A
What do Tom Sawyer and Jumping Frogs have in common? Stories about both of them were created by one man: Mark Twain. Twain was four years old when his family moved to Hannibal, Missouri, located on the west bank of the Mississippi. Twain grew up there and was fascinated with (对……着迷) life along the river—the steamboats, the giant lumber (木头) rafts, and the people who worked on them.
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County is one of Twain's best loved short stories, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is one of his most famous novels. Both these works are celebrated by events held during National Tom Sawyer Days, which originated in the late 1950s and became national in the 1960s. Children enter their frogs in the jumping contest during National Tom Sawyer Days. There's also a fence painting contest to see who can paint the fastest. The idea for this contest comes from a scene in Tom Sawyer, in which Tom has been told to paint the fence in front of the house he lives in. It's a beautiful day, and he would rather be doing anything else. As his friends walk by, he makes them believe that it's fun to paint, and they join in the “fun”. By the end of the day, the fence has three coats of paint!
Although the story of Tom Sawyer is a fiction (虚构的事), it's based on facts. If you go to Hannibal, you'll see the white fence, which still stands at Twain's boyhood home.
本文主要介绍了马克·吐温的两部作品及全国汤姆索亚日期间的一些活动。
1．Which of the following statements about Mark Twain is TRUE?
A．He was born in Hannibal.
B．He enjoyed his life in Hannibal.
C．He spent most of his childhood on the Mississippi.
D．He often went rafting (坐船漂流) on the Mississippi with his parents.
答案：B
解析：细节理解题。从第一段第四句“Twain grew up there and was fascinated with (对……着迷) life along the river...”可知B项正确。
2．National Tom Sawyer Days were created ________.
A．about forty years ago
B．in memory of a great writer
C．shortly after Twain's death
D．to improve kids' interest in reading
答案：B
解析：推理判断题。第二段说全国汤姆索亚日期间会举办不同的活动，旨在颂扬这两部作品，由此推知是为纪念这两部作品的作者马克·吐温的。
3．Who will win the fence painting contest?
A．Bob, painting the longest.
B．Julia, painting most carefully.
C．Jim, painting in the newest way.
D．John, painting in the shortest time.
答案：D
解析：推理判断题。由第二段第四句“There's also a fence painting contest to see who can paint the fastest.”可推知能在最短的时间内漆完篱笆的将获胜，故选D项。
4．From the white fence at Twain's boyhood home, we know that ________.
A．the story of Tom Sawyer is based partly on Twain's experiences
B．the story of Tom Sawyer is based totally on Twain's imagination
C．Twain's old house is painted by the fence painting competitors
D．Twain's old house is visited by people from all over the country
答案：A
解析：推理判断题。至今仍伫立在吐温孩童时期的家外的那片白色篱笆是用来说明句首结论的——“Although the story of Tom Sawyer is a fiction(虚构的事), it's based on facts.”。因为从上一段可知《汤姆·索亚历险记》中有与此相关的情节。
