Question

    I took the bus to work for many years. No one knew each other; the passengers all sat there sleepily in the morning. The bus was cheerless and silent. One of the passengers was a small gray-haired man who took the bus to the center for senior citizens. Almost no one paid very much attention to him.

One July morning he said good morning to the driver and smiled. The driver nodded guardedly（小心翼翼地点头）. The rest of us were silent. The next day, the old man boarded with a big smile and said in a loud voice: “ A very good morning to you all!” Some of us looked up amazed, and murmured（低声说） “Good Morning” in reply. In the following weeks, our friend was dressed in a nice old suit and tie. He said good morning to us every day and we gradually began to nod and talk to each other.

One morning he even had a bunch of wild flowers in his hand. The driver turned around smiling and asked: “Have you got yourself a girlfriend, Charlie?” We never got to know if his name really was “Charlie”, but he nodded shyly and said yes. The other passengers whistled（吹口哨）and clapped at him. Charlie waved the flowers before he sat down on his seat. Every morning after that Charlie always brought flowers. Some passengers also brought flowers for him. The bus became a happy place. Then, one morning, as autumn was closing in, Charlie wasn’t waiting at his usual stop. When he wasn’t there the next day and the day after that, we started wondering if he was sick or on holiday somewhere.

When we came nearer to the center for senior citizens, one of the passengers asked the driver to wait. We all held our breaths when he went to the door. The old gentle man was fine, but one of his close friends had died over the weekend. How silent we were on the rest of the way to work! The next Monday Charlie was waiting at the stop, bending（腰弯）a bit more, a little bit more gray, and without a tie. Inside the bus was silent. Even though no one had talked about it, all of us sat there silently, our eyes filled with tears and a bunch of wild flowers in our hands.

1.Was the small gray-haired man young or old?

2.Why did the small gray-haired man take the usual bus?

3.Why did the other passengers whistled and clapped at the man one morning?

4.What happened to Charlie one autumn morning?

5.What do the underlined words “bending（腰弯）a bit more, a little bit more gray and without a tie in the last paragraph refer to

6.According to the passage, what do the passengers on the bus think of Charlie? Why do they like him?

Answer

1.He is an old man.

2.The old man has no money.

3.Because Charlie has a girlfriend.

4.Charlie wasn’t waiting at his usual stop.

5.After the death of one of his close friends, he was in a low mood and thought about his friend.

6.第一问：So the passengers thought Charlie was someone who could bring a smile to others. （参考答案）

第二问：His smile makes people feel at home.（参考答案）

【解析】

本文主要向我们描述了在公交车上有一个小个子老头，在七月的一个早晨对司机说，早上好，并对车上的人报以微笑。第二天他又这样做，接下来几周，他一直这样做，大家开始和周围的人聊天，拉近了彼此的距离。

1.细节理解题。根据“One of the passengers was a small gray-haired man who took the bus to the center for senior citizens.”其中一位乘客是一位头发花白的小个子男子，他坐公共汽车去老年人中心。可知，这位乘客是老年人。故答案为：He is an old man.

2.细节理解题。根据“In the following weeks, our friend was dressed in a nice old suit and tie.”在接下来的几周里，我们的朋友穿着一套漂亮的旧西装，打着领带。可知，这位老年人没有钱。故答案为：The old man has no money.

3.细节理解题。根据“The driver turned around smiling and asked: “Have you got yourself a girlfriend, Charlie?” We never got to know if his name really was “Charlie”, but he nodded shyly and said yes.”司机笑着转过身问道：“查理，你有女朋友吗？”我们一直不知道他的名字是不是真的叫“查理”，但他害羞地点头答应了。说明这个人有女朋友。所以其他乘客才对那个人吹口哨和鼓掌。故答案为：Because Charlie has a girlfriend.

4.细节理解题。根据“Then, one morning, as autumn was closing in, Charlie wasn’t waiting at his usual stop.”后来，一天早晨，秋天快到了，查理并没有在他常停的地方等着。故答案为：Charlie wasn’t waiting at his usual stop.

5.细节理解题。根据“The old gentle man was fine, but one of his close friends had died over the weekend.”这位和蔼的老人很好，但他的一个密友周末去世了。可知，他的一个密友去世后，他情绪低落，思友心切。故答案为：After the death of one of his close friends, he was in a low mood and thought about his friend.

6.细节理解题。第一问：根据“The bus was cheerless and silent.”公共汽车上一片寂静。以及句子“The bus became a happy place.”公共汽车成了一个快乐的地方。可知，从公共汽车上一片寂静到公共汽车成了一个快乐的地方。有如此大的变化，主要是因为查理的友善和微笑。因此车上的乘客认为查理是一位能给别人带来微笑的人。故答案为：So the passengers thought Charlie was someone who could bring a smile to others.

第二问：他们为什么喜欢他？因为他的微笑让乘公交车的人有了家的感觉。所以人们才会喜欢他。故答案为：His smile makes people feel at home.