阅读理解
Two men, who were both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to
sit up in his bed for an hour a day to get rid of the fluids (液体) from his lungs. His bed was next to the
room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time lying flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on_end. They talked about everything in their life. But always, the best
subject was the time when his roommate described all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed would live for those onehour periods where his world would be
broadened and enlivened by all the activities and color of the outside world. The man had said out of
the window was a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans (天鹅) played on the water while children
sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm among flowers of every color. Old trees graced the
landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window
described all this in detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the
scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other
man could not hear the band, he could see it in his eye as the man by the window described it.
Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing
everything while I never get to see anything? It didn't seem fair. As the thought fermented (发酵), the
man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy became
resentment and soon turned him sour. These dark thoughts made himself unable to sleep. He should be
by that window-and that thought now controlled his life.
Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough
uncontrollably and pushed the button calling for help. But he never moved, never pushed his own
button, which would have brought the nurse running. In about five minutes the man was gone.
When his body was taken away, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window.
His wish was soon granted (满足).
But when he strained to take his first look out of the window, he found it faced a blank wall.
1. Which is the proper title of the passage?
A. The relationship between the two men.
B. Envy turns the soul sour.
C. The two men, who were both seriously ill, were in hospital.
D. The time the two men spent together in hospital.
2. What does the phrase "on end" mean in the second paragraph?
A. in total
B. ending
C. only
D. without stopping
3. What kind of person is the man by the window?
A. A liar.
B. An honest person.
C. A dull person.
D. A kind person.
4. Which of the following sentences is TRUE?
A. What the man by the window described was real.
B. Envy makes one's health worse day after day.
C. At first the man who couldn't see the sight outside the window could imagine the sight.
D. The man was happy when his wish was granted.
