2019年ACT考试备考：官方小说类阅读样题

>>ACT考试技巧：2019年ACT考试备考：官方小说类阅读样题

>>ACT考试经典名师课堂

This passage is adapted from the novel The Men of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor (©1998 by Gloria Naylor).(以下文章改编自Gloria Naylor的“The Brewster Place”(©1998 Gloria Naylor))。

正文如下：

Clifford Jackson, or Abshu, as he preferred to be known in the streets, had committed himself several years ago to use his talents as a playwright to broaden the horizons for the young, gifted, and black—which was how he saw every child milling around that dark street. As head of the community center he went after every existing grant on the city and state level to bring them puppet shows with the message to avoid drug sand stay in school; and plays in the park such as actors rapping their way through Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream. Abshu believed there was something in Shakespeare for everyone, even the young of BrewsterPlace, and if he broadened their horizons just a little bit, there might be enough room for some of them to slip through and see what the world had waiting. No, it would not be a perfect world, but definitely one with more room than they had now.

克利福德杰克逊，或者Abshu，他更喜欢在大街上为人所知，他在几年前就用自己的作为一个剧作家天赋，拓宽了年轻人、天才和黑人的视野，他看到了每一个孩子在黑暗的街道上蹍磨的方式。作为社区中心的负责人，他在城市和州的每一个现有的拨款之后都会给他们表演木偶剧，告诉他们不要吸毒，要待在学校里;同时，他也会在公园里玩耍，像一些演员们在仲夏夜之梦中唱着莎士比亚的歌。Abshu相信每一个，即使是布鲁斯特的年轻人，心中都有一个莎士比亚，而且如果他仅仅稍微拓宽了点视野，也会有足够的空间让他们溜进去看看这个世界在等待着什么。虽然这不是一个完美的世界，但是肯定要比现在有更多的空间。

The kids who hung around the community center liked Abshu, because he never preached and it was clear that when they spoke he listened; so he could zero in on the kid who had a real problem. It might be an offhand remark while shooting a game of pool or a one-on-one out on the basketball court, but he had a way of making them feel special with just a word or two.

那些在社区中心附近闲逛的孩子很喜欢Abshu，因为他从来不说教，当孩子们说话的时候，他总是听着，所以对于那些不听话的孩子他可以进行说教。在篮球场上打台球或一对一的比赛时，这可能是一种随意的评论，但他有一种方法，让他们觉得自己只有一两句话就显得特别。

Abshu wished that his own family could have stayed together. There were four of them who ended up in foster care: him, two younger sisters, and a baby brother. He understood why his mother did what she did, but he couldn't help wondering if there might have been a better way.

Abshu希望他的家人能在一起。他们中有四人最终在寄养家庭中得到了照顾：他、两个妹妹和一个小弟弟。他明白母亲为什么要做她所做的事，但他禁不住想知道是否有更好的办法。

Abshu was put into a home that already had two other boys from foster care. The Masons lived in a small wooden bungalow right on the edge of Linden Hills. And Mother Mason insisted that they tell any- body who asked that they actually lived in Linden Hills, a more prestigious address than Summit Place. It was a home that was kept immaculate.

Abshu被送进了一个家庭，他已经有了另外两个来自寄养家庭的男孩。石匠住在林登山边缘的一间小木屋里。梅森母亲坚持说，他们要告诉任何一个人，他们实际上住在林登山，比山顶更有名望。那是一个保持完美无瑕的家。

But what he remembered most about the Masons was that it seemed there was never quite enough to eat. She sent them to school with a lunch of exactly one and a half sandwiches—white bread spread with margarine and sprinkled with sugar—and half an apple.

但他最记得的是，石匠似乎永远也吃不饱。她送他们去学校，午餐是一份半三明治的白面包，涂着人造黄油，撒上糖和半个苹果。

When Abshu dreamed of leaving which was every day—he had his own apartment with a refrigerator overflowing with food that he gorged himself with day and night. The Masons weren’t mean people; he knew he could have ended up with a lot worse.

Abshu梦想着离开，他希望每天住在自己的公寓里，冰箱里装满了食物，他每天晚上都吃得很好。这并不代表梅森是刻薄的人，他知道他本可以做得更糟。

Abshu lived with these people for nine years, won a scholarship to the local college, and moved out to support himself through school by working in a dough-nut shop. By this time his mother was ready to take her children back home, but he decided that since he was already out on his own he would stay there. One less mouth for her to worry about feeding. And after he graduated with his degree in social work, he might even be able to give her a little money to help her along.

Abshu和这些人一起生活了9年，获得了当地大学的奖学金，通过在面团坚果店工作支撑自己几年的校园费用。此时，他的母亲已经准备好带孩子回家了，但他决定，既然他已经独立了，他就会留在那里。并且嘱咐他的母亲注意自己的饮食习惯，少吃一点为好。在他以社会工作的学位毕业后，他可以给她一些钱来帮助她。

One thing he did thank the Masons for was keeping him out of gangs. There was a strict curfew in their home that was rigidly observed. And church was mandatory. "When you’re out on your own," Father Mason always said, “you can do whatever you want, but in my home you do as I say.” No, they weren't mean people, but they were stingy—stingy with their food and with their affection. Existing that way all the time, on the edge of hunger, on the edge of kindness, gave Abshu an appreciation for a life fully lived. Do whatever job makes you happy, regardless of the cost; and fill your home with love. Well, his home became the community center right around the corner from Brewster Place and the job that made him most fulfilled was working with young kids.

他感谢梅森的一件事就是把他从帮派中赶了出来。他们的家里有必须要严格遵守的宵禁，就连信奉宗教也是强制性的。“当你一个人的时候，”梅森父亲总是说，“你可以做任何你想做的事，但在我的家里，你照我说的做。”不，他们不是刻薄的人，但是他们非常吝啬他们的食物和他们的感情。一直以来，他们总是使Abshu处在饥饿的边缘，在善良的边缘，给了Abshu感谢一个充满活力的生活。做任何工作让你快乐，无论成本如何;并用爱填满你的家。

The kids who hung out at the community center weren’t all lost yet. They wanted to make use of the tutors for their homework; and they wanted a safe place to hang. His motto was: Lose no child to the streets. And on occasion when that happened, he went home to cry. But he never let his emotions show at work. To the kids he was just a big, quiet kind of dude who didn't go looking for trouble, but he wouldn’t run from it either. He was always challenged by a new set of boys who showed up at the center. He made it real clear to them that this was his territory—his rules—and if they needed to flex their muscles, they were welcome to try. And he showed many that just because he was kind, it didn’t mean he was weak. There had to be rules some-in their world, some kind of discipline. And if they understood that, then he worked with them, long and hard, to let them see that they could make a difference in their own lives.

那些在社区中心停留的孩子们并没有全部迷失。他们想请导师教他们做功课;他们想要一个安全的地方。他的座右铭是：不要在街上丢孩子。偶尔，他回家哭了。但他从不让自己的情绪在工作中表现出来。对于孩子们，他只是一个大而安静的家伙，他没有去寻找麻烦，但他不会从中逃脱。他总是受到一群新出现在中心的男孩的挑战。他向他们明确表示这是他的领土 - 他的规则 - 如果他们需要弯曲肌肉，欢迎他们尝试。他向许多人展示了他是善良的，这并不意味着他是软弱的。在这个世界里，必须有一些规则和纪律。如果他们明白了这一点，那么他就会和他们一起努力，让他们明白，他们可以改变自己的生活。

Questions：

1.The point of view from which the passage is told can best be described as that of:

A.a man looking back on the best years of his life as director of a community center in a strife-ridden neighborhood.

B.a narrator describing his experiences as they happen, starting with childhood and continuing through his adult years as an advocate for troubled children.

C.an unidentified narrator describing a man who devoted his life to neighborhood children years after his own difficult childhood.

D.an admiring relative of a man whose generosity with children was widely respected in the neighborhood where he turned around a declining community center.

解析：本题的正确答案是C。文章主要介绍的就是Abshu文章的主人公，一个身份不明的叙述者描述了自己在困难时期将自己的一生献给了邻居的孩子的人。

2.It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that which of the following is a cherished dream that Abshu expects to make a reality in his lifetime?

E.Establishing himself financially so as to be able to bring his original family back under one roof

F.Seeing the children at the community center shift their interest from sports to the dramatic arts

G.Building on the success of the community center by opening other centers like it throughout the state

H.Expanding for some, if not all, of the children the vision they have of themselves and their futures

解析：这道题的正确答案是H。从文章的第1段“had committed himself several years ago to use his talents as a playwright to broaden the horizons for the young, gifted, and black—which was how he saw every child milling around that dark street.”我们就知道Abshu的目的就是希望拓宽孩子们的视野。

3.It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that Abshu and the Masons would agree with which of the following statements about the best way to raise a child?

A.For a child to be happy, he or she must develop a firm basis in religion at an early age.

B.For a child to be fulfilled, he or she must be exposed to great works of art and literature that contain universal themes.

C.For a child to thrive and be a responsible member of society, he or she must develop a sense of discipline.

D.For a child to achieve greatness, he or she must attach importance to the community and not to the self.

解析：这道题的正确答案是C。从“There was a strict curfew in their home that was rigidly observed.”和“There had to be rules some-in their world, some kind of discipline. ”这些句子中我们看出无论是the Masons 还是Abshu，他们都认为孩子需要有纪律性。

4.The fourth paragraph (lines 31–37) establishes all of the following EXCEPT:

E.that Abshu had foster brothers.

F.that the Masons maintained a clean house.

G.how Mother Mason felt about the location of their house.

H.what Abshu remembered most about his years with the Masons.

解析：这道题的正确答案是H。31-37行就是文章蓝色标注的地方。H选项是从38-42行推断出来的。

5.It can reasonably be inferred that which of the following characters from the passage lives according to Abshu’s definition of a life fully lived?

A.Mother Mason

B.Father Mason

C.Abshu as a child

D.Abshu as an adult

解析：这道题的正确答案是D。从“gave Abshu an appreciation for a life fully lived. Do whatever job makes you happy, regardless of the cost; and fill your home with love.”我们知道Abshu是一成年人。

6.Which of the following statements about the children entering the community center is supported by the passage?

E.They had unrealistic expectations that Abshu toned down in the course of informal conversations.

F.In Abshu’s eyes, they were all gifted.

G.In Abshu’s eyes, the children who were likely to succeed were the ones who gave him the most trouble at the outset.

H.They were prepared to believe in each other more than in themselves.

解析：这道题的正确答案是F。从“young, gifted, and black—which was how he saw every child milling around that dark street”我们知道在Abshu的眼里，孩子们都是有天赋的。

7.It can reasonably be inferred from the first paragraph that in obtaining outside funding for the community center, Abshu could be characterized as:

A.thorough in seeking out potential sources for financial backing.

B.reluctant to spoil the children with charity.

C.excited about having the children write grant applications.

D.determined to let the children decide how the money would be spent.

解析：这道题的正确答案是A。从“went after every existing grant on the city and state level ”我们知道Abshu在寻求经济支持。

8.Which of the following statements about Abshu’s attitude toward his mother’s choices early in his life is supported by the passage?

E.Abshu wishes he could get over the bitterness he feels toward her for allowing him and his siblings to be placed in foster care.

F.Abshu is worried that his mother is troubled by her decision to place her children in foster care and wants to comfort and support her now that he is a grown man.

G.Abshu wonders if she might have made a better decision about letting him and his siblings go into foster care, even though he understands why she did it.

H.Abshu wants to apologize for having been ungrateful as a child to his mother, who was only doing what she felt was best for her family.

解析：这道题的正确答案是G。从“Abshu wished that his own family could have stayed together. There were four of them who ended up in foster care: him, two younger sisters, and a baby brother. He understood why his mother did what she did, but he couldn't help wondering if there might have been a better way.”我们知道答案选G。

9.According to the passage, which of the following most closely identifies Abshu’s definition of a life fully lived?

A.Happiness in your work and love in your house

B.The pursuit of your goals and the realization of your dreams

C.Togetherness with your family and the sharing of laughter

D.Working in the community and striving for equality

解析：这道题的正确答案是A。从“on the edge of hunger, on the edge of kindness, gave Abshu an appreciation for a life fully lived. Do whatever job makes you happy, regardless of the cost; and fill your home with love”我们知道幸福的生活就是热爱工作和家人。

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