8．Parents divorced，little Buddy was in the care of his mother's large Alabama family．Over the years，Buddy seldom saw either of his parents．But he was happy where he was and he had many kindly relatives，among whom Miss Sook was by far his best friend．Before Christmas，Buddy's father had managed to get legal custody（法定监护） of him for this Christmas．So，he had a new suit，with a card pinned with his name and address and made the trip alone，by bus，to New Orleans．
Several things occurred that kept me awake the whole night．First，the footfalls，the noise of my father running up and down the stairs，breathing heavily，I had to see what he was up to．So I hid and watched．There was a Christmas tree and the fireplace downstairs．Moreover，I could see my father．He was crawling around under the tree arranging a pyramid of packages．I felt dizzy，for what I saw forced me to reconsider everything．If these were presents intended for me，then obviously they had not been ordered by the Lord and delivered by Santa Claus； no，they were gifts bought and wrapped by my father，which meant that my rotten little cousin Billy Bob and other rotten kids like him weren't lying when they laughed at me and told me there was no Santa Claus．The worst thought was：Had Sook known the truth，and lied to me？No，Sook would never lie to me．She believed．It was just that-well，though she was sixty-something，in some ways she was at least as much of a child as I was．
I waited until I was sure he was in bed and sound asleep．Then I crept downstairs and examined the tags attached to each of the packages．They all said："For Buddy．"I decided to open the packages：It was Christmas morning．I was awake，so why not？I won't bother to describe what was inside them：just shirts and sweaters and dull stuff like that．The only thing I appreciated was a toy gun．Somehow I got the idea it would be fun to waken my father by firing it．So I did．Bang．Bang．Bang．He raced out of his room，wild-eyed，Bang．Bang．Bang．"Buddy-what the hell do you think you're doing？"Bang．Bang．Bang．"Stop that!"I laughed．"Look，Daddy．Look at all wonderful things Santa Claus brought me．"
Calm now，he walked into the room and hugged me．"You like what Santa Claus brought you？"
I smiled at him．He smiled at me．There was a tender lingering （逗留不去的） moment，damaged when I said："Yes．But what are you going to give me，Daddy？"His smile evaporated．His eyes narrowed suspiciously-you could see that he thought I was pulling some kind of trick．But then he blushed，as though he was ashamed to be thinking what he was thinking．He patted my head，and coughed and said："Well，I thought I'd wait and let you pick out something you wanted．Is there anything particular you want？"
I reminded him of the airplane we had seen in the toy store on Canal Street．His face sagged．Oh，yes，he remembered the airplane and how expensive it was．Nevertheless，the next day I was sitting in that airplane dreaming I was zooming toward heaven while my father wrote out a check for a happy salesman，who promised to help ship the plane on the bus．
But I wasn't free of New Orleans yet．The problem was a large bottle of wine； maybe it was because of my departure，but anyway my father had been drinking it all day，and on the way to the bus station，he scared me by grabbing my wrist and harshly whispering："I'm not going to let you go．I can't let you go back to that crazy family in that crazy old house．Just look at what they've done to you．A boy six，almost seven，talking about Santa Claus!It's all their fault，all those sour old spinsters with their Bibles and their knitting needles，those drunken uncles．Listen to me，Buddy．There is no God!There is no Santa Claus．"He was squeezing my wrist so hard that it ached．"Kiss me．Please．Please．Kiss me．Tell your daddy that you love him．"But I couldn't speak．I was terrified I was going to miss my bus．And I was worried about my plane，which was strapped to the top of the taxi．"Say it：‘I love you．'Say it．Please．Buddy．Say it．"
It was lucky for me that our taxi-driver was a good-hearted man．Because if it hadn't been for his help，and the help of some efficient porters and a friendly policeman，I don't know what would have happened when we reached the station．My father was so drunk he could hardly walk，but the policeman talked to him，quieted him down，helped him to stand straight，and the taxi-man promised to take him safely home．But my father would not leave until he had seen the porters put me on the bus．
Once I was on the bus，I crouched in a seat and shut my eyes．I felt the strangest pain．A crushing pain that hurt everywhere．I thought if I took off my heavy city shoes，those crucifying monsters，the agony would ease．I took them off，but the mysterious pain did not leave me．In a way it never has； never will．
Twelve hours later I was home in bed．The room was dark．Sook was sitting beside me，rocking in a rocking chair，a sound as soothing （令人舒畅的） as ocean waves．I had tried to tell her everything that had happened，and only stopped when I was hoarse （嘶哑的） as a howling dog．She stroked her fingers through my hair，and said："Of course there is a Santa Clause．It's just that no single somebody could do all he has to do．So the Lord has spread the task among us all．That's why everybody is Santa Claus．I am．You are．Even you cousin Billy Bob．Now go to sleep．Count stars．Think of the quietest thing．Like snow．I'm sorry you didn't get to see any．But now snow is falling through the stars-"Stars sparkled，snow whirled inside my head； the last thing I remembered was the peaceful voice of the Lord telling me something I must do．And the next day I did it．I went with Sook to the post office and bought a penny postcard．That same postcard exists today．It was found in my father's safety deposit box when he died last year．Here is what I had written him：Hello pop hope you are well I am and I am turning to pedal my plane so fast I will soon be in the sky so keep your eyes open and yes I love you Buddy．
56．When Buddy asked his Daddy for Christmas presents，his father's reaction suggested thatB．
A．He felt sorry he forgot to prepare presents for his son．
B．He thought his son should have known all the presents were sent by him，not Santa Claus．
C．It was difficult for him to accept that his son is so greedy．
D．He was ashamed of not knowing what his son liked．
57．Which of the following statements is NOT true？A
A．Buddy didn't tell his Daddy"I love you"until his death．
B Buddy's father and Miss Sook were people of different personalities．
C．Buddy still held the belief that there was Santa Claus．
D．Buddy finally mailed a postcard to his father．
58．What can be inferred from the first paragraph？C
A．Cousin Billy Bob had a good relationship with Buddy．
B．Miss Sook had no idea of Santa Clause，and lied to Buddy．
C．Father loved Buddy very much and prepared a lot of gifts for him．
D．Buddy was afraid of his father for they had been separated long time．
59．The following words can describe Miss Sook exceptC．
A．old B．clever C．naughty D．trusted
60．Which of the following can be the best title of passage？B
A．Is There a Santa Clause in the World？
B．A Christmas Memory
C．How to Celebrate Christmas in a Meaningful Way？
D．A Christmas of a Divorced Family．
分析 本文主要内容是主人公与父亲共度圣诞的一次经历，作者也通过这件事向我们讲述了亲情的美好．
解答 56．B．推理预测题．根据文章"His smile evaporated．His eyes narrowed suspiciously-you could see that he thought I was pulling some kind of trick．But then he blushed"可看到，父亲的微笑消失，眼睛阴暗，进而又开始惭愧，可见父亲已经猜到儿子知道了一切．故选B．
57．A．细节理解题．根据文章最后一段"I went with Sook to the post office and bought a penny postcard．That same postcard exists today…yes I love you Buddy．"可知，Buddy在父亲去世前给父亲寄了一张明信片，上面写了我爱你．可见A项表述错误．故选A．
58．C．推理预测题．根据文章第一段"Before Christmas，Buddy's father had managed to get legal custody of him for this Christmas．So，he had a new suit，with a card pinned with his name and address and made the trip alone，by bus，to New Orleans．"可知，正是由于父亲为儿子过圣诞节，儿子才有了西装，有资金去旅游等等．可推测，父亲是非常爱儿子，而且给儿子买了很多礼物．故选C．
59．C．推理预测题．根据文章最后一段Miss Sook对 Buddy说的话可知，她是一个善良的老人，并教育了Buddy，让他懂得爱，去寻找世上美好的事情，并不留遗憾．而选项中"naughty"是叛逆的意思，属于贬义词，故选C．
60．B．主旨大意题．本文主要内容是主人公与父亲共度圣诞的一次经历，而且文章最后也提到了那封写有"我爱你"的明信片，可见这是关于圣诞的回忆．故选B．
点评 本文考察故事类阅读．文章一般描述的是某一件具体事情的发生发展或结局，有人物、时间、地点和事件．命题往往从故事的情节、人物或事件的之间的关系、作者的态度及意图、故事前因和后果的推测等方面着手，考查学生对细节的辨认能力以及推理判断能力．阅读这类材料时，同学们一定要根据主要情节掌握文章主旨大意，同时抓住每一个细节，设身处地根据文章内容揣摩作者的态度和意图，根据情节展开想象，即使是碰到深层理解题也可迎刃而解．
