Question

Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 AM. When I arrived to collect, I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.

I walked to the door and knocked, “Just a minute,” answered a weak, elderly voice.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.

I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”

“Oh, you’re such a good man.” She said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”

“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.

“Oh, I’m in no hurry,” she said. “I’m on my way to a hospice(临终医院). I don’t have any family left. The doctor says I don’t have very long.”

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter(计价器).

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she’d ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

At dawn, she suddenly said,” I’m tired. Let’s go now.”

We drove in silence to the address she had given me.

“How much do I owe you?” she asked.

“Nothing.” I said.

“You have to make a living,” she answered. “Oh, there are other passengers,” I answered.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto e tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy.”

1.The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to ______.

A. show she was familiar with the city

B. see some places for the last time

C. let the driver earn more money

D. reach the destination on time

2.The taxi driver did not charge the old woman because he ______.

A. wanted to do her a favor

B. shut off the meter by mistake

C. had received her payment in advance

D. was in a hurry to take other passengers

3.What can we learn from the story?

A. Giving is always a pleasure.

B. People should respect each other.

C. An act of kindness can bring people great joy.

D. People should learn to appreciate others’ concern.

Answer

1.B 考查整体推断的能力。老人请求开车穿过市区(Could you drive through downtown?)，然后，她说她要去临终医院（I’m on my way to a hospital.）。在接下来的两个小时，她在车上最后观看了市区的景象，回忆了她年轻时的情景。最后她到达了临终医院。

2.A 考查简单推断的能力。出租车司机听老人说家里没有亲人了，就关掉了计价器。

3.C 考查推断理解能力。出租车司机没有收老人任何费用，很善良，使得老人感到很欣慰。同时老人也善良，主动要付给出租车司机费用，也使得出租车司机很感动。