问题 阅读理解与欣赏

阅读下面的文字,完成1~4题。

重新做人

[美]欧·亨利

  看守来到监狱制鞋工场,吉米·瓦伦汀正在那里勤勤恳恳地缝着鞋帮。看守把他领到前楼办公室。典狱长把当天早晨州签署的赦免状给了吉米。典狱长说:“你明天可以出去啦,以后别砸保险箱了,老老实实地过日子吧。”

  三小时后,他回到自己住处,从墙壁上的洞里取出一只蒙着灰尘的手提箱。那是一套样式俱全,用特种硬钢制造,最新式的工具,有钻头、冲孔器、摇钻、螺丝钻、钢撬、钳子和两三件吉米自己设计的工具。半个小时后,他换了一套雅致称身的衣服,手里提着那只抹拭干净的箱子。

  一星期之后,印第安纳州里士满发生了一件保险箱盗窃案。两星期后,洛根斯波特有一只新式防盗保险箱给轻而易举地打开了……本·普赖斯调查后宣布说:“那是'花花公子'吉米·瓦伦汀的手法。”

  一天下午,吉米·瓦伦汀带着他的手提箱搭了邮车来到艾尔摩尔。

  一位年轻姑娘穿过街道,在拐角那里打他身边经过,走进一扇挂着“艾尔摩尔银行”招牌的门。

  吉米·瓦伦汀直勾勾地瞅着她,忘了自己是谁,仿佛成了另一个人。她垂下眼睛,脸上泛起一阵红晕。有吉米这种气宇和外表的年轻人在艾尔摩尔是不多见的。吉米用拉尔夫·迪·斯潘塞的姓名在一家旅店登了记,…”一阵突如其来,脱胎换骨的爱情之火把吉米·瓦伦汀烧成了灰烬,从灰烬中重生的凤凰拉尔夫·斯潘塞先生在艾尔摩尔安顿下来,开了一家鞋店,买卖很兴隆。

  一年后,他赢得了当地人士的尊敬,他和安娜贝尔已经决定在两星期后结婚。一天,吉米在他的房间里写了如下的一封信:

  亲爱的老朋友:下星期三晚九点钟到小石城沙利文家。两星期后,我将同世上最好的姑娘结婚。她相信我。我非见你不可。工具我送给你并随身带去。你的老朋友:吉米

  吉米发出这封信之后的星期一晚上,本·普赖斯乘了一辆租来的马车悄悄到了艾尔摩尔…… 第二天早饭后,家里的人浩浩荡荡地一起到商业区银行去--亚当斯先生、安娜贝尔、吉米、安娜贝尔已出嫁的姊姊和她的两个女儿,一个五岁,一个九岁。路过吉米住的旅店,吉米上楼到他的房间里去拿上了手提箱。等一会儿将由多尔夫·吉布森赶车送他去沙利文那。

  艾尔摩尔银行最近安装了一个新的保险库,亚当斯先生得意洋洋地把它的构造解释给斯潘塞先生听,斯潘塞彬彬有礼地听着,但好像不很感兴趣。这时候,本·普赖斯逛了进来。突然间,女人当中发出了一两声尖叫。在大人们没有注意的时候,九岁的梅好奇地把阿加莎关进保险库。老银行家跳上前去,呻吟着说,“定时锁没有上,暗码也没有对准。”阿加莎的母亲发疯似地用手捶打着保险库的门。有人甚至提议用枪。安娜贝尔转向吉米,她那双大眼睛里充满了焦急,但并没有绝望的神色。“你能想些办法吗,拉尔夫--试试看,好吗?”他瞅着她,嘴唇上和急切的眼睛里露出一抹古怪的柔和的笑容……

  他把手提箱打开,敏捷而井井有条地把那些闪亮古怪的工具摆出来,十分钟后(这打破了他自己的盗窃纪录)他打开钢闩,拉开了门。阿加莎几乎吓瘫了。

  吉米·瓦伦汀穿好上衣,来到柜台外面,向前门走去。半路上他模模糊糊听到一个耳熟的声音喊了一声“拉尔夫!”但他没有停下脚步。

  门口有一个高大的人几乎挡住了他的去路。“喂,本!”吉米说道,脸上还带着那种古怪的笑容,“你终于来了,是吗?好吧,我们走。我想现在也无所谓了。”本·普赖斯的举动也有些古怪。 “你认错人了吧,斯潘塞先生。”他说,“别以为我认识你。你的马车在等着你呢,不是吗?”

  本·普赖斯转过身,朝街上走去……

1.根据文意,解释“古怪的柔和的笑容”所表达的含义。

  ____________________________________________________________

2.在小说的情节中作者为什么反复提到工具箱?有什么作用?

 ____________________________________________________________

3.小说的结尾,本·普赖斯放弃逮捕吉米的原因是什么?

 ____________________________________________________________

4.请谈谈本篇小说的结尾有什么特点?

 ____________________________________________________________

答案

1.含义:“古怪”意味着撬保险柜有可能要蹲监狱;“柔和”意味着未婚妻对他的爱,给了他力量。表现了他为了爱情和救孩子,下定决心冒险,准备跟警察去蹲监狱。表现了人性中的善的力量。(意对即可)

2.作用:起到线索作用。它见证了吉米的新生。将吉米以前盗窃银行保险箱的经历,决心改邪归正,开始自食其力的生活,与见义勇为救小孩的情景联系起来,这四次提到保险箱,将事件串联起来,使结构严谨,前后照应。(意对即可)

3.本·普赖斯(有侦缉经验,责任心,技术高超,心地善良)看到吉米生活得很幸福,而且即将建立美好的家庭,前程远大时,他愿意成全吉米。从这里可以看出作者的崇尚人性、善良的创作主旨。(意对即可)

4.结尾出入意料又在情理之中。表现在主人公命运的转折叙述上(本·普赖斯警官熟知吉米的作案手段,并且已经跟踪到了小镇,却在吉米认出他准备跟他走之后,假装不认识吉米,从而放过了他)看起来不可思议,但小说前面铺垫,监狱长对吉米说的那一番话。当吉米为帮孩子不惜暴露身份,说明他已经转变成了一个善良的人。逮捕他已经没有意义。所以本·普赖斯警官要放过他,希望他能够继续这样幸福地生活下去。结尾给人耐人寻味。(意思对即可酌情给分)

解答题
阅读理解

阅读理解。

     The easiest way for the English to deal with their social discomfort is to avoid social interaction altogether,

by choosing either leisure (闲暇) activities that can be performed in the privacy of one's own house, or outdoor

activities that follow their interest without direct contact with anyone other than one's own family members,

such as going for a walk, or to the cinema, or shopping.

      In recent survey, over half of all the leisure activities were of this private domestic type, and of the top

ten pastimes, only two-having friends round for a meal or drink, and going to the pub-could be described as

'sociable'. The most domestic activities are the most popular: watching TV, listening to the radio, reading,

DIY (Do It Yourself) and gardening. Even when the English are being sociable, the survey findings show that

most of them would much rather entertain a few close friends or relatives in the safety of their own homes

than venture out among strangers.

      In the latest national census survey (人口普查), over half of the entire adult male population had been

DIYing in the four weeks before the census date. Nearly a third of the female population had also been busily

improving their homes, and their work with their gardens was equally obvious: 52 percent of all English males

and 45 percent of females had been out there, cutting branches and weeding grass.

      Even among people claiming to belong to a particular religion, only two percent attend services every week. The rest of the population can be found every Sunday at their local garden center or DIY superstore. And when

they want a break from caring about their own homes and gardens, they go on trips to visit bigger and better

houses and gardens, such as the stately homes and gardens opened to the public by the National Trust and the

Royal Horticulture Society. Visiting grand country houses always ranks as one of the most popular national

pastimes.

1. The result of the survey shows that _____. [ ]

A. about half English people enjoy working in their gardens

B. 8 out of 10 pastimes can be described as social activities

C. 2 percent of the religious people enjoy visits to public houses

D. visiting stately homes is the most popular national pastime

2. According to the passage, the English enjoy all of the following EXCEPT _____. [ ]

A. the social activities, such as gathering with friends

B. working at home and in their gardens

C. dining out in a public place among strangers

D. visits to stately homes and gardens

3. The underlined word "domestic" probably means _____. [ ]

A. public

B. household

C. outdoor

D. collective

4. The passage mainly tells us about _____. [ ]

A. why the English don't like social activities

B. how the English spend their leisure time

C. what the result of a recent census survey is

D. where the English hold their private activities