1. What happened when the big fish turned out to be a bass?

A. The boy and his father discussed what to do with the big fish.

B. The boy threw the bass back into the water willingly.

C. The father lit a match in order to check the time.

D. They worried other fishermen may discover what they had done.

4. B 主旨大意。最后一段的最后一句话为主题句，概括了本段主旨大意，选项B的陈述与最后一句同义。

【考场秘招】文章的主旨大意通常体现在文章的开头或结尾。而段落大意也多体现在第一句或最后一句。显然，我们可以根据文章的最后一段的最后一句选出最佳答案。

【押题5】Once there was an 11-year-old boy who went fishing with his father in the middle of a New Hampshire lake. On the day before bass(巴斯鱼) season opened, they were fishing early in the evening, catching other fish with worms. Then the boy tied on a small silver lure(鱼饵) and put it into the lake. Suddenly he felt that something very big pulling on the lure. His father watched with admiration as the boy skillfully brought the fish beside the bank. Finally he lifted the tired fish from the water. It was the largest one he had ever seen, but it was a bass.

The boy and his father looked at the big fish. The father lit a match and looked at his watch. It was 10 p.m.―two hours before the season opened. He looked at the fish, then at the boy. “You’ll have to put it back, son,” he said.

“Dad!” cried the boy. “There will be other fish,” said his father. “Not as big as this one,” cried the boy. He looked around the lake. No other fishermen or boats were in sight in the moonlight. He looked again at his father.

Even though no one had seen them, nor could anyone ever know what time he had caught the fish, the boy could tell from his father’s voice that the decision couldn’t be changed. He threw the huge bass into the black water. The big fish disappeared. The boy thought that he would never again see such a big fish.

That was 34 years ago. Today the boy is a successful architect in New York City. He often takes his own son and daughters to fish at the same place.

And he was right. He has never again caught such a large fish as the one he got that night long ago. But he does see that same fish ... again and again ... every time he has an ethical (道德的) decision to make. For, as his father had taught him, ethics are simple matters of right and wrong. It is only the practice of ethics that is difficult.

3. A  推理判断。在第五、六中谈到了作者的邻居在收到礼物之后的种种反应：有的当面感谢、有的打电话感谢、有的寄来贺卡，那么概括起来就是：邻居对作者的举动充满感激。

2. D  推理判断。5104 Northumberland Road是作者的地址，A项错误；作者推测那位老太太住在他们通常在早上见面的地方，但是下文说花篮放错了地方，可见她并不在那里住，故B项也错误。由于作者放错花篮，病中的Mr. Kelly收到了圣诞节礼物，但是文中没有谈到那位老太太和Mr. Kelly同住一室，因此C项也错误。可见作者不知道那位老太太到究竟住在何处。

1. C  细节理解。第二段的第一句话表明作者要送10份圣诞礼物。

3. How did the author’s neighbors respond to his gifts?

   A. They liked the gifts very much and were thankful.

   B. They were thankful that they wanted to be friends.

   C. They all made phone calls to say “Thank You”.

   D. They all visited him by person to show gratitude.

2. Where did the friendly lady live?

A. She lived at the end of Northumberland Road.

B. Her address was 5104 Northumberland Road.

C. She was thought to share a house with Mr. Kelly.

D. The author was not sure about her address at all.

1. How many Christmas gifts did the author intend to send?

   A. Nine.         B. Eight.           C. Ten.               D. Eleven.

4. B 推理判断。根据Mathew的来信的第一句可判断最佳答案为B。

【考场秘招】根据事实进行推理和判断的能力是高考能力考查的范围之一。Matthew来信的第一句为：My mom said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me.，由此我们可以推断，在那次见面以后，作者曾给Matthew寄过照片，换言之“他们保持着联系”。

【押题4】I moved into a new house in July. Since then I have met a few of my neighbors who are very nice people. For Christmas, I thought I would do something nice for each of the neighbors I know. There were nine neighbors whom I knew by name or spoke with often when I was out in my yard. I knew which houses they lived in.

I decided to add one more to my list. This lady I decided to add lives down the street from me. I meet her every morning walking to work as I drive down the street. She always smiles to me. But I had no idea who she was and which house she lived in.

I planned to make small fruit baskets and leave them on my neighbor's front porches(门廊) on Christmas Eve. I signed the cards: "Happy Holidays from 5104 Northumberland Road."

I saved the last for the friendly lady. I finally decided on a house where I met her each morning and guessed that it was hers.

My neighbors really appreciated the baskets and would tell me as they saw me in the yard or they would call, and a couple even came by to thank me.

This morning I found a small note in the mailbox. It was addressed simply: Resident, 5104 Northumberland Road.

The Thank You card really caught me by surprise. I opened it and read the message, "Thank you for the lovely fruit basket you left on our porch. It was very thoughtful. Richard Kelly passed away last week. He talked a lot about how nice it was that someone remembered him in his time of illness. He really appreciated it."

I had no idea who Richard Kelly was and that he had been seriously ill. I had left that nice lady's basket on his porch by mistake. I wanted to say sorry, but that would be wrong. I believe that Mr. Kelly was meant to have that basket because he was dying. I hate that the nice lady did not get to receive a fruit basket on Christmas, but I believe if she knew what had happened, she would be happy. I feel pleased to have helped Richard Kelly's last days be more cheerful.