13.Once when I was six years old I saw an amazing picture in a book called True Stories from Nature about the primeval forest.It was a picture of a boa constrictor(大蟒蛇)in the act of swallowing an animal.In the book it said:"Boa constrictors swallow their prey whole,without chewing it.After that they are not able to move,and they sleep through the six months that they need for digestion."
I thought deeply over the adventures of the jungle.And after some work with a colored pencil I succeeded in making my first drawing.My Drawing Number One.I showed my masterpiece to the grown-ups,and asked them whether the drawing frightened them.But they answered:"Frighten?Why should any one be frightened by a hat?"
My drawing was not a picture of a hat.It was a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant.But since the grown-ups were not able to understand it,I made another drawing:I drew the inside of a boa constrictor,so that the grown-ups could see it clearly.They always need to have things explained.That's my Drawing Number Two.
The grown-ups'response,this time,was to advise me to lay aside my drawings of boa constrictors,whether from the inside or the outside,and devote myself instead to geography,history,arithmetic,and grammar.That is why,at the age of six,I gave up what might have been a great painter.I had been disheartened by the failure of my Drawing Number One and my Drawing Number Two.Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves,and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.
So then I chose another profession,and learned to pilot airplanes.I have flown a little over all parts of the world; and it is true that geography has been very useful to me.At a glance I can distinguish China from Arizona.If one gets lost in the night,such knowledge is valuable.
In the course of this life I have had a great many encounters with a great many people.And that hasn't much improved my opinion of them.Whenever I met one of them who seemed to me at all clear-sighted,I tried showing him my Drawing Number One,which I have always kept.I would try to find out if this was a person of true understanding.But,whoever it was,he,or she would always say:That is a hat.Then I would never talk to that person about boa constrictors,or primeval forests,or stars.I would bring myself down to his level.I would talk to him about bridge,and golf,and politics and neckties.And the grown-up would be greatly pleased to have met such an intelligent man.
54.The writer drew his first picture in order toD.
A.show the grown-ups what the book was about
B.frighten the grown-ups trying to enter the forest
C.remind himself of the adventures of the jungle
D.illustrate a boa constrictor'act of digesting an animal
55.How did the writer understand the grown-ups'response to his second drawing?B
A.He was actually only good at academic study.
B.It was a waste of time for him to keep on drawing.
C.He has difficulty in communicating with the adults.
D.He was good at anything but geography.
56.The underlined word disheartened in Paragraph 4could most probably be replaced byA.
A.discouraged
B.dissatisfied
C.discriminated
D.disturbed
57.Which of the following statements is true?D
A.The writer could have become a pilot if encouraged when young.
B.The writer finally changed his opinion of grown-ups.
C.The writer has been showing his two pictures to others ever since.
D.The writer felt nobody could have really understood him.
分析 作者的两幅画一直都得不到人们的真正理解,他感到非常困惑.希望能遇到一个真正理解自己的人,但希望总是落空.
解答 54-57 DBAD
54.D 推理判断题.根据第三段中Itwas a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant.这是一张蟒蛇正在消化大象的照片.可知,作者画他的第一张图片来说明大蟒蛇消化动物的动作.故选D.
55.B 根据第四段的Thegrown-ups'response,this time,was to advise me to lay aside my drawings of boa constrictors,…and devote myself instead to geography,history,arithmetic,and grammar.这个时候大人的反应是劝我放下蟒蛇图,…致力于地理,历史,算术和语法.可知,大人们觉得作者继续画画是在浪费时间.故选B.
56.A 词义猜测题.根据上下文和划线部分的下文the failure可知,这两幅画的失败打击了作者.故disheartened,在此可理解为"使失去信心".故选A.
57.D 细节理解题.根据最后一段中Iwould try to find out if this was a person of true understanding.But whoeverit was,he or she would always say:That is a hat.我会试图了解这是否是一个真正了解的人.不管是谁,他或她总是说:那是一顶帽子.可知作者觉得没有人能真正理解他.故选D.
点评 阅读理解题测试考生在阅读基础上的逻辑推理能力,要求考生根据文章所述事件的逻辑关系,对未说明的趋势或结局作出合理的推断;或根据作者所阐述的观点理论,对文章未涉及的现象、事例给以解释.考生首先要仔细阅读短文,完整了解信息,准确把握作者观点.