题目内容
In the kitchen of my mother’s houses there has always been a wooden stand (木架) with a small notepad (记事本) and a hole for a pencil.
I’m looking for paper on which to note down the name of a book I am recommending to my mother. Over forty years since my earliest memories of the kitchen pad and pencil, five houses later, the current paper and pencil look the same as they always did. Surely it can’t be the same pencil? The pad is more modern, but the wooden stand is definitely the original one.
“I’m just amazed you still have the same stand for holding the pad and pencil after all these years.” I say to her, walking back into the living-room with a sheet of paper and the pencil. “You still use a pencil. Can’t you afford a pen?”
My mother replies a little sharply. “It works perfectly well. I’ve always kept the stand in the kitchen. I never knew when I might want to note down an idea, and I was always in the kitchen in those days.”
Immediately I can picture her, hair wild, blue housecoat covered in flour, a wooden spoon in one hand, the pencil in the other, her mouth moving silently. My mother smiles and says, “One day I was cooking and watching baby Pauline, and I had a brilliant thought, but the stand was empty. One of the children must have taken the paper. So I just picked up the breadboard and wrote it all down on the back. It turned out to be a real breakthrough for solving the mathematical problem I was working on.”
This story—which happened before I was born—reminds me how extraordinary my mother was, and is, as a gifted mathematician. I feel embarrassed that I complain about not having enough child-free time to work. Later, when my mother is in the bathroom, I go into her kitchen and turn over the breadboards. Sure enough, on the back of the smallest one, are some penciled marks I recognize as mathematics. Those symbols have travelled unaffected through fifty years, rooted in the soil of a cheap wooden breadboard, invisible (看不到的) exhibits at every meal
- 1.
Why has the author’s mother always kept the notepad and pencil in the kitchen?
- A.To leave messages
- B.To list her everyday tasks
- C.To note down maths problems
- D.To write down a flash of inspiration
- A.
- 2.
What is the author’s original opinion about the wooden stand?
- A.It has great value for the family
- B.It needs to be replaced by a better one
- C.It brings her back to her lonely childhood
- D.It should be passed on to the next generation
- A.
- 3.
The author feels embarrassed for
- A.blaming her mother wrongly
- B.giving her mother a lot of trouble
- C.not making good use of time as her mother did
- D.not making any breakthrough in her field
- A.
- 4.
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
- A.The mother is successful in her career
- B.The family members like travelling
- C.The author had little time to play when young
- D.The marks on the breadboard have disappeared
- A.
- 5.
In the author’s mind, her mother is
- A.strange in behaviour
- B.keen on her research
- C.fond of collecting old things
- D.careless about her appearance
- A.
试题分析:【文章大意】本文是一篇故事。文章讲述了母亲厨房里的纸、铅笔及放置它们的木架的故事。
1.D考查推理判断。根据文章第一段中的In the kitchen of my mother’s houses there has always been a wooden stand (木架) with a small notepad (记事本) and a hole for a pencil.可知D正确。
2.B考查推理判断。根据文章第二段中的The pad is more modern, but the wooden stand is definitely the original one.可知,记事本是现代的了,而木架还绝对是原来的。这表明作者的心理态度是:其他都变了,这个架子也该变了。故选B。
3.C考查推理判断。根据文章倒数第一段中的This story—which happened before I was born—reminds me how extraordinary my mother was, and is, as a gifted mathematician. I feel embarrassed that I complain about not having enough child-free time to work.可知,使我感到难堪的是我总是抱怨没有时间。故选C。
4.A考查推理判断。根据文章最后一段中的This story—which happened before I was born—reminds me how extraordinary my mother was, and is, as a gifted mathematician.可推知A正确。母亲是一个天才的数学家。
5.B考查推理判断。根据文章最后一段中的Those symbols have travelled unaffected through fifty years, rooted in the soil of a cheap wooden breadboard, invisible (看不到的) exhibits at every meal.可知B正确。
考点:考查记叙文的阅读理解。
To Whom It May Concern:
On March 5, 2012 , I bought a Perfect Muffin Kit(松饼粉 ) from your store at Midfield Shopping Center. The cashier who assisted me was George. George was very friendly and told me that the Perfect Muffin Kit would live up to the guarantee on the box: “Perfect Muffins Every Time!”.
Unfortunately, this product did not live up to what it promised . The muffins I made were far from perfect . I followed the directions in the package very carefully . First , I removed the bag of mix from the box. Then , I poured it into a bowl. Next, I added the correct amount of water to the mix and stirred it. According to the directions, after stirring the mixture , I added half a cup of dried prapes, nuts , berries, or another favorite ingredient(配料 ) . My favorite ingredient happens to be hot sauce (沙司 ). I find that a bit of hot sauce makes pizza and soup taste very delicious. So, continuing to follow the directions, I added half a cup of hot sauce to the mix and stirred it. Finally, I poured the mix into muffin tins and baked it in the baker at 350 degrees for exactly 20 minutes.
When the muffins finished baking, I was very excited to eat the “Perfect Muffins” as promised on the box. You can imagine my disappointment when, upon tasting the muffins, I discovered that they were not perfect. These muffins were , in fact , absolutely terrible. Not even my dog was interested in eating these supposedly “perfect” muffins.
I would appreciate a full refund(退款 ) of $3.99 for this product as soon as possible. Enclosed are the receipt, the empty box, and one of the un-perfect muffins so that you can experience it for yourself . Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely ,
Michelle Bauer
【小题1】This letter is most likely addressed to _______.
A.a local storeowner |
B.the owner of the muffin mix company |
C.the clerk at a local muffin bakery |
D.George, the cashier who sold the muffin mix |
A.embarrassed | B.hopeless |
C.disappointed | D.disgusted |
A.the directions of the product contained a mistake |
B.it was not up to the promise made on the box |
C.it was too difficult to follow the directions |
D.it was worth less money than she paid for it |
A.prevent others from making the same mistake |
B.persuade the company to change the wording on their box |
C.get back all the money paid from the shop |
D.complain about how bad the muffins tasted |
The Museum: The Charles Dickens Museum in London is the world’s most important collection of material relating to the great Victorian novelist and social commentator(时事评论员).The only surviving London home of Dickens (from 1837 until 1839) was opened as a museum in 1925 and is still welcoming visitors from all over the world. On four floors, visitors can see paintings, rare editions, manuscripts(手稿), original furniture and many items relating to the life of one of the most popular and beloved personalities of the Victorian age.
Opening Hours
The Museum is open from Mondays to Saturdays 10:00—17:00; Sundays 11:00—17:00.
Last admission is 30 minutes before closing time.
Special opening times can be arranged for groups, who may wish to book a private view.
Admission Charges: Adults: £5.00; Students: £4.00; Seniors: £4.00; Children: £3.00; Families: £14.00
(2 adults & up to five children)
Group Rates: For a group of 10 or more, a special group rate of £4.00 each applies. Children will still be admitted for £3.00 each.
Access: We are constantly working to improve access to the Museum and its collection. Our current projects involve the fitting of a wheelchair ramp(波道)for better access, a customer care kit and an audio tour for visitors with impaired (受损的)vision. Our Handling Sessions are also suitable for the visually(视觉上地)impaired. The Museum has developed an online virtual(虚拟的)tour through the Museum. Click here to visit all the rooms in the Museum online.
Hire the Museum: The Museum can be hired for private functions, performances soirees (社交晚会) and many other social occasions.
Find Us: The Museum may be reached by using the following buses: 7,17, 19, 38, 45, 46, 55, 243. And by these underground services: Piccadilly Line; Central Line. For a map, please click here. The British Museum and the Foundling Museum are within walking distance.
【小题1】The passage is probably from a(n)________.
A.book | B.website | C.newspaper | D.announcement |
A.£25.00 | B.£ 14.00 | C.£ 9.00 | D.£11.00 |
A.In any case people cannot visit the Museum after 17:00. |
B.Visitors with poor vision cannot enjoy the Museum. |
C.The Museum is not very far from the British Museum. |
D.Anyone cannot hire the Museum for other uses. |
A.persuade readers to visit the Charles Dickens Museum. |
B.inform readers about the history of the Charles Dickens Museum. |
C.offer readers some information about the Charles Dickens Museum. |
D.tell readers how to make use of the Charles Dickens Museum. |