Question

    When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Doctor Gibbs. He didn't look like any doctor I'd ever known. He never shouted at us for playing in his yard, but was always very kind.

When Doctor Gibbs wasn't saving lives, he was planting trees. He had some interesting theories about planting trees. He believed in the principle: "No pains, no gains". He hardly watered his new trees, which greatly went against conventional (守旧的) wisdom. Once I asked why and he told me that watering plants spoiled them because it made them grow weaker. He said you had to make things hard for the trees so that only the strongest could survive. He talked about how watering trees made them develop shallow roots and how trees, if they were not watered, would grow deep roots in search of water. So, instead of watering his trees every morning, he'd beat them with a rolled-up newspaper. I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree's attention.

Doctor Gibbs died a couple of years after I left home. Every now and then, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I'd watched him plant some twenty five years ago. They were all tall and strong.

I planted a couple of trees myself a few years ago. Two years of attending these trees meant they grew up weak. Whenever a cold wind blew, their branches trembled. Adversity seemed to benefit Doctor Gibb's trees in ways comfort and ease never could.

Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I often hope that their lives will be easy. But lately I've been thinking that it's time to change my idea. I know my children are going to meet with hard times. There's always a cold wind blowing somewhere. What we need to do is to hope for deep roots, so when the rains fall and the winds blow, we won't be torn apart.

1.With the trees planted, Doctor Gibbs often __________.

A.kept watering them every day B.paid very little attention to them

C.beat them to make them grow tall D.talked to them to get their attention

2.What does the underlined word “Adversity” in the 4th paragraph probably mean?

A.A happy moment. B.An important position.

C.A difficult situation. D.A dirty environment.

3.What does the author wish for his sons?

A.Meet people like Dr Gibbs in the future.

B.Have an easy, happy and comfortable life.

C.Have good luck, meeting no hardship at all.

D.Be able to stand the rain and wind in their lives.

4.Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A.Growing Roots B.Doctor Gibbs’ Trees

C.Watering Trees D.Helping My Sons

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.D

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇记叙文。文章讲述了，作者从老邻居Doctor Gibbs身上学到：逆境对人生有好处，而舒适和安逸是永远无法企及的。

1.

细节理解题。由第二段中的“He hardly watered his new trees, which greatly went against conventional (守旧的) wisdom.”（他几乎不给他的新树浇水，这与传统的智慧大相径庭。），可知他不怎么给树浇水，很少关注树的成长。故选B项。

2.

词义猜测题。由倒数第二段中的“Whenever a cold wind blew, their branches trembled. Adversity seemed to benefit Doctor Gibb's trees in ways comfort and ease never could.”（每当寒风吹来，它们的树枝都会颤抖。逆境似乎对Doctor Gibbs的树木有好处，而舒适和安逸是永远无法企及的。），可推断出Adversity在此处意为“困难的环境”。故选C项。

3.

推理判断题。由最后一段中的“I know my children are going to meet with hard times. There's always a cold wind blowing somewhere. What we need to do is to hope for deep roots, so when the rains fall and the winds blow, we won't be torn apart.”（我知道我的孩子们会遇到困难的。总有冷风吹过某处。我们需要做的是希望有深深的根，这样当下雨和刮风的时候，我们就不会被撕裂。），可推断出作者希望儿子们能够忍受他们生活中的风雨。故选D项。

4.

主旨大意题。纵观全文可知“树木经历困境才能长出深根、成长的好”和最后一段尾句“What we need to do is to hope for deep roots, so when the rains fall and the winds blow, we won't be torn apart.”（我们需要做的是希望有深深的根，这样当下雨和刮风的时候，我们就不会被撕裂。），可知文章讲述的是“在成长时经历困境长出深根，才能抵御风雨”，A项“成长的树根”符合文意。故选A项。