Question

It all began with a stop at a red light.

????????????? Kevin Salwen was driving his 14-year-old daughter, Hannah, back from a sleepover in 2006 . While waiting at a traffic light, they saw a black Mercedes Coupe on one side and a homeless man begging for food on the other.

“Dad, if that man had a less nice car, that man there could have a meal.”Hannah protested. The light changed and they drove on, but Hannah was too young to be reasonable. She pestered （糾纏）her parents about inequity, insisting that she wanted to do something.

????????????? “What do you want to do?” her mom responded. “Sell our house?”

Warning! Never suggest a grand gesture to an idealistic teenager. Hannah seized upon the idea of selling the luxurious family home and donating half the proceeds to charity, while using the other half to buy a more modest replacement home.

Eventually, that’s what the family did. The project —crazy, impetuous （魯莽的） and utterly inspiring — is written down in detail in a book by father and daughter scheduled to be published next month: “The Power of Half.” It’s a book that, frankly, I’d be nervous about leaving around where my own teenage kids might find it. An impressionable child reads this, and the next thing you know your whole family is out on the street.

At a time of enormous needs in Haiti and elsewhere, when so many Americans are trying to help Haitians by sending everything from text messages to shoes, the Salwens offer an example of a family that came together to make a difference — for themselves as much as the people they were trying to help. In a column a week ago, it described neurological evidence from brain scans that unselfishness lights up parts of the brain normally associated with more primary satisfaction. The Salwens’ experience confirms the selfish pleasures of selflessness.

Mr. Salwen and his wife, Joan, had always assumed that their kids would be better off in a bigger house. But after they downsized, there was much less space to retreat to, so the family members spent more time around each other. A smaller house unexpectedly turned out to be a more family-friendly house.

1.The best title for the passage should be “______”.

A. The Less, the Better?????????????? ?????????????

B. An Expected Satisfaction

C. Something We Can Live Without??? ?????????????

D. Somewhat Crazy but Inspiring

2.What does the underlined word “inequity” most probably mean in Paragraph 3?

A. Unfairness.???????????????????? ????????????? B. Satisfaction.

C. Personal attitude.????????????? ????????????? D. Reasonable statement.

3. What does the underlined sentence “Never suggest a grand gesture to an idealistic teenager.” means? ______

A. Never give a quick answer to an idealistic teenager.

B. Unless a child is realistic, never give an answer immediately.

C. Give an answer if the child is reasonable.

D. Don’t respond to a child's demands firmly without consideration.

4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A. The Salwens regretted selling their house.

B. The relationship between the family members of the Salwens is much closer.

C. Small houses can bring happiness.

D. The Salwens intend to buy another big house.

5.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Mercedes Coupe is only an ordinary car which is quite cheap.

B. Unselfishness has nothing to do with people’s primary satisfaction.

C. Hannah asked her parents to do something charitable and they sold their house.

D. The writer’s children asked him to sell their house.

 

Answer 1

【答案】

1.D

2.A

3.D

4.B

5.C

【解析】

試題分析：這篇文章講的是Kevin Salwen 受到女兒的啟發(fā)，賣了自己的房子，換了小的，剩下的錢，用來幫助有需要的人，而他們自己的家庭也更加親密了。

1.標(biāo)題確定題：這篇文章講的是Kevin Salwen 受到女兒的啟發(fā)，賣了自己的房子，換了小的，剩下的錢，用來幫助有需要的人，正如文章的句子：Eventually, that’s what the family did. The project —crazy, impetuous （魯莽的） and utterly inspiring這個做法有點瘋狂但是激勵人心，選 D

2.猜詞題：從第二段的句子：they saw a black Mercedes Coupe on one side and a homeless man begging for food on the other.可知女兒看見的是不平等的事情，選A。

3.句意理解題：這句話的意思是：提醒：不要給一個理想主義的孩子這么大方的提議！所以是：不要不加考慮就回答一個孩子的要求，選D

4.細節(jié)題：從最后一段的句子：But after they downsized, there was much less space to retreat to, so the family members spent more time around each other. A smaller house unexpectedly turned out to be a more family-friendly house.可知Salwen 家人的關(guān)系更加親密了，選B

5.細節(jié)題：從文章第六段的句子：Eventually, that’s what the family did. The project —crazy, impetuous （魯莽的） and utterly inspiring可知Hannah 讓父母做慈善的事情，他們賣了房子。選C。

考點：考查故事類短文