An Invisible Smile
Mr. Dawson was an old grouch, and everyone in town knew it. Kids knew not to go into his yard to pick a delicious apple. Old Dawson, they said, would come after you with his gun.
One Friday, 12-year-old Janet was going to stay all night with her friend Amy. They had to walk by Dawson"s house on the way to Amy"s house, but as they got close, Janet saw him sitting on his front porch and suggested they cross over to the other side of the street. Like most of the children, Janet was scared of the old man.
Amy said not to worry. Mr. Dawson wouldn"t hurt anyone. Still, Janet was growing more nervous with each step closer to the old man"s house. When they got close enough, Dawson looked up with his usual frown (皱眉), but when he saw it was Amy, a broad smile changed his entire face as he said, "Hello Miss Amy. I see you"ve got a little friend with you today."
Amy smiled back and told him Janet was staying overnight and they were going to listen to music and play games. Mr. Dawson said that sounded fun, and offered them each a fresh picked apple off his tree. They gladly accepted. Mr. Dawson had the best apples in the whole town.
When they left, Janet asked Amy, "Everyone says he"s the meanest man in town. How come he was so nice to us?"
Amy explained that when she first started walking past his house he wasn"t very friendly and she was afraid of him, but she pretended he was wearing an invisible smile and so she always smiled back at him. It took a while, but one day he half-smiled back at her.
After some more time, he started smiling real smiles and then started talking to her. Just a "hello" at first, then more. She said he always offers her an apple now, and is always very kind.
"An invisible smile?" questioned Janet.
"Yes," answered Amy, "my grandma told me that if I pretended I wasn"t afraid and pretended he was smiling an invisible smile at me and I smiled back at him, sooner or later he would really smile. Grandma says smiles are contagious."
If we remember what Amy"s grandma said, that everyone wears an invisible smile, we too will find that We"re always on the go trying to accomplish so much, aren"t we? It"s so easy to get caught up in everyday life that we forget how simple it can be to bring cheer to ourselves and others. Giving a smile away takes so little effort and time, let"s make sure that we"re not the one that others have to pretend to be wearing an invisible smile.
小题1:Kids were scared of Mr. Dawson because _____.| A．he was wearing an invisible smile | | B．he would fire them with a gun | | C．he was mean with his apples | | D．he was always very cold |
小题2:We can infer from the passage that_____.| A．Janet was so lovely a girl that Mr. Dawson couldn"t resist her smiles | | B．Janet and Amy were going to invite Mr. Dawson to listen to music and play games | | C．Mr. Dawson was friendly to Amy because she always wore an invisible smile | | D．it was Grandma"s advice that helped bring Amy and Mr. Dawson closer |
小题3:The underlined word "contagious" in Paragraph 9 means _____.| A．infectious | B．supportive | C．moving | D．meaningful |
小题4:What is the main message that the writer intends to send us readers?| A．Always wear an invisible smile. | | B．Smile whenever we can. | | C．Try our best to transform others. | | D．Pretend that we are happy even if we are not. |
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小题1:D
小题２:D
小题３:A
小题４:B |
试题分析：Mr Dawson通常是很冷谈的，孩子们很害怕他，但是Amy和他的关系很好，这是因为Amy听了奶奶的话，认为他有着看不见的笑容，Amy会向他微笑，慢慢的Mr Dawson真的开始微笑了，他们的关系也越来越好了。
小题1:细节题：从第三段的句子：When they got close enough, Dawson looked up with his usual frown (皱眉),可知孩子们害怕Mr Dawson通常是很冷谈的，选D
小题２:细节题：从倒数第二段的句子："Yes," answered Amy, "my grandma told me that if I pretended I wasn"t afraid and pretended he was smiling an invisible smile at me and I smiled back at him, sooner or later he would really smile. 可知是因为奶奶的建议使Amy 和 Mr. Dawson的关系更近了，选 D
小题３:猜词题：从倒数第二段的句子：I wasn"t afraid and pretended he was smiling an invisible smile at me and I smiled back at him, sooner or later he would really smile.可知假装别人在笑，自己对他笑，很快这个人就会真的和你笑了，所以笑是可以影响的，选A
小题４:主旨题：从最后一段的句子：Giving a smile away takes so little effort and time, let"s make sure that we"re not the one that others have to pretend to be wearing an invisible smile. 可知作者想表达的是我们要尽可能的微笑，选B |
核心考点
试题【An Invisible SmileMr. Dawson was an old grouch, and everyone in town knew it. Ki】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
I never got along with Dad. But when he was dying. I set off for Nebraska to be with him and my family. I stopped for the night at a hotel with a pool, hoping it would relax me.
The pool area was empty as I walked into the still water. A man in a bathing suit appeared. He sat on the edge of the pool with his legs moving up and down in the water. He had dark hair and deep brown eyes and smiled. “Where are you going?” he asked. When I told him about my father, he asked how we got along. I tried to change the subject, but then for some reason, I told him everything.
Finally the man said, “Even with all the trouble, remember, your father still loves you.” All at once, warm and clear childhood memories came flooding back: Dad running alongside my wobbling（摇摆的）bicycle, the proud hug he gave me at my high school graduation, his laugh when I caught him off guard with a tickle（挠痒）. “Yes, I know he does, ” I heard myself say. And for the first time in years I believed it. The man left, leaving me alone with my comforting thoughts.
Back in my room, as I went to bed, I decided it was time to forgive my father. Then I wished he’d forgive me too. The phone bell woke me up at 3 am. My sister’s voice sent a shiver（寒战）through me: Dad had just died. I had wanted to see him and make peace. But as sadness was beginning to surround me, I remembered that the man by the pool had already brought Dad and me together.
小题1: From the passage we learn that the author _________| A．didn’t know his father was seriously ill | | B．always thought highly of his father | | C．lived in Nebraska far away from his family | | D．was going to see his father |
小题2:When the author was in the pool, ___________| A．many other people were there too | | B．he talked a lot with the man by the pool | | C．he greeted the may by the pool first | | D．the man by the pool told him everything about his family |
小题3: What made the author change his original idea about his father?| A．That he was reminded that his father actually loved him | | B．That the man by the pool mentioned his interesting childhood | | C．That he remembered his father had taught him to ride a bike | | D．That he knew his father would leave him forever |
小题4: In the last paragraph, the author was sad that he ________| A．hadn’t accepted the kind stranger’s advice | | B．had no chance to make peace with his father | | C．hadn’t obeyed his father when he was young | | D．hadn’t stayed with his father before |
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William Butler Yeats, a most famous Irish writer, was born in Dublin on June 13, 1865. His childhood lacked the harmony（和睦）that was typical of a happy family. Later, Yeats shocked his family by saying that he remembered “little of childhood but its pain”. In fact, he inherited（继承）excellent taste in art from his family—both his father and his brother were painters. But he finally settled on literature, particularly drama（戏剧）and poetry.
Yeats had strong faith in the coming of new artistic movements. He set himself the fresh task in founding an Irish national theatre in the late 1890s. His early theatrical experiments, however, were not received favorably at beginning. He didn’t lose heart, and finally enjoyed success in his poetical drama.
Compared with his dramatic works, Yeats’s poems attract much admiring notice. The subject matter includes love, nature, history, time and aging. Though Yeats generally relied on very traditional forms, he brought modern sensibility to them. As his literary life progressed, his poetry grew finer and richer, which led him to worldwide recognition.
He had not enjoyed a major public life since winning the Nobel Price in 1923. Yet, he continued writing almost to the end of his life. Had Yeats stopped writing at age 40, he would probably now be valued as a minor poet, for there is no other example in literary history of a poet who produces his greatest works between the ages of 50 and 75. After Yeats’ death in 1939, W. H. Auden wrote, among others, the following lines:
Earth, receive an honored guest:
William Yeats is laid to rest.
Let the Irish vessel（船）lie
Emptied of its poetry.
小题1:Which of the following can describe Yeats’s family?| A．It filled Yeats’s childhood with laughter | | B．It was shocked by Yeats’s choice | | C．It was a typically wealthy family | | D．It had an artistic atmosphere |
小题2:According to the passage, what do we know about Yeats’s life?| A．Yeats founded the first Irish theater | | B．Yeats stuck to modern forms in his poetry | | C．Yeats began to produce his best works from the 1910s | | D．Yeats was not favored by the public until the 1923 Noble Prize |
小题3: What kind of feeling is expressed in W. H. Auden’s lines?| A．Envy | B．Sympathy | C．Emptiness | D．Admiration |
小题4:What is the passage mainly about?| A．Yeats’s literary achievements | B．Yeats’s historical influence | | C．Yeats’s artistic ambition | D．Yeats’s national honor |
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When I was in seventh grade, I volunteered at a local hospital during the summer. I spent most of the time there with Mr. Gillespie. He never had any , and nobody seemed to care about his condition. I spent many days there his hand and talking to him, helping with anything that needed to be done. He became a close friend of mine, Mr. Gillespie was in a coma (昏迷).
I left for a week, and when I came back, Mr. Gillespie was . I didn"t have the courage to ask any of the nurses where he was, for they might tell me he had died.
So with many questions , I continued to volunteer there.
Several years later, I was at a gas station when I noticed a face. When I realized who it was, my eyes filled with tears. He was alive? I got up the to ask him if his name was Mr. Gillespie, and if he had been in a about 5 years ago. With an uncertain look on his face, he yes. I explained how I knew him. His eyes were with tears, and he gave me the warmest hug.
He began to tell me when he there comatose (昏迷的), he could hear me talking to him and could me holding his hand the whole time. He thought it was an , not a person, who was there with him. Mr. Gillespie firmly believed that it was my and touch that had kept him alive.
Then he told me about his life and what happened him to put him in the coma. We both cried for a while, said our goodbyes and our separate ways.
Although I have not seen him since then, he fills my heart with joy every day. I know that I made a between his life and his death. More , he has made a very big difference in my life, too. I will never forget him and what he for me: he made me an angel.
| 小题1: | | A．visitors | B．employees | C．doctors | D．relatives |
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| 小题2: | | A．touching | B．breaking | C．holding | D．shaking |
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| 小题3: | | A．if | B．although | C．when | D．since |
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| 小题4: | | A．dead | B．lost | C．puzzled | D．gone |
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| 小题5: | | A．fear | B．terror | C．convenience | D．insurance |
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| 小题6: | | A．undone | B．unanswered | C．uncovered | D．unaccepted |
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| 小题7: | | A．blank | B．kindly | C．familiar | D．strange |
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| 小题8: | | A．support | B．principle | C．memory | D．courage |
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| 小题9: | | A．coma | B．position | C．conversation | D．situation |
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| 小题10: | | A．expected | B．replied | C．thought | D．considered |
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| 小题11: | | A．kept | B．put | C．filled | D．came |
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| 小题12: | | A．climbed | B．sat | C．stood | D．lay |
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| 小题13: | | A．feel | B．attack | C．imagine | D．send |
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| 小题14: | | A．animal | B．angel | C．interviewee | D．assistant |
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| 小题15: | | A．noise | B．shout | C．voice | D．suggestion |
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| 小题17: | | A．ran | B．checked | C．escaped | D．went |
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| 小题18: | | A．living | B．difference | C．mistake | D．turn |
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| 小题19: | | A．importantly | B．carefully | C．frequently | D．actually |
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| 小题20: | | A．decorated | B．headed | C．did | D．allowed |
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Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 am. When I arrived to collect, I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.
I walked to the door and knocked, “Just a minute,” answered a weak and elderly voice. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.
I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly towards the car.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It"s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”
“Oh, you are such a good man.” She said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”
“It"s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.
“Oh, I"m in no hurry,” she said. “I"m on my way to a hospice (临终医院). I don"t have any family left. The doctor says I don"t have very long.”
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter (计价器).
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she"d ask me to slow down in front of a special building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
At dawn, she suddenly said, “I"m tired. Let"s go now.”
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.
“How much do I owe you?” she asked.
“Nothing.” I said.
“You have to make a living,” she answered. “Oh, there are other passengers.” I answered.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy.”
小题1:Why did the man help the old woman so much?| A．He wanted to get more money from the old woman. | | B．He was out of patience with the woman and wanted to leave quicker. | | C．The old woman asked him to help. | | D．He hoped others could also treated his old mother as well as he did. |
小题2:The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to .| A．show she was familiar with the city | | B．see some places for the last time | | C．let the driver earn more money | | D．reach the destination on time |
小题3:According to the text, what would the old woman feel after the driver showed her around the city and gave her a warm hug?| A．Excited. | B．Shocked. | | C．Grateful. | D．Upset. |
小题4:What can we learn from the story?| A．Giving is always a pleasure. | | B．People should respect each other. | | C．An act of kindness can bring people great joy. | | D．People should learn to appreciate others" concern. |
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It was a winter afternoon. Some friends and I were eating at a restaurant and talking. We talked and talked and soon became the topic. Suddenly I hit upon an idea. “Wouldn’t it be fun to go ? Others go in winter, but why couldn’t we? , we could be healthier if we did. ” I told them about this, and they all said it was a good idea . Early the next morning, we four were standing at the bus stop, with bags in our hands, for a bus to take us to the . The sky was clear; the sun was shining. But it was very cold all the same. our heavy overcoats were not enough to keep us warm. We all felt we should go back, but no one wanted to speak out.
We soon reached the sands. There was there, but we were not discouraged. Instead we were that we were the only ones that dared to challenge the weather. we changed our clothes quickly. But things were not going so . The freezing sea wind was blowing. We felt very cold and trembled all over. At we made up our minds to go into the water. We put our feet in first to take them back very quickly. The water was unbelievably cold. Then I suggested we all jump in . We all went back ten steps. I gave the , and we all rushed forward and jumped in. I shall never forget the moment I was in the water. I was up and rushed again to the shore. it was with my friends. We put on our clothes as quickly as possible.
On the way back home, we talked about this unforgettable . The four of us did not school for the following three days. We all suffered a lot a very bad cold. But we thought it was all worth it.
| 小题1: | | A．film | B．music | C．sports | D．play |
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| 小题2: | | A．swimming | B．skating | C．skiing | D．camping |
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| 小题3: | | A．Specially | B．Besides | C．Really | D．Clearly |
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| 小题4: | | A．indeed | B．fully | C．certainly | D．truly |
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| 小题5: | | A．looking | B．searching | C．waiting | D．asking |
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| 小题6: | | A．river | B．lake | C．pool | D．sands |
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| 小题8: | | A．somebody | B．nobody | C．everybody | D．anybody |
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| 小题9: | | A．excited | B．happy | C．proud | D．lonely |
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| 小题11: | | A．wrong | B．right | C．bad | D．smooth |
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| 小题14: | | A．one by one | B．one after another | C．separately | D．at the same time |
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| 小题15: | | A．message | B．order | C．mark | D．information |
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| 小题16: | | A．slowly | B．nervously | C．late | D．immediately |
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| 小题18: | | A．idea | B．experiment | C．chance | D．experience |
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| 小题19: | | A．attend | B．reach | C．enter | D．go |
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