Question

When I was young, I left a high-school-teaching job to go graduate school again. In one of my first classes, I studied the poetry of Thomas Eliot. I felt hopeless when my high school Webster’s Dictionary tuned silent each time I tried to look up words like “estaminet” or “juvescence”. I needed a new book the Oxford English Dictionary, whose price was $300.

On a cold night, my husband and I set out for a bookstore in Atlanta. I breathlessly asked the clerk for my book, which was kept far behind the counter, paid quickly so that I would have no time to imagine people’s thoughts that I was mad, and rushed back to our truck, carrying the great weight of Oxford English Dictionary.

Don’t get me wrong: I never turn down a trip to the library, but I know that there is something mysterious and spiritual ---to own your own good books, and to spend your earthly money on a piece of heavenly art to pass it down to future generations.

I have been the recipient of many of these passed-down books. My father worked as a plumber, who was often busy repairing things like water pipes. He never made the extravagant (奢侈的) purchases as I did, but I remember his going to the Aspen Used Book store on the weekends. He would take hundreds of used books and trade them for wonderful sets of classics. He would also go in there and come out with how-to books about fixing the leaks. He would neatly arrange the classics in our basement where I, at the age of nine or ten, would spend all summer there reading Greek and Roman myths.

One day, I’ll have to leave my library, but I’m pleased to know that my children will have all my books about Southern literature and modern poetry. They might say, “Look, Mama surely loved Flannery O’Connor.” Or “I wonder why she had three copies of T.S. Eliot: Collected Poems?”

1.Why did the author feel hopeless about her high school dictionary?

A. It was out of date and of no use.

B. It failed to cover enough words.

C. It often gave wrong explanations.

D. It couldn’t offer the exact meaning.

2.What can be inferred from Paragraph 2?

A. The Oxford English Dictionary was very popular.

B. The author felt it an adventure to buy the dictionary.

C. The author regretted buying the dictionary at first.

D. Few people would buy the Oxford English Dictionary.

3.What do we know about the author’s father?

A. He was inspired to read books by his daughter.

B. He loved books despite not being well educated.

C. He improved his professional skills through books.

D. He spent lots of his salary buying wonderful book.

4.Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A. Books at all costs

B. Father’s special bookstore

C. The Oxford English Dictionary

D. Studying the poetry of T.S. Eliot

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.C

4.A

【解析】本文是一篇记叙文。文章讲述了妈妈是怎样不惜一切代价得到这些书的。

1.推理判断题。根据第一段中I felt hopeless when my high school Webster’s Dictionary tuned silent each time I tried to look up words like “estaminet” or “juvescence”. 作者对她的高中字典感到绝望是因为它没有覆盖足够的单词。故B项正确。

2.推理判断题。根据第二段中I breathlessly asked the clerk for my book, which was kept far behind the counter, paid quickly so that I would have no time to imagine people’s thoughts that I was mad,从第二段我们推知很少有人会买牛津英语词典。故D项正确。

3.推理判断题。根据第四段中He never made the extravagant (奢侈的) purchases as I did, but I remember his going to the Aspen Used Book store on the weekends. He would take hundreds of used books and trade them for wonderful sets of classics. He would also go in there and come out with how-to books about fixing the leaks. He would neatly arrange the classics in our basement where I, at the age of nine or ten, would spend all summer there reading Greek and Roman myths.作者的父亲通过书本提高了自己的专业技能。故C项正确。

4.A

推理判断题。根据最后一段One day, I’ll have to leave my library, but I’m pleased to know that my children will have all my books about Southern literature and modern poetry. They might say, “Look, Mama surely loved Flannery O’Connor.” Or “I wonder why she had three copies of T.S. Eliot: Collected Poems?”这些书是妈妈不惜一切代价得到的，所以A项正确。