Question

On Christmas Eve, 1944, my grandmother urged my uncle, then 12 years old, to slip out of the concentration camp where they were imprisoned near 15 miles east of Vienna to go to Deutsch-Wagram. “People are charitable around Christmastime,” Grandma Lili said to her son, Gyuri. “Ask for some food. Anything they can spare. Tell them that we’re on the edge of starvation. Tell them that your 3-year-old sister can not get off the bed because she’s outgrown her shoes.”

In the dark of that night, Gyuri secretly left the camp and walked nearly four miles to Deutsch-Wagram, the closest town. He happened upon a house and knocked on the front door. A woman opened that door. She was probably alone, her man far away, fighting in the war, her children asleep in their beds. The 12-year-old pieced together in German exactly what his mother had told him to say.

“Come back tomorrow," whispered the woman. The next day, my uncle returned. The woman opened the door with a smile. She piled his hands with bread, clothing, a pair of shoes that her child had outgrown and a pair of socks. The woman had knitted warm socks for my mother. After putting on the socks and shoes that fit, my mother got off the bed in delight. Her ragged shoes were passed on to a younger child who was also living in the camp. They shared their unexpected harvest with the entire camp. It was a quiet celebration of human kindness around Christmastime.

In April 1945, my mother, uncle and grandmother were liberated. And it was those very socks and shoes that my mother wore as she walked some 28 miles over two days to Bratislava on her walk to a new life.

To the unknown giver, I thank you. In the desperation of a cold and snowy land, when many hearts were closed and death was more likely than life, especially for Jews, you gave them hope and comfort.

1.What did Gyuri manage to do on Christmas Eve?

A. Get permitted to go out.

B. Receive food and clothing.

C. Express what his family needed.

D. Celebrate Christmas in the camp

2.Why does the author mention shoes so many times?

A. To prove the truth of the story.

B. To help the development of the story.

C. To attract readers’ attention to the story.

D. To make clear the background of the story.

3.What feeling did the author write the text with?

A. Desperation.    B. Gratefulness.

C. Excitement.    D. Sorrow.

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A. Light in darkness.    B. Peace to common people.

C. Courage in face of danger.    D. The influence of Christmas.

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.B

4.A

【解析】本文是记叙文。文章主要讲述的是圣诞节期间，一位犹太男孩从纳粹集中营里溜出来求助，一个好心的女人送给了他一些珍贵的“礼物”，这让男孩一家最终坚持到迎来光明。

1.细节理解题。根据第二段中的“The 12-year-old pieced together in German exactly what his mother had told him to say”可知，Gyuri用德语准确说出了妈妈要他说的话，故选C。

2.推断题。Gyuri的妹妹没有合脚的鞋穿是他逃出集中营求助的原因之一，可能也是这位好心女人帮助Gyuri的原因之一，Gyuri的妹妹有了合脚的鞋后，小了的鞋就被送给了集中营里的一个比她小的孩子，而Gyuri的妹妹正是穿着这双鞋迎来了自由，走向她的新生活，故作者多次提到鞋的原因是鞋有助于故事的发展和文章主题的升华。故选B。

3.推理判断题。解答本题需要基于全文的主旨——善心，作者的舅舅从集中营溜出来向人乞讨东西，恰巧碰上了一位慷慨、好心的女人，她给了作者的舅舅很多东西。因此作者是对这位好心人充满感激之情的，文章的字里行间均洋溢着这种感激之情，且最后一段的首句亦是关键提示。故选B。

4.主旨大意题。根据文章的内容尤其是最后一段总结的“In the desperation of a cold and snowy land, when many hearts were closed and death was more likely than life, especially for Jews, you gave them hope and comfort”可知，在身处寒冷的被积雪覆盖的土地上的绝望中，当很多人封闭了自己的内心并且死亡比活下去更容易的时候，尤其是对犹太人来说，这位好心人给他们带来了希望和安慰。这篇文章讴歌了黑暗中人性光明的一面，故选A。