A
My family moved from Taiwan to a small town in central Georgia, where my dad got a visa for his family and a job. I had just learned English, and from what little I could gather from my classmates, Santa Claus would come down one's chimney and put toys in one's stocking on Christmas Eve! What a great country, I thought. After I looked up “stocking” in my Chinese-English dictionary, I knew what I had to do.
On that fateful night, after everyone went to bed, I took my longest, cleanest knee sock and attached it to a nail already on the mantel (壁炉). Obviously, the previous owners of this house were no strangers to this Santa character. Unfortunately, my parents were.
I woke up before everyone else on Christmas Day and ran to the fireplace. To make a sob story short, I was hit with the reality of an empty sock and the biggest lie ever told. I burst into tears, quickly took down the sock, and stuffed it in the back of a drawer. Santa was dead.
Every December since then, the topic of Christmas memories would unavoidably come up, and I would amuse my friends with my poor-little-me story. I had to make it as funny as possible, or else I would cry.
How could I know that Santa was just fate? Nine years ago, on Christmas Eve, an older man with a white beard and a red cap knocked on my front door. He said, “I've been looking for you for twenty-five years.” He handed me a red stocking, winked, and left, On top of the stocking was a card. It read: “For Becky-I may have missed you in the second grade, but you've always lived in my heart. Santa.” Through tear-blurred eyes, I recognized the handwriting of Jill, a friend I had met just two months before. I later discovered that the older man was her father. Jill had seen the hurt little girl underneath the thirty-something woman and decided to do something about it.
So now I believe that Santa is real. I don't mean the twinkle-eyed character of children's mythology (神话) or the creation of American holiday marketers. Those Santas annoy and sadden me, I believe in the Santa Claus that live inside good and thoughtful people. This Santa does not return to the North Pole after a crazy delivery but lives each day purposefully, really listens to friends, and then plans deliberate acts of kindness.
1. What happened to the author on Christmas Day in her second grade when she came to the fireplace?
A. She received no gifts. B. She heard a sob story.
C. She found Santa was dead. D. She discovered her sock was gone.
2. When the author told her friends about the story, she felt ____________ in her heart.
A. proud B. amused C. hate D. regret
3. What is the author's purpose in writing the text?
A. To share her special experience. B. To remember a thoughtful friend.
C. To show her appreciation of kindness. D. To express her love for Christmas gifts.
【答案】1. A 2. D 3. C
【解析】
这是一篇记叙文。作者小时候希望圣诞老人送给自己礼物，但是没能如愿。后来她的朋友让父亲装扮成圣诞老人给作者送来了迟到25年的礼物，来安抚作者多年前因没得到礼物而受伤的心。通过这件事她深刻地体会到了友谊带给人的快乐。
【1题详解】
细节理解题。根据第三段中To make a sob story short, I was hit with the reality of an empty sock and the biggest lie ever told.可知，长话短说，我被一个空袜子的现实和最大的谎言击中了。由此可知，在作者二年级的圣诞节那天，当她来到壁炉前时，她发现自己并没有收到礼物。故选A。
【2题详解】
推理判断题。根据第四段最后一句I had to make it as funny as possible, or else I would cry.可知，我必须把它弄得尽可能有趣，否则我会哭的。由此可推知，当作者把这个故事告诉她的朋友时，她心里感到遗憾，感觉非常后悔做了这种让自己失望伤心的事情，故选D。
【3题详解】
推理判断题。根据最后一段中This Santa does not return to the North Pole after a crazy delivery but lives each day purposefully, really listens to friends, and then plans deliberate acts of kindness.可知这位圣诞老人并不是在疯狂的送完礼物后回到北极，而是有目的地过好每一天，认真倾听朋友的心声，然后有计划地做一些善意的举动。由此可推知，作者写这篇文章的目的是表示她对善良的感激。故选C。
