Question

I had once helped a friend of mine run a watermelon stall. I noticed something interesting. Almost every buyer would lift the melon up to their ear，smartly tap it, apparently trying to listen to something. I wondered what they expected to hear.

Finally I could no longer hold back my curiosity and made bold to ask a customer—an elderly gentleman—about this. Hearing my question，he roared with laughter. Then he replied in a self­mocking(自嘲)tone.“Young lady，I have been doing this for more than fifty years. All I know is that everybody would stare at you as if you were a fool if you just pick up the melon and leave！”

Not long after that，my watermelon stall friend unexpectedly sent me an invitation for her wedding，which really surprised me. I asked her, “How come you are seized by a sudden desire to get married? I don't remember ever hearing you mention that yon've got a boyfriend.” She answered while counting money，“Everyone has to get married anyway，so it is better to get married sooner than later.”

I could think of no word to refute(反驳)her. It seems that everybody is living for everybody else and has forgotten the need of their own heart. It may be safe and save a lot of worries by following others' suit in doing things. The use of We or Us will give one a steady and sure sense of pride. But using the pronoun “I” would often give one a guilty conscience.

I find all these things somewhat funny. We have got used to taking cue from(模仿) others and follow their suit. In turn，we also take it for granted that we should judge the right and wrong of others by our own standard. As a matter of fact，this massive practice is still wrong though we all follow others' suit like this, but we feel at ease and, justified simply because this is the way of us, and so we can have an easy conscience because this has been practiced by so many people.

1.The writer probably feels that it is ________.

A．necessary for the buyer to tap the watermelon

B．foolish of the buyers to buy watermelon without tapping it

C．funny that the buyers will tap the watermelons when buying them

D．wise of the elderly gentleman to tap watermelons before buy them

2.The writer uses the example of her friend's decision of getting married to show that ________.

A．her friend took no account of others's feeling

B．her friend decided to marry just to follow the crowd

C．her friend was a person who has strong personality

D．everybody in the world should marry for  others

3.Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．It may be safe to follow others' suit in doing things.

B．I was surprised to receive my friend's invitation for her wedding.

C．My experience of helping my friend run a watermelon stall was interesting.

D．The use of We or I will give speakers themselves quite different senses.

4.Which word can replace the underlined word“justified”in the last paragraph?

A．Reasonable.       B．Embarrassed.     C．Ashamed.        D．Nervous.

5.In which section of a magazine can you read the passage?

A．Art and Life          B．Sport and Health

C．Culture and Society    D．Science and Technology

 

Answer 1

【答案】

 

1.C

2.B

3.C

4.A

5.C

【解析】

试题分析：本文通过买西瓜的人挑西瓜和作者的朋友结婚的例子来证明很多人都在随大流，从众。很多人以为随大流让人感觉安全。作者也常常会随大流。尽管大家都在做的事可能错误，但是还在做，可能觉得做许多人实践过的是问心无愧的，心安的。

1.推理判断题。根据第一段的I noticed something interesting. Almost every buyer would lift the melon up to their ear，smartly tap it, 可知作者对来瓜摊上买西瓜的人轻拍西瓜的行为感到有意思，有趣。故选C。

2.推理判断题。根据第三段的Everyone has to get married anyway，可知作者的朋友结婚是因为每个人都的结婚，可推测她是在随大流。故选B。

3.细节理解题。根据第一段的I noticed something interesting. Almost every buyer would lift the melon up to their ear，smartly tap it,可知作者对来瓜摊上买西瓜的人轻拍西瓜的行为感到有意思，而不是看瓜摊有意思。故选C。

4.词义猜测题。根据最后一段的so we can have an easy conscience because this has been practiced by so many people.可知做许多人实践过的是觉得问心无愧，心安，可知大家多做的是可能正确。故选A。

5.推理判断题。根据文中买西瓜的人挑西瓜和作者的朋友结婚来证明很多人都在随大流，从众。这是再讲社会上的一种现象，因此本文应是从杂志上关于文化和社会的部分摘录下来的。故选C。

考点：社会现象类短文阅读。