2020-2021学年高二英语人教版选修6阶段综合检测2 WORD版含解析.doc

1、阶段综合检测(二)第二部分阅读理解(共两节，满分50分)第一节(共15小题；每小题25分，满分375分)阅读下列短文，从每小题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。AWelcome to The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET)HOURSOpen seven days a weekSUNTHU，10 AM5：30 PM，FRI，SAT 10 AM9 PMClosed Thanksgiving Day，December 25，January 1，and the first Monday in MayADMISSIONMembers and Sponsors

2、 visit free and enjoy express admissionGeneral Admission：Adults，$25; seniors (65 and older)，$17; students，$12; and children under 12，freeGeneral admission tickets include special exhibitions and are valid(有效的)for three daysFor New York State residents with valid ID，Connecticut，and New Jersey student

3、s：The amount you pay is up to youPlease be as generous as you canAll ticket holders must go through securityPARKING GARAGE80th Stand Fifth AveDiscount for Members and SponsorsGROUP VISITSCall 2125703711 or visit metmuseumorg/groupvisitsFREE GUIDED TOURSAudio GuideListen to the stories behind thousan

4、ds of artworks in The Met collection and select exhibitionsRent an Audio Guide device (with a headset or neck loop)：adults，$7; Members，$6; children under 12，$5; and free to visitors who are blind，partially sighted，deaf or have hearing lossTranscripts in standard and large print are available for sel

5、ected toursLearn more at metmuseumorg/audioguideDaily tours with GuidesCheck at any information desk or visit metmuseumorg/mettours for free gallery talks and tours presented by staff，outside scholars，and trained volunteersACCESSIBILITYFor information about accessibility and services for visitors wi

6、th disabilities，contact accessmetmuseumorg or call 2126502010，or visit metmuseumorg/access【语篇解读】本文是一则广告，介绍了The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET)的开放时间、票价等信息。1Normally on which day can a visitor stay at the MET for the longest time?ASaturdayBWednesdayCMonday DThanksgiving DayA细节理解题。根据第一部分“HOURS Open se

7、ven days a week SUNTHU，10 AM5：30 PM，FRI，SAT 10 AM9 PM”可知周六开放时间是上午十点至晚上9点，开放时间是最长的一天。2How much should a middle aged woman and her 14yearold daughter from China pay to visit the MET?A$12 B$25C$29 D$37D细节理解题。根据第二部分“General Admission：Adults，$25; seniors (65 and older)，$17; students，$12; and children und

8、er 12，free”可知成年人的票价是$25，12岁以上的学生票价是$12，题干中一位中年妇女和14岁的女儿两个人的票价应该是$37。3How can people inquire about access to the MET?ABy calling 2125703711BBy calling 2126502010CBy visiting metmuseumorg/group visitsDBy contacting metmuseumorg/mettoursB细节理解题。根据最后一段“For information about accessibility and services for

9、 visitors with disabilities，contact accessmetmuseumorg or call 2126502010，or visit metmuseumorg/access”可知如果游客想了解更多信息，可以发邮件、登录网站，也可以拨打电话2126502010。BNeither rain nor snow nor gloom of night can separate Tennessee postal carrier Mike Crenshaw from his 4andahalfyearold friend Carter Lawson or keep them

10、from their appointed roundsThey really hit it off over the past nine months，when Carter started bringing his neighbourhood postman，known affectionately as “Mailman Mike”， some water and a snackThe mailman brought the preschooler candy in returnThe two have teamed up every day for a few minutes of de

11、livering mail and chatting with fellow residentsWhile some kids dream of being Spiderman or Batman，Carter has a different hero in mind：Mailman“Anyone could just be like Go away，kid， but Mike has really gone out of his way to talk with Carter，” said Cassie Lawson，Carters momShe even got her son a mat

12、ching，a minisized postal service uniform so that he could look the part while walking the route with his buddy“Every letter carrier has stops he looks forward to and this is the one I look forward to every day，” said Mike“Hes the end of my day，and the best part of my day，not just because its the end

13、，but because hes such a cute little guy”Mike once invited Carter to the post office to see the inner workings of the mail industryDuring his visit，Carter learned how mail was delivered and witnessed the thrilling process of sorting mail and more，which has fueled his dream of someday becoming a mailm

14、an，tooThe man and the little boys connection isnt a surprise to Fredric Rolando，president of the National Association of Letter CarriersIn his opinion，kids respond to mailmen because letter carriers are a friendly part of the neighbourhood who bring something to their house every day and are someone

15、 they come to recognize and trust【语篇解读】本文是一篇记叙文。全文讲述了邮递员Mike Crenshaw和一个四岁小男孩Carter Lawson之间的一段特殊情谊。4What would Mike and Carter do every day?AEnjoy the beautiful scenery of nightBSend letters and talk with neighboursCHave an enjoyable picnic togetherDVisit the place where Mike workedB细节理解题。由二段中的“The

16、 two have teamed up every day for a few minutes of delivering mail and chatting with fellow residents”可知， Mike 和 Carter每天做的事情就是送信并与邻居交谈。5Why did Mike look forward to the end of a day?AHe wanted to finish his work earlyBHe looked forward to going homeCHe enjoyed staying with the kidDHe could work wit

17、h his role modelC细节理解题。由第四段中的“Hes the end of my day，and the best part of my day，not just because its the end，but because hes such a cute little guy”可知，邮递员喜欢和 Carter待在一起。6From the last paragraph，we can infer that Amailmen play an important role in peoples lifeBchildren are taught to be careful of str

18、angersCmailmen are good at getting along with kidsDkids should often come out to make new friendsA推理判断题。由最后一段中的“letter carriers are a friendly part of the neighbourhood who bring something to their house every day and are someone they come to recognize and trust”可知，邮递员每天与街坊见面赢得了他们的认同和信任，在人们的生活中扮演了重要

19、的角色。7What would be the best title for the text?AHero Mailman MikeBThe Best ColleagueCLittle Boys Big DreamDAn Unusual FriendshipD标题判断题。通读全文可知，全文讲述了邮递员Mike Crenshaw和一个四岁小男孩Carter Lawson之间的一段特殊情谊，因此D项最适合做标题。CBlack Fridaythe day after Thanksgiving Day in the United Statessignals the beginning of the ho

20、liday shopping seasonAlthough its not an official holiday，millions of employers give their employees the day off，and many people use that day to get a jumpstart on their holiday shoppingA similar day in Canada and the Great Britain is called “Boxing Day”Black Friday has become a marketing sensation

21、in recent yearsSince 2005，it has been the busiest shopping day of the yearTo lure shoppers，retailers routinely open their doors as early as 4 am and offer special sales and promotions to the shoppers that arrive earlySome of the special deals offered by stores are only available in limited quantitie

22、sThat is why some shoppers intend on getting the best deals often camp out in front of stores overnight so that they will be the first in line when the doors openBut why Black Friday? Historians believe the name started in Philadelphia in the mid 1960sBus drivers and police used “Black Friday” nameI

23、n the early 1980s，a more positive explanation of the name began to circulateAccording to this alternative explanation，Black Friday is the day when retailers finally begin to turn a profit for the yearIn accounting terms，operating at a loss is called being “in the red” because accountants traditional

24、ly used red ink to show negative amountsPositive amounts were usually shown “in black ink”Thus，being in the black is a good thing because it means stores are operating at a profitRecently，for those who are too busy to stop on Black Friday，or who just dont want to fight the crowds，the Monday followin

25、g Black Friday has become known as Cyber Monday for shoppers can take advantage of the comfort of getting many online deals from their homes【语篇解读】本文属于文化类的短文阅读。文章介绍了与黑色星期五相关的信息和名字的由来，让我们了解了西方文化的特定历史知识和文化习俗等。8On Black Friday，the Americans Adont have to go to work as usualBlook exactly like the Canadia

26、nsCare usually busy doing shoppingDstay at home and relax themselvesC细节理解题。根据文章第一段的句子“Although its not an official holiday，millions of employers give their employees the day off，and many people use that day to get a jumpstart on their holiday shopping”可知，在黑色星期五，美国人经常忙着购物。9The underlined word “lure”

27、in Paragraph 2 probably means Aattract BprotectCpersuade DremindA词义猜测题。根据划线词后面的句子“retailers routinely open their doors as early as 4 am and offer special sales and promotions to the shoppers that arrive early”零售商早上4点就开门，给早到的顾客一些特价打折和促销，可以猜测，“lure”是“吸引”的意思。10How do the retailers understand Black Frid

28、ay?AIt has the same meaning as Boxing DayBThey usually lose some money on the dayCIt always keeps them very busy all dayDIt probably brings them more moneyD细节理解题。根据文章第三段的句子“According to this alternative explanation，Black Friday is the day when retailers finally begin to turn a profit for the year”可知

29、，零售商认为黑色星期五可以带给他们更多的钱。11The authors purpose in writing this passage is to Astate the development of Cyber MondayBtell the difference between red and blackCintroduce Black Friday to the readersDexplain the meaning of Boxing DayC写作意图题。根据文章内容和第一段的句子“Black Fridaythe day after Thanksgiving Day in the Uni

30、ted States”可知，文章主要给读者介绍黑色星期五。DDogs are mans best friendsthey are very good for childrens healthResearchers found that family pets helped to protect babies against breathing problems and infectionsA team from Kuopio University Hospital in Finland studied 397 babies born at their hospital between Sept

31、ember 2012 and May 2015 for their first yearThey found that babies who lived with a dog or a cat spent fewer weeks with ear infections，coughs or runny nosesThey were also less likely to need antibiotics(抗生素) than babies in homes without a petStudy author，DrEija Bergroth，said dogs brought dirt and ba

32、cteria into the home，which helped childrens immune system to be strongThis improved their defenses against bacteriaAs part of the study，parents filled out weekly diaries starting when the children were nine weeks old，recording information on babies health as well as their contact with cats and dogsT

33、hey recorded if they had fever，ear infections，coughs or running nosesThey also put down whether they needed antibioticsBased on those diaries，the researchers found that about a third of the children spent most of their first year with a pet dog and 24 percent in a home with a catAnd children with no

34、 dog contact at home were healthy for 65 percent of the time，compared to between 72 and 76 percent for those who did have a petThe researchers also found that contact with dogs，more than cats，was tied to fewer weeks of sickness for babiesHowever，the researchers said they couldnt rule out the possibi

35、lity that people who own dogs are less likely to get sick for another reason，not due to any protection offered by pets【语篇解读】本文为介绍说明文。文章介绍了一项研究，研究人员发现，狗对孩子们的健康很有好处，家庭宠物帮助保护宝宝免受呼吸问题和感染。12The researchers studied each childs life Afor a year Bfor three yearsCfor four years Dall through childhoodA细节理解题。根

36、据第二段中的“A team from Kuopio University Hospital in Finland studied 397 babies born at their hospital between September 2012 and May 2015 for their first year”可知，研究人员研究了每个孩子一年的生活。13How are dogs able to benefit children?ABy fighting bacteriaBBy stopping them from going outCBy strengthening their immune

37、systemDBy producing the antibiotics they needC细节理解题。根据第三段中的“Study author，DrEija Bergroth，said dogs brought dirt and bacteria into the home，which helped childrens immune system to be strong”可知，狗帮助增强了孩子的免疫系统。14What do the underlined words，“rule out”，in the last paragraph probably mean?ADetermine BSepa

38、rateCControl DIgnoreD词义猜测题。根据上文描述可知，家庭宠物帮助保护宝宝免受呼吸问题和感染。再结合划线词所在句中的“However，the researchers said they couldntthe possibility that people who own dogs are less likely to get sick for another reason”可推知，此处rule out应为“排除”。15We can learn from the text that Adogs are very friendly towards peopleBdogs are

39、better for babies health than catsCdogs have the most benefits for manDdogs are free from antibioticsB细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中的“The researchers also found that contact with dogs，more than cats，was tied to fewer weeks of sickness for babies”可知，狗比猫更有益于婴儿的健康。【解题策略】依据逻辑推理猜测词义运用逻辑推理猜测词义是使用最广考查最多也最易失分的猜词方式。要求考生具备整合

40、分散复杂信息的能力，充分利用上下文中相关的词汇并结合具体的语境，从形式和内容上把握语言之间的内在联系，理顺语言之间的逻辑关系，进而达到猜词的目的。第14小题中，考生可以根据该画线词所在的上下文语境来推测rule out的意思。根据文章的描述可知，家庭宠物帮助保护宝宝免受呼吸问题和感染。再结合划线词所在句“However，the researchers said they couldntthe possibility that people who own dogs are less likely to get sick for another reason”，其中关键词是转折词“However

41、”，再根据句意“研究人员说，他们不能养狗的人不太可能生病这个原因”可推知，此处rule out应为“排除”，句意：研究人员说，他们不能排除养狗的人不太可能生病这个原因。第二节(共5小题；每小题25分，满分125分)根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。You probably know that exercise is the key to reducing depression，but you might not know whyHere are some tips for exercising when youre depressedChange

42、 your view of “exercise”Forget “exercise”Instead，think “being active” or “having fun” 16 Besides，it gives you a bigger benefit 17 Taking part in physical activities with others supports you in doing those activitiesAsk friends what activities theyre doing or they would like to start doing，and join t

43、hemOther choices include hiring a personal trainer，joining an exercise group or going to a classTry an experiment 18 Or go to the gym every Monday，Wednesday and FridayEven if youre feeling too tired to do any actual exercise，still go to the gym，park your car，walk in，change into workout clothes，and p

44、ick up a 5pound weightIf youre really so tired that you dont want to do anything else，thats totally fineTake it outsideNature has a great effect on our feeling and decreases depressive symptomsEven just looking at images of lakes and trees helps 19 Or walk on a treadmill (跑步机) by a windowTie it to a

45、 goalKorb said，“When you connect your exercise to a longterm goal，it helps your brain forget momentary discomfort and makes your exercise more satisfying” For example，Korb started getting active because it made playing sports more enjoyableFigure out whats truly important to you 20 AMove with someon

46、e elseBSign up and go to exercise classesCIts a lot easier to do something simpleDRemind yourself of your goal regularlyERemember your partner to keep you companyFTake a walk around your neighbourhood or a local parkGThis increases your chances of actually moving your body【语篇解读】本文是一篇说明文。锻炼是减少压抑的关键，文

47、章中给出了五条锻炼的具体建议。16G横线前一句中“Instead，think being active or having fun”提及的“being active”和“having fun”都是表示积极含义的词，这些词可以增加人们参加锻炼的可能性。G项符合语境。17A本段第一句“Taking part in physical activities with others supports you in doing those activities”建议我们要和他人一起参加体育锻炼，与A项语意一致。18B横线后半句“Or go to the gym every Monday，Wednesday

48、 and Friday”属于另外一种锻炼的方法：定期锻炼。与B项语意一致。19F横线前两句“Nature has a great effect on our feeling and decreases depressive symptomsEven just looking at images of lakes and trees helps”告诉我们自然可以减少压抑症状，甚至只要看看湖泊和树也会有帮助。F项与本段主旨相符。20D本段的主题是“Tie it to a goal”人们锻炼都要有目标，要经常提醒自己注意达成目标。D项与本段中心思想一致。第三部分英语知识运用(共两节，满分30分)第一

49、节完形填空(共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分)阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。Joy to the WorldLights，decorations and Christmas trees filled the storesMany people were there because Christmas was only two days 21 Thirteenyearold Joy had just 22 her Christmas shoppingJoy went out of the store and came across her classmate

50、，Nick，the least 23 student in school，who wore strange clothing and had a face only a mother could love“What are you doing for Christmas？” said Nick with a smile that showed all his yellow teeth“Im buying presents and having dinner with my 24 ，” said Joy，trying to be polite“What about you？”“My parent

51、s are away，” he said“I live with my uncle，who doesnt like me very much”Joy wasnt sure how to 25 ，so she said goodbye with an awkward smileShe felt sorry for Nick since he must feel 26 But it wasnt really her problemOn Christmas Eve，Joys family were busy around 27 for the holidayJoys parents were coo

52、king in the kitchenJoy was a child for holiday cheer，dancing around the houseAfter dinner，the family got into their car and 28 to church for the Christmas Eve serviceWhen they walked into the old building，they were surrounded by the flow of beautiful songsA man stood up with Bible and 29 the story J

53、oy had learned on her mothers kneeIt was about a baby named Jesus who came to live on Earth to help people who needed himJoys thoughts kept turning back to NickIt must be 30 to be lonely on Christmas，a day that celebrated Gods Son coming to EarthTears started to run down her 31 ，but she brushed them

54、 awayJoy lay awake that night 32 everyone else was sleeping like a babyShe was thinking of ways to help NickThe instant she heard parents get up，she jumped out of bedShe found them in the kitchen and told them about NickThen she asked，“Can we invite him 33 today？” “Sure，” answered Joys mother，who wa

55、s always happy when guests cameHer father smiledWhen Joy called Nick later that day，he was excitedAfter getting his uncles 34 he joined them for dinnerTo her surprise，Nick enjoyed spending time with herJoy came to understand 35 Christmas cheer is a joy to Nick，even to the whole world【语篇解读】本文是一篇记叙文。圣

56、诞节前夕乔伊在商店见到了学校最不受欢迎的同学尼克，交谈之中获知尼克父母双亡，和不太喜欢自己的叔叔生活在一起。之后便各自离开。晚饭后在与家人去教堂参加圣诞节前夜礼拜时，乔伊想到了孤独可怜的尼克。第二天乔伊向父母谈起了尼克的事情并得到父母的许可，邀请尼克来家里共进晚餐。乔伊开始理解分享圣诞快乐对尼克来说是一种快乐，甚至是整个世界。21Aago BawayClong DbeforeB由“only two days”可知， 离圣诞节只有两天了。22Astarted BfinishedCcontinued DrememberedB由“ Joy went out of the store ”可知，乔伊完成

57、了购物，才走出了商店。23Asmart BseniorCpopular DadmirableC由“who wore strange clothing and had a face only a mother could love”可知，尼克穿着奇怪的衣服，有一张只有母亲才能爱的脸。所以判断尼克在学校不受欢迎。24Afriends BclassmatesCcolleagues DfamilyD由“Christmas”可知，圣诞节是团圆的日子，所以要和家人共进晚餐。25Areject BcommentCrespond DconcludeC由“so she said goodbye with an

58、awkward smile”可知，乔伊不知如何回应他，所以说了再见。26Aguilty BlonelyCsurprised DuncertainB她为尼克感到难过，因为他一定感到孤独。由下文“to be lonely on Christmas”可知，B选项切题。27Apaying BwaitingCapplying DarrangingD圣诞节前夕，乔伊的家人忙于为假期做安排。28Aslid BheadedCstuck DlinkedB由下文的“ walked into”可知，一家人前往教堂。29Aread BwroteCcovered DpublishedA根据常识可知，读圣经这是做礼拜的一

59、个必经的仪式。30Aterrible BunusualCenjoyable DfrighteningA句意：圣诞节是庆祝上帝之子降临人间的日子，孤独一定很可怕。31Aeyes BheadCcheeks DmouthC根据常识判断，眼泪一定是沿着面颊流下来。32Aif BsinceCwhile DbecauseC那天晚上，当所有人都睡得像婴儿一样的时候，乔伊醒着躺在床上。33Aup BoutCover DacrossCinvite sbover“邀请某人来”。34Aappreciation BconsiderationCappointment DpermissionD由“he joined th

60、em for dinner”可知，尼克得到叔叔的许可之后，才来家里做客。35Asharing BenjoyingCswitching DexperiencingA由前文的“When Joy called Nick later that day，he was excitedTo her surprise，Nick enjoyed spending time with her”可知，乔伊邀请尼克来家里做客，尼克很高兴，乔伊也很高兴。所以他们彼此分享着快乐。第二节(共10小题；每小题15分，满分15分)阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。Xuan paper，known

61、as one of the Four Treasures of Study，first came into 36_(exist) in Xuan Prefecture in the Tang dynastyThe traditional skill of making the paper 37_hand has been passed down through generationsThe process takes as many as 100 steps，all of 38_require a level of delicacyTake papermaking master Zhou Do

62、nghong for exampleHe uses a fine screen to filter(过滤)a mixture of water and fibersHe lifts it up，and its a sheet of paperIt takes him and his partner only 15 seconds 39_(form) and shape it，but theyve devoted 40_(them) to perfecting the skills for decades“There are a lot of tricks of filtering the fi

63、bers，and timing is the 41_(difficult) part of allWe have only one chance to filter the right amount of fibers，and only the proper weight guarantees the paper is neither too thin nor too thick，and the range for error is 42_(extreme) small，” said ZhouWith just the right degree of thickness，top quality

64、 Xuan paper holds ink and water tightlyThe skill of papermaking，43_(recognize) as a national treasure，has also proven to be an international oneWe felt 44_great sense of pride as it was listed as a world intangible culture heritage(非物质文化遗产) by UNESCO in 2009Since then，in Jingxian County，Xuan paperma

65、king 45_(teach) in schools【语篇解读】本文介绍宣纸的发明经历。2009年，联合国教科文组织将其列为世界非物质文化遗产，我们感到非常自豪。36existence考查名词。come into existence 产生，开始存在。37by考查固定短语by hand 用手，手工。38which考查关系词。steps作先行词，指物，后面的定语从句缺少主语，all of which作主语，故答案为which。39to form考查非谓语动词。It takes sbsome time to do sth做某事花费某人多少时间，可知答案为to form。40themselves考查代

66、词。devote oneself to献身于。41most difficult考查形容词。根据of all可知此处是形容词最高级。42extremely考查副词。副词修饰形容词，故答案为extremely。43recognized考查非谓语动词。此处是过去分词作后置定语，故答案为recognized。44a考查冠词。句意：2009年，联合国教科文组织将其列为世界非物质文化遗产，我们感到非常自豪。也就是我们有一种自豪感。45has been taught考查时态和语态。根据Since then是现在完成时态的标志，Xuan papermaking 和teach之间是被动关系，所以句子用现在完成时

67、态的被动语态。第四部分写作(共两节，满分35分)第一节应用文写作(满分15分)假定你是李华，你的朋友Jamie在今年你市英语口语比赛中荣获一等奖。请你给他写一封邮件，内容包括：1表示祝贺；2你的感想；3请他方便时到你班介绍经验。注意：1词数80左右，信的开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。2可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。参考词汇：municipal English Speaking Contest 市级英语口语比赛Dear Jamie，Long time no see! Yours，Li Hua参考范文Dear Jamie，Long time no see! Im more than delig

68、hted to learn that you have won first prize of this years municipal English Speaking ContestIm proud of you and would like to extend my congratulations on your successYour beautiful voice and fluent English left us a deep impressionWe know you have always been hardworking and devoted to English lear

69、ning，which contributes to your successSurely your experience will be of great benefit to our English learningSo could you share with my class how you improve your English at your convenience? I would appreciate it if you could spare your timeLooking forward to your early replyYours，Li Hua第二节读后续写(满分2

70、5分)阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。A gift of love“Can I see my baby？”the happy new mother askedWhen the bundle(襁褓) was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face，she suddenly breathed deeplyThe doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospit

71、al windowThe baby had been born without earsTime proved that the babys hearing was perfectIt was only his appearance that was spoiledWhen her son rushed home from school one day and threw himself into his mothers arms，she sighed，knowing that his life was to be a succession of heartbreaksHe cried out

72、 the tragedy，“A boy，a big boycalled me a freak(怪物)”He grew up，handsome except for his misfortuneA favorite with his fellow students，he might have been class president，but for thatHe developed a gift，a talent for literature and music“But you might look the same as other young people，”his mother whisp

73、ered to herself，feeling a kindness in her heartThe boys father had a talk with the family physician“Could nothing be done？”“I believe I could graft(移植) on a pair of outer ears，if they could be obtained，”the doctor decidedSo the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young ma

74、nTwo years passed throughThen，“Youre going to the hospital，sonMother and I have someone who will donate the ears you needBut its a secret，”said the fatherThe operation was a brilliant success，and a new person emergedHis talents blossomed into genius，and school and college became a series of triumphs

75、Paragraph 1：Later he married and entered the diplomatic service Paragraph 2：The years kept their profound secret，but the day did come 【参考范文】Later he married and entered the diplomatic service“But I must know，”he asked his father，“who gave me the ears；who gave me so muchI could never do enough for hi

76、m”“I do not believe you could，”said the father，“but the agreement was that you are not to knownot yet”The years kept their profound secret，but the day did comeOne of the darkest days that ever pass through a sonHe stood with his father over his mothers casket(棺木)Slowly，tenderly，the father sighed and stretched forth a hand and raised the thick，reddish brown hair to reveal that the mother had no outer ears“Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut，”his father whispered gently，“and nobody ever thought mother less beautiful，did they？”