Lie in bed, by an open window, and listen…

“No air conditioning? How can you sleep?” a friend asks, horrified. I tell her my family has decided to shut the air conditioner off and reduce our electric bill.

On this first night of our cost-cutting adventure, it's only 85 degrees. We're not going to suffer, but the three kids complain anyway.

They've grown up in 72-degree comfort, protected from the world outside.

“How do you open these windows?” my husband asks. Shaking the metal ribs(插销), he finally releases one. Bug bodies decorate the window shelf. As we spring the windows one by one, the night noises howl outside---and in.

“It's too hot to sleep,” my 13-year-old daughter complains. “I’m about to die from this heat,” her brother complains down the hall. “Just try it tonight,” I tell them. In truth I'm too tired to argue for long. My face is sweaty, but I lie quietly listening to the cricket choirs(合唱) outside that remind me of childhood.

The neighbor's dog howls. Probably a passing squirrel. It's been years since I've taken the time to really listen to the night.

I think about Grandma, who lived to 92 and still helped with my Mom's gardening until just a few weeks before she died. And then, I'm back there at her house in the summer heat of my childhood. I move my pillow to the foot of Grandma's bed and angle my face toward the open window. I turn the pillow, hunting for the cooler side.

Grandma sees me turn over and over. “If you'll just watch for the breeze(清风),” she says,“you'll cool off and fall asleep.” She cranks up the Venetian blinds(百叶窗). I stare at the filmy white curtain, willing it to move. Lying still, waiting, I suddenly notice the life outside the window. The bug chorus. Neighbors, porch-sitting late, speak in unclear words that calm me.“Mom, did you hear that?” my seven-year-old son cries. “I think it was an owl family.” “Probably,” I tell him. “Just keep listening…”

Without the working air conditioner, the house is oddly peaceful, and the unfiltered(未过滤的) night noises seem close enough to touch. I hope I'm awake tonight when the first breeze sneaks in.

1.What is the point the writer wants to make in the passage?

A. We should learn to save electricity.

B. A peaceful mind is important in modern life.

C. We should care about the outside world rather than one’s inner world.

D. Modern men live too comfortable a life.

2.The author talks about her grandmother and her childhood to show that _____

A. people used to live a hard life.

B. people at that time were hardworking.

C. she has learned a great deal from her grandma

D. it’s OK for people to live a simple life.

3.In the writer’s eyes, her children are _________________.

A. independent from parents’ protection

B. reliable because of parents’ love

C. lacking in real test of hardships in life

D. full of complaints against life

4.Which of the following title best suits the passage?

A. Waiting for the Breeze

B. An interesting Experience

C. Life at Present and Life in the Past

D. Different Times, Different Children

阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A Special Appointment

Years ago I moved to Woodland Hills to take a job in a small hospital’s emergency department.No one wanted to work on Christmas Eve, so the shift (轮班) went to me.I kissed my family goodbye and went off to spend the night in the hospital.It was a thankless job.

At 9 pm, the ambulance brought in a man in his 60s who was having a heart attack.His face was pale, and he was frightened. The whole night I did my best to save his life.Before I left in the morning to spend Christmas with my family, I stopped by to see how he was doing.It was still tough, but he had survived the night and was sleeping.

The following year I got Christmas Eve duty again.At 9 pm sharp, the ward clerk told me there was a couple who wanted to speak with me.When I approached them, the man introduced himself as Mr.Lee and said, “You probably don’t remember me, but last Christmas Eve you saved my life.Thank you for the year you gave me.” He and his wife hugged me, handed me a small gift, and left.

The following year a new doctor had joined the group, but I wanted to see if Mr.and Mrs.Lee would return.This time, I volunteered for the shift.I kept an eye on the door.Once again, at exactly 9 pm, the Lees appeared, carrying a warmly wrapped bundle.It was their new grandchild. Mr.Lee, his family and I spent 13 Christmas Eves together.In the later years the staff all knew about the story and would work to give me time with him in the break room, where we spent a half-hour each Christmas Eve.

The last year I saw him, he brought me a gift.I carefully opened the package and found a crystal (水晶) bell inside.It was engraved (镌刻) with a single word: Friendship.Now, my family, friends and I ring that bell every Christmas Eve at exactly 9 pm and offer our best wishes to the man who we won’t forget.

1.Working on Christmas Eve was considered “a thankless job” because ______.

A. most patients were seriously ill

B. patients refused to express thanks

C. doctors had nothing to do on that day

D. doctors couldn’t get praise for the hard job

2.When the author left the hospital the next morning, Mr.Lee ______.

A. was really angry with her

B. was still in a state of danger

C. got ready to leave the hospital

D. recovered from his heart attack

3.According to the passage, the author formed a habit of ______.

A. celebrating Christmas Eve with her family

B. giving Christmas gifts to the hospital staff

C. spending Christmas Eve with Mr.Lee in hospital

D. ringing the bell for patients in the emergency department

4.Why does the author ring the bell on Christmas Eve?

A. To honor her working experience.

B. To tell kids the traditional custom.

C. To show the beginning of the holiday.

D. To remember an old friend of hers.

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