Question

【题目】I am always nervous when I get an email from my parents with "FYI(For Your Information)". My parents are in their late 70s, and while they are quite healthy for their ages, I worry about what messages they are going to give me.

I got such an email in September from my father. He sent an email from my cousin who told that her father, my uncle Reese, had passed away. The news made my mind go blank though I have met him less than a dozen times in my life, because Reese was the first of my parent’s siblings(兄弟姐妹) to die, and I was simply not ready for that.

The memorial service was set in Florida, and I quickly decided I needed to go. I needed to be there for my father, and I needed to go for myself. Reese is about nine years older than my father, and I started to do the math in my head. I know that doesn’t make sense, but I will do anything to reason that I still have a lot of time before I will be in my cousin’s shoes.

Reese’s memorial service was small with only family and perhaps a dozen of his friends. The funeral was attended by an even smaller number, and then, the family gathered at a nearby bar to look at old photographs found among Reese’s possessions when he died.

As we drove back to the Orlando International Airport, I thought about how I am not sure what my parents want, not only in their memorial services, but also how they want to be remembered and where they want to be laid to rest. These are going to be difficult conversations, but I know I need to have them. Maybe not right now, but we do need to open the discussion at some point. It may feel too early, but I trust my parents will know that when adult children raise these questions, we do it out of love to honor their lives and their wishes.

【1】Why do emails with “FYI” make the author uneasy?

A. She’s too busy to read those emails.

B. She dislikes her parents’ nonstop talking.

C. She’s afraid to get bad news about her parents.

D. They often bring unpleasant news.

【2】How did the author feel about the email from her cousin?

A. Disappointed. B. Shocked. C. Confused. D. Annoyed.

【3】What do we know from the third and fourth paragraphs?

A. Not many people attended the funeral.

B. A get-together was held at home.

C. Reese’s friends didn’t appear.

D. The author hesitated to go to Florida.

【4】What does the author decide to do after the funeral?

A. Have a talk with her parents about death.

B. Express her love for her parents bravely.

C. Value her parents’ wishes.

D. Get everything ready for her parents.

Answer 1

【答案】memorial services, how they want to be remembered and where they want to be laid to rest. →A选项Have a talk with her parents about death.这里追悼会服务和在哪里安息就是谈论死亡的事情。

【解析】本文主要讲述了伯父的离去让作者意识到自己尚不清楚父母要的是什么，虽然与父母谈论后事过早，但有必要在他们活着的时候讨论。

【1】推理判断题。根据文章第一段内容可知，作者收到来自父母的带有“FYI”的邮件，总是感到紧张的原因是，自己的父母年迈，担心他们的身体，害怕坏的消息。故选C。

【2】细节理解题。根据第二段“The news made my mind go blank though I have met him less than a dozen times in my life,”可知，当作者收到堂兄弟的邮件时，头脑一片空白，故此时的心情应是震惊的，故选B。

【3】细节理解题。根据第四段“Reese’s memorial service was small with only family and perhaps a dozen of his friends.”可知，出席Reese的葬礼的只是家人和他的几个朋友，故A项正确，选项C错误；根据“I quickly decided I needed to go”作者迅速决定要去参加葬礼，可知作者没有犹豫，选项D错误；根据“the family gathered at a nearby bar”（家人聚在附近的酒吧里）可知，选项B错误。故选A。

【4】推理判断题。根据最后一段“These are going to be difficult conversations, but I know I need to have them.”可知，参加完葬礼，在去机场的途中，想了很多，虽然与父母谈论后事过早，但有必要在他们活着的时候讨论，故推知作者决定就“死亡”与父母进行一次谈话，故选A。