阅读理解
(2019·郑州第二次质量预测)Though not as much as in the past, grandparents are the teachers of the Navojo(纳瓦霍人) youth. They make young people aware of life at an early age. The parents allow them the privilege of teaching the children, and the grandparents take great pride in raising them.
Young children often stay with their grandparents for years at a time, developing a close and trusting relationship. The grandparents teach them Navajo legends and the principle of life, emphasizing both new culture trends and the preservation of traditions.
The grandparents are also the leading figures in teaching the youth the arts of weaving, caring for the livestock, using herbal medicine, and other arts and crafts.
The children are taught to respect their elders, care for them, help them and learn from them. Young people are urged to listen with care to the words of their elders and keep as much wisdom as possible. Grandparents often go to social gatherings and traditional events, and young people have opportunities to learn more about their culture and traditions.
I lived with my grandmother for thirteen years, and she raised me in the old ways of our people. Although I was going to school, she taught me as much as she could about our traditions. If I had a chance, I would listen again to her wise teachings, expressed with kindness in a soft voice that touched my heart.
We used to plant corn and pumpkin every summer. They never grew big enough to feed us, but we planted them anyway. I asked my grandmother why. She said, “Grandson, our plants will be far more beautiful than the flowers outside the fence.” I didn’t understand until one day I saw their beauty as I was coming over the hill with her. She said, “Anything that is a part of you is always far more beautiful than the things which you pass by.” We had some beautiful years together. I’m glad she is a part of me and I’m a part of her.
Children used to be well disciplined, possessing more respect for culture, traditions and beliefs than they do now. The world of the Navajo has been influenced by the western world, and the grandparents have less control and influence than they used to. But the young people who have been touched by their teachings have glimpsed a way of life beyond what most people know today.
【解题导语】 文章是一篇说明文。作者介绍了纳瓦霍人的一种文化： 由祖父母来教育孙子辈， 让他们学到生活中的道理。
1．What can be inferred from the first paragraph?
A．Grandparents are the source of traditional culture.
B．Parents hate to take the trouble to raise their children.
C．Early schooling isn’t every popular with the young Navojo.
D．Children learn about the meaning of life from their grandparents.
D 解析：细节理解题。根据第一段第二句“They make young people aware of life at an early age.”可知， 祖父母们使年轻人在很小的时候就认识生活，所以答案是D。
2．The underlined word “figures” in Paragraph 3 probably means “ ”．
A．persons B．pioneers
C．examples D．representatives
A 解析：词义猜测题。根据下文的“in teaching...arts and crafts”可知， 在教育年轻人的编织技艺、 照顾牲畜、 使用草药以及其他手工艺方面， 祖父母们还是 “引导人”。
3．Why did the author’s grandmother plant corn and pumpkin?
A．She had to feed her family members.
B．She tried to make full use of her garden.
C．She wanted her grandson to learn a life lesson.
D．She expected her grandson to learn about farming.
C 解析：推理判断题。根据题干中的关键词 “plant corn and pumpkin” 定位到第六段， 根据第六段内容可知， 祖母种植玉米和南瓜是为了让作者明白一个生活的道理：你自己的一部分总是远比你路过的东西要美得多，所以答案是C。
4．What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
A．To honor his beloved grandmother.
B．To stress the greatness of the Navajo.
C．To share with readers a kind of Navajo culture.
D．To show the influence of Navajo traditions.
C 解析：写作意图题。文章主要介绍了纳瓦霍人的一种文化：由祖父母们教育孙子辈， 让他们认识生活， 学到其中的道理， 所以答案是C “与读者分享一种纳瓦霍人的文化”。
