Brenda Linson never goes anywhere without an empty spectacles case. It is as vital to her as her purse. Yet, she doesn’t wear glasses. The reason she cannot do without it is that she cannot read and she cannot write. If ever she gets into any situation where she might be expected to do either of these things, she fishes around in her bag for the spectacles case, finds it’s empty, and asks the person concerned to do the reading for her. Until a few months ago hardly anybody knew about her problem. Her husband didn’t know and her children didn’t know. The children still don’t.
She had many tactics for hiding her difficult—for example, never lingering near a phone at work, in case she had to answer it and might be required to write something down.
It has never occurred to the children that their mother cannot read. She doesn’t read them stories, but then their father doesn’t either, so they find nothing surprising in the fact. Similarly they just accept that Dad is the one who writes the sick notes and reads the school reports. Now that the elder boy Tom is quite a proficient reader, Brenda can skillfully get him to read any notes brought home from school simply by asking,“What’s that all about, then?”
Brenda’s husband never guessed the truth in ten years of marriage. For one thing, he insists on handling all domestic correspondence and bills himself. A salesman for a large pany, he travels a great deal and so is not around so much to spot the truth. While he’s away Brenda cores with any situations by explaining that she cannot do anything until she’s discussed it with her husband.
Brenda was very successful in her job until recently. For the last five years she had worked as waitress at an expensive restaurant, and had eventually been promoted to head waitress. She kept the thing a secret there too, and got over the practical difficulties somehow.
【小题1】 Brenda’s children have never found out about her problem as .A．she isn’t often at home.B．they are too young to guess the truth.C．they find it normal to ask their father for everything.D．they think it natural that short-sighted people like their mother don’t do much reading or writing.【小题2】What most probably made Brenda try hard to hide her difficulty?
A. Her desire to be successful in her job.
B. Her fear of losing face.
C. Her deceitful nature.
D. Both A and B.
【小题3】Of the following suggested titles, which is the most appropriate?A．Brenda and Her FamilyB．A Woman Who Doesn’t Wear GlassesC．A Woman with an Empty Spectacles CaseD．The Miserable Life of a WaitressC
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(答案→)C
解析：Brenda Linson 是一个很聪明的人，她不识字，所以不会看书，也不会写字。但她确通过巧妙的办法掩饰了过去。后面就将她如果掩饰。比如带一个没有眼镜的眼镜盒，如果自己想知道什么，或者被别人要求要看什么，读什么。她就会说自己忘带眼镜了，让自己的大儿子帮她给孩子读东西。她的丈夫处理家里平常的账单，和家里的所有来信。
【小题1】细节题：从第三段的句子：It has never occurred to the children that their mother cannot read. She doesn’t read them stories, but then their father doesn’t either, so they find nothing surprising in the fact. Similarly they just accept that Dad is the one who writes the sick notes and reads the school reports. 可知孩子们没有发现她的问题，因为他们认为让爸爸做这些事情很正常，选C
【小题2】推理题：从第一段的句子：可知她隐瞒自己不识字的情况是怕失面子。从最后一段的句子：Brenda was very successful in her job until recently.可知她这么做是为了工作上的成功，所以答案是D
【小题3】标题确定题：从文章第一段的句子：Brenda Linson never goes anywhere without an empty spectacles case.可知Brenda Linson 是到任何地方都带空眼镜盒的妇女，这样做是为了隐瞒她不识字的真相，所以用A Woman with an Empty Spectacles Case比较合适，而且有点悬念的意思，选C