Question

A

Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 AM. When I arrived to collect, I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.

I walked to the door and knocked, “Just a minute,” answered a weak, elderly voice.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.

I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”

“Oh, you’re such a good man.” She said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”

“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.

“Oh, I’m in no hurry,” she said. “I’m on my way to a hospice(臨終醫院). I don’t have any family left. The doctor says I don’t have very long.”

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter(計價器).

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she’d ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

At dawn, she suddenly said,” I’m tired. Let’s go now.”

We drove in silence to the address she had given me.

“How much do I owe you?” she asked.

“Nothing.” I said.

“You have to make a living,” she answered. “Oh, there are other passengers,” I answered.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto e tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy.”

The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to ______.

A. show she was familiar with the city      B. see some places for the last time

C. let the driver earn more money         D. reach the destination on time

The taxi driver did not charge the old woman because he ______.

A. wanted to do her a favor             B. shut off the meter by mistake

C. had received her payment in advance   D. was in a hurry to take other passengers

What can we learn from the story?

A. Giving is always a pleasure.               B. People should respect each other.

C. An act of kindness can bring people great joy.

D. People should learn to appreciate others’ concern.

Answer 1

【小題1】B

【小題2】A

【小題3】C

解析:

【小題1】考查整體推斷的能力。老人請求開車穿過市區(Could you drive through downtown?)，然后，她說她要去臨終醫院（I’m on my way to a hospital.）。在接下來的兩個小時，她在車上最后觀看了市區的景象，回憶了她年輕時的情景。最后她到達了臨終醫院。

【小題2】考查簡單推斷的能力。出租車司機聽老人說家里沒有親人了，就關掉了計價器。

【小題3】考查推斷理解能力。出租車司機沒有收老人任何費用，很善良，使得老人感到很欣慰。同時老人也善良，主動要付給出租車司機費用，也使得出租車司機很感動。