Zachariah Fike has an unusual hobby.He finds old military (军队的)medals for sale in antique stores and on the
Internet.But unlike most collectors,Zac tracks down the medals’ rightful owners,and returns them.
His effort to reunite families with lost medals began with a Christmas gift from his mother,a Purple Heart with the
name Corrado A.G.Piccoli,found in an antique shop.Zac knows the meaning of a Purple Heart—he earned one himself in a war as a soldier.So when his mother gave him the medal,he knew right away what he had to do.
Through the Internet,Zac tracked down Corrado’s sister Adeline Rockko.But when he finally reached her,the woman flooded him with questions: “Who are you?What antique shop?” However,when she hung up,she regretted the way she had handled the call.So she called Zac back and apologized.Soon she drove to meet Zac in Watertown,N.Y.“At that point,I knew she meant business,” Zac says.“To drive eight hours to come to see me.”
The Piccolis grew up the children of Italian immigrants in Watertown.Corrado,a translator for the Army during
WWⅡ,was killed in action in Europe.
Before hearing from Zac,Adeline hadn’t realized the medal was missing.Like many military medals,the one Zac’s
mother had found was a family treasure.“This medal was very precious to my parents.Only on special occasions (场合)
would they take it out and let us hold it in our hands,” Adeline says.
As a child,Adeline couldn’t understand why the medal was so significant.“But as I grew older,” Adeline says,
“and missed my brother more and more,I realized that was the only thing we had left.” Corrado Piccoli’s Purple Heart
medal now hangs at the Italian American Civic Association in Watertown.
Zac recently returned another lost medal to a family in Alabama.Since he first reunited Corrado’s medal,Zac says his
record is now 5 for 5.
【文章大意】本文是一篇记叙文。讲述了一个曾经的军人Zachariah Fike在古董店或者网上买到军功章,找到并归还给它真正的主人。
21.Where did Zac get a Purple Heart medal for himself?
A.In the army.
B.In an antique shop.
C.From his mother.
D.From Adeline Rockko.
【解析】选A。细节理解题。根据第二段第二句Zac knows the meaning of a Purple Heart—he earned one himself in a war as a soldier.可知,Zac知道紫心勋章的意义——他当兵时获得的。故选A项。
22.What did Zac realize when Adeline drove to meet him?
A.She was very impolite.
B.She was serious about the medal.
C.She suspected his honesty.
D.She came from a wealthy family.
【解析】选B 。推理判断题。根据第三段最后Soon she drove to meet Zac in Watertown,N.Y.“At that point,I knew she meant business,” Zac says.“To drive eight hours to come to see me.”可知她开车八个小时来看我,可见她对这件事是认真的。故选B。
23.What made Adeline treasure the Purple Heart?
A.Her parents’ advice.
B.Her knowledge of antiques.
C.Her childhood dream.
D.Her memory of her brother.
【解析】选D。细节理解题。根据第六段As a child,Adeline couldn’t understand why the medal was so significant.“But as I grew older,” Adeline says,“and missed my brother more and more,I realized that was the only thing we had left可知小时候Adeline不了解军功章的重要性,但是随着成长,她更思念自己的哥哥。故选D项。
【难句剖析】
His effort to reunite families with lost medals began with a Christmas gift from his mother,a Purple Heart with the name Corrado A.G.Piccoli,found in an antique shop.
分析:本句是一个简单句。句子的主语是His effort,to reunite families with lost medals是定语修饰effort,began是句子的谓语。a Purple Heart with the name Corrado A.G.Piccoli是 gift的同位语,found in an antique shop是过去分词短语作定语修饰gift。
翻译:他努力让丢失的军功章回到自己主人家庭的尝试始于母亲的一个圣诞节礼物,这是一枚名叫Corrado A.G.Piccoli的紫心勋章,是在一家古董店里找到的。
