8．Parents divorced，little Buddy was in the care of his mother's large Alabama family．Over the years，Buddy seldom saw either of his parents．But he was happy where he was and he had many kindly relatives，among whom Miss Sook was by far his best friend．Before Christmas，Buddy's father had managed to get legal custody（法定監(jiān)護） of him for this Christmas．So，he had a new suit，with a card pinned with his name and address and made the trip alone，by bus，to New Orleans．
Several things occurred that kept me awake the whole night．First，the footfalls，the noise of my father running up and down the stairs，breathing heavily，I had to see what he was up to．So I hid and watched．There was a Christmas tree and the fireplace downstairs．Moreover，I could see my father．He was crawling around under the tree arranging a pyramid of packages．I felt dizzy，for what I saw forced me to reconsider everything．If these were presents intended for me，then obviously they had not been ordered by the Lord and delivered by Santa Claus； no，they were gifts bought and wrapped by my father，which meant that my rotten little cousin Billy Bob and other rotten kids like him weren't lying when they laughed at me and told me there was no Santa Claus．The worst thought was：Had Sook known the truth，and lied to me？No，Sook would never lie to me．She believed．It was just that-well，though she was sixty-something，in some ways she was at least as much of a child as I was．
I waited until I was sure he was in bed and sound asleep．Then I crept downstairs and examined the tags attached to each of the packages．They all said："For Buddy．"I decided to open the packages：It was Christmas morning．I was awake，so why not？I won't bother to describe what was inside them：just shirts and sweaters and dull stuff like that．The only thing I appreciated was a toy gun．Somehow I got the idea it would be fun to waken my father by firing it．So I did．Bang．Bang．Bang．He raced out of his room，wild-eyed，Bang．Bang．Bang．"Buddy-what the hell do you think you're doing？"Bang．Bang．Bang．"Stop that!"I laughed．"Look，Daddy．Look at all wonderful things Santa Claus brought me．"
Calm now，he walked into the room and hugged me．"You like what Santa Claus brought you？"
I smiled at him．He smiled at me．There was a tender lingering （逗留不去的） moment，damaged when I said："Yes．But what are you going to give me，Daddy？"His smile evaporated．His eyes narrowed suspiciously-you could see that he thought I was pulling some kind of trick．But then he blushed，as though he was ashamed to be thinking what he was thinking．He patted my head，and coughed and said："Well，I thought I'd wait and let you pick out something you wanted．Is there anything particular you want？"
I reminded him of the airplane we had seen in the toy store on Canal Street．His face sagged．Oh，yes，he remembered the airplane and how expensive it was．Nevertheless，the next day I was sitting in that airplane dreaming I was zooming toward heaven while my father wrote out a check for a happy salesman，who promised to help ship the plane on the bus．
But I wasn't free of New Orleans yet．The problem was a large bottle of wine； maybe it was because of my departure，but anyway my father had been drinking it all day，and on the way to the bus station，he scared me by grabbing my wrist and harshly whispering："I'm not going to let you go．I can't let you go back to that crazy family in that crazy old house．Just look at what they've done to you．A boy six，almost seven，talking about Santa Claus!It's all their fault，all those sour old spinsters with their Bibles and their knitting needles，those drunken uncles．Listen to me，Buddy．There is no God!There is no Santa Claus．"He was squeezing my wrist so hard that it ached．"Kiss me．Please．Please．Kiss me．Tell your daddy that you love him．"But I couldn't speak．I was terrified I was going to miss my bus．And I was worried about my plane，which was strapped to the top of the taxi．"Say it：‘I love you．'Say it．Please．Buddy．Say it．"
It was lucky for me that our taxi-driver was a good-hearted man．Because if it hadn't been for his help，and the help of some efficient porters and a friendly policeman，I don't know what would have happened when we reached the station．My father was so drunk he could hardly walk，but the policeman talked to him，quieted him down，helped him to stand straight，and the taxi-man promised to take him safely home．But my father would not leave until he had seen the porters put me on the bus．
Once I was on the bus，I crouched in a seat and shut my eyes．I felt the strangest pain．A crushing pain that hurt everywhere．I thought if I took off my heavy city shoes，those crucifying monsters，the agony would ease．I took them off，but the mysterious pain did not leave me．In a way it never has； never will．
Twelve hours later I was home in bed．The room was dark．Sook was sitting beside me，rocking in a rocking chair，a sound as soothing （令人舒暢的） as ocean waves．I had tried to tell her everything that had happened，and only stopped when I was hoarse （嘶啞的） as a howling dog．She stroked her fingers through my hair，and said："Of course there is a Santa Clause．It's just that no single somebody could do all he has to do．So the Lord has spread the task among us all．That's why everybody is Santa Claus．I am．You are．Even you cousin Billy Bob．Now go to sleep．Count stars．Think of the quietest thing．Like snow．I'm sorry you didn't get to see any．But now snow is falling through the stars-"Stars sparkled，snow whirled inside my head； the last thing I remembered was the peaceful voice of the Lord telling me something I must do．And the next day I did it．I went with Sook to the post office and bought a penny postcard．That same postcard exists today．It was found in my father's safety deposit box when he died last year．Here is what I had written him：Hello pop hope you are well I am and I am turning to pedal my plane so fast I will soon be in the sky so keep your eyes open and yes I love you Buddy．
56．When Buddy asked his Daddy for Christmas presents，his father's reaction suggested thatB．
A．He felt sorry he forgot to prepare presents for his son．
B．He thought his son should have known all the presents were sent by him，not Santa Claus．
C．It was difficult for him to accept that his son is so greedy．
D．He was ashamed of not knowing what his son liked．
57．Which of the following statements is NOT true？A
A．Buddy didn't tell his Daddy"I love you"until his death．
B Buddy's father and Miss Sook were people of different personalities．
C．Buddy still held the belief that there was Santa Claus．
D．Buddy finally mailed a postcard to his father．
58．What can be inferred from the first paragraph？C
A．Cousin Billy Bob had a good relationship with Buddy．
B．Miss Sook had no idea of Santa Clause，and lied to Buddy．
C．Father loved Buddy very much and prepared a lot of gifts for him．
D．Buddy was afraid of his father for they had been separated long time．
59．The following words can describe Miss Sook exceptC．
A．old B．clever C．naughty D．trusted
60．Which of the following can be the best title of passage？B
A．Is There a Santa Clause in the World？
B．A Christmas Memory
C．How to Celebrate Christmas in a Meaningful Way？
D．A Christmas of a Divorced Family．
分析 本文主要內(nèi)容是主人公與父親共度圣誕的一次經(jīng)歷，作者也通過這件事向我們講述了親情的美好．
解答 56．B．推理預(yù)測題．根據(jù)文章"His smile evaporated．His eyes narrowed suspiciously-you could see that he thought I was pulling some kind of trick．But then he blushed"可看到，父親的微笑消失，眼睛陰暗，進而又開始慚愧，可見父親已經(jīng)猜到兒子知道了一切．故選B．
57．A．細節(jié)理解題．根據(jù)文章最后一段"I went with Sook to the post office and bought a penny postcard．That same postcard exists today…yes I love you Buddy．"可知，Buddy在父親去世前給父親寄了一張明信片，上面寫了我愛你．可見A項表述錯誤．故選A．
58．C．推理預(yù)測題．根據(jù)文章第一段"Before Christmas，Buddy's father had managed to get legal custody of him for this Christmas．So，he had a new suit，with a card pinned with his name and address and made the trip alone，by bus，to New Orleans．"可知，正是由于父親為兒子過圣誕節(jié)，兒子才有了西裝，有資金去旅游等等．可推測，父親是非常愛兒子，而且給兒子買了很多禮物．故選C．
59．C．推理預(yù)測題．根據(jù)文章最后一段Miss Sook對 Buddy說的話可知，她是一個善良的老人，并教育了Buddy，讓他懂得愛，去尋找世上美好的事情，并不留遺憾．而選項中"naughty"是叛逆的意思，屬于貶義詞，故選C．
60．B．主旨大意題．本文主要內(nèi)容是主人公與父親共度圣誕的一次經(jīng)歷，而且文章最后也提到了那封寫有"我愛你"的明信片，可見這是關(guān)于圣誕的回憶．故選B．
點評 本文考察故事類閱讀．文章一般描述的是某一件具體事情的發(fā)生發(fā)展或結(jié)局，有人物、時間、地點和事件．命題往往從故事的情節(jié)、人物或事件的之間的關(guān)系、作者的態(tài)度及意圖、故事前因和后果的推測等方面著手，考查學(xué)生對細節(jié)的辨認能力以及推理判斷能力．閱讀這類材料時，同學(xué)們一定要根據(jù)主要情節(jié)掌握文章主旨大意，同時抓住每一個細節(jié)，設(shè)身處地根據(jù)文章內(nèi)容揣摩作者的態(tài)度和意圖，根據(jù)情節(jié)展開想象，即使是碰到深層理解題也可迎刃而解．
