Question

    It was Christmas Eve 1949. I was 15 and feeling sad because there was not enough money to buy the dress I wanted. After supper, I was still feeling sorry for myself. It was a cold, clear night, and Pa came in. "Come on, Elizabeth,” he said. "Get dressed. It's cold out. " Pa was dragging me out in the cold. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door.

Outside, I asked, "Pa, what are you doing?” Have you met Mrs. Clark lately?" he asked. Mrs. Clark lived about two miles down the road from us. Her husband had died the year before, leaving her with three children to raise on her own." Yeah, " I said. "Why?” "I rode by just today, " Pa said. Little Jake was trying to find a few woodchips. They're out of wood. " That was all he said. Pa then loaded the truck with a big ham, a sack of flour and a smaller sack of something in his left hand. "What's in the smaller sack?" I asked. "Shoes. They're out of shoes. I got the children a little candy too."

We rode the two miles to the Clarks' place in silence. I tried to think through what Pa was doing. I knew we didn't have much money. The Clarks had closer neighbors than us. Why was it our concern?

When Mrs. Clark realized what was happening, she bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling as tears ran down her cheeks. She looked at Pa as if she wanted to say something, but it wouldn't come out. I wasn't the same person when I got the wood unloaded. We gave each of the kids a hug and said goodbye. Thank you, Brother Cotton,"  Mrs. Clark said.

On the way back, Pa explained that he and Ma had saved all year long to buy me a dress for Christmas. 441 spent that money on some shoes and a little candy for those children. I hope you understand, he said. I understood very well. My father had given me a gift much greater than a dress.

1.I felt sorry for myself because ______

A.I didn't get the present I desired

B.Pa forced me to go out in the cold

C.Pa didn't have money for Christmas

D.I did a lot of housework after supper

2.What can we learn about Mrs. Clark?

A.She lived on others' help.

B.She was our closest neighbor.

C.She led a hard life that winter.

D.She was a warm-hearted woman.

3.What does the underlined sentence "I wasn't the same person..." in Paragraph 4 mean?

A.I understood what Pa was doing then.

B.I helped with unloading the wood.

C.Mrs. Clark didn't recognize me.

D.Mrs. Clark noticed my change.

4.What can be a suitable title for the text?

A.Christmas Gifts from Heart B.A Cold Christmas Eve

C.Helping Our Neighbors D.Clark and Her Children

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.A

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇记叙文。讲述了作者度过的一个难忘的圣诞节。

1.细节理解题。根据第1段I was 15 and feeling sad because there was not enough money to buy the dress I wanted可知，作者不开心主要是因为没有得到自己想要的裙子，和A项没得到想要的礼物一致。故选A项。

2.推理判断题。根据第2段Her husband had died the year before, leaving her with three children to raise on her own可知，她的丈夫去世，留下她和三个年幼的孩子，生活的负担全部落在她一个人的肩上, 因此可知她的日子非常艰难。故选C项。

3.词义猜测题。从第3段I tired to think through what Pa was doing可知，作者原本不能理解父亲的行为，又从倒数第2段 She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling as tears ran down her cheeks(她咬着下唇忍住颤抖不让眼泪流下来)可知，当作者看到Mrs. Clark 的艰难处境以及Mrs. Clark 感动的表情后，想法有了转变。故选A项。

4.主旨大意题。全文写圣诞节父亲在自己不宽裕的情况下帮助比自己更困难的一家人，为他们送去了珍贵的生活必需品及贴心的小礼物。再根据最后一段My father had given me a gift much greater than a dress可知父亲给了我一个比裙子更好的礼物即前文提及的对邻居的帮助。可知Christmas Gifts from Heart(发自内心的圣诞礼物)作为文章的题目最为合适。故选A项。