5.Watching some children trying to catch butterflies on a hot August afternoon,I was reminded of an incident in my own childhood.When I was a boy of 12in South Carolina,something happened to me that cured me forever of wanting to put any wild creature in a cage.
We lived on the edge of a wood,and every evening at dusk the mockingbirds would come and rest in the trees and sing.There isn't a musical instrument made by man that can produce a more beautiful sound than the song of the mockingbird.
I decided that I would catch a young bird and keep it in a cage and in that way would have my own private musician.
I finally succeeded in catching one and put it in a cage.At first,in its fright at being captured,the bird fluttered about the cage,but eventually it settled down in its new home.I felt very pleased with myself and looked forward to some beautiful singing from my tiny musician.
I had left the cage out on our back porch,and on the second day of the bird's captivity my new pet's mother flew to the cage with food in her mouth.The baby bird ate everything she brought to it.I was pleased to see this.Certainly the mother knew better than I how to feed her baby.
The following morning when I went to see how my captive(被俘虏的) was doing,I discovered it on the floor of the cage,dead.I was shocked!What had happened!I had taken excellent care of my little bird,or so I thought.
Arthur Wayne,the famous ornithologist,happened to be visiting my father at the time,hearing me crying over the death of my bird,explained what had occurred."A mother mocking bird,finding her young in a cage,will sometimes bring it poison berries.She thinks it better for her young to die than to live in captivity."
Never since then have I caught any living creature and put it in a cage.All living creatures have a right to live free.
62.Why did the writer catch a mockingbird when he was a boy of 12?A
A.He wanted it to sing for him.
B.He liked its beautiful feather.
C.He had just got a new cage.
D.He wanted a pet for a companion.
63.The mockingbird died because itB.
A.was frightened to death
B.ate the poisonous food its mother gave it
C.refused to eat anything
D.drank the poisonous water by mistake
64.An ornithologist probably meansD.
A.a religious person
B.a kind person
C.a schoolmaster
D.an expert in birds
65.What is the most important lesson the writer learned from the incident?D
A.Be careful about food you give to baby birds.
B.All birds put in a cage won't live long.
C.You should keep the birds from their mother.
D.Freedom is very valuable to all creatures.
分析 本文讲述了"我"小时候抓了一只会唱歌的模仿鸟,在吃了鸟妈妈带来的食物后,小鸟不幸夭折的故事.这个故事告诉我们,每个生物都有自由地活着的权利.
解答 62.A.细节理解题.根据I decided that I would catch a young bird and keep it in a cage and that way have my own private musician.可知Happiness is contagious,researchers reported on Thursday可知作者抓住一只知更鸟为想要它为他唱歌;故答案为A.
63.B.推理判断题.根据"A mother mockingbird,finding her young in a cage,will sometimes bring it poison berries.She thinks it better for her young to die than to live in captivity."可知:小鸟死于母亲的食物;故选B.
64.D.词义猜测题.根据Arthur Wayne,the famous ornithologist,happened to be visiting my father at the time,hearing me crying over the death of my bird,explained what had occurred此人对模仿鸟死亡做的解释,可知他是鸟类专家.故答案为D.
65.D.推理判断题.根据最后一句话Never since then have I caught any living creature and put it in a cage.All living creatures have a right to live free.可知,他明白自由对任何生物都是无价的;故选D.
点评 考察学生的细节理解和推理判断能力,做细节理解题时一定要找到文章中的原句,和题干进行比较,再做出正确的选择.在做推理判断题不要以个人的主观想象代替文章的事实,要根据文章事实进行合乎逻辑的推理判断.