Question

    When I was a kid in Minnesota, watermelons were expensive. One of my father’s friends, Bernie, was a rich businessman, who owned a large store in St. Paul.

Every summer, when the first watermelons arrived, Bernie would call. Dad and I would go to Bernie’s place. We’d sit on the edge of the dock ( 码头 )and got ready for a big meal. Bernie would take his knife, cut our first watermelon, hand us both a big piece and sit down next to us. Then we’d bury our faces in watermelon, eating only the heart — the reddest, juiciest, firmest, sweetest, and most seed-free part — and throw away the rest.

Bernie was my father’s ideal of a rich man, I always thought it was because he was such a successful businessman. Years later, I realized that it was not Bernie’s wealth itself but his way of dealing with it that my father liked. Bernie knew how to stop working, get together with friends and eat only the heart of the watermelon.

What I learned from Bernie is that being rich is a state of mind. Some of us, no matter how much money we have, will never be free enough to eat only the heart of the watermelon. If you don’t take the time to enjoy life’s small pleasure, your work is probably hurting your life.

For many years, I forgot that lesson I’d learned as a kid on the dock I was too busy making all the money I could. I hope I have time left to enjoy the success of others and to take pleasure in the day. That’s the heart of the watermelon. I have learned again to throw the rest away.

1.We learn from the second paragraph the writer and his father were feeling _______.

A.hungry B.worried C.relaxed D.proud

2.How did the writer and his father eat the watermelon?

A.They ate it in a polite way. B.They only ate its best part.

C.They ate every part of it D.They shared only one piece.

3.In the eyes of the writer's father, Bernie_______.

A.was just a rich businessman B.worked hard all the time

C.lived a rich but healthy life D.knew how to make money

4.The writer was too busy to________.

A.make money B.enjoy life’s small pleasure

C.eat watermelon. D.get together with friends

5.The underlined part “ the heart of the watermelon ” in the last paragraph refers to _______.

A.the writer’s hope of enjoying life B.the writer’s busy life

C.the writer’s decision of making money D.the best part of the watermelon

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.C

4.B

5.A

【解析】

本文讲述了作者父亲的朋友是一个有钱人，但是他能够劳逸结合，忙于工作的同时也能抽时间与朋友一起聚会，往往大部分人忙于挣钱而没有空闲来享受生活，作者表达了自己的感悟，无论多忙，也要抽时间来享受生活。

1.细节理解题。We’d sit on the edge of the dock and got ready for a big meal“我们坐在码头的边缘，准备享受一顿大餐”及Then we’d bury our faces in watermelon, eating only the heart“然后我们把脸埋在西瓜里，只吃中心部分”，由此可以看出，作者和父亲是很放松的。故选C。

2.细节理解题。根据Then we’d bury our faces in watermelon, eating only the heart — the reddest, juiciest, firmest, sweetest, and most seed-free part — and throw away the rest，可知，作者和父亲只吃西瓜中心最红，最多汁，最甜的部分。故选B。

3.细节理解题。根据Bernie was my father’s ideal of a rich man“伯尼是我父亲眼中富人的理想代表”及Bernie knew how to stop working, get together with friends and eat only the heart of the watermelon“伯尼知道如何停止工作，和朋友聚在一起并且只吃西瓜中心最好的部分”，可知，在作者的父亲眼里，伯尼是一个有钱人，而且过着健康的生活。故选C。

4.细节理解题。根据I hope I have time left to enjoy the success of others and to take pleasure in the day“我希望我有剩下的时间来享受其他人的成功和在生活中过的开心”，可知，作者太忙了而没有时间享受生活的愉快。故选B。

5.词句猜测题。根据前文I hope I have time left to enjoy the success of others and to take pleasure in the day“我希望我有剩下的时间来享受其他人的成功和在生活中过的开心”，可推断，the heart of the watermelon指代的前文这句话要表达的含义，即作者希望能享受生活。故选A。