Question

Dear Hamilton,

    We are fortunate that in such a large, high-pressure office we all get along so well. You are one of the people who keep the social temperature at such a comfortable setting. I don’t know anyone in the office who is better liked than you.

    You can perhaps help with this. The collection of contributions towards gifts for employees’ personal-life events is becoming a little troubling. Certainly, the group sending of a gift is reasonable now and then. In the past month, however, there have been collections for two baby shower gifts, one wedding shower gift, two wedding gifts, one funeral（葬礼）remembrance, four birthday gifts, and three graduation gifts.

   It’s not only the collected-from who are growing uncomfortable (and poor), but the collected-for feel uneasy receiving gifts from people who don’t know them outside the office, who wouldn’t even recognize their graduating children, their marrying daughters and sons, or their dead relatives.

    This is basically a kind gesture (and one that people think well of you for), but the practice seems to have become too wide-ranging and feels improper in today’s office setting.

    Thank you for understanding.

The underlined word “contributions” probably means ________.

A. money         B. suggestions        C. reports          D. understanding

Hamilton is expected to _______.

A. show more kindness.                  B. discontinue the present practice

C. quit being the organizer for gift giving    D. know more about co-workers’ families

This is basically a letter of ________.

A. apology    B. sympathy      C. appreciation   D. dissatisfaction

Answer 1

【小题1】A

【小题2】B

【小题3】D

解析:

【小题1】第二段说明，收取各种礼物的费用，所以contributions指money。

【小题2】考查理解深层含义的能力。这封信对Hamilton说明了一些收取礼物费用的好处和带来的一些麻烦，请求他能够理解，所以推断他可能不进行这种习俗了。

【小题3】这封信对Hamilton说明了一些收取礼物费用的好处和带来的一些麻烦，请求他能够理解，所以推断他可能不进行这种习俗了。文中最后还说明，这是一慈善的举动，想说服Hamilton 继续维持这种交钱买礼物的习俗。从写信人的语气中可以看出，这是一封表示不满情绪的信。