Question

Having returned from her round trip, the angry woman stood outside the ticket office of the station. “The railway owes me ￡12,” She said to Harry Jenks, the young man working at the office. “You sold me a ticket for May 22nd, but there was no ship from Jersey that night. So my daughter and I had to stay in a hotel. It cost me ￡12. ”

Harry was worried. He remembered selling the woman a return ticket. “Come into the office, Madam,” he said politely. “I’ll just check the Jersey timetable for May 22nd.”

The woman and her little girl followed him inside. She was quite right, as Harry soon discovered. There was no sailing on May 22nd. How could he have made such a careless mistake? He shouldn’t have sold her a ticket for that day. Wondering what to do, he smiled at the child. “You look sunburnt,” he said to her. “Did you have a nice holiday in Jersey?”

“Yes,” she answered shyly, “The beach was lovely. And I can swim, too!”

“That’s fine,” said Harry.

“My little girl can’t swim a bit yet. Of course, she’s only three…”

“I’m four,” the child said proudly, “I’ll be four and a half.”

Harry turned to the mother, “I remember your ticket, Madam,” he said. “But you didn’t get one for your daughter, did you?”

“Er, well---” the woman looked at the child, “I mean…she hasn’t started school yet. She’s only four.”

“A four-year-old child must have a ticket, Madam. A child’s return ticket to Jersey costs…let me see…￡13.50. So if the railway pays your hotel, you will owe ￡1.50. The law is the law, but since the fault was mine… ”

The woman stood up, took the child’s hand and left the office.

1.Harry was worried because ________.

A．the woman was angry with him

B．he had not done his work properly

C．the Jersey timetable was wrong

D．the little girl didn’t have a return ticket

2.Harry started talking to the little girl ________.

A．because he was in difficulty and did not know what to do

B．because he had a little girl about the same age as this girl

C．because he wanted to be friendly to the little girl who looked so nice

D．when he suddenly realized that he could find a way out from the little girl

3.When Harry said, “The law is the law, but since the fault was mine…” he means that ________.

A．they must follow it without other choice, even though the fault was his

B．he had to be strict with the woman because of the law, although he didn’t want to

C．the woman had to pay him ￡1.50 and the railway would pay her for the hotel

D．she should pay ￡1.50, but he had made a mistake, she could go without paying

4.How did the woman feel when she left the office?

A．angry            B．peaceful          C．embarrassed       D．nervous

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.D

4.C

【解析】

试题分析：本文讲述的是一位母亲想借售票员的失误而报销旅馆费用的故事。这位女乘客带女儿到 Jersey 旅游，并在那里住了一夜。她想借售票员误卖给她的一张船票而让他归还 12 英镑钱。不过，售票员在了解到这位旅客带女儿(4 岁)旅游而没有买票时算了一笔账，结果这位乘客没有拿到钱而走了。

1.细节理解题。根据He remembered selling the woman a return ticket和How could he have made such a careless mistake? 故选B。

2.细节理解题。根据Wondering what to do, he smiled at the child. 她不知如何是好就去和小女孩搭讪，故选A。

3.细节理解题。根据A four-year-old child must have a ticket, Madam. A child’s return ticket to Jersey costs…let me see…￡13.50. So if the railway pays your hotel, you will owe ￡1.50. The law is the law, but since the fault was mine… ”故选D。

4.推理判断题。根据The woman stood up, took the child’s hand and left the office，她想要回钱，没想到她却要再拿出￡1.50，这样她感觉很尴尬，故选C。

考点：故事类短文阅读。