Question

Have you ever received a gift that was so dearly, not your taste that you wondered if perhaps it had been handed to you by mistake? Worse, have you ever given a present and watched your friend look as though she had opened the wrong box? Maybe she responded with a polite "Why, thank you," but you knew you had missed the mark. Why do presents sometimes go wrong? And what do your choices (good and bad) reflect about your personal qualities?

Choosing the right gift is an art, I believe. It calls for empathy — the ability to put yourself into someone else's head and heart. We're all able to do this; in fact, we're born with a kind of natural empathy. After the earliest period of childhood, however, it needs to be reinforced (加强) — by our parents, teachers, friends. When it isn't, we're not able to understand other people's feelings as sharply. This can show in the gifts we select, and so can many other emotional (情感的) qualities.

Think back to the presents you’ve given over the past year, the time and effort you put into your selection, how much you spent, your thoughts while you were shopping, and your feelings when the receiver opened the package. Keep in mind that what you choose displays your inner world. (Of course, you may express yourself differently with different friends, relatives, and other people you know.)

We live in a society where exchanging presents is an important part of communication. Ignoring the tradition won't make it go away. If you really dislike such a tradition, tell your friends ahead of time.

1.The underlined expression "you had missed the mark" means "you had failed to ________.

A. make her feel better

B. keep your friendship

C. get the expected effect

D. receive a present in return

2.Which of the following is the main idea of the second paragraph?

A. Natural empathy needs to be reinforced.

B. Emotional changes influence one's choice of gifts.

C. Selecting the right gift is an ability people are born with.

D. Choosing gifts requires one to understand the receivers.

3.In the third paragraph, the author tells us that ________.

A. the choice of gifts reflects one's emotional qualities

B. one learns from what he did in the past

C. attention should be paid to the receivers' responses

D. one should spend more time choosing gifts

4.The best possible title for this passage is “________”.

A. Ways of Choosing GiftsB. An Important Tradition

C. Exchanging PresentsD. Message in a Gift

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.A

4.D

【解析】

试题分析：本文介绍了不管是接受、送出，还是挑选礼物，礼物本身都包含了一定的信息，这个信息从送出者传递到接受者。只有了解礼物接受者的喜好，才能挑选出合适的礼物。

1.C 推理判断题。“you had missed the mark”着重点是分析“mark”表示的含义。送别人礼物是希望别人高兴，因此mark最可能的意思是别人高兴的表情。这个高兴的表情就是送礼者所期望的效果，送错了礼物，就没有这个期望的效果了，因此选C。

2.D 段落大意题。第二段开头“Choosing the right gift is an art, I believe. It calls for empathy”是本段的中心句，意思是，“给别人挑选礼物是一门艺术，它叫做感情移入。”后面还讲到，如果没有这种能力，“we’re not able to understand other people’s feelings”即我们就不能了解别人的感受。因此这段话的主要意思是“挑选礼物需要了解别人”。故选D。

3. 推理判断题。从第三段Keep in mind that what you choose displays your inner world.可知，“紧记你挑选的礼物反映你的内心世界”。作者的意思是，礼物能反映你情感的深浅。因此A正确。

4.D 主旨大意题。从本文来讲，不管是接受、送出，还是挑选礼物，礼物本身都包含了一定的信息，这个信息从送出者传递到接受者。只有了解礼物接受者的喜好，才能挑选出合适的礼物。因此，主旨是礼物包含的信息。故选D。

考点：考查日常生活类短文阅读。