Question

【题目】Two traveling angels(天使) stop to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the guest room. Instead the angels were given a space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, “Things aren’t always what they seem.”

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor but very hospitable(好客的) farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had, the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night’s rest. When the sun came up the next morning, the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their only income, lay dead in the field.

The younger angel was very angry and asked the older angel, “How could this happen? Why didn’t you watch out for the cow? The first man had everything, yet you watched over his house,” she accused. “The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you didn’t help.”

“Things aren’t always what they seem,” the older angel replied. “When we stayed in the basement, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so greedy and unwilling to share his good fortune, I asked God if I could seal(封口) the wall so he couldn’t find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmer’s bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I asked God if the angel could take the cow instead. Things aren’t always what they seem.”

【1】Why did the old angel repair the hole for the rich family?

A. Because the basement was too cold to stay in.

B. Because she wanted to save the gold for the poor.

C. Because she wanted to punish the greedy owner.

D. Because she believed that one should always be ready to offer help.

【2】In Paragraph Two, “the pair” refers to ________.

A. the poor couple B. the rich couple

C. the guests D. the angels

【3】The story tries to tell the readers that_________.

A. sometimes things are not what they seem

B. angels are always ready to help the poor

C. angels are always ready to help the rich

D. the young should always learn from the old

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】D

【3】A

【解析】本文为寓言故事。文章讲述的是两个天使来到人间，他们先到了一个富人的家里，富人待他们很不好，让他们睡在地下室里。其中一个天使看到墙上有个洞，他帮这个富人把洞补好。第二天两个天使又来到了一个穷人的家里，穷人夫妇对他们很热情，第二天穷人家的牛死了，天使没有帮忙。更年轻一点的天使觉得很不可理解。老一点的天使说，事情并不是像你看到的那样的。我帮助富人补洞是因为在那个地下室里有金子，这样富人就发现不了了；而昨天晚上死神天使来拿穷人妻子的性命，我让他用牛的命替换了他妻子的命。这则寓言故事想要告诉我们，有时候事情并不总是表面看起来的那个样子的。

【1】细节理解题。根据文章的最后一段when we stayed in the basement, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so greedy and unwilling to share his good fortune, I asked God if I could seal the wall so he wouldn't find it.可知，这个天使给富人补洞是因为，他在地下室里发现了金子，因为富人很贪婪，所以他把洞补上是为了不让富人发现里面的金子，给那个富人以惩罚。故选C。

【2】词义猜测题。根据文章第一段Two traveling angels(天使) stop to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family.可知，这对天使在第二天晚上来到了一个穷人的家里。此处的the pair应指的这两个天使。故选D。

【3】主旨大意题。这篇文章通过这样一个寓言故事想要告诉我们，有时候事情并不总是表面看起来的那个样子的，即So things aren't always what they seem。故选A。