Question

【题目】"It is a dreadful thing to be poor a fortnight before Christmas," said Clorinda, with the mournful sigh of seventeen years.

Aunt Emmy smiled. Aunt Emmy was sixty, and spent the hours she didn't spend in a bed, on a sofa or in a wheel chair; but Aunt Emmy was never heard to sigh.

"The gifts which money can purchase are not the only ones we can give," said Aunt Emmy gently, "nor the best, either."

"Oh, I know it's nicer to give something of your own work," agreed Clorinda, "but materials for fancy work cost too. That kind of gift is just as much out of the question for me as any other."

"That was not what I meant," said Aunt Emmy.

"What did you mean, then?" asked Clorinda, looking puzzled.

Aunt Emmy smiled.

"Suppose you think out my meaning for yourself," she said. "That would be better than if I explained it. Besides, I don't think I could explain it. Take the beautiful line of a beautiful poem to help you in your thinking out: "The gift without the giver is bare."

"I'd put it the other way and say, "The giver without the gift is bare,'" said Clorinda, with a grimace（鬼脸）. "That is my predicament（困境） exactly. Well, I hope by next Christmas I'll not be quite bankrupt. I'm going into Mr. Callender's store down at Murraybridge in February. He has offered me the place, you know."

"Won't your aunt miss you terribly?" said Aunt Emmy gravely.

Clorinda flushed. There was a note in Aunt Emmy's voice that disturbed her.

"I think she would rather have your companionship than a part of your salary, Clorinda," said Aunt Emmy. "But of course you must decide for yourself, dear. "

"Well, I must say bye-bye and run home. " Clorinda lived just across the road from Aunt Emmy in a tiny white house behind some huge willows. But Aunt Mary lived there too--the only relative Clorinda had, for Aunt Emmy wasn't really her aunt at all. Clorinda had always lived with Aunt Mary ever since she could remember.

Clorinda puzzled over Aunt Emmy's meaning for four days and part of three nights. Then all at once it came to her. Or if it wasn't Aunt Emmy's meaning it was a very good meaning in itself, and it grew clearer and expanded in meaning during the days that followed, although at first Clorinda shrank a little from some of the conclusions to which it led her.

On Christmas Day, Clorinda went over to Aunt Emmy's. It was a faded brown Christmas after all, for the snow had not come. But Clorinda did not mind; there was such joy in her heart that she thought it the most delightful Christmas Day that ever dawned.

She put the queer cornery armful she carried down on the kitchen floor before she went into the sitting room. Aunt Emmy was lying on the sofa before the fire, and Clorinda sat down beside her.

"I've come to tell you all about it," she said.

Aunt Emmy patted the hand that was in her own.

"From your face, dear girl, it will be pleasant hearing and telling," she said.

Clorinda nodded.

"Aunt Emmy, I thought for days over your meaning ... thought until I was dizzy. And then one evening it just came to me, without any thinking at all, and I knew that I could give some gifts after all. I thought of something new every day for a week. At first I didn't think I could give some of them, and then I thought how selfish I was. I would have been willing to pay any amount of money for gifts if I had had it, but I wasn't willing to pay what I had. I got over that, though, Aunt Emmy. Now I'm going to tell you what I did give. "

"First, there was old Aunt Kitty. You know she was my nurse when I was a baby, and she's very fond of me. But, well, you know, Aunt Emmy, I'm ashamed to confess(承认，忏悔) it, but really I've never found Aunt Kitty very entertaining, to put it mildly. She is always glad when I go to see her, but I've never gone except when I couldn't help it. She is very deaf, and rather dull and stupid, you know. Well, I gave her a whole day. I took my knitting yesterday, and sat with her the whole time and just talked and talked. I told her all the Greenvale news and gossip and everything else I thought she'd like to hear. She was so pleased and proud; she told me when I came away that she hadn't had such a nice time for years. "

Then there was ... Florence. You know, Aunt Emmy, we were always intimate(亲密的) friends until last year. Then Florence once told Rose Watson something I had told her in confidence. I found it out and I was so hurt. I couldn't forgive Florence, and I told her plainly I could never be a real friend to her again. Florence felt badly, because she really did love me, and she asked me to forgive her, but it seemed as if I couldn't. Well, Aunt Emmy, that was my Christmas gift to her ... my forgiveness. I went down last night and just put my arms around her and told her that I loved her as much as ever and wanted to be real close friends again. "

"I gave Aunt Mary her gift this morning. I told her I wasn't going to Murraybridge, that I just meant to stay home with her. She was so glad--and I'm glad, too, now that I've decided so."

"Your gifts have been real gifts, Clorinda," said Aunt Emmy. "Something of you--the best of you--went into each of them."

Clorinda went out and brought her cornery armful in.

"I didn't forget you, Aunt Emmy," she said, as she unpinned the paper.

There was a rosebush--Clorinda's own pet rosebush--all snowed over with fragrant blossoms.

Aunt Emmy loved flowers. She put her finger under one of the roses and kissed it.

"It's as sweet as yourself, dear child," she said tenderly. "And it will be a joy to me all through the lonely winter days. You've found out the best meaning of Christmas giving, haven't you, dear?"

"Yes, thanks to you, Aunt Emmy," said Clorinda softly.

【1】Clorinda felt anxious before Christmas because_____________________.

A. She had to leave Aunt Mary

B. She didn’t know what kind of Christmas gifts she should buy

C. She had not enough money to buy Christmas gifts

D. She had no time to make a proper decision

【2】Which of the following sentences can best explain the line “The gift without the giver is bare.”？

A. A gift is valued by the mind of the giver.

B. Forgiveness is a gift for the giver and the receiver.

C. You cannot buy love or respect with expensive gifts.

D. Think twice before you give gifts to somebody

【3】What is the gift that Clorinda gave to old Aunt Kitty?

A. Passion B. Sympathy C. Kindness D. Company

【4】What does the underlined phrase “in confidene” mean?

A. respectfully B. confidently

C. secretly D. willingly

【5】Which two words can best describe Aunt Emmy?

A. cute and joyful B. kind-hearted and emotional

C. optimistic and wise D. gentle and timid

【6】Which of the following is the best title?

A. A Special Christmas B. Clorinda’s Gifts

C. Aunt Emmy D. Clorinda’s choice

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】A

【3】D

【4】C

【5】C

【6】B

【解析】

试题分析：本文讲述在圣诞节两星期前Clorinda没有钱买圣诞礼物向艾米阿姨倾诉，艾米阿姨让她思考一下The gift without the giver is bare这句话的含义，Clorinda最后明白礼物的真正价值在于给与者的心意的道理，从而送出了最好的礼物的故事。

【1】C细节理解题。根据第一段第一句"It is a dreadful thing to be poor a fortnight before Christmas,以及第三段第一句The gifts which money can purchase are not the only ones we can give圣诞节前两星期没钱了真可怕，钱能买到的礼物并不是我们唯一能给与的，可知Clorinda焦急是因为她没钱买圣诞礼物，故选C

【2】A分析推理题。根据后文Clorinda理解了艾米阿姨的意思后，给了凯蒂阿姨陪伴的礼物，给了Florence原谅的礼物，玛丽阿姨的礼物是告诉她不去Murraybridge了在家陪她….可知这句话的真正含义是指礼物不是用金钱衡量的，而是给予者的心意，故选A

【3】D细节理解题。根据凯蒂阿姨那一段中间Well, I gave her a whole day.我给了她一整天，可知Clorinda给了凯蒂阿姨陪伴的礼物，故选D

【4】C词义辨析题。A尊敬地；B自信地；C秘密地；D愿意地，根据句子Then Florence once told Rose Watson something I had told her in confidence. I found it out and I was so hurt.后句说我发现了感到很受伤，可知Florence是告诉了Rose我偷偷告诉她的事情，我才会感到受伤，故选C

【5】C分析推理题。根据第三段最后一句but Aunt Emmy was never heard to sigh.她从不叹息，可知她很乐观，以及Take the beautiful line of a beautiful poem to help you in your thinking out: "The gift without the giver is bare."这首美丽的诗歌来帮你思考，艾米阿姨没有直接告诉她这句话的含义，而是要她自己思考，从而引导她明白什么是真正的礼物，可知她很明智，故选C

【6】B分析推理题。本文主要是围绕Clorinda没有钱买圣诞礼物，艾米阿姨引导她明白什么是真正的礼物，Clorinda明白后送给她的家人和朋友真正的礼物的故事。可知最佳标题应是Clorinda的礼物，故选B