Question

The repairman told me, “No charge, Professor Pan!” We’re friends.

“I’d rather pay,’’ I replied. “If it’s free, I can’t afford it!”

Chinese often refuse payment for professional services .insisting, “We’re friends now!” But then they show up later to ask me to tutor them in English，or get them into an American university, and I wish I’d have just paid the 30 yuan I owed them in the first place!

According to the Americans, “There is no free lunch.”, means that there’s a price for everything. And I’m always looking around to figure out what this means. Many of our neighbours have given us fruit or flowers or costly teas, never asking anything in return. For years, a bicycle repairman has repeatedly refused to let me pay him. “Wait until you have something major to fix!” he insists.

I mentioned to a peasant friend that I wished I had a stone mill to grind (磨) flour for bread. A month later he showed up with a beautiful mill that he and his uncle in the countryside had carved from a solid block of stone.

Chinese generosity is a real education for Americans like me, who would rather avoid social entanglements (纠纷) and just hand over the money. But cash can’t compensate (补偿) for the greatest gift—friendship.

When an American saw some of my friends sitting on bamboo stools under the trees, sipping (呷) tea, he said, “They must have nothing better to do.” “Actually,” I said, “they are professors, with plenty to do. But probably you are right in saying that, at this moment, they have nothing better to do. And neither do I!”

And I joined the group. When chatting about tea and Chinese cooking and how much my boys have grown since we arrived, one man said, “They were pocket-sized when you came here. Now they’re taller than you. How time flies !.”

How life flies. And Chinese are smart enough to share what they know they cannot keep. They freely give off their time, never too busy to help a friend. And they are teaching me, slowly, to both give and receive. So the next time someone says, “No charge. We’re friends!” I will thank them heartily. But if they show up later asking me to tutor them in English, I’ll make sure they tutor my son in Chinese as well, because there’s still no free lunch.

1.Why did the author insist paying the repairman while he was offered free repairs?

A. Because he was an upright man.

B. Because he didn’t know the repair man

C. Because he thought it natural to pay for other’s service.

D. Because he didn’t want to help others in return.

2.Generally, the author thinks that       .

A. Chinese are generous always ready to help their friends

B. Chinese are good at exchange of equal values

C. Chinese are free enough to drink and chat with their friends

D. Chinese are helpful but don’t treasure time

3.The best title for the passage should be “      ”

A. Still No Free lunch

B. A Good Lesson From Chinese

C. True Help or Not

D. Learn to Both Give And Receive

4.Which of the following is TRUE?

A. All the Chinese that once gave the author help have asked him to tutor them in English

B. When a peasant knew the author needed a mill, he made one for the author himself

C. The author thinks that Chinese are wise enough to enjoy the limited life

D. The author thinks little of the Chinese way of life.

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.A

4.C

【解析】文章主要讲述了中国人慷慨大方对于美国人来说这是一种真正的教育，美国人宁愿给钱也不愿意陷入纠纷。作者通过与中国人的交往，赞扬了中国人的慷慨大方。但是作者仍相信没有免费的午餐。

1.细节理解题。根据“According to the Americans, “There is no free lunch.”, means that there’s a price for everything.”美国人普遍认为世界上没有免费的午餐。这意味着每一样东西都有价格。这就是作者为什么在修理工免费帮助他后坚持付钱给修理工。根据题意，故选C。

2.推理判断题。根据“Chinese generosity is a real education for Americans like me, who would rather avoid social entanglements (纠纷) and just hand over the money.”中国人慷慨大方对于美国人来说这是一种真正的教育，美国人宁愿给钱也不愿意陷入纠纷。可推知中国人慷慨乐于助人。根据题意，故选A。

3.主旨大意题。根据“But if they show up later asking me to tutor them in English, I’ll make sure they tutor my son in Chinese as well, because there’s still no free lunch.” 但如果他们后来出现让我用英语辅导他们，我会确保他们用中文辅导我的儿子，因为仍然没有免费的午餐。文章最后一句点明主题及没有免费的午餐。根据题意，故选A。

4.推理判断题。根据“And Chinese are smart enough to share what they know they cannot keep.”中国人很有智慧去与别人分享他们不能保持住的东西。作者通过与中国人的交往，赞扬了中国人的慷慨大方，也就是说，他对中国人的生活态度十分欣赏。根据题意，故选C。

【名师点睛】推理判断型

推理判断题属于高层次阅读理解题。这种题型包括判断题和推理题。这两类题常常相互依存，推理是为了得出正确的判断，正确的判断又依赖于合乎逻辑的推理。做好该题型要从整体上把握语篇内容，在语篇的表面意义与隐含意义、已知信息与未知信息间架起桥梁，透过字里行间，去体会作者的“弦外之音”。推理判断题常常可以分为如下几类：(1)细节推断。如时间、地点、人物关系等；(2)逻辑推断。根据已知的结果推断导致结果产生的可能原因；(3)目的、意图、态度推断。根据文章的论述，推断作者的写作目的以及作者的情感态度；(4)预测想象推断。文章没有明确说明，要求根据语篇对文章可能涉及的内容进行预测判断。例如：本题中的第4小题。

【解题剖析】此题属于推理判断型中的(2)逻辑推断。根据已知的结果推断导致结果产生的可能原因。作者通过与中国人的交往，赞扬了中国人的慷慨大方，也就是说，他对中国人的生活态度十分欣赏。