Question

    Growing up in Arizona’s rodeo (竞技) country, I was familiar with the events that come with traveling rodeos: bull riding, dressing and mutton busting. Mutton busting is like bull riding, but instead of bulls, they use sheep. And in place of the men, it’s children between six and ten years old who try to hang on for eight seconds.

It took me all of five minutes to say yes to the idea of riding a sheep. Being seven years old, my decision-making ability was pretty limited. I figured I could ride a sheep as well as the next kid. Little did I know that I was in for a world of pain and embarrassment.

My nerves were shaking the day of the rodeo. I hated being in front of crowds. I didn’t like getting dirty; I didn’t even like sheep, which I thought of as just dirty and smelly. Yet there I was, getting ready to ride one for eight seconds in front of hundreds of people. I wanted to run out of the field and hide in the hot car until it was over. But by the time this idea occurred to me, it was too late. I was lifted away from my mother by a rodeo trainer and placed onto a platform.

My feet went into the narrow pen (羊圈) first. I felt my shoes touch the dirty floor of the pen. Once I was balanced on the top of the sheep, the trainer let go and told me to lean forward. I did as he said. I could feel the animal’s heart beating faster than mine. I realized that the poor sheep was even more frightened than I was.

Then the gate opened, and I quickly discovered that my hold was too weak. Within three seconds I had fallen off the sheep, and found myself face-down on the sun-baked earth. The sheep thought this was its time to take revenge (复仇), and attacked me from behind. There I lay, hat down, covered in dirt, with tears streaming down my face. I looked behind me to see my mother running to comfort me. “Stand up and show them you’re okay,” she told me as she wiped the dirty tears from my face. I stood up, dirty and upset, waved my little hand, and walked out with my mother.

Sadly, I didn’t win anything, not even the respect of these rodeo animals. I did find a new admiration for those little balls of wool, though.

1.Which of the following is TRUE about “mutton busting”?

A.It is a dirty and terrible game. B.Only strong adults can ride a sheep.

C.It is intended to pick the fastest sheep. D.It’s a game for 6-to-10-year-old children.

2.The author decided to take part in the competition because ________.

A.it was part of growing up B.he thought he could do well

C.mother made him do so D.he found it very interesting

3.What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?

A.Why the author lost the competition.

B.Why a mother should comfort her child.

C.How the author failed in the sheep riding.

D.How the sheep hurt the author when it attacked.

4.We learn from the article that ________.

A.sheep riding is as difficult as bull riding

B.sheep riding is not popular because the pen is very dirty

C.the author wanted to give up before the competition

D.the author kept trying until he succeeded in riding a sheep

Answer

1.D

2.B

3.C

4.C

【解析】

本文是一篇记叙文。作者叙述了小时候一次的骑羊的经历。作者一开始很讨厌羊，认为它们很脏。作者在羊背上待了三秒就摔了下来，并且遭到了羊的攻击，但是从此以后，作者对羊产生了一些好感。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段中的Mutton busting is like bull riding, but instead of bulls, they use sheep. And in place of the men, it’s children between six and ten years old who try to hang on for eight seconds.可知，mutton busting是6到10岁的孩子们玩的一种游戏：骑羊，他们试图在羊背上坚持8秒钟。故选D。

2.细节理解题。根据第二段中的I figured I could ride a sheep as well as the next kid.可知，我认为自己可以像下一个孩子一样可以骑羊，并且骑得很好。所以作者决定参加骑羊比赛。故选B。

3.段落大意题。根据第五段中的Then the gate opened, and I quickly discovered that my hold was too weak. Within three seconds I had fallen off the sheep, and found myself face-down on the sun-baked earth. The sheep thought this was its time to take revenge (复仇), and attacked me from behind. There I lay, hat down, covered in dirt, with tears streaming down my face...(然后门开了，我很快发现我的手太弱了。不出三秒钟，我就从羊背上摔了下来，脸朝下倒在太阳炙烤的土地上。羊以为是时候报仇了，就从后面袭击我。我躺在那里，帽子朝下，满身是土，泪流满面……)可知，第五段主要叙述了作者骑羊失败的过程。故选C。

4.推理判断题。根据第四段中的My nerves were shaking the day of the rodeo. I hated being in front of crowds. I didn't like getting dirty; I didn’t even like sheep…I wanted to run out of the field and hide in the hot car until it was over. But by the time this idea occurred to me, it was too late. I was lifted away from my mother by a rodeo trainer and placed onto a platform.(我的神经在紧张地颤抖。我讨厌在人群面前。我不喜欢弄脏自己；我甚至不喜欢羊……我想跑出田野，躲在闷热的车里，直到一切结束。但是当我想到这个主意的时候，已经太晚了。我被一位马术教练从母亲身边抱起，放在一个平台上。)由此推知，作者在比赛之前想放弃，不想参加比赛。故选C。