Question

Pete Sparks was a sensitive (敏感的) boy. So sensitive that even his hair was ticklish (怕痒的). You only had to touch his hair a little bit and he would start laughing. When this ticklish laughter started, no one could make him stop.

Pete tried everything to control his ticklishness, but nothing worked. So he began to feel sad for being different.

One day in the street, he met a special clown. The clown was very old and could hardly walk, but when he saw Pete in tears, he went to cheer him up. It didn’t take long to make Pete laugh. Later Pete told him about his ticklish problem, and he asked the clown how such an old man could carry on being a clown.

“I have no one to take my place,” said the clown. “I have a very serious job to do.” Pete looked at him, surprised. “Come, I’ll show you,” said the clown. So the clown took Pete to many hospitals full of children who were sick. As soon as they saw the clown, their faces changed completely and lit up with a smile. Their short while spent with the clown changed everything for them. That day was even more special, because in every show Pete’s laughter would end up with the kids lying on the floor, dying with laughter. When the visit came to an end, the old clown said to Pete, “Now do you see why I can’t retire (退休), even at my age?”

That was how Pete became a clown, and took the special old man’s place. From that day on, the fact that Pete was different actually made him happy, thanks to his special gift (天赋).

1.Pete wanted to change because he wanted to _____.

A. make a difference

B. just be a normal boy

C. make everyone happy

D. just be a special clown

2.The clown took Pete to the hospitals in order to _____.

A. treat his ticklishness

B. encourage him to be a clown

C. show him the meaning of his job

D. know whether Pete had told a lie

3.What does the story teach us?

A. Practice makes perfect.

B. Everyone is born useful.

C. Well begun is half done.

D. Where there is life, there is hope.

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.B

【解析】文章大意：本文讲述了Pete 一个敏感的男孩，以至于他的头发都很怕痒，只要碰到一点他的头发，他就会开始大笑，直到遇到小丑，向Pete 展示了自己的工作，Pete 把自己的不同当做天赋，成为了一名小丑。

1.细节理解题，根据：Pete tried everything to control his ticklishness, but nothing worked. So he began to feel sad for being different.可知Pete 尝试了许多去改变自己的怕痒，但是没有任何效果，他开始为自己的不同感到悲伤。故选C。

2.细节理解题，根据“I have no one to take my place,” said the clown. “I have a very serious job to do.” Pete looked at him, surprised. “Come, I’ll show you,” 小丑说：没有人可以取代我，我的工作非常严肃， Pete 是非常惊讶的，所以小丑就带着 Pete去了医院。以及“Now do you see why I can’t retire (退休), even at my age?”由此可知，小丑向让 Pete 知道自己的工作的意义，故选C。

3.推理判断题，根据：That was how Pete became a clown, and took the special old man’s place. From that day on, the fact that Pete was different actually made him happy, thanks to his special gift，Pete 成为了一名小丑，取代了老人的位置，从那天起，Pete 的不同使他变得开心，这一切都对亏了他的特殊天赋，由此可知，每个人都有自己的特殊天赋，都是有用处的，故选B。