A
This is my son Matthew’s last night at home before college. I know that this is good news. I feel proud that Matthew will go to a great school. I know that this is finest hour. But looking at the suitcases on his bed sends me out of the room to a hidden corner where I can’t stop crying.
Through the sorrow, I feel a rising embarrassment. “Pull yourself together! ” I tell myself. There are parents sending their kids off to battle zones. How dare I feel so shocked and upset?
One of the great gifts of my life has been having my boys, Matthew and Johnowen. Through them, I have explored the mysterious, complicated bond between fathers and sons. As my wife and I raised them, I have discovered the love and loss between my father and me. After my parents’ divorce, I spent weekends with my dad in Ohio. By the time Sunday came around, I was unable to enjoy the day’s activities because I was already afraid of the goodbye of the evening.
Now, standing among Matthew’s accumulation of possessions, I realise it’s me who has become a boy again. All my sadness and longing to hold on to things are back, sweeping over me as they did when I was a child.
His bed is tidy and spare. It already has the feel of a guest bed. In my mind I replayed wrapping him in his favorite blanket. That was our nightly routine until one evening he said, “Daddy, I don’t think I need a blanket tonight. ” I think of all the times we lay among the covers reading. I look at the bed and think of all the recent times I was annoyed at how late he was sleeping. I’ll never have to worry about that again, I realise.
For his part, Matthew has been a rock. He is treating his leaving as just another day at the office. And I’m glad. After all, someone’s got to be strong. I’m proud that he is charging into the first chapter of his adult life with such confidence.
【文章大意】本文是一篇记叙文。文章讲述了作者对即将上大学的儿子的依恋和不舍。回忆和儿子相处的快乐时刻, 作者感伤的同时, 也明白这是儿子成长道路上的必经之路, 是父子俩不可避免的分离。
1. What does the writer mean by “Pull yourself together! ”?
A. Get up. B. Cheer up.
C. Pull up. D. Wake up.
【解析】选B。句意理解题。根据“Pull yourself together! ”之后的句子“There are parents sending their kids off to battle zones. How dare I feel so shocked and upset? (有些父母还把他们的孩子送去战场, 我怎么能如此震惊和心烦呢? )”可推断出, 作者是在安慰自己, 振作起来, 故选B。
2. We can infer from the passage that .
A. the writer is accustomed to sleeping early
B. Matthew doesn’t get on well with his father
C. Matthew is ready for his new life
D. the writer wasn’t brave enough to face his parents’ divorce
【解析】选C。推理判断题。根据最后一段第二句“He is treating his leaving as just another day at the office. ”和最后一句“I’m proud that he is charging into the first chapter of his adult life with such confidence. ”可知, 作者为自己儿子自信地开启成人生活的第一篇章感到自豪, 由此推断出, Matthew对他的新生活做好了准备, 故选C。
3. How does the writer feel about his son’s leaving for college?
A. Worried. B. Grateful.
C. Relieved. D. Bittersweet.
【解析】选D。推理判断题。通过阅读文章可知, 作者的儿子即将去上大学, 作者感伤且不舍, 看到儿子很坚强、自信, 同时又为儿子感到骄傲, 由此推知, 作者对于儿子离家上大学, 苦乐参半, 故选D。
4. Which of the following could be the best title of the text?
A. Unavoidable Goodbye
B. Sweet Memories
C. Glorious Moment
D. Unconditional Love
【解析】选A。标题判断题。本文主要讲述了作者的儿子即将去上大学, 作者复杂的心情。作者明白这是儿子成长道路上的必经之路, 也是父子俩不可避免的分离, 故选A。
【知识拓展】长难句分析
But looking at the suitcases on his bed sends me out of the room to a hidden corner where I can’t stop crying. (第一段最后一句)
分析: 本句包含定语从句, 先行词是a hidden corner, 关系词是where, 在后面从句中充当地点状语。前面主句中含有动名词短语作主语。
翻译: 但是看到他床上的手提箱让我跑出房间到了一个隐蔽的角落, 在那里我忍不住哭了出来。
