4．Aisling's mother died at midsummer．She had fallen sick so suddenly that some of the villagers wondered if the fairies had come and taken her，for she was still young and beautiful．She was buried three days later beneath the hawthorn tree（山楂樹） behind the house，just as twilight was darkening the sky．
Maire Solanya，the village greenwitch，came that evening to perform the old rituals over the grave．She stood at the foot of the mound of black soil．Aisling and her father stood at the head of it，resting on the simple headstone，was the burning candle．Aisling's father had lit it shortly after Elinor died，and it would burn all night．The gravestone was a plain piece of slate carved with her name：Elinor．Grass and tree roots would grow up around it as the years passed，until it would seem as if it had always been there．
Maire Solanya said in her low，clear voice，"Life to life，from breath to breath，we remember Elinor．"She held a round loaf of bread in her hands．She tore off a small piece and ate it，chewing deliberately，before handing the loaf to Aisling's father．He pulled off his own piece，then passed it to his daughter．It was still warm，and it smelled like her mother's kitchen after baking．But it hadn't come from her mother's hands，and that realization made a lump rise in her throat．The bread was tasteless．
Maire Solanya took the loaf from her，its crust（面包皮） gaping open，and placed it on the gravestone next to the candle．Aisling couldn't shake the feeling that her mother had merely gone out on an errand and would come home at any moment and wonder what the three of them were doing．It didn't seem possible that she was buried there，at the foot of the hawthorn tree，in the ground．It was easier to believe the village rumors than to sit with the ache inside herself．
She remembered those rumors now，while she stood with her father and Maire Solanya in a tense silence．Everyone had always said that Elinor had some magic in her，and everyone knew that fairies-if they existed-were drawn to that．So Aisling's father had ordered all the old rituals，even though he did not believe in them，just in case．She was not entirely sure what she herself believed，but she knew that her mother would want them to do these rituals for her，and that was enough．
When the sun slipped below the horizon，the greenwitch said，"Sleep in peace，Elinor，"and scattered a gold powder over the grave to bind Elinor to the earth．On the freshly turned soil，the gold glittered like fairly dust．
73．Aisling and her family are most likelyB．
A．fairlies in disquise
B．simple village folk
C．wealthy farmers
D．experienced bakers
74．Maire Solanya performed the rituals in order toC．
A．express thanks to the fairies
B．protect the hawthorn tree
C．respect Elinor's wishes
D．capture Elinor's spirit
75．Which of the following does not describe Elinor？B
A．A believer in magic．B．Practical．
C．Skilled at baking．D．Youthful．
76．Which statement best describes Aisling's belief in fairies？B
A．She is uncertain and finds the idea unsettling．
B．She finds the idea comforting but is unsure．
C．She is certain they exist and wishes they would bring back her mother．
D．She believes strongly in the power of their rituals but not in their existence．
77．Why did Aisling find the bread"tasteless"？A
A．It reminded her of her mother's absence．
B．It was a terribly rude thing to eat at her mother's funeral．
C．Solanya was really a poor baker in the village．
D．There had not been sufficient ingredients to make the bread．
分析 Aisling的母親，年輕貌美，突然患病去世，村里謠傳她是被精靈帶走的．三天后，就安葬在屋后的山楂樹下了．出于對母親意愿的尊重，Aisling和父親為她舉辦了古老的儀式，雖然父親對此并不相信．比起自己心里的痛苦，Aisling更愿意相信村里的謠言：母親是被精靈帶走了而不是葬在山楂樹下．雖說她對精靈的存在也不是太確定．
解答 73-77 BCBBA
73 B 細節理解題．根據第一段第二句…some of the villagers wondered…以及倒數第三段最后一句…to believe the village rumors…中一再出現的village可知，他們一家也是普通的村民．故選B．
74 C 細節理解題．根據倒數第二段…but she knew that her mother would want them to do these rituals for her…"母親Elinor想他們為她做這些儀式"可知，做這些儀式是為了尊重Elinor的意愿．故選C．
75 B 推理判斷題．根據倒數第二段大意：村里謠傳，因為Aisling的母親Elinor有魔法，所以被天上的精靈（如果他們存在的話）帶走了．母親希望Aisling和父親為她做這些古老的儀式．盡管Aisling的父親不相信這些，Aisling也不確信．但是，為了尊重Elinor的意愿，他們還是做了．由此可知，Elinor是不切實際的，相信一些虛無的東西．故選B．
76 B 推理判斷題．根據第四段最后兩句It didn't seem possible that she was buried there，at the foot of the hawthorn tree，in the ground．It was easier to believe the village rumors than to sit with the ache inside herself．可知，比起自己心里的痛苦，Aisling更愿意相信村里的謠言：母親是被精靈帶走了而不是葬在山楂樹下．再由倒數第二段最后She was not entirely sure what she herself believed．可知，Aisling對自己所相信的精靈說法也是不確定的．結合這兩點可知，Aisling對精靈的存在，既慰藉又不確定．故選B．
77 A 推理判斷題．根據第三段倒數二三句It was still warm，and it smelled like her mother's kitchen after baking．But it hadn't come from her mother's hands，and that realization made a lump rise in her throat．可知，面包雖然聞起來就像媽媽烘焙的味道，但是，它不是媽媽做的．這令Aisling心里很難受，所以食之無味．故選A．
點評 細節理解題可根據題干中的關鍵詞到原文中去找尋答案；推理判斷題在理解相關的語句基礎上還要推理判斷字里行間隱藏的意思．
