Question

When I was younger, I thought that boys and grown men should not cry. The tears were signs of being weak and a sissy(胆小鬼), which a man is not supposed to be. This was even strengthened in my young mind when the song, Boys Don't Cry, came out in the early 1980s.

But just this June, I discovered that courage is not all about trying to keep all the pain inside in check. Courage is not all about trying to hide the tears. It is the opposite — the tears strengthen the heart's courage. And I saw this in my father. That day my father cried.

My 18-year-old sister eloped (私奔) and from it I saw how weak my father's heart was. My sister and I were used to seeing him as an iron-willed figure and authoritarian father.

For three days after my sister eloped, he would not talk. He would just sit quietly outside our house in the dark. On the fourth night, I sat beside him and asked him to tell me what he felt about everything.

It has been years since I have laid my hand on my father's shoulder as we have drifted apart (疏远) farther and farther while I was growing up. That night，though, I sensed my father trying to control his pain and I wanted him to be able to let it out. We have all cried over what happened except him. All of us except him.

The simple touch and my words, “Dad, it is not your fault.”, broke my father's dam. In the darkness, he began to cry. I felt his shoulders shaking as he whispered, "Where did I go wrong? All I ever wanted was for my children to grow up right. Why couldn't your sister wait?"

I understood then why he preferred to be in the dark. By being there, he hoped to spare his family of a father's pain. His tears, though we did not see them before that night, were there all the same. I saw his courage, that night when my father cried with my hand on his shoulder, and understood his pain.

1. Why did the author think men shouldn’t cry when he was younger?

(No more than 12 words) (3 marks)

____________________________________________________________________________

2.According to the author and his sister, what kind of person was their father?

(No more than 6 words) (2 marks)

____________________________________________________________________________

3.How did the author make his father let out his pain?

(No more than 9 words) (3 marks)

____________________________________________________________________________

4. When did the author see his father’s courage?

(No more than 7 words) (2 marks)

___________________________________________________________________________.

Answer 1

1.Because tears were signs of being weak and a sissy. / Because a man’s tear means weakness and a sissy. / Because crying was a sign of being weak and a sissy.

2.An iron-willed and authoritarian person/man/father.

3.By touching his father and saying some (comforting) words. / Through a simple touch and some (comforting) words.

4.The day / night when his father cried.

【解析】

试题分析：本为主要讲的是作者在小时候被教育男人不应该哭，却在经历了父亲对于姐姐私奔而强忍眼泪到最后痛哭的场景后，我开始理解父亲内心的痛苦，对“男人不哭”有了新的理解。

1. tears were signs of being weak and a sissy(胆小鬼), which a man is not supposed to be.”可知由于作者从小被接受的观念是眼泪是懦弱和胆小鬼的象征，而这不是一个男人应该做的。故此处答案应为“Because tears were signs of being weak and a sissy. / Because a man’s tear means weakness and a sissy. / Because crying was a sign of being weak and a sissy.”。

2. sister and I were used to seeing him as an iron-willed figure and authoritarian father.”我和我的姐姐过去习惯将父亲视为一个钢铁般意志的人物或者是独裁主义的父亲。结合这句话，可知此处英回答“An iron-willed and authoritarian person/man/father.”。

3. simple touch and my words,‘Dad, it is not your fault’， broke my father's dam。”简单的触碰和我的话语“爸爸，这不是你的错”打破了父亲心中那道心坎。由此可知作者是通过对父亲身体的抚慰和语言上的安慰使得父亲释放出他的痛。故此处可填： By touching his father and saying some (comforting) words. / Through a simple touch and some (comforting) words.

4. day / night when his father cried.

考点：考察记叙文阅读。