Question

    When Peter Fortune was ten years old grown-up people sometimes used to tell him he was a “difficult”child. He never understood what they meant. He didn’t feel difficult at all. He didn’t throw milk bottles at the garden wall, or tip tomato ketchup over his head and pretend it was blood, or slash at his granny’s ankle with his sword, though he occasionally thought of these things. Apart from all vegetables except potatoes, and fish, eggs and cheese, there was nothing he would not eat. He wasn’t noisier or dirtier or more stupid than anyone he knew. His name was easy to say and spell. His face, which was pale and freckled, was easy enough to remember. He went to school every day like all other children and never made that much fuss about it. He was only as offensive to his sister as she was to him. Policemen never came knocking at the front door wanting to arrest him. Doctors in white coats never offered to take him away to the madhouse. As far as Peter was concerned, he was really quite easy. What was difficult about him?

It was not until he had been a grown-up himself for many years that Peter finally understood. They thought he was difficult because he was so silent. That seemed to bother people. The other problem was he liked being by himself. Not all the time, of course. Not even every day. But most days he liked to go off somewhere for an hour to his bedroom, or the park. He liked to be alone and think his thoughts.

Now, grown-ups like to think they know what’s going on inside a ten-year-old’s head. And it’s impossible to know what someone is thinking if they keep quiet about it. People would see Peter lying on his back on a summer’s afternoon, chewing a piece of grass and staring at the sky. “Peter, Peter! What are you thinking about?” they would call to him. And Peter would sit up with a start. “Oh, nothing. Nothing at all.”Grown-ups knew that something was going on inside that head, but they couldn’t hear it or see it or feel it. They couldn’t tell Peter to stop it, because they did not know what it was he was doing in there. He could have been setting his school on fire or feeding his sister to an alligator and escaping in a hot air balloon, but all they saw was a boy staring at the blue sky without blinking, a boy who did not hear you when you called his name.

As for being on his own, grown-ups didn’t much like that either. They don’t even like other grown-ups being on their own. When you join in, people can see what you’re up to. You’re up to what they’re up to. You have to join in, or you’ll spoil it for everyone else. Peter had different ideas. In fact, he thought, if people spent less time joining in and making others join in, and spent a little time each day alone remembering who they were or who they might be, then the world would be a happier place and wars might never happen...

The trouble with being a daydreamer who doesn’t say much is that the teachers at school, especially the ones who don’t know you very well, are likely to think you are rather stupid. Or, if not stupid, then dull. No one can see the amazing things that are going on in your head. A teacher who saw Peter staring out the window or at a blank sheet of paper on his desk might think that he was bored, or stuck for an answer. But the truth was quite different.

1.It can be learned from the first paragraph that ________.

A.Peter liked playing practical jokes

B.Peter wasn’t particular about food at all

C.boys generally did some crazy things

D.Peter knew why he was called“difficult”

2.Which of the following would Peter be most likely to do?

A.To walk around a lake for quite a while.

B.To break the neighbor’s fence for fun.

C.To tie a dirty dustbin to a dog’s tail.

D.To sleep in the tent with his friends.

3.What is the main reason that Peter was considered“difficult”by grown-ups?

A.He was far from communicative.

B.He turned a deaf ear to others.

C.He did not do well in his studies.

D.He preferred to live on his own.

4.What might the author continue to write about in the following part?

A.Effective measures to help Peter out.

B.How the unique ideas Peter had amazed others.

C.Difficulties keeping Peter from learning well.

D.Further prejudice against Peter among grown-ups.

5.What can serve as the best title of this passage?

A.The Daydreamer B.The Troublemaker

C.The Hard Nut D.The Dark Horse

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.A

4.B

5.A

【解析】

本文是一篇记叙文。文章主要介绍了空想家Peter的不同寻常之处及其日常所做所想，及和人们之间互相的不解。

1.推理判断题。根据第一段Peter想到的一些可能会让大人们认为他difficult的事，这些都是男孩们经常淘气捣乱做的事，结合生活常识可知男孩们经常喜欢做一些疯狂的事，故选C。

2.推理判断题。根据第二段They thought he was difficult because he was so silent.和The other problem was he liked being by himself.可知，Peter是个沉默，喜欢一个人独处的男孩，A项“在湖边走很长时间。”符合他的性格，故选A。

3.细节理解题。根据第二段It was not until he had been a grown-up himself for many years that Peter finally understood. They thought he was difficult because he was so silent. That seemed to bother people.（直到自己长大了很多年，彼得才终于明白了。他们认为他很难相处，是因为他太沉默了。那似乎让人感到困扰）可知，人们认为他难以相处的原因是他太沉默，不善交流，故选A。

4.推理判断题。上文讲述的是Peter的日常所做及人们对他的不理解，下文应该接着写他的一些奇怪想法给别人带来的惊奇。故选B。

5.主旨大意题。文章主要介绍的是空想家Peter的不同寻常之处及其日常活动，所以A项“空想家”适合作为标题，故选A。