A
(2020·南昌重点中学高三段考) Laura Sides was a psychology major at the University of Nottingham in 2004. She first noticed signs of her dad’s developing dementia(痴呆) when she moved to Nottingham. She said, “Dad was a doctor, so he knew exactly what was happening to him, but people try to hide it when they are ill. Then, I came home for my 21st birthday and arranged to meet him, but he never showed up as he’d forgotten. That’s when I knew something serious was happening.”
So, aged 21, she decided to leave university and look after him herself. She lived close by, popping in every day to make sure he was eating, and that the house was tidy, before heading off to her work.
Besides challenging moments, there were times when looking after her dad was a pure joy. “We’d wake up. I’d ask him what he wanted to do that day, and however ridiculous the adventure, off we’d go.”
Sadly, in 2009, 5 years later, Laura lost her father. Before he died, Laura went to a hospital appointment with him, where doctors mentioned that his form of Alzheimer’s was genetic, meaning there was a fiftyfifty chance that she had inherited it. For several years Laura agonised over whether to be tested, finally finding out in August 2017 that she has the APP gene, meaning that, like him, she will develop the condition within a decade.
At first, she struggled, feeling as if she lacked purpose. Then, during a sleepless night in the summer of 2018, she decided at around 2 a．m. to enter the 2019 London Marathon sponsored by the charities Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research U．K.
She hoped to start the conversation around earlyonset Alzheimer’s and to encourage people to talk about it more openly. “I remember when Dad was ill, people wouldn’t know how to react and it all felt very hidden away, but I want to be honest and open.” She added, “The more information we can get, the less of a taboo(忌讳) this will feel. That said, the support I’ve received so far after going public has been amazing—that’s what is carrying me through.”
【解题导语】 Laura Sides在读大学期间，父亲患上了阿尔茨海默病，她休学悉心照料父亲直到他去世；后来她被医生告知自己在十年后也会患上同样的病。短暂的痛苦之后，她便振作了起来，积极面对生活，参加马拉松比赛，并且进行阿尔茨海默病方面的公开演讲，鼓励人们公开谈论这种病，而不是回避它。
1．Laura noticed her father’s dementia when ________.
A．her father told her his condition in person
B．people nearby informed her of her father’s condition
C．her father forgot his own birthday party
D．her father forgot to attend her 21yearold birthday party
D 解析：细节理解题。根据第一段中的“Then, I came home for my 21st birthday...That’s when I knew something serious was happening.”可知，Laura的父亲忘记参加女儿的21岁生日会，在那时Laura意识到父亲已患病，故选D。
2．The underlined word “agonised” in paragraph 4 probably means “________”．
A．excited B．struggled
C．shocked D．delighted
B 解析：词义猜测题。根据上文中的“there was a fiftyfifty chance that she had inherited it”可知，医生告知Laura，她有百分之五十的患病概率，并结合画线词所在句中的“whether to be tested”可知，此处表示Laura多年来苦苦思索是否去检查一下，与B项词义接近。
3．Laura started the open talk in the hope of ________.
A．getting people to talk about Alzheimer’s openly
B．earning some money to help treat her Alzheimer’s
C．making herself stronger to fight against Alzheimer’s
D．raising funds for charities Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research U．K.
A 解析：细节理解题。根据题干中的关键词open talk定位到文章的最后一段。根据该段首句“She hoped to start the conversation around earlyonset Alzheimer’s and to encourage people to talk about it more openly.”可知，作者公开谈论阿尔茨海默病是为了鼓励人们公开谈论此病，故选A。
4．Which words can best describe Laura?
A．Caring and positive. B．Careful and honest.
C．Patient and cautious. D．Devoted and modest.
A 解析：推理判断题。通读全文内容可知，Laura在得知父亲患阿尔茨海默病后休学来悉心照料他直至他去世，后来得知自己也会得阿尔茨海默病后，挣扎后便振作起来，先是决定参加马拉松比赛，接着针对这种病进行公开演讲，鼓励人们更加公开地谈论它，而不是回避它。由此可知，作者是一个关心他人且积极向上的人，故选A。
【难句分析】 Before he died, Laura went to a hospital appointment with him, where doctors mentioned that his form of Alzheimer’s was genetic, meaning there was a fiftyfifty chance that she had inherited it.
分析：本句是一个主从复合句。Before引导了一个时间状语从句；关系副词where引导一个非限制性定语从句，修饰先行词a hospital appointment；该定语从句中，that引导宾语从句，作mentioned的宾语；meaning...she had inherited it是现在分词短语作伴随状语，其中there was a．.. it是省略了连词that的宾语从句，且that she had inherited it作chance的同位语。
译文：在他去世前，劳拉陪他去医院，医生提到他的阿尔茨海默病是基因型的，这就意味着劳拉有百分之五十的概率遗传这个病。
