Question

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the guestroom. Instead the angels were given some space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things aren't always what they seem."

     The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable (好客的) farmer. After sharing a little food they had, the farmer and his wife let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning, the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their only income, lay dead in the field.

     The younger angel was very angry and asked the older angel, "How could this happen?" "Why didn't you watch out for the cow? The first family had everything, yet you watched over his house," she accused (谴责). "The second family had little but was willing to share everything, you didn't help."

     "Things aren't always what they seem," the angel replied. "When we stayed in the basement, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so greedy and unwilling to share his good fortune, I asked God if I could seal the wall so he wouldn't find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmer's bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I asked God if the angel could take the cow instead. So things aren't always what they seem."

1. The older angel repaired the hole for the rich family because _____________________.

A. she wanted to punish the greedy owner

B. the basement was too cold to stay in

C. she wanted to save the gold for the poor.

D. she believed that one should always be ready to offer help

2. The younger angel was very angry because _______________________________.

A. the older angel killed the farmer's cow?

B. the wealthy man gave them a bad place to live in

C. the older angel treated the two families unfairly

D. the angel of death took the cow away instead of the farmer’s wife

3. Why did the older angel let the farmer's cow die?______________________.

A. Because she was sympathetic to the rich

B. Because she wanted to save the farmer's wife.

C. Because God wanted the older angel to take the cow.

D. Because she wanted to teach the younger angel a lesson.

4.The first “they” in line 7 refers to ________while the second “they” in line 8 refers to _______in the second paragraph.

A. two travelling angels; the couple???????

B. two travelling angels; the wealthy family

C. the couple; two travelling angels???????

D. the couple; the angel of death and the God

5.The story tries to tell the readers that _________________________.

A. angels are always ready to help the poor

B. angels are always ready to help the rich

C. the young should always learn from the cold

D. sometimes things are not always what they seem

 

Answer 1

【答案】

1.A

2.C

3.B

4.C

5.D

【解析】

试题分析：这篇短文讲述的是两个天使来到人间，他们先到了一个富人的家里，富人待他们很不好，让他们睡在地下室里。其中一个天使看到墙上有个洞，他帮这个富人把洞补好。第二天两个天使又来到了一个穷人的家里，穷人夫妇对他们很热情，第二天穷人家的牛死了，天使没有帮忙。更年轻一点的天使觉得很不可理解。老一点的天使说，事情并不是像你看到的那样的。我帮助穷人补洞是因为在那个地下室里有金子，这样富人就发现不了了；而昨天晚上死神天使来拿穷人妻子的性命，我让他用牛的命替换了他妻子的命。

1.细节理解题。根据文章的最后一段when we stayed in the basement, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so greedy and unwilling to share his good fortune, I asked God if I could seal the wall so he wouldn't find it.可知，这个天使给富人补洞是因为，他在地下室里发现了金子，因为富人很贪婪，所以他把洞补上是为了不让富人发现里面的金子，给那个富人以惩罚。故选A。

2.细节理解题。根据文章的第三段可知，年轻的天使对老天使的做法很生气，是因为富人对他们不好，他反而帮富人修补墙上的洞，而穷人对他们很好，在他们的牛生病时，天使却不帮忙。所以他觉得老天使对待这两个家庭不公平。故选C。

3.细节理解题。根据文章最后一段中 last night as we slept in the farmer's bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I asked God if the angel could take the cow instead可知，原本死神天使是来去穷人妻子的命的，但是天使帮忙请求上帝用牛的性命来代替，故而救了穷人妻子的命。故选B。

4.词义猜测题。根据文章第二段After sharing a little food they had, the farmer and his wife let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest.，在分享了他们所有的食物之后，农夫和他的妻子让天使睡在他们的床上，这样他们能睡个好觉。第一个他们指的是农夫和妻子，第二个他们指的是两个天使，故选C。

5.主旨大意题。这篇短文通过这样一个故事想要告诉我们，有时候事情并不总是表面看起来的那个样子的，即So things aren't always what they seem。故选D。

考点：故事类短文阅读。