When I was 13 my mother died. Through my own sorrow I was aware of the great loss this was to Pop. But he made only one reference to his own misery. He said, "To be happy every day is to be not happy at all." He was saying to his sons that happiness is not a state you achieve and keep, but something that must be won over and over, no matter what the defeats and losses. Later that year I got a job as an entertainer in small clubs, and suddenly I knew this was the career I had been searching for. The world of the theater was far removed from the world of my father, yet I found myself returning to him time and again, for the same reason his friends did. When I was 20 I got what every actor dreams of—a permanent job! At that time, at the depth of the depression, actors were out of work by the hundreds, yet I wanted to quit that job because I needed new experiences and challenges. Pop heard me out, then said, "There are some people who always have to test themselves, to stretch their wings and try new winds. If you think you can find more happiness and usefulness this way, then you should do it." This advice came from a man who never left a secure job in his life, who had the European tradition of family responsibility, but who knew I was different. He understood what I needed to do and he helped me do it. For the next few years I worked in clubs, and then I got my big break, appearing in a major movie. After that I went to Hollywood, and from then on Pop lived with me and my family there. We had a big party one evening. That night I thought Pop might enjoy hearing some of the old folk songs we used to sing at home. When I began to sing, the music and the memories were too much for him to resist, and he came over to join me. I faded away, and he was in the middle of the room singing alone—in a clear, true voice. He sang for 15 minutes before some of the world"s highest-paid stars. This simple, kindly old man singing of our European roots had touched something deep in these sophisticated people. When he finished there was overwhelming applause. I knew the applause that night was not just for a performance; it was for a man.
单选题 By saying "to be happy every day is to be not happy at all", Pop means ______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】解析:本题是词汇语义题,直译这句话:要想每天都幸福,就根本得不到幸福。参见作者对这句话的解释:…happiness is not a state you achieve and keep,but something that must be won over and over,no matter what the defeats and losses。
单选题 Judging from the context, the author"s career is most probably ______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】解析:本题是细节题,参见文章第3段:When I was 20 I got what every actor dreams of—a permanent job!第5段:After that I went to Hollywood。
单选题 How did Pop react to the author"s quitting his job?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】解析:本题是推论题,参见文章第4段原文:There are some people who always have to test themselves,to stretch their wings and try new winds.有些人总得检验自己,展开自己的翅膀,搏击新的风云。由此可见是对他的鼓励。因此正确答案为Encourage him。
单选题 The big party one evening was arranged for ______.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】解析:本题是推论题,参见文章第5段:We had a big party one evening.That night I thought Pop might enjoy hearing some of the old folk songs we used to sing at home.这两句话的大意是:有一天,我们安排了一个盛大的晚会。那天晚上,我原以为父亲会喜欢听一些我们过去常在家里唱的古老的民歌。由此可见,原本没有安排父亲唱歌,但没料到父亲会情不自禁地加入了我的演唱(the music and the memories were too much for him to resist),最后竟然成了他的独唱(singing alone)。
单选题 The purpose of the author in writing the text is to ______.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】解析:本题是主旨题,文章第1段谈到母亲过世对父亲的重大打击,但是他对自己的痛苦很少提及。他关心和鼓励孩子,直到孩子长大成人,也没有减少父爱。尤其是在最后一段,作者以感人的笔调对父亲的歌声作了抒情性描写:他的歌声清晰、真切,一曲唱罢,全场掌声雷动。那天晚上的掌声不仅仅是因为父亲歌唱得好,也是对父亲为人的喝彩。由此可判断正确答案。