Question

    In 2011, Nancy Ballard went for a routine checkup that turned into something extraordinary. In fact, she was carrying a painting of a plant she’d done when she arrived at her doctor’s San Francisco office. “It would be great if we had artwork like that for our chemotherapy (化疗) rooms,” the nurse said. Ballard asked to see one.

She was shocked by what she found. The walls were dull and bare, and the paint had fallen off. It was a room where sad patients are receiving their routine—patients limited themselves to chemo drips (点滴) for perhaps several hours, often with nothing to look at except those sad walls. Ballard didn’t have cancer herself, but she had pity on the patients. “I couldn’t imagine how anyone could even think about getting healthy in a room like that,” she says. As it happens, Ballard’s doctor, Stephen Hufford, was ill with cancer himself, so finding time to decorate the rooms was low on his to-do list. So Ballard made it her mission to brighten the place up.

She started by emailing 20 local designers. “I wrote, ‘You don’t know me. But my heart hurts after seeing these rooms.’” she said. She then asked whether they would donate their time and money to transform just one of Dr. Hufford’s rooms each.

As it happens, six of them wrote back almost immediately. Six rooms got new paint, light fixtures, artwork, and furniture. Dr. Hufford was delighted. “All the patients feel the relief of the pain because of it,” he said. He even noted that his own voice was different in the rooms and that he was better able to connect with his patients.

Ballard was so encouraged by the patients’ reaction that she created a non-profit organization, Rooms That Rock Chemo, to raise money and decorate more spaces. Since then, she has worked on 20 projects, including one in Pennsylvania. “We were in Philadelphia for an opening ceremony, and a woman was there on her third battle with cancer,” says Ballard. “When she saw what we’d done, she said, ‘I’m gonna beat it this time. I thought I wasn’t going to, but now I’m gonna beat it.’”

1.What made Ballard decide to help decorate the chemotherapy rooms?

A.Her pity for cancer patients.

B.Her passion for room decoration.

C.The good relationship with Hufford.

D.The request of a nurse in San Francisco.

2.What result does Ballard’s efforts bring about?

A.More hospitals will be built.

B.Hufford cured more patients.

C.The cancer patients were feeling better.

D.Hufford’s chemotherapy rooms got good reputation.

3.Which words best describe Nancy Ballard?

A.Rich and generous. B.Talented and energetic.

C.Loving and devoted. D.Ambitious and creative.

4.Which can be a suitable title for the passage?

A.Battle Against Cancer B.Design for Hope

C.Donation for Patients D.Decoration in Hospital

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.C

4.B

【解析】

这是一篇记叙文。文章讲述了主人公Nancy Ballard为了帮助病人，义务装饰医院的化疗室的故事。通过她的努力，病人们在她装饰的房间里获得了对抗病魔的勇气。

1.

细节理解题。根据第二段关键句“Ballard didn’t have cancer herself, but she had pity on the patients.”可知，Ballard本人没有患癌症，但她同情这些病人。再根据第二段关键句“So Ballard made it her mission to brighten the place up.”可知，Ballard决定要装饰化疗室。由此可推断出，Ballard决定要装饰化疗室，是因为她对癌症病人的同情。故选A项。

2.

细节理解题。根据第四段关键句“All the patients feel the relief of the pain because of it”可知，在Ballard的努力下，癌症病人们在新的化疗室里，感到疼痛减轻了。由此可推断出，在Ballard的努力下，癌症病人感觉好多了。故选C项。

3.

细节理解题。根据最后一段关键句“Ballard was so encouraged by the patients’ reaction that she created a non-profit organization, Rooms That Rock Chemo, to raise money and decorate more spaces.”可知，Ballard创建了一个非盈利组织，去筹集资金和装饰更多的房间。由此可推断出，一个不为利益而工作的人，一个为别人着想的人，应该是一个充满爱的，充满奉献精神的人。故选C项。

4.

主旨大意题。本题让我们为文章选择合适的题目。根据第二段关键句“I couldn’t imagine how anyone could even think about getting healthy in a room like that”可知，在单调的化疗室里，没有人会考虑自己会再次变得健康。换句话说，单调又乏味的化疗室，并没有给病人带去治愈疾病的希望，只会让病人更沮丧，根据最后一段关键句“I’m gonna beat it this time. I thought I wasn’t going to, but now I’m gonna beat it.”可知，病人在装饰过得房间里治病，感觉自己是可以战胜疾病的。综上可知，装饰的房间是为了给病人带来战胜疾病的希望而设计的。故选B项。