6．The end of my sophomore year was approaching．Mom called me at the dorm one evening during the last week of May．My summer break would be spent with grandma and grandpa，helping out around their farm．The arrangement made good sense to all the family．I wasn't fully convinced of that myself but guessed it was just one summer．Next year would be my little brother's turn．
I arrived late that afternoon．Grandma had fixed more food than the three of us could possibly eat．She loved me entirely too much．The next morning，Grandpa fixed breakfast for the two of us．He told me Grandma had tired herself out yesterday and was going to rest in bed a little longer．I made a mental note to myself to not ask her to do things for me while I was there．I was there to help，not be a burden．
Weeks passed．I gradually settled into a routine of daily work with Grandpa．In the evenings I usually read or talked with Grandma．She never grew tired of hearing about college or anything I was involved in．She told me stories about her childhood，family and the early years after she and Grandpa had married．
The last Saturday in June，Grandpa suggested going fishing．We hadn't expected what we saw when we got to the pond that morning：One of the swans was dead．Grandpa had given the pair of swans to Grandma on their 50th anniversary．"Why don't we see about buying another one，"I suggested，hoping the situation could somehow be righted．Grandpa thought for a few moments before answering．
He finally said，"no…it's not that easy，Bruce．You see，swans mate for life．"He raised his finger to point，holding the fishing pole in his other hand．"There's nothing we can do for the one that's left．He has to work it out for himself．"
A few days later，we drove by the pond while doing our morning check on the cows．We found the other swan lying near the same spot we had found the first one．It，too，was dead．
The month of July started with me and Grandpa putting up a new stretch of fence．Then July 12came．That was the day Grandma passed away．Grandma had died suddenly that morning of a stroke．By the afternoon，my parents were there．The old house was soon crowded with relatives and Grandpa's friends．
The funeral was held the next day．Grandpa had insisted on having it as soon as possible．On the second day after the funeral，Grandpa announced at the breakfast table，"This is a working farm．We have a lot of things to do．The rest of you should get back to your own lives．"Most of the family had already left，but this was Grandpa's way of telling the rest it was time for them to go home．My parents were the last to leave after lunch．
Grandpa was not a man who could outwardly express his grief around others，and we all worried about him．The rest of the summer flowed by．We stayed busy working．I thought there was something different about Grandpa but couldn't quite put my finger on it．
September was nearing，and part of me did not want to leave．I thought of skipping the fall semester and staying around a few more months．When I mentioned it，grandpa quickly told me that my place was back at college．
The day finally came for me to pack my car and leave．I shook his hand and chanced a hug．As I drove down the driveway，I saw him in the rearview mirror．He waved to me and then walked to the pasture gate to start the morning livestock check．
Mom called me at school on a stormy October day to tell me Grandpa had died．A neighbor had stopped by that morning for coffee and found him in the kitchen．He died of a stroke，the same as Grandma．At that moment，I understood what he'd clumsily tried to explain to me about the swan on that morning we fished together by the pond．
55．We can learn from Paragraph 1thatD．
A．the brothers took turns to attend their grandparents
B．Bruce longed to enjoy himself freely on the farm
C．Bruce regarded working on the farm as a rare chance
D．Bruce was not happy with his parents'arrangement
56．What did the writer think at the sight of the first dead swan？A
A．Another swan should be bought in place of the dead one．
B．The living can do nothing for the dead．
C．The other was bound to die since swans mate for life．
D．Grandma would be in deep sorrow over its death．
57．Grandpa quickly dismissed the family after the funeral becauseB．
A．he took for granted the matter of life and death
B．he tended to deal with grief in life by himself
C．he wanted to carry on with his farm work
D．he didn't want his normal life disturbed
58．By"I couldn't put my fingers on it"，the writer means thatD．
A．I was so busy that I couldn't give a hand to Grandpa
B．I could do nothing to help him out of grief
C．I stayed busy working and couldn't keep Grandpa's company
D．I couldn't tell exactly what was different about my Grandpa
59．Which of the following best describes Grandpa's character？D
A．Romantic，outgoing and loyal．
B．Outgoing，clumsy and considerate．
C．Talkative，clumsy and independent．
D．Loyal，considerate and independent．
60．Which of the following can be the best title for the passage？A
A．Mate For Life
B．Unforgettable Summer Break
C．Death of Swans
D．Everlasting Love Story．
分析 本文属于说明文阅读，作者通过这篇文章主要向我们描述了天鹅是一种忠贞的动物，在爷爷送给奶奶的天鹅死后不久奶奶也去世了，在奶奶死后，爷爷看似冷静的处理了奶奶的后事并解散了子女，但是并没有从悲伤中走出，最终岁奶奶而去，赞扬了祖父祖母之间忠贞的爱情．
解答 55．D．细节理解题．根据文章第一段"The arrangement made good sense to all the family．I wasn't fully convinced of that myself but guessed it was just one summer"安排对全家都有好处．我不完全相信，但想到这只是一个夏天，可知Bruce不满意他父母的安排；故选D．
56．A．细节理解题．根据文章第四段"Why don't we see about buying another one，"I suggested"可知在一只天鹅死去后作者建议在买一只回来；故选A．
57．B．推理判断题．根据文章第八段"Grandpa was not a man who could outwardly express his grief around others"爷爷不是一个能向外表达自己对别人的悲伤的人；可知爷爷很快就在葬礼后解散了家人是因为他倾向于自己处理生活中的悲伤；故选B．
58．D．句意推断题．根据文章第八段"I thought there was something different about Grandpa but couldn't quite put my finger on it"可知尽管我发现爷爷有些不同，但是我不能确切地告诉我爷爷什么是不同的；故选D．
59．D．推理判断题．通读全文，可知文章主要讲了在奶奶死后，爷爷看似冷静的处理了奶奶的后事并解散了子女，但是并没有从悲伤中走出，最终岁奶奶而去；可知爷爷是一位忠诚，体贴，独立的人；故选D．
60．A．主旨大意题．通读全文，可知文章主要讲了在奶奶死后，爷爷看似冷静的处理了奶奶的后事并解散了子女，但是并没有从悲伤中走出，最终岁奶奶而去；因此最佳标题为终身伴侣；故选A．
点评 考察学生的细节理解和推理判断能力，做细节理解题时一定要找到文章中的原句，和题干进行比较，再做出正确的选择．在做推理判断题不要以个人的主观想象代替文章的事实，要根据文章事实进行合乎逻辑的推理判断．
