Question

When I was eleven, my parents gave me the first book I ever owned—The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe. I distinctly remember opening it, reading the first lines of “The Cast of Amontillado,” and remarking to myself. “So this is what reading is!” My delight was unbounded. Little did I know at the time that I was at the beginning of a lifting journey.

So, if I read my first real book at 11, what was I reading before then? In a word, readers: relatively plotless, repetitive if well-intentioned attempts to teach child to recognize letters and their sounds and to build their vocabularies. Being a dutiful boy, I went through the motions and I learned what words were. But I had no idea what writing was until Poe. In Poe’s stories, the sentences were more complex and stylish than anything I had ever read before.

Poe, in short, was a star. My parents gave me that first book, but then I went off on my own. I liked science, which led me to discover Jules Verne, the Father of scene fiction and H G. Wells, well known for his novel The Time Machine. Other writers followed quickly one after another: Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke. But I didn’t limit myself to science fiction. Other titles that deeply impressed me early on, and which I have carried on my life’s journey, include The Yearling, Shane, Ivanhoe, Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird and The Good Earth.

It went on from there. I became that kid who, long after his parents told him to turn the lights off, hid under the covers with a flashlight and a book, his greatest fear of being discovered and having his lighting taken away. I realize that my parents must have known I was defying (违背) them. But in their wisdom they pretended to be ignorant of it. And so I owe my star as a reader to my parents.

1.What did the author feel about The Tates of Edgar Allan Poe?

A. Attractive and interesting.

B. Complex and dull.

C. Distinct but difficult.

D. Plotless but easy.

2.From paragraph 3 we Can learn that the author ________.

A. liked reading tales best

B. enjoyed reading science fiction most

C. took no interest in realistic novels

D. liked reading freely and widely

3.What did the authors parents react to his reading by flashlight?

A. Told him to turn off the flashlight.

B. Took away his book.

C. Made allowance for him.

D. Scolded him at once.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A. My Start as a Real Reader

B. The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe

C. When I Began to Like Reading Freely

D. Edgar Allan Poe Was My Favorite Star

Answer

1. A

2. D

3. C

4. A

【解析】

本文是一篇记叙文，讲述了11岁时，作者的父母送给了他人生中的第一本书，从此以后作者深深地爱上了阅读，阅读了大量的书籍，而且还经常用手电在被窝里看书，作者的父母对此假装不知道，作者感谢父母对他的体谅让他成为一个读者（有机会读那么多书）。

1.推理判断题。根据第一段中的“My delight was unbounded.”可知，The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe给作者带来了无限的快乐，由此可知，它是吸引人和有趣的，故A项正确。

2.推理判断题。根据第三段中的“But I didn’t limit myself to science fiction. Other titles that deeply impressed me early on, and which I have carried on my life’s journey,”可知，作者的阅读范围不止局限于科学话题，他还阅读了很多其他方面的书，由此可知，作者喜欢自由广泛地阅读，故D项正确。

3.细节理解题。根据最后一段中的“I realize that my parents must have known I was defying them. But in their wisdom they pretended to be ignorant of it.”可知，作者的父母知道他熄灯后用手电在被窝里看书，但他们只是装作不知道而没有责备他，这说明作者的父母体谅他用手电在被窝里看书，故C项正确。

4.主旨大意题。通读全文，特别是根据最后一段中的“And so I owe my star as a reader to my parents.”可知，作者感谢父母对他的体谅让他成为一个读者（有机会读那么多书），My Star as a Real Reader最能反映出文章主题，故A项正确。