Question

    My wife and I were at a crowded grocery store not long ago. It was a weekday evening, cold and wet and tense. People were carelessly blocking aisles, complaining and cutting one another off with their carts. At one point, two women quarreled for several minutes after colliding in the freezer section.

Things got worse at the checkout line.The cashier scanned a man's discount card, but he misread the savings on her screen as an additional charge. He decided she was acting intentionally and began to argue.

Other customers looked away as the cashier tried to reason with him. She called a manager, who took him to customer service. Shaken , she moved to the next customer in line.

We’ve all witnessed uncomfortable scenes like this in public places. My reaction when I see them is both personal and professional.  I am a data analyst and sociologist who studies how and why people interact with one another--or why they choose not to. To me, the grocery scene was another example of how our trust in others has faded. But it was also a teachable moment on how we can rebuild our faith — starting with just one person.

Therefore, my wife and I reached the disturbed cashier. I grabbed a bottle of water from a nearby cooler and handed it to her. We learned her name was Beth.

“We felt bad about how that man treated you and wanted to buy this for you.” I said.

Beth’s face lit up, and we talked as she scanned our items.She told us she had been working that evening through severe foot pain and would be having surgery later that week. We wished her well in her recovery, and she thanked us as we left.

That is the balancing act, the moment of countering social and emotional pain with healing, that will add up to restore trust across the United States. You can start that pattern in someone else's life , even in a place as ordinary as the neighborhood grocery store.

1.By describing the arguments, the author wants to show__________.

A.the job as a cashier is not easy. B.people in the U.S are unfriendly.

C.arguments in public are very common. D.confidence in each other has worn off.

2.How did Beth probably feel when the couple gave her a bottle of water?

A.Sad and regretful. B.Sorry and wronged.

C.Cheerful and rewarded. D.Grateful and relieved.

3.What's author's attitude towards Americans' regaining trust?

A.Doubtful. B.Optimistic.

C.Uncaring D.Cautious

4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A.A Miserable Cashier. B.A Helping Hand.

C.Learning to Trust Again. D.Starting a new life.

Answer

1.D

2.D

3.B

4.C

【解析】

本文是夹叙夹议文。文章通过在一个拥挤的杂货店里人与人之间互不相让、互相争吵的例子，作者觉得美国社会人与人之间的信任在慢慢消失。但另一方面作者又觉得重建与人之间的信任，可以从很平常的生活中开始。

1.细节理解题。文章前三段描述了在一个拥挤的杂货店里，人们各种互不相让、互相争吵的情景。根据第4段the grocery scene was another example of how our trust in others has faded.可知，作者认为杂货店的令人不舒服的场景是人与人之间的信任在慢慢消失的一个例子。故选D项。

2.推理判断题。根据第5段Beth’s face lit up （Beth面露喜色）可知，作者买一瓶水给Beth, 并且对她说“We felt bad about how that man treated you and wanted to buy this for you.”，以及第5段最后一句 and she thanked us as we left可知，作者让Beth 感到欣慰和感激。故选D项。

3.推理判断题。据文章最后一段That is the balancing act, the moment of countering social and emotional pain with healing, that will add up to restore trust across the United States.可知，作者认为我们可以在日常生活中通过一些小小的行为帮助那些由于社会原因承受情感上的痛苦的人们，这将有助于恢复人与人之间的信任。因此作者对美国社会恢复人与人之间的信任是持乐观态度的。故选B项。

4.主旨大意题。在一个拥挤的杂货店，由于顾客的原因，收银员与顾客发生争吵，收银员承受了情感上的痛苦。作为一名数据分析师和社会学家，作者抓住这个时刻，分析如何才能重建人与人之间的信任。根据第4段But it was also a teachable moment on how we can rebuild our faith （这也是一个教我们如何重建信任的时刻）和最后一段that will add up to restore trust across the United States（那会有助于人与人之间恢复信任）可推断，文章是探讨了如何重建美国社会人与人之间的信任。由此可知，C项适合做本文最佳标题。故选C项。