A
I always feel sorry for world leaders busy dealing with fights between nations. When my three children were young, most days it was hard to keep my house from becoming a battlefield.
It got worse as they grew older. Three years ago, Zack, then 16, couldn’t make it through a day without making his sisters, Alex 11 and Taryn 9, angry.
My husband and I tried to be understanding the boy at such an age. We reasoned, punished, and left heartfelt notes on his bed about how he was hurting our family. His answer was “I say it because it’s true.”
I even tried telling the girls to fight back. Bad idea. Now I had three children at war. Whatever I said to them, they paid no attention. When there was no way out, I told everything to my sister, Mary, in an email. She replied, “Don’t email me. Email him. ”
Our son was online every day, mailing and talking with his friends. Maybe he would actually hear me this way. I didn’t say anything different, but email just took the tension away. There’d be no shouting or door banging. Zack wouldn’t feel under attack.
Zack didn’t reply for days. When he finally did, his entire message was four small words. I smiled when I read them: “You’re right. I’m sorry. ”
The children still fought, of course, but Zack changed. Best of all, I now have a better way to talk with not one but three of them. I like it that they don’t tune me out as much as they used to. They like not having to listen to me shouting to them. Or as Alex says, “You’re so much nicer online. ”
All I know is that the house is quiet. But we’re talking.
1. What was the trouble before the online talk in the family?
A. The children couldn’t get along peacefully.
B. The writer failed to understand her daughters.
C. The family found it difficult to keep the house clean.
D. The parents were not willing to talk with their children.
2. The writer emailed her sister .
A. to escape from the problem
B. hoping she’d email the boy
C. to tell her about the family problem
D. asking about childraising
3. The underlined phrase “tune me out” in the passage probably means “ ”．
A. pay no attention to me
B. get angry with me
C. quarrel with me
D. keep me out of their rooms
4. Why does the writer feel sorry for world leaders busy dealing with fights between nations?
A. Because she doesn’t think the leaders are successful.
B. Because she doesn’t think fights can be stopped.
C. Because she has nothing to do with the leaders.
D. Because she can understand that the leaders’ job is hard.
【答案】1. A 2. C 3. A 4. D
【解析】
【分析】这是一篇记叙文。作者在本文中介绍了自己处于叛逆期的儿子和父母、姐妹相处不好而给自己造成的烦恼。后来作者的姐姐给作者出主意，让作者给儿子发电子邮件，收到了很好的效果。
【1题详解】
细节理解题。根据第二段中的“Three years ago, Zack, then 16, couldn’t make it through a day without making his sisters, Alex 11 and Taryn 9, angry. (三年前，16岁的扎克一天都不能不让他11岁的妹妹亚历克斯和9岁的塔林生气)”可知，儿子和妹妹们关系不好，说明在作者给儿子发邮件之前的日子里，孩子们不能和平相处。故选A。
【2题详解】
细节理解题。根据第四段中的“Bad idea. Now I had three children at war. (现在我有三个孩子在战争中)”和“When there was no way out, I told everything to my sister, Mary, in an email. (当没有出路时，我通过电子邮件把一切都告诉了妹妹玛丽)”可知，作者在没有办法解决的情况下，给妹妹发了邮件说了家里兄妹不和的家庭问题。故选C。
【3题详解】
词句猜测题。根据第四段中的“Whatever I said to them, they paid no attention. (无论我对他们说什么，他们都不理睬)”和最后一段中的“The children still fought, of course, but Zack changed. Best of all, I now have a better way to talk with not one but three of them. I like it that they don’t tune me out as much as they used to. (当然，孩子们还在打架，但扎克变了。最重要的是，我现在有了一个更好的方式来与他们三个，而不是一个交谈。我喜欢他们不再像以前那样tune me out)”可知，在以前孩子们不理会作者说的话，现在作者可以和孩子们交流，说明孩子们现在会“注意、理睬作者”，结合as much as they used to可知，tune me out在此处意为“pay no attention to me (不理我)”，以前孩子们不理会作者。故选A。
【4题详解】
推理判断题。根据第一段中的“When my three children were young, most days it was hard to keep my house from becoming a battlefield. (当我的三个孩子还小的时候，大多数时候我很难阻止我的房子成为战场)”可知，作者无法处理孩子们之间的矛盾，在处理孩子们之间的战争中很费神，所以理解国家领导人的难处，对其感同身受。故选D。
