Question

Dear Rudyard Kipling,

Father has consistently tried to instill(灌输) a sense of being a man in me ever since I was very young. When I reached the age of twelve he began taking me to his auto body shop. He told me this tough job would build me into a man of character. But this all changed a year ago when my mother passed away and stumbled upon your poem, If.

My mother was the person who could understand me. If I ever got tired during my work hours at the shop I could call her to come and pick me up. It was my mother who instilled the love of literature and languages in me. My mother spoke six languages fluently and had thousands of books, which still sit in the attic of our house. It was in this “library” of hers that I picked up a book of poetry from a cold metal shelf and found your poem, If.

   Because of the death of my mother I felt alone, as if I belonged to no family. The image of a man was completely shattered when I saw him break down and cry, which looked so pathetic（凄惨的）and “unmanly” compared to his usual stoic（禁欲主义者）and emotionless countenance. Yet I remained silent remembering the golden words: “If you can keep your head when all about you/ Are losing theirs and blaming it on you… you’ll be a Man, my son!”

If reminded me to remain calm and “keep my head” because I wanted to be a man and wanted to be the one supporting my family. I sacrificed my ability to compete in a winter sport so that I could stay home and cook for my family and clean the house. My father saw this and our relationship has grown much stronger. He finally respected me for who I was and told me he was proud to have a man for his son. Through this poem, I realize that to be a man is not about putting weights on a barbell（杠铃）but rather putting the weight of others on your back.

  Your poem was so much more than just a simple list of guidelines or morals that some see it as; it really changed my life and my relationship with my dad.

41. According to the passage, what kind of person does the author’s father expect him to be?

A. A person who will shoulder responsibilities.

B. A person who knows how to earn a lot of money.

C. A person who knows how to do housework.

D. A person who respects his parents.

42. Who does the underlined word “him” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A. the character in the poem                     B. the author’s father  

C. the author                                          D. an unknown person

43. According to the passage, a man in the author’s mind would have the following qualities EXCEPT _________.

A. responsible             B. calm               C. caring             D. enthusiastic

44. We can learn from the passage that ___________.

A. the poem has helped to improve the relationship between the author and his father

B. the author would not know how to help his family without the poem

C. the author’s father must have read the poem as well

D. the author’s mother had told him about this poem before

45. The author has written this letter to ___________.

A. share with Rudyard Kipling his sadness resulting from the death of his mother

B. show his appreciation for the positive influence the poem has brought to him

C. share his opinion on the poem

D. tell Rudyard Kipling how he got the poem

Answer 1

 ACDAB