenever | B．Unless | C．Suppose | D．Although |
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| 小题11: | | A．neglected | B．accepted | C．seized | D．wasted |
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| 小题12: | | A．mad | B．lost | C．abroad | D．dead |
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| 小题13: | | A．order | B．excuse | C．agreement | D．apology |
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| 小题14: | | A．note | B．card | C．check | D．photo |
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Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his now place and meet his friends.
My earliest memories of my father are a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and family but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him; as a school girl and young adult(成年人)I feared him and felt bitter about him. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boy friends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.
On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor cafe. We walked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone was my father’s critical(挑剔的)air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?
The next day my dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in so doing, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was.
小题1:Why did the author feel bitter about her father as a young adult?| A．He was silent most of the time | B．He was too proud of himself | | C．He did not love his children | D．He expected too much of her |
小题2:When the author went out with her father on weekends, she would feel .| A．nervous | B．sorry | C．tired | D．safe |
小题3:What does the author think of her father after her visit to Tucson?| A．More critical | B．More talkative | | C．Gentle and friendly | D．Strict and hard-working |
小题4:The underlined words “my new friend” in the last paragraph refer to .| A．the author’s son | B．the author’s father | | C．the friend of the author’s father | D．the cafe owner |
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Many a young person tells me he wants to be a writer. I always encourage such people, but I also explain that there’s a big difference between “being a writer” and writing. In most cases these people are dreaming of wealth and fame, not the long hours alone as a typewriter. “You’ve got to want to write,” I say to them, “not want to be a writer.”
The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. For every writer kissed by fortune there are thousands more whose wish is never rewarded. When I left a 20-year career in the U.S, Coast Guard to become a freelance writer(自由撰稿者), I had no hope at all. What I did have was a friend who found me my room in a New York apartment building. It didn’t even matter that it was cold and had no bathroom. I immediately bought a used typewriter and felt like a real writer.
After a year or so, however, I still hadn’t got a break and began to doubt myself. It was so hard to sell a story that barely made enough to eat. But I knew I wanted to write. I had dreamed about it for years. I wasn’t going to be one of those people who die wondering. What if? I would keep putting my dream to the test even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure. This is the shadow land of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there.
小题1:The writer wrote the passage to ________.| A．warn young people of the hardships that a successful writer has to experience | | B．advise young people to give up their ideas of becoming a professional writer | | C．show young people it’s unrealistic for a writer to dream of wealth and fame | | D．encourage young people to gain a writing career |
小题2:What can be concluded from the passage?| A．Real writers often find their works interesting and rewarding. | | B．A writer’s success depends on luck rather than on effort. | | C．Famous writers usually live in poverty and loneliness. | | D．The chances for a writer to become successful are small. |
小题3:The underlined part “people who die wondering. What if?” refers to “those _______.”| A．who think too much of the dark side of life | | B．who regret giving up their careers halfway | | C．who think a lot without making a decision | | D．who are full of imaginations even upon death |
小题4:What is the best title of the passage?| A．how to be a writer | B．how to earn fame | | C．how to write well | D．how to keep dreaming |
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I hadn’t even got a chance to enter the store before an African American woman approached me and asked if I would help her return an item. The item she had 36 was intended for her daughter, but she had already received a 37 one. The lady 38 to exchange the item for something else in the store but she was told she needed an ID 39 the deal could not take place.
I went to the 40 with the woman so we could use my ID. The sales associate immediately started 41 her of asking the first 42 person she saw to help her. Although that was 43 , I didn’t understand why it 44 . After all, not everyone is given the opportunity to 45 an ID in this country.
Then, we asked to speak with a manager, who explained that there was no 46 to return the item without a receipt and then went on to say the woman could not 47 she purchased the item.
“ 48 I, a young white female, were to enter the store and request you to make an exchange without a receipt, I would not be 49 the privilege — as I have proof from the past.” I said. He must have realized at that moment what he had done, because he 50 to exchange the item.
There are many valuable lessons in the story. The first is to help a stranger in need. I 51 when the woman asked for my help, but 52 in my head I asked myself, “Why not? What valid 53 do I actually have?” I had none, so I helped her.
The second lesson is not to judge a book by its 54 . The woman looked poor, but she 55 _ the same treatment as anyone else does.
| 小题1: | | A．purchased | B．shown | C．lost | D．mended |
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| 小题2: | | A．same | B．popular | C．similar | D．different |
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| 小题3: | | A．managed | B．wanted | C．refused | D．promised |
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| 小题5: | | A．counter | B．department | C．market | D．window |
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| 小题6: | | A．warning | B．informing | C．reminding | D．accusing |
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| 小题7: | | A．fair | B．familiar | C．impossible | D．random |
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| 小题8: | | A．wrong | B．true | C．reasonable | D．meaningful |
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| 小题9: | | A．mattered | B．happened | C．passed | D．worked |
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| 小题10: | | A．leave | B．pay | C．find | D．obtain |
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| 小题11: | | A．request | B．place | C．way | D．need |
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| 小题12: | | A．answer | B．prove | C．support | D．admit |
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| 小题13: | | A．Unless | B．And | C．Instead | D．If |
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| 小题14: | | A．ordered | B．asked | C．denied | D．given |
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| 小题15: | | A．agreed | B．prepared | C．failed | D．remembered |
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| 小题16: | | A．struggled | B．wondered | C．hesitated | D．nodded |
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| 小题17: | | A．totally | B．gradually | C．hardly | D．quickly |
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| 小题18: | | A．feelings | B．goals | C．reasons | D．ideas |
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| 小题19: | | A．design | B．cover | C．content | D．price |
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| 小题20: | | A．deserved | B．required | C．received | D．appreciated |
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