Question

Where we live, on the eastern shore of Maryland, the gentle waters run in and out like fingers slimming at the tips.

The Canada geese know this place, as do the white swans and the ducks. In autumn, they come home for the winter. Once or twice each year, snow and frozen rain move into the area. When this happens, if the river is at its narrowest, there is a freeze which hardens the water to ice.

One morning, a friend of mine set the breakfast table beside the huge window, which overlooked the Tred Avon River. Suddenly she leaned forward and cried out, “There is a goose out there.”

We saw the figure of a large Canada goose, very still, its wings folded tight to its sides, its feet frozen into the ice.

Then from the dark skies, she saw a line of swans. They floated from the top of the sky downward and at last landed on the ice. My friend was on her feet now, with one hand against her mouth, unbelieving. As the swans surrounded the frozen goose, she feared that life it still had might be pecked(啄) out by those great swan bills.

Instead, those bills began to work on the ice. The long necks were lifted and curved down, again and again. It went on for a long time. At last, the goose’s head was lifted. Its body was pulled. Then the goose was free and stood on the ice. And the swans stood in the air watching. Then, as if it had cried, “I cannot fly.” Four of the swans came down around it. Their powerful beaks chipped off the ice held in the feathers. Slowly, the goose spread its wings as far as they would go, and moved slowly into the sky.

This is a true story. I just think of it in the bad moment, and from it comes only one hopeful question: If so for birds, why not for man?

1.Which would be the best title for the passage?

A. Why Not for Man? B. Graceful Swans

C. Swans’ Brave Act D. I Just Couldn’t Believe It!

2.What happened to the Canada goose?

A. It was deserted by other geese.

B. It was stuck in the ice.

C. It was wounded and couldn’t fly.

D. It was lost in the water.

3.At first the author’s friend was worried that________.

A. the swans would not help the Canada goose

B. she didn’t care about this matter any more

C. the swans wouldn’t identify with the Canada goose

D. the swans would peck the Canada goose to death

4.What did the swans do when they saw the Canada goose couldn’t fly?

A. They chipped off the ice held in its feathers.

B. They waited patiently for the ice held in its feathers to melt.

C. They came down and lifted it up to the sky together.

D. They stayed with it and protected it.

Answer 1

1.A

2.B

3.D

4.A

【解析】

試題分析：文章講述了一個動物之間相互幫助的故事。一只加拿大鵝被困在了冰里，一群天鵝從天而降，用它們的喙把冰啄開并救出了那只加拿大鵝。作者聯想到人類，他認為動物都知道互相幫助，何況是我們人類呢？

1.選擇最佳標題。天鵝勇救一只被困的加拿大鵝，這是一個真實的故事。動物都知道相互幫助，何況是人類呢？最后一段的“If so for birds, why not for man?”是文章的中心句，作者借這個故事來呼吁人們互相幫助，故選A。

2.細節理解題。根據第四段“very still, its wings folded tight to its sides, its feet frozen into the ice”可知，一只加拿大鵝被困在了冰里一動不動，它的雙腳被冰凍住了，故選B。

3.細節理解題。根據第五段“she feared that life it still had might be pecked(啄) out by those great swan bills”可知，作者的朋友擔心天鵝會把那只困在冰里的加拿大鵝啄死，故選D。

4.細節理解題。根據倒數第二段““I cannot fly.” Four of the swans came down around it. Their powerful beaks chipped off the ice held in the feathers.”可知，天鵝用它們強有力的喙啄掉鵝羽毛上的冰，故選A。

考點：故事類短文閱讀