A
Have you heard a story about Oliver Wendell Holmes and got what he meant? He once attended a meeting in which he was the shortest man present. "Doctor Holmes," joked a friend. "I should think you would feel rather small among us big fellows." "I do," smiled Holmes. "I feel like a dime（一角硬币）among a lot of pennies."
I ever believed only such a person like Holmes could think that way. But I was proven wrong.
Yesterday I watched a huge flight of geese winging their way south through one of those beautiful sunsets that colored the entire sky for a few moments. I saw them as I rested against the lion statue in front of the Chicago Art Institute, where I was watching the Christmas shoppers hurry along Michigan Avenue.
When I looked sideways, I noticed that a bag lady, standing a few feet away, had also been watching the geese with great attention. Sensing someone was looking at her, she cast a sideways look. Our eyes met and we smiled silently acknowledging the fact that we had shared an amazing sight, a symbol of the secret of the struggle to survive. I overheard the lady talking to herself as she walked away. Her words, "Life treats me kindly", nearly made my jaw drop.
Was the lady, this homeless street beggar, being kidding or even mindless? No. I believed the sight of the geese had reminded her of, however briefly, the difficult and unpleasant reality of her own struggle. I realized later that moments such as this one provided her with great comfort and encouragement; it was the way she survived the hardness of the street. Her smile was real.
The sight of the geese was her Christmas present. It was proof that hard work mattered. It was all she needed. I envy her.
1. From the story in paragraph 1, we can know that Holmes was .
A. patient B. rude C. wise D. awkward
2. What surprised the author most the day he watched the geese?
A. The bag lady's remarks on her life.
B. The secret of the survival of the geese.
C. People's enthusiasm for Christmas gifts.
D. The beautiful sunset and the colorful sky.
3. What does the author envy the bag lady?
A. Her unusual experiences as a street beggar.
B. Her great pride in what she worked hard at.
C. Her friendly ways of getting on with strangers.
D. Her positive attitude towards her own struggle.
【答案】1. C 2. A 3. D
【解析】
这是一篇记叙文。文章讲述了作者通过奥利弗·温德尔·福尔摩斯的故事和一位流浪女人的话，告诉我们一个道理：不幸的生活需要乐观的思想才能给生活带来甜意。
【1题详解】
推理判断题。由第一段中的“He once attended a meeting in which he was the shortest man present. "Doctor Holmes," joked a friend. "I should think you would feel rather small among us big fellows." "I do," smiled Holmes. "I feel like a dime（一角硬币）among a lot of pennies."”（有一次他参加了一个会，他是在场最矮的人。一个朋友开玩笑说，“福尔摩斯医生，我想在我们这些大人物中间，你会觉得自己很渺小。”福尔摩斯笑着说，“是的，我觉得自己就像一堆硬币中的一角硬币。”）可推断出福尔摩斯用自己的聪明才智化解了尴尬，说明福尔摩斯很聪明。故选C项。
【2题详解】
细节理解题。由第四段中的“Her words, "Life treats me kindly", nearly made my jaw drop.”（她的话“生活对我很好”，几乎让我大吃一惊。）可知作者看鹅的那天最让他吃惊的是流浪女人对自己生活的评论。故选A项。
【3题详解】
推理判断题。由倒数第二段中的“No. I believed the sight of the geese had reminded her of, however briefly, the difficult and unpleasant reality of her own struggle. I realized later that moments such as this one provided her with great comfort and encouragement; it was the way she survived the hardness of the street.”（不，我相信这只鹅的出现使她想起了她自己奋斗的艰难和不愉快的现实。后来我意识到，像这样的时刻给了她极大的安慰和鼓励；这是她在艰难的街道上生存下来的方式。）和最后一段“The sight of the geese was her Christmas present. It was proof that hard work mattered. It was all she needed. I envy her.”（看到鹅是她的圣诞礼物。这证明了努力工作很重要。这是她所需要的。我羡慕她。）可知鹅的生存斗争让流浪女人想起了自己的奋斗经历（她评价自己的生活比鹅要好些），可推断出作者羡慕流浪女人对自己奋斗的积极态度。故选D项。
