A
It was a seventeen-jewel Elgin in a locket-style case, and my mother bought it before she was married in September 1916. It was a typical watch of the era, functional yet decorative and was given to me around the time I was thirteen or fourteen. At that time, it was just another one of the things I owned. When I left for the service in April 1941, I took the watch with me.
My unit was sent to the Philippine Islands. While crossing the Pacific, I almost lost the watch after carelessly leaving it tied to a waterline when taking a shower. Thankfully, an honest GI found it and returned it. The watch still did not seem that special to me. It was just one of my practical possessions.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, we retreated to the Bataan Peninsula. Now I started to become a little concerned about my watch. When we were told to surrender to the Japanese, I knew that my watch could become a Japanese souvenir. I didn't want to lose it. I did what I could to outsmart my enemy. Finally, my unit surrendered, and we were sent to a work detail in northern Luzon. One day, I was standing in the dump box of a truck, guarded by one Japanese soldier. His eyes were staring at my pocket and then reached out with a gloved hand. I froze and held my breath, fearing that I was about to lose my now prized possession. Surprisingly, the guard was not curious enough to ask about what I had in my pocket, and again the watch was safe for a while.
The work detail lasted about seventy days. After that, we marched on to Cabanatuan Prison Camp, where I remained for two and a half years. There I removed the band from the watch and wrapped the face in medical gauze and tape. It made a small, easy-to-hide package. At last, when my camp was liberated, the watch and I made the trip home. When I walked through the door, I learned that my mother had died. Now her watch, which had become a reminder of my own survival, was also a reminder of her life.
21. How did the writer feel about the watch at first?
A. Common. B. Special. C. Prized. D. Useless.
22. Which of the following statements is true?
A. My mother gave the watch to me when I got married in September 1916.
B. I lost the watch due to my carelessness on the way to the Philippine Island.
C. My mother died after I returned from the Cabanatuan Prison Camp.
D. It took more than two and a half years before I finally returned home.
23. What is the best title of this text?
A. A Reminder of My Survival. B. Mother’s Watch.
C. The Bombing of the Pearl Harbor. D. My Life during the War.
【答案】21. A 22. D 23. B
【解析】
这是一篇记叙文。全文主要围绕妈妈给作者的手表展开。一开始，作者并没有把它当作一个特殊的东西，但是随着经历过一些事情，手表对作者越来越重要。
【21题详解】
推理判断题。根据第一段的“At that time, it was just another one of the things I owned.”可知，在那时，这个手表仅仅是我所拥有的另一件事物。由此推测，作者一开始认为这个手表很普通。A. Common.(普通的)符合以上说法，故选A项。
【22题详解】
细节理解题。根据最后一段的“The work detail lasted about seventy days. After that, we marched on to Cabanatuan Prison Camp, where I remained for two and a half years.”可知，这项任务大约持续了70天，然后，作者和战友们到了Cabanatuan战俘营，他在那里待了两年半，后来营地被解放，作者才回了家。由此可知，到作者最终回到家，用了两年半以上的时间。D. It took more than two and a half years before I finally returned home.(我花了两年半多的时间才最终回到家)符合以上说法，故选D项。
【23题详解】
主旨大意题。通读全文，尤其第一段的“At that time, it was just another one of the things I owned.”(在那时，这个手表仅仅是我所拥有的另一件事物。)，第二段的“It was just one of my practical possessions.”(它只是我实际拥有的一个物品之一。)，第三段的“I froze and held my breath, fearing that I was about to lose my now prized possession.”(我僵住了，屏住呼吸，担心自己会失去现在最珍贵的东西。)和最后一段的“Now her watch, which had become a reminder of my own survival, was also a reminder of her life.”(现在她的手表，已经成为我幸存的一个提醒，同时也是她生命的一个提醒。)可知，全文主要围绕妈妈给作者的手表展开。一开始，作者并没有把它当作一个特殊的东西，但是随着经历过一些事情，手表对作者越来越重要。B. Mother’s Watch.(妈妈的手表)可以作为本文标题，概括全文，故选B项。
