Question

My mind went blank when I saw the gun pointing against the car window as we pulled out of the garage. This can't be happening to me. Then I felt the gun, cold, against my head, and I heard my friend Jeremy saying，“What do you want? Take my wallet，” but at the time I thought of nothing.

I remember being a little annoyed when the gunman pulled me from the car by the hair. I remember the walk to the house—Jeremy, me, the two men with two guns. I remember the fear and anger in the gunmen's voices because Jeremy was being slow, and I remember wondering why he was being slow. I did not realize that Jeremy had thrown the keys into the bush. But I remember that sound of the gun hitting Jeremy's head and the feeling as the man who had hold of my hair released me. And I remember the split second when I realized he was looking at Jeremy，and I remember wondering how far I could run before he pulled the trigger. But I was already running, and upon reaching the car across the street, I didn't crouch (蹲伏) behind it but screamed instead.

I remember thinking there was something ridiculous and illogical about screaming “Help, help！” at eight o'clock on a Tuesday evening in December and changing my plea(恳求) to the  more specific “Help, let me in, please let me in！” But the houses were cold, closed, unfriendly, and I ran on until I heard Jeremy's screams behind me announcing that our attackers had fled.

The neighbors who had not opened their doors to us came out with baseball bats and helped Jeremy find his glasses and keys. In a group they were very brave. We waited for the police to  come until someone said to someone else that the noodles were getting cold, and I said politely，“Please go and eat. We're OK.”

I was happy to see them go. They had been talking of stricter sentences for criminals, of  bringing back the death penalty(处罚) and how the President is going to clean up the country. I  was thinking, they could be saying all of this over my dead body, and I still feel that stiffer  sentences wouldn't change a thing. In a rush all the anger I should have felt for my attackers was  directed against these contented people standing in front of their warm, comfortable homes  talking about all the guns they were going to buy. What good would guns have been to Jeremy  and me?

People all over the neighborhood had called to report our screams, and the police turned out  in force twenty minutes later. They were ill­tempered about what was, to them, much trouble  about nothing.  After all, Jeremy was hardly hurt, and we were hopeless when it came to  describing the gunmen. “Typical，” said one policeman when we couldn't even agree on how tall  the men were.  Both of us were able to describe the guns in horrifying detail, but the two  policemen who stayed to make the report didn't think that would be much help.

The policemen were matter­of­fact about the whole thing. The thin one said，“That was a  stupid thing to do, throwing away the keys. When a man has a gun against your head you do  what you're told.” Jeremy looked properly embarrassed.

Then the fat policeman came up and the thin one went to look around the outside of the  house. “That was the best thing you could have done, throwing away the keys，” he said. “If you  had gone into the house with them...” His voice became weaker. “They would have hurt her” ——he twisted his head toward me——“and killed you both.” Jeremy looked happier. “Look，” said the fat policeman kindly, “ there's no right or wrong in the situation. There's just luck.”

All that sleepless night I replayed the moment those black gloves came up to the car  window. How long did the whole thing last? Three minutes, five, eight? No matter how many  hours of my life I may spend reliving it, I know there is no way to prepare for the next time—no  intelligent response to a gun. The fat cop was right. There's only luck. The next time I might end up dead.

And I’m sure there will be a next time.  It can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone.Security is an illusion(幻觉); there is no safety in locks or in guns. Guns make some people feel safe and some people feel strong, but they're fooling themselves.

1.When the writer saw the gun pointing against the car window，________.

A．she felt very annoyed

B．she lost consciousness

C．she felt very much nervous

D．she lost the power of thinking

2.What most possibly drove the two gunmen away?

A．Jeremy's fighting.

B．The author's screaming.

C．Their neighbour's brave action.

D．The police's arrival.

3.When the author called for help, the neighbors didn't come out immediately because________.

A．they were much too frightened

B．they were busy preparing dinners

C．they needed time to find baseball bats

D．they thought someone was playing a trick

4.What the author wants to tell us is that________.

A．neighbors are not helpful in moments of difficulty

B．the police are not reliable when one is in trouble

C．security is impossible as long as people can have guns

D．preventing robbers entering your house is the best choice

Answer

1.D

2.B

3.A

4.C

【解析】 本文是一篇记叙文。文章记录了“我”和Jeremy被持枪罪犯袭击的过程，同时也记录了邻居们和警察在这次袭击后的反应。作者因此感叹安全只是幻觉，不管是铁索还是枪支都不会带来安全。枪支使一些人感觉安全，而且有些人感觉强大，但是他们只是欺骗自己。

1.细节理解题。难度较小。根据文章第一段第一句“My mind went blank when I saw the gun pointing against the car window as we pulled out of the garage.”可知，当作者看到枪瞄准车窗玻璃时大脑一片空白。故答案选D。

答案 D

2.细节理解题。难度中等。根据文章第二段最后一句“But I was already running，and upon reaching the car across the street，I didn't crouch(蹲伏)behind it but screamed instead”和第三段第一句“I remember thinking there was something ridiculous and illogical about screaming”以及下文的叙述可知，我一直在尖声喊叫求助，正是我的尖叫吓跑了持枪人。故答案选B。

答案 B

3.推理判断题。难度较大。根据第四段中的“In a group they were very brave”可知，一群人一起出来时都很勇敢。由此可以推知，在作者大喊救命时，邻居们是害怕的。故答案选A。

答案 A

4.作者意图题。难度中等。根据最后一段最后两句“Security is an illusion(幻觉)；there is no safety in locks or in guns.Guns make some people feel safe and some people feel strong，but they're fooling themselves”可知，安全只是幻觉，不管是铁索还是枪支都不会带来安全。枪支使一些人感觉安全，使另一些人感觉强大，但是他们是在欺骗自己。故答案选C。

答案 C