When the novelist Luis Alberto Urrea was 14 or 15, he took a trip deep into Mexico. He was born in Tijuana to a Mexican father and a white American mother before moving just across the border and eventually into the San Diego suburbs. But his father thought he was becoming “too American”, and took him on a 27-hour journey to Mazatian. Along the way, his father gave him a paperback copy of The Godfather and told him it would change his life. “I don’t think he was trying to make a case for us being criminals,” Urrea says, “but he really felt this incredible connection to the family and the traditions and the honor for the old country, as people were making their way in the U.S.”
In his new novel The House of Broken Angels, Urrea has written his own take on the Godfather story with a Mexican-American Don Corleone figure at its center. The story takes place over two days, as Big Angel de la Cruz buries his mother and celebrates his final birthday party on earth; he knows he’s dying, and he’s gathered his extended family around him for a noisy and lively goodbye.
The idea was inspired by the final birthday party of Urrea’s elder brother three years ago. “Everybody was jammed in his backyard, and there was a DJ and people dancing and consuming a serious amount of American junk food — they didn’t want Mexican food, they wanted KFC and pizza. I thought, where are the tacos, dude? And my brother sat in his little chair in the middle of it. People were coming to him and kneeling, and they would thank him and kiss his hand or touch his head and tell him all the ways he had changed their lives.”
Urrea’s brother died of cancer within two weeks at 74, and the heartbreaking event haunted the author. He considered writing a memoir(回忆录)about it—“I was thinking about Truman Capote, when he did those tiny books about Christmas and Thanksgiving.” But his wife encouraged him to aim bigger. When he found himself seated next to the writer Jim Harrison at a dinner event, he shared the story, and Harrison said, “Sometimes God hands you a novel. You have to write it.” Urrea thought to himself “Marching orders from Jim Harrison―this is good stuff. A kid from Tijuana doesn’t get that very often.”
The House of Broken Angels is a celebration of the Mexican-American family, but it also includes moments of frustration with this country’s treatment of the immigrant group. Before he got too sick to work, Big Angel worked in an office and drank coffee from a cup that read BOSS. “Yeah, the employees all got the message,” Urrea writes. “The Mexican-American was calling himself their boss.” In a grocery store, a woman screams at two of his family members that they’ll be kicked out of the country soon. “I had to bite down on the bitterness of my rage(愤怒), man!” Urrea says. “I was having some pretty serious response to Donald Trump’s confusing and empty talk. But you know, it may have shocked a lot of the United States to hear this kind of empty talk and this bald-faced racialism of politics all of a sudden, but to us, this stuff isn’t a surprise?”
“I really wanted to write a tribute to my brother, to my family and to us, but it’s also a love song to the country,” Urrea says. “I think people have this weird, horrible view... that immigrants are evil snakes. People don’t understand that immigration is truly a statement of love for this country, whatever the country represents. People want to be here and work.” And with persistence, they become the boss.
1.Why did Urrea’s father give him the book The Godfather?
A.He wanted Urrea to enjoy the 27-hour journey.
B.He thought the book had changed his own life.
C.He tried to show Urrea a real case of criminals.
D.He hoped Urrea would feel connected to Mexico.
2.The question “where are the tacos, dude?” in Paragraph 3 probably suggests ________.
A.Mexican traditions have been left behind
B.the people like American junk food best
C.it is difficult to buy the Mexican food
D.the tacos are popular with everyone there
3.Urrea thought of Truman Capote because ________.
A.Capote was good at writing tiny books
B.Capote’s books are about Christmas
C.he intended to write a memoir
D.he liked reading Capote’s books
4.In the sentence “A kid from Tijunana doesn’t get that very often”, “A kid” here refers to ________.
A.Jim Harrison B.Luis Alberto Urrea
C.Truman Capote D.Big Angel de la Cruz
5.We can learn from Paragraph 5 that ________.
A.Big Angel himself was the boss of his office
B.Mexican immigrants were treated unfairly
C.Urrea’s family were kicked out of the country
D.Urrea heard Trump’s talk ahead of time
6.The House of Broken Angels mainly focuses on the novelist’s ________.
A.love for the Mexican-American family
B.life in the Mexican-American family
C.mixed feelings towards American people
D.mature reflection on Mexican traditions
高三英语阅读理解困难题
When the novelist Luis Alberto Urrea was 14 or 15, he took a trip deep into Mexico. He was born in Tijuana to a Mexican father and a white American mother before moving just across the border and eventually into the San Diego suburbs. But his father thought he was becoming “too American”, and took him on a 27-hour journey to Mazatian. Along the way, his father gave him a paperback copy of The Godfather and told him it would change his life. “I don’t think he was trying to make a case for us being criminals,” Urrea says, “but he really felt this incredible connection to the family and the traditions and the honor for the old country, as people were making their way in the U.S.”
In his new novel The House of Broken Angels, Urrea has written his own take on the Godfather story with a Mexican-American Don Corleone figure at its center. The story takes place over two days, as Big Angel de la Cruz buries his mother and celebrates his final birthday party on earth; he knows he’s dying, and he’s gathered his extended family around him for a noisy and lively goodbye.
The idea was inspired by the final birthday party of Urrea’s elder brother three years ago. “Everybody was jammed in his backyard, and there was a DJ and people dancing and consuming a serious amount of American junk food — they didn’t want Mexican food, they wanted KFC and pizza. I thought, where are the tacos, dude? And my brother sat in his little chair in the middle of it. People were coming to him and kneeling, and they would thank him and kiss his hand or touch his head and tell him all the ways he had changed their lives.”
Urrea’s brother died of cancer within two weeks at 74, and the heartbreaking event haunted the author. He considered writing a memoir(回忆录)about it—“I was thinking about Truman Capote, when he did those tiny books about Christmas and Thanksgiving.” But his wife encouraged him to aim bigger. When he found himself seated next to the writer Jim Harrison at a dinner event, he shared the story, and Harrison said, “Sometimes God hands you a novel. You have to write it.” Urrea thought to himself “Marching orders from Jim Harrison―this is good stuff. A kid from Tijuana doesn’t get that very often.”
The House of Broken Angels is a celebration of the Mexican-American family, but it also includes moments of frustration with this country’s treatment of the immigrant group. Before he got too sick to work, Big Angel worked in an office and drank coffee from a cup that read BOSS. “Yeah, the employees all got the message,” Urrea writes. “The Mexican-American was calling himself their boss.” In a grocery store, a woman screams at two of his family members that they’ll be kicked out of the country soon. “I had to bite down on the bitterness of my rage(愤怒), man!” Urrea says. “I was having some pretty serious response to Donald Trump’s confusing and empty talk. But you know, it may have shocked a lot of the United States to hear this kind of empty talk and this bald-faced racialism of politics all of a sudden, but to us, this stuff isn’t a surprise?”
“I really wanted to write a tribute to my brother, to my family and to us, but it’s also a love song to the country,” Urrea says. “I think people have this weird, horrible view... that immigrants are evil snakes. People don’t understand that immigration is truly a statement of love for this country, whatever the country represents. People want to be here and work.” And with persistence, they become the boss.
1.Why did Urrea’s father give him the book The Godfather?
A.He wanted Urrea to enjoy the 27-hour journey.
B.He thought the book had changed his own life.
C.He tried to show Urrea a real case of criminals.
D.He hoped Urrea would feel connected to Mexico.
2.The question “where are the tacos, dude?” in Paragraph 3 probably suggests ________.
A.Mexican traditions have been left behind
B.the people like American junk food best
C.it is difficult to buy the Mexican food
D.the tacos are popular with everyone there
3.Urrea thought of Truman Capote because ________.
A.Capote was good at writing tiny books
B.Capote’s books are about Christmas
C.he intended to write a memoir
D.he liked reading Capote’s books
4.In the sentence “A kid from Tijunana doesn’t get that very often”, “A kid” here refers to ________.
A.Jim Harrison B.Luis Alberto Urrea
C.Truman Capote D.Big Angel de la Cruz
5.We can learn from Paragraph 5 that ________.
A.Big Angel himself was the boss of his office
B.Mexican immigrants were treated unfairly
C.Urrea’s family were kicked out of the country
D.Urrea heard Trump’s talk ahead of time
6.The House of Broken Angels mainly focuses on the novelist’s ________.
A.love for the Mexican-American family
B.life in the Mexican-American family
C.mixed feelings towards American people
D.mature reflection on Mexican traditions
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
You could feel sorry for Alberto Torres, who is blind. The last thing he remembers seeing was his daughter being born 13 years ago. Then the world went blank; he can only imagine what his only child looks like now, as a teenaged honor student. Bad luck is no stranger to this warm and thoughtful 37-year-old man. His mother died of cancer when he was 4, and his father, who was often ill, had to give him up to the care of the state when he was 11. He later worked for 19 years in a workshop making household goods, deathly boring work. Earlier this month, Alberto Torres’s wife, who had just been laid off from her job, had to have a breast removed due to cancer and now faces a year of radiation treatments. Things seemed always to go from almost incredibly bad to worse. Even Mr. Torres’s good luck has a dark side: Five years ago, his lovely guide dog pulled him out of the path of a truck. Mr. Torres was not hurt. The dog was killed.
But Mr. Torres does not feel sorry for himself. “These are just little bumps you have to go over in your life,” he said. At 5 a.m. on a recent morning, we caught up with Mr. Torres at a subway stop in Brooklyn, New York, near where he lives in a third-floor apartment (with no elevator). He had been up since 3 a.m., feeding his new dog, making coffee, getting ready. “When you’re blind, it takes a little longer to do things,” he said.
Mr. Torres was beginning his two-hour trip to his job developing film in the X-ray department of the emergency room of the Bronx hospital. He would take the G train to Queens Plaza station to the R train, heading towards Manhattan. He would then ride the R train to 59th Street where he would walk upstairs to switch to the Number 6 train. At one point along the journey, he might chat with a stranger. At another, someone would pat his dog, calling him by name. People offered assistance, even seats. At 125th Street, Mr. Torres would transfer to the Number 4 train by crossing the platform. At 149th Street, he would go down to the Number 2. He would take that to East 180th Street where he nearly always has a long wait for his final train, to Pelham Parkway. Then he and his dog would walk 20 minutes to the hospital.
It was a hard job to come by. Before he got the job, Mr. Torres was determined to escape the workshop run by an organization dedicated to help people who can’t see. He wanted a job developing X-ray film, something that everyone must do in the dark. He had to handle the long trip, as well as the work. “Our philosophy here is that blind people can do just about anything except drive buses,” it was the thinking about disabled people at the Bronx hospital. “We find what a person can do rather than what he can’t do,” said the hospital’s director.
One day a while ago marked the first anniversary of Mr. Torres’s hiring. He developed 150 or so X-rays, his usual output, to celebrate. Mr. Torres works by himself in a small, dark room that smells of chemicals. He cannot wear gloves, because he needs to feel. It is hard work, related to emergency of lives. His immediate supervisor says he trusts him 100%. Mr. Torres makes $20,000 a year. But his motivation goes beyond money. “If I start feeling like a victim, that makes me bitter. And why be bitter? That makes you go into a hole and stay there.” he said. “I’m not doing anything out of the ordinary,” insisted Mr. Torres as he quickly completed the task.
1.Mr. Torres became blind when ________.
A. his daughter was just born
B. he was thirteen years old
C. his mother died of cancer
D. his wife was out of work
2.Mr. Torres does not feel sorry for himself because he ________.
A. was once saved by his lovely guide dog
B. is taken good care of by the government
C. thinks it’s natural to have setbacks in life
D. believes it takes a little longer to do things
3.The description of Mr. Torres’s long trip to work shows ________.
A. the effective traffic system
B. the kindness of New Yorkers
C. the loyalty of his guide dog
D. his will to overcome difficulty
4.What is the principle of the hospital in employing a worker?
A. Sympathy counts most.
B. Ability comes first.
C. Preference for the blind.
D. Easy job for the weak.
5. Mr. Torres works very hard in order to ________.
A. make plenty of money
B. win his supervisor’s trust
C. live like a normal person
D. complete his daily task
6. In the eyes of the writer, Alberto Torres is a man of _______.
A. deep thinking B. weak motivation
C. special talents D. great independence
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When Charles Strattion was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman; P.T.Barnum thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles’ parents along with him, and they traveled around the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a new name, general Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act, and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall.
Tom’s act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty-five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a school teacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about two thousand guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding carriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon, just before going to live in Tom’s house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored(主持)“Tom Thumb”weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.
1.“ Talk of the town”means________.
A.it was in the newspaper
B.people spread mean rumors(谣言)about it.
C.it was the most popular thing happening
D.it was discussed in a city meeting
2.What does the author think about Tom Thumb’s wedding?
A.People gave it too much of their attention.
B.It helped people cheer up in a dark time.
C.It was funny and ridiculous.
D.Tom and Lavinia were stupid.
3.Which of the following is the best clue(线索)to the fact that Tom was smart?
A.He became a billionaire at twenty-five.
B.He learned how to sing, dance, and act at a very young age.
C.He met with President Lincoln during his honeymoon.
D.He married a school teacher.
4.It was very funny when Tom danced on a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall because________ .
A.the wooden plate would make it sound as if Tom were tap dancing.
B.it made Tom feel taller.
C.the eight-foot-tall man was the only tall person Tom trusted
D.the difference between them would make Tom look even smaller
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When Charles Strattion was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P.T.Barnum, and thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles’ parents along with him, and they traveled around the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a new name, general Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act, and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall.
Tom’s act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty-five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a school teacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about two thousand guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding carriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon, just before going to live in Tom’s house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored “Tom Thumb” weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.
1.“the talk of the town” means _________ .
A. they were in the newspaper
B. people spread mean rumors about them
C. they were the most popular things happening
D. they were discussed in a city meeting
2.What does the author think about Tom Thumb’s wedding?
A. People gave it too much of their attention.
B. It helped people cheer up in a dark time.
C. It was funny and ridiculous.
D. Tom and Lavinia were stupid.
3.Which of the following is the best clue to the fact that Tom was smart?
A. He became a billionaire at twenty-five.
B. He learned how to sing, dance, and act at a very young age.
C. He met with President Lincoln during his honeymoon.
D. He married a school teacher.
4.It was very funny when Tom danced on a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall because ________ .
A. the wooden plate would make it sound as if Tom were tap dancing
B. it made Tom feel taller
C. the eight-foot-tall man was the only tall person Tom trusted
D. the difference between them would make Tom look even smaller
5.What does the author imply in the last paragraph?
A. Weddings always make people feel full of sunshine.
B. People are always disappointed during wartime.
C. Entertainment can serve an important purpose.
D. People should be married even if they are small.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When Charles Strattion was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P.T.Barnum, and thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles’ parents along with him, and they traveled around the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a new name, general Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act, and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall.
Tom’s act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty-five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a school teacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about two thousand guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding carriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon, just before going to live in Tom’s house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored “Tom Thumb” weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.
1.“the talk of the town” means _________ .
A.they were in the newspaper |
B.people spread mean rumors about them |
C.they were the most popular things happening |
D.they were discussed in a city meeting |
2.What does the author think about Tom Thumb’s wedding?
A.People gave it too much of their attention. |
B.It helped people cheer up in a dark time. |
C.It was funny and ridiculous. |
D.Tom and Lavinia were stupid. |
3.Which of the following is the best clue to the fact that Tom was smart?
A.He became a billionaire at twenty-five. |
B.He learned how to sing, dance, and act at a very young age. |
C.He met with President Lincoln during his honeymoon. |
D.He married a school teacher. |
4. It was very funny when Tom danced on a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall because ________ .
A.the wooden plate would make it sound as if Tom were tap dancing |
B.it made Tom feel taller |
C.the eight-foot-tall man was the only tall person Tom trusted |
D.the difference between them would make Tom look even smaller |
5.What does the author imply in the last paragraph?
A.Weddings always make people feel full of sunshine. |
B.People are always disappointed during wartime. |
C.Entertainment can serve an important purpose. |
D.People should be married even if they are small. |
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When questioned, he was too shocked to give a(n)________ of what had happened when the attack took place.
A.assessment B.account C.survey D.summary
高三英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析
When Charles Stratton was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P. T. Barnum. Mr. Barnum thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles' parents along with him, and they traveled the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a name, General Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall. Tom's act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a schoolteacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about 2000 guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding marriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon just before going to live in Tom's house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored "Tom Thumb" weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.
1.The underlined words "talk of the town" means________.
A. it was in the newspaper
B. it was the most popular topic
C. people spread bad rumors about it
D. it was discussed in a city meeting
2.What does the author think about Tom's wedding?
A. Tom and Lavinia were stupid.
B. People gave it too much of their attention.
C. It was funny and ridiculous.
D. It helped people cheer up in a dark time.
3.What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
A. Weddings always make people feel full of sunshine.
B. People are always disappointed during war time.
C. Entertainment can serve an important purpose.
D. People should be married when they are small children.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When Charles Stratton was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P. T. Barnum. Mr. Barnum thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles’ parents along with him, and they traveled the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a name, General Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall. Tom’s act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a schoolteacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about 2000 guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding marriage. The couple even met with President on their honeymoon just before going to live in Tom’s house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored (发起) “Tom Thumb” weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.
56. Which of the statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Charles’ parents supported him and performed together with him.
B. Charles was found and hired by the famous showman.
C. Charles put lots of advertisements to arouse interest.
D. Charles’ success was largely due to Mr. Barnum’s help.
57. Tom would dance on a wooden plate held by an eight-foot-tall person probably because ______________.
A. the wooden plate would make it sound as if Tom was dancing
B. it made Tom look taller
C. the eight–foot–tall man was the only tall person Tom trusted
D. the difference between them would make Tom look even smaller
58. The underlined words “talk of the town” in the second paragraph from the bottom means ______________.
A. it was in the newspaper B. people spread bad rumors about it
C. it was the most popular topic D. it was discussed in a city meeting
59. What does the author think about Tom’s wedding?
A. It helped people cheer up in a dark time. B. People gave it too much of their attention.
C. It was funny and ridiculous. D. Tom and Lavinia were stupid.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
When Charles Stratton was five, he stopped growing.His mother took him to see the famous showman, P.T.Barnum, and thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show.He hired Charles' parents along with him, and they traveled around the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a new name, general Tom Thumb.He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act, and tell jokes.When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads.To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
Tom's act was very popular and brought in a lot of money.By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich.He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty-five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr.Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well.One of the little people was Lavonia Warren, a school teacher.Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town.They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about, two thousand guests.Crowds filled the.Street of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding carriage.The.couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon, just before going to live in Tom's house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war.Not willing to let.this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country held Tom Thumb' s weddings.In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.
1."the talk of the town" means _______.
A.they were in the newspaper
B.people spread mean rumors about, them
C.they were the most popular things happening
D.they were discussed in a city meeting ?
2.What does the author think about Tom-Thumb’s wedding?
A.People gave it too much of their attention.
B.It helped people cheer up in a dark time.
C.It was funny and ridiculous.
D.Tom and Lavonia were stupid.
3.Which of the following is the best clue to the fact that Tom was smart?
A.He became a billionaire at twenty-five.
B.He learned how to sing, dance, and act at a very young age.
C.He met with President Lincoln during his honeymoon.
D.He married a school teacher.
4.It was very funny when Tom danced on a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall because _____.
A.the wooden plate would make it sound as of Tom were tap dancing
B.it made Tom feel taller
C.the eight-foot-tall man was the only tall person Tom trusted
D.the difference between them would make Tom look even smaller
5.What does the author imply in the last paragraph?
A.Weddings always make people feel full of sunshine.
B.People are always disappointed during wartime.
C.Entertainment can serve an important purpose.
D.People should be married even if they are small.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When Charles Stratton was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P. T. Barnum. Mr. Barnum thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles' parents along with him, and they traveled the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a name, General Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall. Tom's act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a schoolteacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about 2000 guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding marriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon just before going to live in Tom's house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored(发起) "Tom Thumb" weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.
1.The underlined words "Talk of the town" means________.
A. it was in the newspaper
B. it was the most popular topic
C. people spread bad rumors about it
D. it was discussed in a city meeting
2.What does the author think about Tom's wedding?
A.Tom and Lavinia were stupid.
B. People gave it too much of their attention.
C. It was funny and ridiculous.
D. It helped people cheer up in a dark time.
3.What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
A. Weddings always make people feel full of sunshine.
B. People are always disappointed during war time.
C. Entertainment can serve an important purpose.
D. People should be married when they are small children.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析