Question

I made a pledge (誓言) to myself on the way down to the vacation seaside cottage(別墅). For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father. Totally loving. No ifs, ands or buts.

The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio. The speaker was quoting a Biblical（圣經的）passage about husbands being thoughtful of their wives. Then he went on to say, “Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love.” To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband. Well, for two weeks that would change.

And it did. Right from the moment I kissed Evelyn at the door and said, “That new yellow sweater looks great on you.”

“Oh, Tom, you noticed.” she said, surprised and pleased. Maybe a little puzzled.

After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read. Evelyn suggested a walk along the seaside. I started to refuse, but then I thought, “Evelyn’s been alone here with the kids all week and now she wants to be alone with me.” We walked along the seaside while the children flew their kites.

So it went. Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums. Relaxed and happy, that's how the whole vacation passed. I made a new pledge to keep on remembering to choose love.

There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however. Evelyn and I still laugh about it today. On the last night at our seaside cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with the saddest expression.

“What’s the matter?” I asked her.

“Tom,” she said in a voice filled with sadness, “do you know something I don’t?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…that checkup（體檢）I had several weeks ago…our doctor…did he tell you something about me？Tom, you’ve been so good to me…am I dying?”

It took a moment for it all to sink in. Then I burst out laughing.

“No, honey,” I said, hugging her in my arms. “You’re not dying; I’m just starting to live.”

1. In the first paragraph, “No ifs, ands or buts” probably means “_________.”

A. unconditionally B. by chance

C. unfortunately D. in advance

2. During the two weeks on the beach, Tom showed more love to his wife because __________.

A. she looked lovely in her new clothes

B. he had made a lot of money in his Wall Street firm

C. he was determined to be a good husband

D. she was seriously ill

3. The author says, “There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment.” What was the one thing that went wrong?

A. He praised her sweater, which puzzled her.

B. She insisted on visiting a museum, which he hated.

C. He knew something about her illness but didn’t tell her.

D. He was so good to her that she thought she must be dying.

4. By saying “I’m just starting to live,” Tom means that __________.

A. he is just beginning to understand the real meaning of life.

B. he is just beginning to enjoy life as a loving husband.

C. he lived an unhappy life before and is now starting to change.

D. he is beginning to feel regret for what he did to his wife before

Answer 1

1.A

2.C

3.D

4.B .

【解析】

試題分析：丈夫在收音機里聽了一段談話之后感慨頗深，決心徹底改變自己——做一個體貼、有愛心的丈夫，但他的這一反常舉動卻讓妻子吃驚，甚至以為自己要死了。

1.小題1】猜測詞義題。由文章第一段中“Totally loving”可知應為“無制約地，無條件地”。 A unconditionally無條件地 B. by chance 偶然 C unfortunately 不幸 D. in advance 提前。 因此選A。

2.小題2】由文章第一段內容可知，湯姆決心在接下來兩周要做一位好丈夫。選C。

3.小題3】推理判斷題。從文章第七段第二句開始往下，解釋的都是這件事的內容。選D。

4.小題4】推理判斷題。從文章第一段及作者自己所作出的努力，可知作者真的想做一個好丈夫。選B。

考點：故事類文章