A
Family sizes are shrinking around the world. In many countries, families are having fewer than two children. Smaller families mean many children now grow up with fewer cousins. This is hard to imagine, as I come from a large extended family with 23 first cousins on one side and 25 on the other.
Sometimes when I can't sleep, I try to name all my relatives. Of course, almost all of those cousins have married and had children and now their children are having children. With extended families growing so large and spreading so far, gettogethers have nearly become a thing of the past.
One of the last gatherings on my father's side was at the home of a cousin who has a place in the country on top of a hill. A tent was set up, holding long tables creaking (嘎吱作响) under the weight of fried chicken, potato salad and chocolate cake. A fishing hole waited nearby for the kids. Vehicles poured in from every direction, parking on the drive, the grass, wherever they could find a spot. There was talking and laughing and joking and food.
While such gatherings had grown infrequent, we were all happy to be together. Although some of us had not seen one another since soandso's wedding or somebody's father's funeral, most people were still easy to recognize. Three sisters who sat together all had the same beautiful skin their mother had. The cousin with bright blue eyes who raced her horse as a teenager still had bright blue eyes. An older cousin who gave me piano lessons when I was young and naughty seemed to have forgiven me. We share a gene pool of people who work hard and laugh often.
It was very dark when the last set of taillights disappeared into the night. As we gathered our things, said our goodbyes and prepared to leave, a cousin called to me saying, “Don't forget where you come from.” I never could. And I'd never try.
本文是一篇记叙文。作者来自于一个大家庭，虽然随着家庭规模的扩大，大家聚在一起的机会越来越少，但是作者和亲戚都很珍惜彼此之间的感情纽带。
1．What's the author's attitude to his large family?
A．Delighted. B．Sad.
C．Ashamed. D．Indifferent.
答案：A
解析：推理判断题。根据第四段中While such gatherings had grown infrequent, we were all happy to be together.可知，虽然这样的聚会越来越少了，但我们都很高兴能在一起。由此推测作者喜欢和亲人聚在一起，对于自己拥有一个大家庭这件事是高兴的，故选A项。
2．What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?
A．The author's families often get together.
B．All the family members have come to the gathering.
C．The old cousin who taught the author piano didn't like him.
D．The author and his large family members cherish the bond between them.
答案：D
解析：推理判断题。根据最后两段内容可知，虽然像这样一大家子聚在一起的机会越来越少了，但作者他们都很高兴能在一起。作者能够轻易地认出来大多数亲戚。当聚会结束，最后一组尾灯消失在夜色中时，天已经很黑了。当作者收拾好东西，说再见，准备离开的时候，一个表哥打电话给他，说：“别忘了你来自哪里。”他回答到“我永远不会。我永远不会尝试”。从作者能够认出大部分亲戚，表哥打电话给作者说的话以及作者的回答等可以推断出作者和亲戚都很珍惜他们之间的关系，故选D项。
3．Why does the author write this passage?
A．To compare the small families with large ones.
B．To share his feeling about large family.
C．To show his worry about the shrinking of family size.
D．To give advice of family relationships.
答案：B
解析：推理判断题。根据文章内容可知，虽然世界各地的家庭规模都在缩小，意味着很多孩子在成长过程中很少有表亲。但作者很难想象这个，因为他来自于一个大家庭。作者描述了来自于一个大家庭是怎么的经历，并着重描写了在表亲家的一次聚会，展现了与亲戚之间的感情纽带。由此可知，作者写这篇文章是为了分享他对大家庭的感受，故选B项。
