I arrived at this beautiful Spanish island at the start of September, full of enthusiasm and eager to start working as an English teacher. I sorted all the necessary paperwork out and moved into a flat of my own within the first couple of days. Great，or so I thought. At 4 a．m. and at several intervals after that，I was rudely awoken by the cock that lives opposite me. Fantastic！I now have 5 extra alarms every morning.
In the following weeks，I also started to notice a trend. Things in my flat started to break at the rate of one object per day，like the hot water line，bowls，cups，the shower，doors or glass shelves.Yes，I am clumsy but things just fell apart. If it wasn't broken，it would either be dirty or missing. Using my washing basket for the first time was pretty disgusting. When I took out my clothes, they were swiftly followed by a hundred or so bugs that were living in the bottom.
As for the general lack of equipment in the house，there was no oven，tin opener，sharp knives or potato peeler. It turned out making a burger from scratch wasn't the best idea. I had a small microwave and a grill. I thought the general understanding was never to put metal in a microwave but I went on. Smoke soon started to appear.I was not quite sure if it was the burger or the grill but as soon as I opened the door，the electricity cut out.I spent the following 10 minutes in a dark，smoky room hunting for the power switch using the light from my mobile phone，which broke the week after and left me without a connection to the outer world.
Luckily，I'm now borrowing a phone and my luck has returned.No more things have broken(probably because there is nothing left to break)．I've also realized that even if a flat looks pretty，it doesn't mean its contents work.I am also learning how to adapt to life with limited，broken utensils(用具)．
【语篇解读】 本文是一篇记叙文。“我”去西班牙的一个漂亮的小岛上当英语老师，虽然拥有自己的公寓，可里面的生活用具很陈旧，给“我”的生活带来了诸多不便，但也让我学会了如何利用有限的生活用品生活。
1．What problem did the author have in the morning?
A．She often slept late.
B．Her alarm failed to work.
C．She got some noisy neighbors.
D．Her sleep was disturbed by a rooster.
D [考查细节理解。根据第一段中的“At 4 a．m. and at several intervals after that, I was rudely awoken by the cock that lives opposite me”可知，凌晨四点开始，每隔一会儿，作者就被对面公鸡的打鸣声吵醒；据此可知，作者的睡眠被公鸡打鸣声打扰了，故D项正确。]
2．What can we know about the author from Paragraph 2?
A．She was a very careful woman.
B．She was quite satisfied with her flat.
C．Her flat was pretty old but comfortable.
D．Her household articles were in poor condition.
D [考查推理判断。根据第二段第二句可知，作者所住的房子的东西每天损坏一件；据此可推知，作者所使用的日常用品很破旧，故D项正确。]
3．What happened when the author was making a burger?
A．She was seriously injured.
B．She made a terrible mistake.
C．She broke her phone accidentally.
D．She suffered a sudden power failure.
B [考查推理判断。根据第三段第三、四和五句，并结合该段其他内容可知，作者将金属烤架放进微波炉里，启动后发生了故障，电源被切断；据此可推知，作者在制作汉堡时犯了个错误，故B项正确。]
4．What is the text mainly about?
A．Remaining optimistic.
B．How to choose a nice flat.
C．Learning to live in a new flat.
D．Why living abroad is not easy.
C [考查主旨大意。通读全文可知，文章尾段尾句是全文的主题句；结合全文内容可知，文章通过讲述作者在西班牙的一个小岛上当英语老师时如何使用住房内的破旧日常用品生活的故事，说明了应当学会适应生活的道理，故C项正确。]
