18．I was puzzled!Why was this old woman making such a fuss about an old copse which was of no use to anybody？She had written letters to the local paper，even to a national，protesting about a projected by-pass to her village，and，looking at a map，the route was nowhere near where she lived and it wasn't as if the area was attractive．I was more than puzzled，I was curious．
The enquiry into the route of the new by-pass to the village was due to take place shortly，and I wanted to know what it was that motivated her．So it was that I found myself knocking on a cottage door，being received by Mary Smith and then being taken for a walk to the woods．
"I've always loved this place，"she said，"it has a lot of memories for me，and for others．We all used it．They called it‘Lovers lane'．It's not much of a lane，and it doesn't go anywhere important，but that's why we all came here．To be away from people，to be by ourselves．"she added．
It was indeed pleasant that day and the songs of many birds could be heard．Squirrels watched from the branches，quite bold in their movements，obviously few people passed this way and they had nothing to fear．I could imagine the noise of vehicles passing through these peaceful woods when the by-pass was built，so I felt that she probably had something there but as I hold strong opinions about the needs of the community over-riding the opinions of private individuals，I said nothing．The village was quite a dangerous place because of the traffic especially for old people and children，their safety was more important to me than an old woman's strange ideas．
"Take this tree，"she said pausing after a short while．"To you it is just that，a tree．Not unlike many others here．"She gently touched the bark，"Look here，under this branch，what can you see？"
"It looks as if someone has done a bit of carving with a knife．"I said after a cursory inspection．
"Yes，that's what it is!"she said softly．
She went on，"He had a penknife with a spike for getting stones from a horse's hoof，and I helped him to carve them．We were very much in love，but he was going away，and could not tell me what he was involved in the army．I had guessed of course．It was the last evening we ever spent together，because he went away the next day，back to his Unit．"
Mary Smith was quiet for a while，then she sobbed．"His mother showed me the telegram．‘Sergeant R Holmes …Killed in action in the invasion of France．'…"
"I had hoped that you and Robin would one day get married．"she said，"He was my only child，and I would have loved to be a Granny，they would have been such lovely babies'-she was like that!"
"Two years later she too was dead．‘Pneumonia （肺炎），following a chill on the chest'was what the doctor said，but I think it was an old fashioned broken heart．A child would have helped both of us．"
There was a further pause．Mary Smith gently caressed the wounded tree，just as she would have caressed him．"And now they want to take our tree away from me．"Another quiet sob，then she turned to me．"I was young and pretty then，I could have had anybody，I wasn't always the old woman you see here now．I had everything I wanted in life，a lovely man，health and a future to look forward to．"
She paused again and looked around．The breeze gently moved through the leaves with a sighing sound．"There were others，of course，but no one can match my Robin!"she said strongly．"And now I have nothing-except the memories this tree holds．If only I could get my hands on that awful man who writes in the paper about the value of the road they are going to build where we are standing now，I would tell him．Has he never loved，has he never lived，does he not know anything about memories？We were not the only ones，you know，I still meet some who came here as Robin and I did．Yes，I would tell him!"
I turned away，sick at heart．
55．The main purpose of this passage is toD．
A．draw attention to the damage that wars cause
B．persuade people to give up private interest
C．arouse the awareness of being environmentally friendly
D．introduce a touching but sad love story
56．Which of the following words can best describe Mary Smith？B
A．Selfish． B．Faithful． C．Changeable． D．Stubborn．
57．The underlined sentence"I felt that she probably had something there"meansC．
A．I thought there might be something hidden in the woods by Mary Smith
B．I guessed there might be a story related with Mary Smith
C．I thought there might be some reason for Mary Smith's protest
D．I guessed there might be a secret purpose of Mary Smith．
58．What was probably the carving on the wounded tree？C
A．The date when Robin Holmes would leave for army．
B．Their wish that this place and tree would last long．
C．Their names and a heart with a sign of arrow through it．
D．Their protest against the war which tore them apart．
59．In Mary's opinion，which of the following might have caused Robin's mother's death？D
A．Pneumonia B．A chill on the chest C．A heart attack D．Severe sorrow
60．The"tree"probably stands forA．
A．her romance B．her determination C．her sadness D．her dream．
分析 文章讲述地方政府决定启动一个项目，通一条路到村子，这条路要穿过一个矮树林，但是此举遭到一个老太太的反对，作者前去探个究竟，结果听到了一个感人的爱情故事．
解答 答案：55-60 DBCCDA
55．D 主旨大意题．从She went on后面的讲述，和最后一段的句子I turned away，sick at heart．可知文章讲述的是一个感人的但是很悲伤的爱情故事，故选D．
56．B 推理判断题．从倒数第二段的句子："There were others，of course，but no one can match my Robin!"she said strongly．"And now I have nothing-except the memories this tree holds．虽然Robin阵亡了，但是她还想保留和他一起的记忆，所以说Mary Smith是忠诚的，故选B．
57．C 猜测句意题．从划线句子后面的句子but as I hold strong opinions about the needs of the community over-riding the opinions of private individuals，I said nothing．可知作者认为社会的利益要高于个人的利益，他什么也没有说，说明前面他是认为Mary Smith的抗议是有理由的，故选C．
58．C 推理判断题．从倒数第七段的句子We were very much in love，可知树干上刻的应该是两人的爱情见证，故选C．
59．D 推理判断题．从倒数第四段的句子but I think it was an old fashioned broken heart．可知Robin 的妈妈是因为极度的悲伤去世的，故选D．
60．A 推理判断题．从倒数第二段的句子"And now I have nothing-except the memories this tree holds．可知the tree指的是她的爱情，故选A．
点评 阅读理解是考查语篇理解能力．常考的题型有：推理判断题；主旨大意题；细节理解题；猜测词意题．近几年又出现了两种新的考查方式：写作态度判断题和文章结构题．解题时，在读懂文章的基础上，还有特别注意掌握题型的特征，尤其是细节题和推断题不可混淆：细节题是文章信息的再现；推断题是文章信息的提取．本题是广告类文章，考查主要是以细节题为主，细节题要注意常用的出题陷阱有：夸大，缩小，张冠李戴，偷梁换柱，无中生有等，做题时要看清看准．
