Question

    Closeness and independence are both important in our life. Though all humans need both of them, women tend to focus on the first and men on the second. It is as if their lifeblood ran in different directions.

These differences can give women and men differing views of the same situation, as they did in the case of couple I will call Tracy and Brian. When Brian’s old high school friend called him at work and announced he’d be in town on business the following month, Brian invited him to stay for the weekend. That evening he informed Tracy that they were going to have a houseguest, and that he and his friend would go out together the first night to chat like old times. Tracy was upset. She was going to be away on business the week before, and the Friday night when Brian would be out with his friend would be her first night home. But what upset her the most was that Brian had made these plans on his own and informed her of them, rather than discussing them with her before extending the invitation.

Tracy would never make plans, for a weekend or an evening, without first checking with Brian. She can’t understand why he doesn’t show her the same courtesy and consideration that she shows him. But when she protests, Brian says, “I can’t say to my friend, ‘I have to ask my wife for permission’!”

To Brian, checking with his wife means seeking permission, which implies that he is not independent, not free to act on his own. To Tracy, checking with her husband makes her feel good to know and show that she is involved with someone, that her life is bound up with someone else’s.

Tracy and Brian both felt upset by this incident because it cut to the core of their primary concerns. Tracy was hurt because she sensed a failure of closeness in their relationship: He didn’t care about her as much as she cared about him. And he was hurt because he felt she was trying to control him and limit his freedom.

1.What is the primary purpose of the author in writing this passage?

A.To educate the reader on how to maintain good family relationships.

B.To tell the reader how to make close connections with other people.

C.To suggest the best way of coping with family conflicts.

D.To explain the difference in communication styles between men and women.

2.Tracy was upset because ________.

A.she didn’t know Brian’s friend

B.she was too busy to meet Brian’s friend

C.Brian didn’t care about her and hurt her deeply

D.Brian didn’t consult her before inviting his friends home

3.What would Tracy most probably do if she plans to buy something expensive?

A.She would discuss with Brian.

B.She would simply decide on her own.

C.She would ask her friends for advice.

D.She would buy Brian something expensive first.

4.According to the passage, compared with men, women tend to ________.

A.be more emotional

B.be easier to get hurt

C.emphasize more on sharing

D.emphasize more on independence

Answer

1.D

2.D

3.A

4.C

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文。文章通过虚构的两个主人翁（一对夫妇）——Tracy和Brian，解释了夫妻双方的不同之处：妻子在意的是夫妻之间的亲密，而丈夫更在乎自己的独立。

1.推理判断题。文章从第一段开始就讲述男女的需求和关注点不同，后面以Tracy和Brian这对夫妇的例子来说明男女因交流方式不同而造成的冲突。因此本文作者的目的在于解释男女交流方式的不同。故选D。

2.细节理解题。根据第二段的最后一句“But what upset her the most was that Brian had made these plans on his own and informed her of them, rather than discussing them with her before extending the invitation.”可得知Tracy感到心烦是因为 Brian邀请男朋友来家里之前没和自己商量。故选D。

3.细节理解题。根据第三段的第一句“Tracy would never make plans, for a weekend or an evening, without first checking with Brian.”可知Tracy在买价格贵的物品的时候会和Brian商量。故选A。

4.推理判断题。文章的第一段就指出：女性更倾向于亲近，男性更倾向于独立。由此可以推断出女性更愿意与人分享，从而使关系更亲近。A,B选项文中未提及，D选项情况刚相反，应该是男性更倾向于独立。故选C。