Question

It’s still there, the Vietnamese school where my brother and I used to go. Even with a new coat of paint and the high wire fence, the school I knew ten years ago remains the same.

Every day at 5 p.m., instead of flying kites with our friends, my brother and I had to go to Vietnamese school. No amount of kicking, screaming, or arguing could stop my mother, who was determined to have us learn the language of our culture. She held us by the collar and walked with us the seven long, hilly blocks from our home to school, leaving our tearful faces before the front of the school.

We all sat in little chairs in a big empty room, which had a slight smell of old clothes that had been stored for a long time. I hated that smell. There was a stage far to the right, with an American flag on one side and the flag of the Republic of Vietnam on the other side.

Although the school mainly taught language ---- speaking, reading, dictation ---- the lessons always began with an exercise in politeness. With the entrance of the teacher, the best student would tap a bell and everyone would get up, and say in Vietnamese, "How are you, teacher?"

The language always made me embarrassed. More often than not, I had tried to separate myself from the loud voice that followed me whenever I went to the American supermarket outside our area. The voice belonged to my grandmother, a small old woman who could shout louder than anyone on the street. Her Vietnamese was quick, it was loud, and it was not beautiful.

In our area, the comings and goings of hundreds of Vietnamese on their daily tasks sounded crazy. I did not want to be thought of as being mad, as talking stupid. When I spoke English, people nodded at me, smiled and encouraged me. Even Vietnamese people would laugh and say that I’d do well in life.

My brother was even stricter than I about speaking English. He was especially cruel towards my mother, scolding her for her poor English. Bits of Vietnamese were often mixed in her conversation.

After two years of struggle, I finally divorced my culture. I was permitted to stop Vietnamese school. I thought of myself as American. At last, I thought I was one of you; I wasn’t one of them.

Sadly, I am only an American.

1.What can be learned from the passage?

A. The author’s brother liked learning Vietnamese.

B. The author’s mother taught him English at home.

C. The author’s mother put her sons in a language school in Vietnam.

D. The author didn’t like learning Vietnamese when he was young.

2.The author often felt embarrassed because ________.

A. his Vietnamese was not beautiful enough

B. his grandma spoke Vietnamese loudly in public

C. he could not fly kites like other kids at school

D. his mother always treated him rudely in the market

3.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the author feels ________.

A. regretful B. peaceful C. satisfied D. frightened

4.What’s the theme of the passage?

A. It is important to adapt to a new environment.

B. It is important to remember your childhood.

C. It is important to appreciate your own culture.

D. It is important to learn a foreign language.

 

Answer 1

1.D

2.B

3.A

4.C

【解析】

试题分析: 本文是一篇记叙文，讲述了作者对往事的一段回忆，表达了作者深深的遗憾之情。小时候作者被母亲强制着去学习自己的母语—越南语。但是作者却以说越南语为耻，希望自己是一个真正的美国人。但是长大后作者对自己文化的缺乏而感到深深的遗憾。

1.推理判断题。根据文章第二段和倒数第三段内容可知作者和弟弟不喜欢去语言学校学习越南语，选D。

2.细节理解题。根据文章第五段内容The language always made me embarrassed. More often than not, I had tried to separate myself from the loud voice that followed me….可知是作者祖母的越南话让作者感到尴尬，选B。

3.推理判断题。根据文章末段中 Sadly,和only 两个词可以推断出作者的遗憾之情，选A。

4.主旨大意题。本文讲述了作者小时候母亲强迫他去学自己的母语，但是当作者最终可以如愿以偿地放弃学习自己的母语后，他又感到了深深地遗憾和后悔，由此判断文章主要提醒人们不要背弃自己的文化，选C。

考点：考查故事类短文阅读