The host poured the tea into the cup and placed it on the small table in front o

The host poured the tea into the cup andplaced it on the small table in front of his guests, who were a father anddaughter, and put the cover on the cup. Apparently thinking of something, hehurried into the inner room, leaving the thermos (热水瓶) on the table. His twoguests heard a cupboard opening.

They remained sitting in the sitting room,the ten-year-old daughter looking at the flowers outside the window, the fatherjust about to take his cup, when the crash came, right there in the sittingroom. Something was hopelessly broken.

It was the thermos, which had fallen to thefloor. The girl looked over her shoulder, shocked, staring. It was mysterious.Neither of them had touched it, not even a bit. True, it hadn't stood steadilywhen their host placed it on the table, but it hadn't fallen then.

The explosion caused the host to rush back.Gawking at the steaming floor, the host said "It doesn't matter! Itdoesn't matter!"

The father started to say something. Thenhe said softly, "Sorry, I touched it and it fell."

"It doesn't matter," the hostsaid.

When they left the house, the daughtersaid, "Daddy, did you touch it?"

"No. But it stood so close to me."

"But you didn't touch it. I saw yourreflection in the window glass. "

The father laughed. "What then wouldyou give as the cause of its fall?"

"The thermos fell by itself. The flooris not smooth. Daddy, why did you say that you …"

"That won't do, girl. It sounds moreacceptable when I say I knocked it down. There are things which people acceptless the more you defend them. The truer the story you tell, the less true itsounds. "

The daughter was lost in silence for awhile. Then she said, "Can you explain it only in this way?"

"Only in this way," her fathersaid.

56. Which statement is a possible theme ofthis story?

A. People rarely tell the truth.

B. You can't always make people believe thetruth.

C. If you defend yourself, people willbelieve you.

D. People should take the blame for whatthey didn't do.

57. It can be inferred from the story thatthe father _______.

A. didn't know the hostwell                   B. felt satisfied that he didn't tell the truth

C. was sorry that he told the truth                       D. didn't think the host would believe the truth

58. From the story we know that thedaughter ________.

A. thought her father should tell thetruth         B. didn't know why thethermos fell

C. knocked over thethermos                 D. strongly objected to her father's explanation

59. The underlined "gawking at"probably means _______.

A. staring at withanger                 B. looking at curiously

C. glancing athopelessly                D. looking at in a dull way

试题答案

【答案】

56-59. BDAD

【解析】略