When my first wartime Christmas
came, I was in basic training in New Jersey and not sure if I would make it
home for the holiday. Only on the afternoon of December 23 was the list of men
who would have the three-day holiday posted. I was one of the lucky soldiers.
It was Christmas Eve when I arrived home, and a little snow had fallen. Mother
opened the front door. I could see beyond her, into the corner of the living
room where the tree had always stood. There were lights, colors, and ornaments
(饰品) shining
against the green of a pine.
"Where
did it come from?" I asked.
"I asked
the Gates boy to cut it," my mother said. "I wouldn't have had one
just for myself, but when in great need... such a rush! He just brought it in
this afternoon."
The pine
reached to the proper height, almost to the ceiling, and the Tree Top Crystal(水晶)Star was in its place.
A few green branches reached out a little awkwardly(难看)at
the side, I thought, and there was a bit of bare trunk showing in the middle.
But the tree filled the room with warm light and the whole house with the
pleasant smell of Christmas.
"It's not
like the one you used to find," my mother went on. "Yours were always
in good shape. I suppose the Gates boy didn't know where to look for a better
one. But I couldn't be fussy(挑剔的)."
"Don't
worry," I told her. "It's perfect."
It wasn't, of
course, but at the moment I realized something for the first time: All
Christmas trees are perfect.
1. What did his mother's
Christmas tree look like?

2. From the passage we can infer
(推断) that
________ .
A. all the
soldiers had the three-day holiday
B.
the writer could not go home for Christmas
C. the writer
spent his first Christmas during the war
D. not all the
soldiers went home for Christmas during the war
3. From the passage, we can
conclude that ________ .
A. his mother
didn't like Christmas trees
B.
the writer didn't like the tree cut by someone else
C. the writer
used to cut very beautiful Christmas trees
D. his mother
didn't want to have a Christmas tree during wartime
4. The best title for this
passage would be ________ .
A. The Perfect
Christmas Tree
B.
How to Choose a Christmas Tree
C. How
Soldiers Spent Their Christmas
D. A
Christmas with an Ugly Christmas Tree
5. What does the writer mean by
saying "All Christmas trees are perfect"?
A. Nothing is
as perfect as Christmas.
B.
Once at home, everything is so nice.
C. During the
war, trees are hard to find.
D.
All Christmas trees are the most beautiful.