It was Saturday. As always, it was a busy one, for “Six days shall you labor and

It was Saturday. As always, it was a busy one, for“Six days shall you labor and all your work” was taken seriously back then.Outside, Father and Mr. Patrick next door were busy chopping firewood. Insidetheir own houses, Mother and Mrs. Patrick were engaged in spring cleaning.

Somehow the boys had slipped away to the back lot withtheir kites. Now, even at the risk of having brother caught to beat carpets,they had sent him to the kitchen for more string(线). Itseemed there was  no limit to the heights to which kites would fly today.

My mother looked at the sitting room, its furnituredisordered for a thorough sweeping. Again she

cast a look toward the window. “Come on, girls! Let’stake string to the boys and watch them fly the kites a minute.”

On the way we met Mrs. Patric, laughing guiltily as ifshe were doing something wrong, together with her girls. There never was such aday for flying kites! We played all our fresh string into the boys’ kites andthey went up higher and higher. We could hardly distinguish the orange-coloredspots of the kites. Now and then we slowly pulled one kite back, watching itdancing up and down in the wind, and finally bringing it down to earth, justfor the joy of sending it up again.

Even our fathers dropped their tools and joined us.Our mothers took their turn, laughing like schoolgirls. I think we were allbeside ourselves. Parents forgot their duty and their dignity; childrenforgot their everyday fights and little jealousies. “Perhaps it’s like this inthe kingdom of heaven,” I thought confusedly.

It was growing dark before we all walked sleepily backto the housed. I suppose we had some sort of supper. I suppose there must havebeen surface tidying-up, for the house on Sunday looked clean and orderlyenough. The strange thing was, we didn’t mention that day afterward. I felt alittle embarrassed. Surely none of the others had been as excited as I. I lockedthe memory up in that deepest part of me where we keep “the things that cannotbe and yet they are.”

The years went on, then one day I was hurrying aboutmy kitchen in a city apartment, trying to get some work out of the way while mythree-year-old insistently cried her desire to “go park, see duck.” “I can’tgo!” I said. “I have this and this to do, and when I’m through I’ll be tootired to walk that far.”

My mother, who was visiting us, looked up from thepeas she was shelling. “It’s a wonderful day,” she offered, “really warm, yetthere’s a fine breeze. Do you remember that day we flew kites?”

I stopped in my dash between stove and sink. Thelocked door flew open and with it a rush of memories. “Come on,” I told mylittle girl. “You’re right, it’s too good a day to miss.”

Another decade passed. We were in the aftermath(余波) of a great war. All evening we had been asking ourreturned soldier, the youngest Patrick Boy, about his experiences as a prisonerof war. He had talked freely, but now for a long time he had been silent. Whatwas he thinking of --- what dark and horrible things?

“Say!” A smile sipped out from his lips. “Do youremember --- no, of course you wouldn’t. It probably didn’t make the impressionon you as it did on me.”

I hardly dared speak. “Remember what?”

“I used to think of that day a lot in POW camp (战俘营), when things weren’t too good. Do you remember theday we flew the kites?”

1.Mrs. Patrick was laughing guiltily because shethought________.

A．she was tooold to fly kites

B．her husbandwould make fun of her

C．she shouldhave been doing her housework

D．her girlsweren’t supposed to the boy’s games

2. By “we were all beside ourselves writer means thatthey all ________.

A．felt confused                          B．went wildwith joy

C．looked on                             D．forgot theirfights

3. What did the author think after the kite-flying?

A．The boys musthave had more fun than the girls.

B．They shouldhave finished their work before playing.

C．Her parentsshould spend more time with them.

D．All theothers must have forgotten that day.

4.Why did the writer finally agree to take her littlegirl for an outing?

A．She suddenlyremembered her duty as a mother.

B．She wasreminded of the day they flew kites.

C．She hadfinished her work in the kitchen.

D．She thoughtit was a great day to play outside.

5. The youngest Patrick boy is mentioned to show that______.

A．the writerwas not alone in treasuring her fond memories

B．hisexperience in POW camp threw a shadow over his life

C．childhoodfriendship means so much to the writer

D．people likehim really changed a lot after the war

试题答案

【答案】

1.C

2.B

3.D

4.B

5.A

【解析】

试题