A
Just before Christmas in 1994, a letter arrived at our house. The postmark was from Tuskegee, Alabama, so we all knew who it was from. We excitedly gathered around mother as she opened it.
My Dear Mother,
I didn’t get the leave I expected for Christmas. I’ll miss all of you. Please leave the Christmas tree up until I make it back. I hope to be home by March.
Love from your son,
Clifton
My heart sank. I felt extreme sadness that my favorite brother wouldn’t be home for Christmas. My mother, being the optimist she always was, said, “Well, it looks like we’ll get to have two Christmases this year!”
After Christmas, my sister and I worked together to make sure we kept that Christmas tree looking as pretty as possible. This was no easy feat. By mid-January, the branches drooped so low to the ground. Each day, ornaments would come crashing to the ground and there were brand new sprinklings of pine needles all over the wooden floor. My sister and I took turns sweeping them up. We repositioned the ornaments to the stronger branches on the tree, hoping they would stay on.
Each time we freshened that tree up, my sister and I were full of thoughts about Clifton and how happy we would be to see him again. It made us feel that he was close by, even though he was hundreds of miles away.
On March 5, the doorbell rang. We ran to the door and gave Clifton a big hug. As he hugged mother, I could see him peek over her head at the Christmas tree.
“It’s beautiful,” he said. “Thank you.” Clifton opened his presents and told us all sorts of stories about his work in Tuskegee. That night as we slept, we heard a crash in the living room. We all ran to see what had happened. The tree had toppled onto the sofa and there were needles and broken ornaments everywhere. We all had a good laugh. It was fortuitous (巧合的) Clifton got home when he did.
1. How did the author feel when he read the letter?
A. Deeply sad. B. Quite annoyed.
C. Very regretful. D. A little disappointed.
2. Why did the author try hard to freshen the Christmas tree up?
A. Because his mother asked him to keep the tree up.
B. Because he wanted to keep all the ornaments on the tree.
C. Because he longed to have another Christmas with his brother.
D Because he intended to keep the Christmas tree alive until next December.
3. What do you think is the tone of the passage?
A. Satisfied. B. Upsetting. C. Unconcerned. D. Hopeful.
【答案】1. A 2. C 3. D
【解析】
【分析】本文是一篇记叙文。1994年圣诞节前，作者的兄弟告诉家人，不能和家人一起过圣诞节了，为此作者很难过。但是作者的母亲始终是个乐观的人，她说：“看来今年我们要过两个圣诞节了! ”于是，圣诞节后，作者和姐姐一起努力确保他们的圣诞树看起来尽可能漂亮，他们渴望着和他的兄弟再过一个圣诞节。
【1题详解】
细节理解题。根据文章第三段“My heart sank. I felt profound sadness that my favorite brother wouldn’t be home for Christmas.(我的心一沉。我最喜欢的弟弟不能回家过圣诞节，我感到非常难过。)”可知，当作者读这封信时感到非常悲伤。故选A。
【2题详解】
推理判断题。根据文章第三段“My mother, being the optimist she always was, said, “Well, it looks like we’ll get to have two Christmases this year!”(我母亲始终是个乐观的人，她说：“看来今年我们要过两个圣诞节了。”)”及第四段“After Christmas, my sister and I worked together to make sure we kept that Christmas tree looking as pretty as possible.(圣诞节后，我阻姐和我一起努力确保我们的圣诞树看起来尽可能漂亮。)”可推知，作者努力使圣诞树焕然一新，因为他渴望和他的兄弟再过一个圣诞节。故选C。
【3题详解】
推理判断题。根据文章第一段“The postmark was from Tuskegee, Alabama, so we all knew who it was from. We excitedly gathered around mother as she opened it.(邮戳来自阿拉巴马州的塔斯基吉，所以我们都知道是谁寄的。妈妈打开它时，我们兴奋地围在她身边。) ”及第五段“Each time we freshened that tree up, my sister and I were full of thoughts about Clifton and how happy we would be to see him again.(每次给那棵树梳洗时，我和姐姐都满脑子想若克利夫顿，想着能再见到他该有多高兴。) ”可知，作者和姐姐对未来都充满了希望。由此可知，一篇文章的基调是充满希望的。故选D。
