Question

Have your parents ever inspected your room to see if you cleaned it properly? Imagine having your entire houses, garage, and yard inspected at any time — with no warning. Inspections were a regular part of lighthouse (灯塔) living, and a keeper's reputation depended on results. A few times each year, an inspector arrived to look over the entire light station. The inspections were supposed to be a surprise, but keeper sometimes had advance notice.

Once lighthouses had telephones, keepers would call each other to warn that the inspector was approaching. After boats began flying special flags noting the inspector aboard, the keeper's family made it a game to see who could notice the boat first. As soon as someone spotted the boat, everyone would do last-minute tidying and change into fancy clothes. The keeper then scurried to put on his dress uniform and cap. Children of keepers remember inspectors wearing white gloves to run their fingers over door frames and windowsills looking for dust.

Despite the serious nature of inspections, they resulted in some funny moments. Betty Byrnes remembered when her mother did not have time to wash all the dishes before an inspection. At the time, people did not have dishwashers in their homes. In an effort to clean up quickly, Mrs. Byrnes tossed all the dishes into a big bread pan, covered them with a cloth and stuck them in the oven. If the inspector opened the oven door, it would look like bread was baking. He never did.

One day, Glenn Furst's mother put oil on the kitchen floor just before the inspector entered their house. Like floor wax, the oil made the floors shiny and helped protect the wood. This time, though, she used a little too much oil. When the inspector extended his hand to greet Glenn's mother, he slipped on the freshly oiled surface. "He came across that floor waving his arms like a young bird attempting its first flight," Glenn late wrote. After he steadied himself, he shook Glenn's mother's hand, and the inspection continued as though nothing had happened.

1.What does Paragraph I tell us about the inspection at the light station?

A. It was carried out once a year.

B. It was often announced in advance.

C. It was important for the keeper's fame.

D. It was focused on the garage and yard.

2.The family began making preparations immediately after ________.

A. one of the members saw the boat

B. a warning call reached the lighthouse

C. the keeper put on the dress uniform and cap

D. the inspector flew special flags in the distance

3.Mrs. Byrnes put the dishes in the oven because this would ________.

A. result in some fun

B. speed up washing them

C. make her home look tidy

D. be a demand from the inspector

4.The inspector waved his arms ________.

A. to try his best to keep steady

B. to show his satisfaction with the floor

C. to extend a warm greeting to Glenn's mother

D. to express his intention to continue the inspection

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.C

4.A

【解析】这是一篇社会生活类文章。巡视员经常出其不意的视察灯塔。检查结果对于看守人的声誉非常重要。文章介绍了应对巡视员突袭的种种办法。

1.细节理解题。由第一段中的“Inspections were a regular part of lighthouse(灯塔) living, and a keeper’s reputation depended on the results” 可知，灯塔看守人的名誉取决于巡视员的检查结果，结合选项，C选项“检查结果对看守人的名声很重要”正确。

2.细节理解题。由第二段中的“As soon as someone spotted the boat, everyone would do last-minute tidying and change into fancy clothes”可知，一旦有人发现了巡视员的船只，大家马上就开始清理，换衣服，准备起来。故A选项正确。

3.细节理解题。由第三段中的“In an effort to clean up quickly, Mrs. Byrnes tossed all the dishes into a big bread pan, covered them with a cloth, and stuck them in the oven”可知，为了快速地清理房间，Byrnes太太将盘子放到烤炉中，这样房间会看起来很整洁。C选项正确。

4.推理判断题。由最后一段中的“When the inspector extended his hand to greet Glenn's mother, he slipped on the freshly oiled surface … He came across that floor waving his arms like a young bird attempting its first flight," Glenn late wrote. After he steadied himself, he shook Glenn's mother's hand”可知，巡视员在刚打了油的地板上滑了一下子，他挥舞着胳膊，就像一只企图初次飞行的鸟一样。在他稳定了自己之后，他握住了Glenn母亲的手。很明显，巡视员挥舞胳膊是为了让自己的身体稳定下来，保持平衡。故A选项正确。