Question

We spent a day in the country, picking wild flowers. With the car full of flowers we were going home.

On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard (柜厨) outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow.

 “Buy it, ” my wife said at once. “We’ll carry it home on the roof rack. I’ve always wanted one like that.”

What could I do? Ten minutes later I was ￡20 poorer; and the cupboard was tied on the roof rack.

It was six feet long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too.In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.

After a time my wife said, “There’s a long line of cars behind. Why don’t they overtake, I wonder?”

 In fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One of the officers came to me.

“Right, sir, ” he said. “Do you need any more help?”

I was a bit puzzled. “Thanks, officer, ” I said. “You have been very kind. I live just on the road.”

He was staring at our car, first at the flowers, then at the cupboard. “Well, well, ” he said, laughing.

“It’s a cupboard you’ve got there! We thought it was something else.”

My wife began to laugh. The truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. “Yes, it’s a cupboard, but thanks again.” I drove home as fast as I could.

1.In fact the husband _______ the cupboard.

A. would like very much to buy          B. badly wanted 

C. was glad to have bought                           D. would rather not buy

2.Other drivers thought they were _______.

A. carrying a cupboard to the church

B. sending flowers to the church

C. carrying nothing but a piece of furniture

D. going to attend a funeral(葬礼) at the church

3.The police will be more polite to those who are _______.

A. driving in gathering darkness

B. in great sorrow (悲痛)

C. driving with wild flowers in the car

D. carrying furniture

4.What did the husband think of the whole matter?

A. It was very strange.                                                 B. He felt ashamed of it.

C. He took great pride in it.                                    D. He was puzzled at it.

Answer

1.D

2.D

3.B

4.B

【解析】

试题分析：作者和家人在郊游归来的路上，买了一个橱柜。夜幕下用鲜花装扮的橱柜在路人的眼里看成了一口棺材，甚至连警察也替他们开路，并且一路护送他们到教堂。对这种情况作者开始还很得意，不知道拉着家具竟然有这样的好处，然而当知道真正的原因后却尴尬万分。

1.D 推理判断题。根据文中What could I do?可知作者买橱柜的时候不情愿所以D选项正确。

2.D推理判断题。根据文中对橱柜尺寸的描述以及Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening.和最后警察给他们引路到教堂可以推断出在夜幕下人们把用鲜花装饰的橱柜误认为是棺材，所以D选项正确。

3.B推理判断题。从作者的叙述中可知警察误以为他们车上拉的是棺材，要去教堂，并且给他们引路，由此可以推断警察对悲痛的人们是礼貌和善的。文中with great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic.就是很好的提示，故B选项正确。

4.B 根据文章最后The truth hit me like a stone between the eyes.和I drove home as fast as I could. 可知作者感到非常尴尬，难堪，所以B为正确选项。

考点：考查故事类短文阅读。