The old couple who lived in a cottage on the edge of the village were envied for the happiness of their marriage. They never quarreled and were always affectionate to one another. Sadly, after thirty-four years of this happiness, the husband became ill and died.
The wife was overcome with grief. Her children tried to comfort her, but to no avail Her neighbors tried to comfort her, but with similar lack of success. Weeks and months went by, and still the woman was grieving; tears fell down her cheeks from morning till night.
Then a holy man came to the village. People told him about the woman, and asked him to try to help her. The holy man went to the woman’s house. Dressed in his rough woolen robe, he sat down with the grieving widow and listened, carefully, to her story. When she had spilled out all her sorrow, he reached into one of the deep pockets in his robe, and drew out a tiny, little mustard(芥末) seed. “I think I may have a cure for your grief,” he said. “I want you to go round the people in this region, and look for a family that has no sorrows. When you find this family, give them this little mustard seed, and then come back to me.
The woman set off in search of such a family. She visited every home in the district, and talked to the people. She listened to their stories, just as the holy man had listened to hers. In time, she almost forgot about the mustard seed, because every single family she met was carrying some kind of sorrow.
One day, she happened to meet the holy man again, and he stopped to ask how she was feeling. She was surprised at first, at his question, and then she suddenly remembered the mustard seed, still safely in her purse. “I’m sorry, I haven’t found a family without sorrows yet,” she told him. “But you yourself are cured of your grief,” he smiled. “The mustard seed is a great healer!”
【小题1】What does the underlined word “grieving” mean?

A.amusedB.sadC.angryD.astonished
【小题2】What did the holy man ask her to do to end her sorrow?
A.to go to church for help.
B.to live with the family that has no sorrows with the mustard seed.
C.to help others so that she can feel the happiness from the bottom of her heart.
D.to find a family that is always happy and give them the mustard seed before returning to him.
【小题3】How did the woman treat the families she visited?
A.She was a good listener.
B.She helped them to solve the problems they met.
C.She gave every family a mustard seed..
D.She told them her unfortunate story.
【小题4】Who on the earth heals the woman’s grief?
A.The mustard seedB.Her children
C.The families in the districtD.She herself

For many people, the story of cottages — small vacation homes away from the city — is a deeply personal one. For some families, cottages have been the scene of reunions, vacations and family adventures for generations.

In North America, “cottaging(去乡间别墅度周末)” really began during the 19th century. At that time, crowds of people were moving from family farms to cities. Naturally, these people often felt a longing for the natural beauty of the countryside. Frequently located near lakes, in the mountains of woods, cottages provided a perfect solution.

Traditionally small and rustic (乡下风格的),many cottages were once simple log(原木) homes without bathrooms, water or electricity. While in most cases that is no longer true, people still go to cottages in large numbers to escape the city and to enjoy “cottage life.”

Despite the peaceful setting, there is always plenty to do at a cottage. If you enjoy outdoor activities, try hunting, boating or hiking. Many cottages are located near a lake, so you have opportunities to go swimming, boating or sunbathing around. Enjoy a picnic with your family, or build a campfire to roast hot dogs. On rainy days, curl up(蜷曲) on a comfortable chair inside and read, or enjoy board games (棋类游戏) with your friends and relatives. Want to get out and explore? Take a tour of the lake in a motorboat, or visit one of the many small villages located nearby.

Many families rent cottages instead of owning them, but for those who do, there’s always work to be done. Wood must be chopped for the stove. Leaves need to be gathered and gardens taken care of. Since many cottages are old buildings, there’s usually something that needs to be fixed or painted.

The story of cottages is one of families, traditions and memories. Are you ready to try cottaging with your family?

1.The underlined word “longing” in Paragraph 2 probably means “_________ ”.

A.horror            B.need             C.disappointment     D.excitement

2.What do we know about a cottage?

A.It is far from lakes.

B.It is not popular now.

C.It was probably built of wood.

D.It was built in a short time.

3.Which of the following does NOT belong to the activities mentioned in the text?

A.Sunbathing and swimming.

B.Hunting, hiking and boating,

C.Having a picnic and roasting hot dogs.

D.Playing football and watching games on TV.

4.Which of the following words can best describe the author’s attitude towards“cottaging”?

A.Critical.           B.Doubtful.          C.Positive.          D.Bored.

 

The old couple who lived in a cottage on the edge of the village were envied for the happiness of their marriage. They never quarreled and were always affectionate to one another. Sadly, after thirty-four years of this happiness, the husband became ill and died.

The wife was overcome with grief. Her children tried to comfort her, but to no avail Her neighbors tried to comfort her, but with similar lack of success. Weeks and months went by, and still the woman was grieving; tears fell down her cheeks from morning till night.

Then a holy man came to the village. People told him about the woman, and asked him to try to help her. The holy man went to the woman’s house. Dressed in his rough woolen robe, he sat down with the grieving widow and listened, carefully, to her story. When she had spilled out all her sorrow, he reached into one of the deep pockets in his robe, and drew out a tiny, little mustard(芥末) seed. “I think I may have a cure for your grief,” he said. “I want you to go round the people in this region, and look for a family that has no sorrows. When you find this family, give them this little mustard seed, and then come back to me.

The woman set off in search of such a family. She visited every home in the district, and talked to the people. She listened to their stories, just as the holy man had listened to hers. In time, she almost forgot about the mustard seed, because every single family she met was carrying some kind of sorrow.

One day, she happened to meet the holy man again, and he stopped to ask how she was feeling. She was surprised at first, at his question, and then she suddenly remembered the mustard seed, still safely in her purse. “I’m sorry, I haven’t found a family without sorrows yet,” she told him. “But you yourself are cured of your grief,” he smiled. “The mustard seed is a great healer!”

1.What does the underlined word “grieving” mean?

   A. amused        B. sad           C. angry         D. astonished

2.What did the holy man ask her to do to end her sorrow?

   A. to go to church for help.

   B. to live with the family that has no sorrows with the mustard seed.

   C. to help others so that she can feel the happiness from the bottom of her heart.

   D. to find a family that is always happy and give them the mustard seed before returning to him.

3.How did the woman treat the families she visited?

   A. She was a good listener.

   B. She helped them to solve the problems they met.

    C. She gave every family a mustard seed..

   D. She told them her unfortunate story.

4.Who on the earth heals the woman’s grief?

   A. The mustard seed                B. Her children   

    C. The families in the district                      D. She herself

 

A Narrow Escape

Shortly after the war, my brother and I were invited to spend a few days’ holiday with an uncle who had just returned from abroad. He had rented (租) a cottage in the country, although he hardly spent much time there. We understood the reason for this after our arrival: the cottage had no comfortable furniture in it. Many of the windows were broken and the roof leaked (漏水), making the whole house wet.

On our first evening, we sat around the fire after supper listening to the stories our uncle told of his many adventures in distant countries. I was so tired after the long train journey that I would have preferred to go to bed; but I could not bear to miss any of my uncle’s exciting stories, He was just in the middle of describing a rather terrifying experience he had once had when there was a loud crash(倒塌声) from the bedroom above, the one where my brother and I were going to sleep.

When we got to the top of the stairs and opened the bedroom door, a strange sight met our eyes. A large part of the ceiling had fallen right on to the pillow(枕头)of my bed.

1. The uncle disliked the rented cottage for the reason that _____.

A. there were no beds in it

B. the windows were broken and the roof leaked

C. it was too old for him to live in

D. it was very rainy in the area

2. On the first evening, the writer was very sleepy, _____.

A. but he did his best not to miss any stories

B. so he had to go to bed early

C. because he was tired of his uncle’s stories

D. and he was gradually falling asleep while listening

3. A narrow escape means ___.

A. A person runs away from a danger through a narrow door.

B. A person escapes a danger by luck.

C. A person escapes a danger easily.

D. A person runs away from a danger easily.

 

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