Question

My mind went blank when I saw the gun pointing against the car window as we pulled out of the garage. This can’t be happening to me. Then I felt the gun, cold, against my head, and I heard my friend Jeremy saying, “What do you want? Take my wallet,” but at the time I thought of nothing.

I remember being a little annoyed when the gunman pulled me from the car by the hair. I remember the walk to the house --- Jeremy, me, the two men with two guns. I remember the fear and anger in the gunmen’s voices because Jeremy was being slow, and I remember wondering why he was being slow. I did not realize that Jeremy had thrown the keys into the bush. But I remember that sound of the gun hitting Jeremy’s head and the feeling as the man who had hold of my hair released me. And I remember the split second when I realized he was looking at Jeremy, and I remember wondering how far I could run before he pulled the trigger. But I was already running, and upon reaching the car across the street, I didn’t crouch(蹲伏) behind it but screamed instead.

I remember thinking there was something ridiculous and illogical about screaming “Help, help!” at eight o’clock on a Tuesday evening in December and changing my plea(懇求) to the more specific “Help, let me in, please let me in!” But the houses were cold, closed, unfriendly, and I ran on until I heard Jeremy’s screams behind me announcing that our attackers had fled.

The neighbors who had not opened their doors to us came out with baseball bats and helped Jeremy find his glasses and keys. In a group they were very brave. We waited for the police to come until someone said to someone else that the noodles were getting cold, and I said politely, “Please go and eat. We’re OK.”

I was happy to see them go. They had been talking of stricter sentences for criminals, of bringing back the death penalty(處罰) and how the President is going to clean up the country. I was thinking, they could be saying all of this over my dead body, and I still feel that stiffer sentences wouldn’t change a thing. In a rush all the anger I should have felt for my attackers was directed against these contented people standing in front of their warm, comfortable homes talking about all the guns they were going to buy. What good would guns have been to Jeremy and me?

People all over the neighborhood had called to report our screams, and the police turned out in force twenty minutes later. They were ill-tempered about what was, to them, much trouble about nothing. After all, Jeremy was hardly hurt, and we were hopeless when it came to describing the gunmen. “Typical,” said one policeman when we couldn’t even agree on how tall the men were. Both of us were able to describe the guns in horrifying detail, but the two policemen who stayed to make the report didn’t think that would be much help.

The policemen were matter-of-fact about the whole thing. The thin one said, “That was a stupid thing to do, throwing away the keys. When a man has a gun against your head you do what you’re told.” Jeremy looked properly embarrassed.

Then the fat policeman came up and the thin one went to look around the outside of the house. “That was the best thing you could have done, throwing away the keys,” he said. “If you had gone into the house with them…” His voice became weaker. “They would have hurt her” --- he twisted his head toward me --- “and killed you both.” Jeremy looked happier. “Look,” said the fat policeman kindly, “there’s no right or wrong in the situation. There’s just luck.”

All that sleepless night I replayed the moment those black gloves came up to the car window. How long did the whole thing last? Three minutes, five, eight? No matter how many hours of my life I may spend reliving it, I know there is no way to prepare for the next time --- no intelligent response to a gun. The fat cop was right. There’s only luck. The next time I might end up dead.

And I’m sure there will be a next time. It can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone. Security is an illusion(幻覺); there is no safety in locks or in guns. Guns make some people feel safe and some people feel strong, but they’re fooling themselves.

1.When the writer saw the gun pointing against the car window, ________.

A. she felt very annoyed  

B. she lost consciousness

C. she felt very much nervous  

D. she lost the power of thinking

2.What most possibly drove the two gunmen away?

A. Jeremy’s fighting                                                  B. The author’s screaming   

C. Their neighbour’s brave action                             D. The police’s arrival

3. When the author called for help, the neighbors didn’t come out immediately because ________.

A. they were much too frightened

B. they were busy preparing dinners

C. they needed time to find baseball bats

D. they thought someone was playing a trick

4.The author was happy to see the neighbors go because ________.

A. she hated to listen to their empty talk

B. she did not want to become an object of pity

C. she was angered by their being late to come to her help

D. she wanted to be left alone with Jeremy to get over the shock

5.The police were rather angry because ________.

A. the author was not hurt and gave a false alarm

B. they thought it was a case of little importance

C. the author and Jeremy could not tell the police anything

D. the gunmen had already fled when they arrived on the scene

6.What the author wants to tell us is that ________.

A. neighbors are not helpful in moments of difficulty

B. the police are not reliable when one is in trouble

C. security is impossible as long as people can have guns

D. preventing robbers entering your house is the best choice

 

Answer 1

【答案】

 

1.D

2.B

3.A

4.A

5.B

6.C

【解析】

試題分析：在這篇文章里，作者描述了一個夜晚她和朋友杰里米被持槍者劫持，后來作者找機會逃跑并大聲呼喊“救命！”才嚇跑了持槍者。鄰居們的電話報告了我們的尖叫，武裝警察20分鐘后趕到，認為這種情況是小題大做。因為杰里米幾乎沒有受傷。這一次我是幸運的，但是第二次我會死去的。只要人們手里有槍就不會有安全可言。槍使一些人感到安全并且一些人感到強大，但事實并非如此。

1.細節理解題。根據My mind went blank可知，看到槍正對著轎車的窗口時我的大腦一片空白。與D項（她的腦子不轉了。）意思一致。

2.推理判斷題。根據文章的People all over the neighborhood had called to report our screams（所有的鄰居們已經打電話報告了我們的尖叫）與B項（作者的尖叫。）相符。

3.推理判斷題。根據The neighbors who had not opened their doors to us came out with baseball bats，… 可知（沒有開門的這家鄰居沖我們打開了門，帶著棒球棒出來……在這些人里他們是很勇敢的。）可知與A項（鄰居沒有馬上出門是出于害怕）意思一致。

4.推理判斷題。根據I was thinking, they could be saying all of this over my dead body, and I still feel that stiffer sentences wouldn’t change a thing. （我在想，他們可能對著我的死尸也會說這些話，我仍然認為嚴厲的審判不會改變一件事。）可知與A項（她不想聽他們說空話。）意思一致。

5.細節判斷題。根據They were ill-tempered about what was, to them, much trouble about nothing. （他們很生氣，對他們來說，這是小題大做。）可知與 B（警察相當生氣是因為這件事無足輕重。）意思一致。

6.推理判斷題。根據What good would guns have been to Jeremy and me? （槍對于杰里米和我有什么好？）和there is no safety in locks or in guns.（在鎖和槍里沒有安全可言。）可知與C（安全是不可能的只要人們手里有槍。）

考點: 生活百態類閱讀。