Question

    I grew up on a 40-acre farm in the small rural community of Illinois, as the fifth of six children.

My parents, Robert and Patti, often noted during meals how everything on the table except sugar and wine came from the land._____ running the farm, Dad was also a carpenter. In the fall of 1980, he was working on a house when all of a sudden the ladder broke. His back was broken.

He stayed in hospital for almost a month with his head and feet down, _____his back to align (成直线) correctly so the bones would heal.

On Thanksgiving, Dad was still in hospital recovering from his back injury. Normally he would take us to butcher pigs the day after the holiday, and that year my uncle _____ up with my four cousins to help my two elder brothers _____ our year’s supply of pork.

When Dad came back home from the hospital, he was still in a back brace (支架) and _____  to work. I was too young to realize our family had no money coming in as Christmas _____ . Another day we saw a car coming up the long driveway. Always longing for company, we kids were_____ about who was visiting. Rose Anderson, our neighbor, was at the door, holding an envelope stuffed with money. She told my dad she had_____ money in the community and came to deliver it.

Dad tried to refuse,_____ Rose insisted. I can still hear her saying, “Robert, whenever someone’s baler (压捆机) breaks down, you bale their hay. Whenever someone passes away, Patti cooks. It’s our _____.”

I learned later that we also _____ gift baskets from more than one organization. That Christmas, I, a 6-year-old kid, understood what being a good neighbor was, and that as my parents were good neighbors, their_____ would be returned. These tales of Christmas kindness will _____ our heart, too.

My parents were accustomed to being the _____, not the receivers of such generosity. They had a bit of pride to swallow, but continued all of their lives to show us kids the _____of kindness.

1.A. Besides B. About C. For D. By

2.A. pushing B. pressing C. attracting D. allowing

3.A. put B. broke C. showed D. made

4.A. buy B. prepare C. share D. cook

5.A. unwilling B. unable C. ready D. eager

6.A. approached B. continued C. passed D. ended

7.A. worried B. excited C. curious D. anxious

8.A. collected B. borrowed C. earned D. saved

9.A. for B. or C. so D. but

10.A. rule B. duty C. turn D. favor

11.A. refused B. received C. sent D. bought

12.A. pride B. kindness C. money D. gift

13.A. ease B. open C. win D. warm

14.A. givers B. buyers C. workers D. farmers

15.A. price B. aim C. value D. hope

Answer

1.A

2.D

3.C

4.B

5.B

6.A

7.C

8.A

9.D

10.C

11.B

12.B

13.D

14.A

15.C

【解析】

本文是一篇记叙文，讲述了作者的父母平日里经常帮助有困难的邻居，一次，作者的爸爸受伤不能干活，正当家里没钱过圣诞节时，邻居送来了在社区筹集的一笔钱，这温暖了作者一家人的心。

1.考查介词词义辨析。A. Besides除……之外（还）；B. About大约；C. For对于；D. By凭借。根据本空后的“running the farm, Dad was also a carpenter.”可知，除了经营农场，爸爸还是个木匠，故A项正确。

2.考查动词词义辨析。A. pushing推；B. pressing按；C. attracting吸引；D. allowing允许。根据本空后的“his back to align (成直线) correctly so the bones would heal.”可知，爸爸在医院躺了一个月，让他的背部成直线，这样骨头就会愈合，故D项正确。

3.考查动词短语辨析。A. put up建造；B. broke up打碎；C. showed up露面；D. made up编造。根据本空后的“up with my four cousins to help my two elder brothers ___4___ our year’s supply of pork”可知，爸爸受伤住院，所以那年我叔叔带着我的四个堂兄来帮我的两个哥哥准备我们一年的猪肉供应，故C项正确。

4.考查动词词义辨析。A. buy买；B. prepare准备；C. share分享；D. cook烹饪。根据上文可知，叔叔带着我的四个堂兄来帮我的两个哥哥准备我们一年的猪肉供应，故B项正确。

5.考查形容词词义辨析。A. unwilling不愿意的；B. unable不能的；C. ready准备好的；D. eager渴望的。根据本空前的“When Dad came back home from the hospital, he was still in a back brace”可知，出院时，爸爸仍带着支架，不能干活，故B项正确。

6.考查动词词义辨析。A. approached靠近、临近；B. continued继续；C. passed经过；D. ended结束。根据本空前的“I was too young to realize our family had no money coming in as Christmas”

可知，我当时太小了，没有意识到随着圣诞节的临近，家里已经没有钱了，故A项正确。

7.考查形容词词义辨析。A. worried担心的；B. excited兴奋的；C. curious好奇的；D. anxious焦虑的。根据本空前的“Always longing for company,”可知，孩子们总是渴望有人作伴，所以对谁来做客感到很好奇，故C项正确。

8.考查动词词义辨析。A. collected筹集、募捐；B. borrowed借；C. earned赢得；D. saved节约。

根据本空前的“Rose Anderson, our neighbor, was at the door, holding an envelope stuffed with money.”可知，我们的邻居Rose Anderson拿着装满钱的信封来我家，她说这笔钱是她在社区筹集的，故A项正确。

9.考查连词词义辨析。A. for因为；B. or否则；C. so所以；D. but但是。根据本空后的“Rose insisted”可知，爸爸拒绝收下这笔钱，但Rose坚持要我们收下，故D项正确。

10.考查名词词义辨析。A. rule规则；B. duty职责；C. turn轮流、次序；D. favor赞同。

根据本空前的“Robert, whenever someone’s baler (压捆机) breaks down, you bale their hay. Whenever someone passes away, Patti cooks.”可知，她说以前谁家有困难时，爸爸总是去帮忙，现在该轮到他们（帮我家了），故C项正确。

11.考查动词词义辨析。A. refused拒绝；B. received收到；C. sent发送；D. bought买。根据本空后的“gift baskets from more than one organization.”可知，我们还收到了来自多个组织的礼品篮，故B项正确。

12.考查名词词义辨析。A. pride骄傲；B. kindness善良；C. money钱；D. gift礼物。根据本空前的“that as my parents were good neighbors, ”可知，我父母也是好邻居，他们的善良得到了回报，故B项正确。

13.考查动词词义辨析。A. ease缓和；B. open打开；C. win获胜；D. warm温暖。根据本空后的“our heart, too.”可知，这些圣诞节的善意故事也温暖了我们的心，故D项正确。

14.考查名词词义辨析。A givers给予者；B. buyers买家；C. workers工人；D. farmers农民。根据本空后的“not the receivers of such generosity.”可知，我父母习惯于做给予者而不是接受者，故A项正确。

15.考查名词词义辨析。A. price价格；B. aim目的；C. value价值；D. hope希望。根据本空后的“of kindness”可知，他们一生都在向我们这些孩子展示善良的价值，故C项正确。