题目内容
My husband Jeff and I moved into our new home in Scottsbluff last year just before Christmas. I did not have the 1 or energy to carry out my traditional Christmas decorating and baking activities. What was the point, anyway? It was going to be a 2 Christmas after all.
__3__, the neighborly nature of west Nebraska residents started to trickle (陆续来临) in.
There was a 4 on the door one evening. It was Jeff’s new colleague, John Smith, and his wife, Phyllis. The Smiths had stopped by to 5 us to town with a loaf of homemade bread. They pointed out a 6 on the porch (门廊). Apparently the doorbell wasn’t working in the cold snowy weather and we had 7 a visit from the Browns, our across-the-street neighbors, who brought us a Christmas card and more Christmas cookies.
The 8 feelings brought by these thoughtful gestures lasted longer than the food.
As Jeff and I were clearing pre-Christmas 9 from our driveway, Ernie Guzman came over from next door to 10 us to dig out.
Then, we received an invitation to 11 a Christmas Eve meal with our neighbors, Ernie and Nancy Sommer, and their 12 — a 90-year-old lady, who also had no family in the immediate area with whom to spend the holiday.
Our Christmas Eve was quite merry, thanks to our 13 . Our Christmas morning 14 was special, thanks to the Smiths’ gift of bread. I was so 15 for these gestures of welcome, especially during the holidays.
This year, we were again unable to be with our families for Christmas. The 16 and work schedules just made things too difficult. 17 that sense of Christmas isolation (孤立) all too well, we decided to try to round up some other folks who were 18 in the holidays.
Lonely people are all around us, but most of us 19 notice them. Just take a look around you. Sometimes, the smallest 20 gesture can make a world of difference.
1. A. chance B. time C. anxiety D. ability
2. A. merry B. free C. lonely D. usual
3. A. Therefore B. Meanwhile C. Somehow D. However
4. A. card B. sign C. knock D. note
5. A. welcome B. invite C. drive D. send
6. A. tree B. package C. mail D. flower
7. A. forgot B. arranged C. received D. missed
8. A. deep B. true C. warm D. mixed
9. A. snow B. rubbish C. dust D. leaves
10. A. teach B. help C. urge D. forbid
11. A. share B. prepare C. taste D. exchange
12. A. aunt B. guest C. maid D. partner
13. A. folks B. relatives C. colleagues D. neighbors
14. A. call B. greeting C. breakfast D. meeting
15. A. sorry B. eager C. ready D. grateful
16. A. distance B. expense C. season D. situation
17. A. Studying B. Showing C. Knowing D. Discovering
18. A. alone B. busy C. happy D. active
19. A. always B. seldom C. finally D. usually
20. A. careful B. patient C. vague D. kind
【解题导语】作者和她的丈夫在圣诞节前搬家到了内布拉斯加州斯科茨布拉夫(Scottsbluff)，远离自己的亲戚，本以为会孤单地度过那个圣诞节，可是友好的当地人送来了浓浓的温情，作者过了个非常温馨的圣诞节，……
1.【解析】选B。 作者和丈夫刚刚搬家到Scottsbluff，有许多的事情要打理，故应是“没有时间和精力” 来准备圣诞节。
【解题误区】本题易误选A。chance机会，与语境相符。
2.【解析】选C。根据文章倒数第四段中who also had no family in the immediate area with whom to spend the holiday.以及文章最后一段第一句话可知，选项C正确。
【解题误区】本题易误选D。usual通常的，惯常的，根据下文的讲述可知，那次圣诞节与以往不一样，故选项D不正确。
3.【解析】选D。此处与上文构成转折关系，与本来预料的情况相反。However但是，与语境相符。
【解题误区】选项A的意思是“因此”；选项B的意思是“在此期间”；选项C的意思是“不知怎么地”，均与语境不符。
4.【解析】选C。根据下文Apparently the doorbell wasn’t working in the cold snowy weather可知应是“敲门”
【解题误区】选项A的意思是“卡片”；选项B的意思是“招牌，符号”；选项D的意思是“便条”，均与语境不符。
5.【解析】选A。作者是刚刚搬到Scottsbluff，故史密斯夫妇应是带着自家做的一条面包来表示欢迎。
【解题误区】本题易误选B。学生可能只注意到结构“invite sb. to…”invite邀请，与语境不符
6.【解析】选B。他们指着门廊的一个包裹(包裹)，与下文包裹中的东西(a Christmas card and more Christmas cookies)相呼应。
【解题误区】本题易误选C。mail是邮件的意思，根据下文可以排除。
7.【解析】选D。根据上文可知，作者是错过(miss)了布朗夫妇的一次拜访。
【解题误区】本题易误选A。选项A的意思是“忘记”，从文章中看不出作者和布朗夫妇在之前有约定，故也不可能有忘记之说。
8.【解析】选C。由这些体贴入微的表示所带来的温暖的(warm)感觉比起食物来持续得更久。
【解题误区】本题易误选A。作者讲述的这件事的基调是温情，故deep“深厚的”不恰当。
9.【解析】选A。作者夫妇正在清除 (住宅前的)车道上圣诞节前的积雪(snow)。
【解题误区】本题易误选B。选项B的意思是“垃圾”，(住宅前的)车道上有垃圾不合常理。
10.【解析】选B。隔壁的Ernie Guzman过来帮忙(help)铲雪。
【解题误区】选项A的意思是“教”；选项C的意思是“催促”；选项D的意思是“禁止”，均与语境不符。
11.【解析】选A。share sth. with sb.与某人分享某物。
【解题误区】本题易误选C。文章此处表达的意思是“Ernie and Nancy Sommer邀请作者夫妇共进圣诞晚餐”而taste是品尝的意思，故选项C不正确。
12.【解析】选B。Ernie and Nancy Sommer还邀请了另一位客人(guest)。
【解题误区】选项A的意思是“姨；姑”；选项C的意思是“女仆”；选项D的意思是“搭档”，均与文意不符。
13.【解析】选D。根据文章倒数第四段可知，作者夫妇应是与他们的邻居(neighbors)Ernie and Nancy Sommer以及另一位女士共进圣诞晚餐
【解题误区】选项A的意思是“亲属；人们”；选项B的意思是“亲戚”；选项C的意思是“同事”，均与语境不符。
14.【解析】选C。根据下文thanks to the Smiths’ gift of bread可知，此处表达的意思应是：圣诞早餐(breakfast)很特别。
【解题误区】本题易误选A或B。选项A的意思是“拜访”；选项B的意思是“问候”，均与下文语义联系不紧密。
15.【解析】选D。作者对于人们的欢迎的表示心怀感激(grateful)。
【解题误区】选项A的意思是“抱歉的”；选项B的意思是“渴望的”；选项C的意思是“准备好的”，均与语境不符。
16.【解析】选A。今年因为距离(distance)和工作日程使得作者夫妇又不能和家人一起过圣诞节。文章倒数第四段中who also had no family in the immediate area with whom to spend the holiday.对于选择A项是一个提示。
【解题误区】选项B的意思是“费用”；选项C的意思是“季节”；选项D的意思是“情况”，在文中难以看出与之有关的暗示。
17.【解析】选C。……因为非常了解(know)圣诞孤立，
【解题误区】本题易误选D。选项D的意思是“发现”，与语境不符。
18.【解析】选A。因为非常了解(know)圣诞孤立，所以我们决定把其他的在假日中独自一人的(alone)人们聚在一起。
【解题误区】本题易误选B。文章讲述的是在作者现在生活的这个地方孤独的人是如何在圣诞节日期间得到温情的，而选项B的意思是“繁忙的”，与语境不符。
19. 【解析】选B。孤独的人在我们周围，但我们很少(seldom)注意到他们。句中的连接词but是解题的关键。
【解题误区】选项A的意思是“总是”；选项C的意思是“最后”；选项D的意思是“通常”，均与语境不符。
20.【解析】选D。有时一个小的善意的(kind)表示能够带来很大的不同。
【解题误区】选项A的意思是“小心的”；选项B的意思是“耐心的”；选项C的意思是“模糊的”，均与语境不符。
名校课堂系列答案信息匹配 (共5小题, 每小题2分, 满分10分)
阅读下列应用文及相关信息，并按照要求匹配信息。请在答题卡上将对应题号的相应选项字母涂黑。
首先请阅读以下用户对宾馆的评价意见:
A
| Comment on : Hunter Country Lodge & Restaurant
My husband and I stayed at this lodge during our honeymoon. Set in the beautiful surroundings of Hunter Valley you have your own very log cabin. The rooms are comparatively expensive, but they are very spacious. The restaurant has delicious food with wine of varieties, ready for you in the evening.
My ratings (给…等级) for this hotel are: ●●●●●Value ●●●●●Service I recommend this hotel for: honeymoon, romantic couples |
B
| Comment on: Aloha Pualani Hotel
My husband and I stayed at the Aloha Pualani after months’ busy work. The rooms are small but clean. The peaceful laidback feel was exactly what we were looking for. We didn’t hear noise from streets. My husband loved the outdoor barbecue (烧烤). If you are looking for a relaxing, childfree, clean, natural place to stay this is without a doubt, but it’s a long tiring way. My ratings for this hotel are: ●●●●○Rooms ●●●●●Cleanliness I recommend this hotel for: romantic getaway I don’t recommend this hotel for: the aged, young children |
C
| Comment on: Karin’s Holiday Cottage
Karin’s Holiday Cottage is really worth the price for lower earners. Walking along the beach, we saw many fish and turtles. We had a rental car because it was a little far from the shopping center. But we found the windows needed to be open to allow air in, and the cottage didn’t have air conditioning but with the 3 ceiling fans. Anyway we stayed plenty cool. My ratings for this hotel are: ●●●○○Rooms ●●●○○location I recommend this hotel for: young, single people. I don’t recommend this hotel for: People hunting for luxurious (豪华的) hotels. |
D
| Comment on: Arison Centre Hotel
We hosted a conference last month at the Arison Centre Hotel - a charming hotel. The modern and large rooms are air-conditioned and fully-equipped with private safe, wireless Internet access and all new equipments. The hotel also has a business centre, conference rooms, car park and a western-style restaurant. My ratings for this hotel are: ●●●●●surroundings ●●●●●Service I recommend this hotel for: conference and holiday I don’t recommend this hotel for: city getaway from noise |
E
| Comment on: GeofBob Holiday Inn
This hotel is great for the value. I was impressed by how attentive the staff were. I left my room without locking the door. The cleaning lady noticed and immediately informed me. Staying in the hotel made my trip a pleasant one. But we wouldn’t come again because of the walk. You can’t just hop down to the beach or the bar - 200 steep steps each way – so exhausted. My ratings for this hotel are: ●●●●●Value ●●●○○location Likes: Service Dislike: traffic I recommend this hotel for: young travelers I don’t recommend this hotel for: people with disabilities |
F
| Comment on: Punta Regina Isle Hotel
Tastefully located on an island, the hotel is good, with its staff helpful and its price reasonable. Don’t drive a car, for most of the tourist spots were walking distance, or you can go everywhere by boat. If you like sea food, island setting, and wine, this is excellent. My ratings for this hotel are: ●●●●●location ●●●●●Service Like: beautiful surroundings Dislike: vehicles I recommend this hotel for: young holiday makers I don’t recommend this hotel for: self-driving travelers |
请阅读以下个人信息，并将他们的需求和以上的宾馆匹配：
When the Blacks are budgeting their yearly vocation, money is the first thing they think about. They are used to simple life without too much modern equipment. The family all like swimming, and sea food as well.
57. Mr. John Wallace is going to have a product presentation to promote (促销）his late microphone. He is searching for a hotel in the city center which is well-equipped, and where people from different parts of the country can join in the event over the NetMeeting.
58. Having had their wedding, Jim and Sussane plan a trip. Imagine how sweet they are when they are sipping their favourite Nyetimber in the sunset. They also treasure the environment, the comfort of the rooms and the service of the hotel.
59. A group of college students are having their holiday. They plan to choose a place where they can have their BBQ food, and where they are free from noise. They don’t care much about room size but at least they should be clean.
60. Ken and Judy are newly-married. They dreamed of the life of islanders who are eating sea food, hunting for fish. They prefer that the hotel rooms are not so expensive and the service is good.
●Ms Tan, you’ve referred to your new novel as your eighth book.
That’s because it took me six or seven attempts at a second novel before I started and completed this one.
●Why do you think you had so many false starts?
I would say that my reasons were wrong. I was trying to prove that I wasn’t just a mother-daughter storyteller, or I was trying to prove that I didn’t just have to write about things that were strictly Chinese or Chinese-American. Those were never the right reasons for writing those early stories. And I could never come up with other better reasons for continuing them.
●What kept you going on this book?
This book was different because it was based on my mother’s real life. The reason for writing it became more personal and emotional. After The Joy Luck Club came out, my mother was always explaining to people that she wasn’t any of the mothers in that book. And at one point she said to me, “Next book tells my true story.” And then she started telling me things I never knew before. She also told me many, many stories, because my mother doesn’t generalize(笼统地表达). The book really grew out of that.
●Have you ever visited China?
Yes. I’ve been there twice: about three years ago and then again last November, both times with my mother and my husband.
●Was it difficult to understand the Chinese-American dialect(方言) without sounding like a parody(拙劣的模仿)?
No, because it’s the language I’ve heard all my life from my mother. She speaks English as it’s direct translation from Chinese. But it’s more than that. Her language also has more imagery than English.
●Can you think of an example?
Somebody might say to me, “Don’t work so hard. You’ll kill yourself.” My mother will say to me，“Why do you press all your brains out on this page for someone else？” So it’s very vivid. That’s the way she talks.
●Have many readers told you that the Chinese mother in your book reminded them of the typical Jewish (有癖好的) mother?
Many people have told me that. I think the mother-daughter relationship is very intense(紧张) in both cases. Culturally there is an acceptance that mothers have the power to tell their children, especially their daughters, how to conduct their lives --- not simply up until the time they are 18, but for the rest of their lives. However, when children grow up in a different culture from their parents’，they tend to keep more secrets from their parents. The children think, “They just wouldn’t understand that I had to do this.” And that can really create a gap, and it can grow as the number of secrets grows.
【小题1】Based on the questions in this interview, what do you think Ms Tan’ s profession is?
| A．A journalist. | B．A story-writer. | C．An interviewer. | D．An interviewee. |
| A．It’ s about her real life in America. |
| B．The name of the book is The Joy Luck Club. |
| C．It is the result of many times of carefull thought. |
| D．It includes many works of her mother. |
| A．How does she think of her mother’ s language? |
| B．How many books does she plan to write? |
| C．When did she visit China? |
| D．How is generation gap created? |
| A．Tan’ s mother is a good storyteller |
| B．Tan plans to write another book about her mother |
| C．Tan plans to return to China |
| D．Tan’ s mother is hard to communicate with because of personality |
| A．how to keep secrets from parents |
| B．how to deal with the mother-daughter relationship |
| C．how to conduct the lives |
| D．how the generation gap comes about |