Question

【題目】Still in shock! I moved around the house purposelessly trying to decide what to put into the suitcases (行李箱). Earlier that evening, I’d received a call telling me that my brother was killed in a car crash. “Come as soon as you can.” cried my mother.

I wanted to hurry to her at once. But my husband, Larry, and I were packing to move from New York to Seattle. Our house was in total mess. Supper dishes sat on the kitchen table. Toys lay everywhere. I purposelessly picked things up and put them down. Mother’s crying went through my head again and again.

Larry called some friends to tell them what had happened. Someone asked to speak to me. “If there’s anything I can do, let me know.” But I didn’t know what to ask for.

Suddenly, thr doorbell rang. It was Emerson. He and his wife Donna lived in the block nearby.

“I’ve come to clean your shoes,” he said.

I asked him to repeat.

“Donna had to stay with the baby,” he said, “but we want to help you. I remember when my father died, it took me hours to clean our shoes for the funeral (葬禮). Give me all your shoes.”

I gathered all our dirty shoes to the kitchen. Emerson got to work right away. Watching him devoting himself to one task helped me pull my own thoughts into order. I told myself to wash clothes first. Then, Larry and I bathed the children and put them to bed. One job after another.

When we returned to clear the dishes, Emerson had left. All our shoes stood in a line against the wall, clean, shining. I couldn’t help crying. Early next morning, we left for the airport with all the jobs done.

Now whenever I hear of a friend who’s lost a loved one, I no longer call with the polite offer,”If there’s anything I can do …” Instead I try to think of one specific task that suits that man’s need, like taking the dog to the boarding kennel, or house-sitting during the funeral. If the person asks,”How did you know I needed that one?” I reply,”Because a man once cleaned my shoes.”

【1】The writer didn’t know what to put into the suitcases because _____.

A. she couldn’t do it on her own B. she was too sad to do anything

C. she wanted to take everything to Seattle D. she was not good at housework

【2】Here’s a time line of what happened in the story.

Which of the events should go in the empty box above?

A. Emerson came to clean the shoes.

B. The couple bathed the children.

C. They cleared the supper dishes

D. The writer found the shoes cleaned.

【3】If one of her friends has lost a loved one, what will the writer probably NOT do?

A. Call her friend to ask what she can do.

B. Look after her friend’s young children.

C. Take her friends’s dog to the boarding kennel.

D. Offer her friend house-sitting during the funeral.

【4】Which sentences best expresses the theme of this story?

A. One person’s loss is another’s gain.

B. An act of kindness is often rewarded.

C. A near neighbour is better than a brother far off.

D. Do something specific to help those in need.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】B

【2】A

【3】A

【4】D

【解析】短文大意：作者和愛人在正值搬家的時候聽到哥哥在一起車禍中喪生的噩耗而手足無措，有的人打電話來說“有任何需要做的請說”，但有個叫艾默生的過來把作者家里所有的臟鞋子都洗干凈了，看著艾默生認真洗鞋的情形，讓作者原來的手足無措變得平靜有序起來，現在作者如果聽到某人失去了愛的人后，不會只是禮貌的問候而是去為這個人做一件特別而正是他需要的事。

【1】細節(jié)理解題。根據I purposelessly picked things up and put them down．Mother's crying went through my head again and again．我漫無目的把東西拿起來又放下．媽媽的哭聲一遍又一遍的在我的腦子里回蕩，可知作者太傷心而不知道該往箱子里裝什么，故選B。

【2】細節(jié)理解題。 根據第一段I'd received a call telling me that my brother was killed in a car crash我街道一個電話，被告知我的弟弟在車禍中喪生，這件事發(fā)生后，接著是第四段Suddenly，the doorbell rang．It was Emerson．He and his wife Donna lived in the block nearby．"I've come to clean your shoes，"he said．突然門鈴響了，是Emerson，他和他的妻子Donna住在附近街區(qū)，"我們來幫你洗刷鞋子"，他說到。由此可知選項A. Emerson came to clean the shoes．Emerson潛力洗刷鞋子，是隨后發(fā)生的，應排在第二位，故選A。

【3】細節(jié)理解題。根據Now whenever I hear of a friend who's lost a loved one, I no longer call with the polite offer, "If there's anything I can do …"現在，不論什么時候我聽到朋友失去愛的人，我不再打電話表達一種禮貌性的安慰，"如果有什么需要我做的…"，故答案為A。

【4】細節(jié)理解題。根據Instead I try to think of one specific task that suits that man's need相反，我盡力去想一件特別而又是那人需要的事情，故答案為D。