Question

    “Promise me I’ll die in my own bed and I won’t die alone.”

There it was. Almost three years ago Dad asked me to make those promises. I said yes. And yet, I broke both. I gazed at my two-year-old son. Today is his birthday.

“Promise me...” The voice came from the grave(坟墓). Or was it simply my own guilt(内疚) ridden imagination? Whichever, I wished it would leave me alone and let me enjoy my son’s birthday. 

Over two years ago, I broke my first promise. But what else could I have done? The battle(战斗) against his cancer was lost. All that was left was to keep him comfortable and manage his pain. My sisters and I decided his remaining days would be in a hospital. Determined to keep the other promise, I made sure he was never alone. And then came that day.

It was early morning. I was alone with Dad, waiting for my sisters to come and spare me. I heard my dad’s breath, his only voice for over a week, when my phone rang. The baby was coming. A nurse directed me to see my wife, two floors up. Yes, everything was fine. “Shall I show you to the family waiting room?” I refused, thanking the nurse as I headed down the stairs. But too late. I broke my second promise. Dad had died alone. Joy, guilt. My son and my broken promise.

The voice came again. I cried, head buried in my hands. I felt two little but strong hands, pulling my own hands away from my face. “Grandpapa!” My son shouted while leading me into the living room and pointed to a drawer in the desk. I opened the drawer and took out the picture—my dad’s.

How had he known about that photo? How did he know it was his grandfather? I had never taken it out of the drawer since shortly after my dad’s death. A new life entering the world exactly the moment an old one leaves. Could these two lives have somehow passed each other, maybe even knew each other? Perhaps Dad didn’t die alone after all.

1.The underlined word “it” in paragraph 3 refers to __________.

A.his father’s voice B.his guilt C.his father’s grave D.his promise

2.The writer made his father stay in hospital for his last days to __________.

A.let his father die alone B.wait for the grandson to come

C.keep him comfortable and manage his pain D.fight against his cancer in hospital

3.What caused the writer to break his second promise?

A.His sisters didn’t come to the hospital as they promised.

B.His father didn’t want to get any treatment about his cancer.

C.He could hear nothing but his father’s breath in the hospital.

D.His son was born almost the same time his father passed away.

4.How would the writer probably feel after that day?

A.Joyful. B.Relieved. C.Upset. D.Nervous.

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.D

4.B

【解析】

本文是一篇记叙文。讲述了父亲弥留之际提出了两个要求，但是作者都没有做到，内心备受谴责，但是因为作者儿子在从没有见过祖父的情况下认出照片上的人就是作者父亲，让作者明白，生命的逝去总是伴随着新生命的诞生，或许在冥冥中，作者的儿子已经见过作者的父亲。

1.细节理解题。根据文章第三段第一句话“Promise me...” The voice came from the grave(坟墓)可知，由于我没有实现爸爸的请求，内心包含歉疚，所以这里的it指代上文爸爸的对我的请求，故选A。

2.细节理解题。根据文章第四段第四、第五句话All that was left was to keep him comfortable and manage his pain. My sisters and I decided his remaining days would be in a hospital可知，我让爸爸在医院度过生命剩余日子的原因是希望能够减轻点他的痛苦，故选C。

3.细节理解题。根据文章第五段第四句话The baby was coming.可知，我让我爸爸独自一人孤单死去的原因是我儿子在同一时间出世了，故选D。

4.推理判断题。joyful开心的；relieved释怀的；upset心烦的；nervous紧张的。根据文章最后一句Perhaps Dad didn’t die alone after all.可知，我儿子在从没有见过祖父的情况下认出照片上的人就是我父亲，这让我觉得或许冥冥中他们在生命的岔路口已经互相见过，这让我感到释怀。故选B。