A
Children of Heaven is nearly a perfect movie for both children and adults. The theme of this movie is so universal that there is not a child who will not be wide-eyed with interest and suspense.
The film is about a boy who loses his sister’s shoes. He takes them to the cobbler(补鞋匠)for repairs, and on the way home, when he stops to pick up vegetables for his mother, a blind trash collector accidentally carries them away. Of course, the boy, named Ali, is afraid to tell his parents. His sister, named Zahra, wants to know how she is supposed to go to school without shoes. The children feverishly write notes to each other, right under their parents’ noses.
The answer is simple: Zahra will wear Ali’s sneakers to school every morning, and then run home so that Ali can put them on for his school in the afternoon. But Zahra cannot always run fast enough, and Ali, who is a good student, gets in trouble for being late to class. And there is a heartbreaking scene where Zahra sadly finds her own precious lost shoes, now on the feet of the ragpicker’s daughter.
The film also has a wonderful scene where Ali and his father bicycle from the shabby and narrow streets and alleys of the old town to the high-rises and luxury homes where the rich people live.
The father hopes for work as a gardener, but he is frightened by the challenge of speaking into the intercoms (对讲机)on the gates of the wealthy. His son jumps in, with offers of cutting, weeding, spraying and trimming. It is a great victory.
And then there is a footrace for the poor children of the district. The winner gets two weeks in a summer camp and other prizes. Ali doesn’t care. He wants to place third, because the prize is a new pair of sneakers, which he can give to his sister. The race and its outcome will be as exciting for many kids as anything they’ve seen at the movies.
Children of Heaven is about a home without unhappiness. It’s about a brother and sister who love each other, instead of fighting.
【文章大意】这是一篇说明文, 介绍一部伊朗的电影《天堂的孩子》, 又名《小鞋子》: 生活不富裕的家庭里, 哥哥因为意外搞丢了妹妹唯一的一双鞋子, 接下来两人轮流换穿哥哥的鞋子飞奔着错时上下学, 中间几经周折, 挫折连连, 令人唏嘘不已, 但最终得偿所愿, 体现人性的关怀和温暖。故事告诉我们: 贫穷固然不幸, 但兄妹两人互相体恤关爱, 家人之间充满爱心, 简单有爱的生活就是人间天堂。
1. Why is the movie called Children of Heaven?
A. Because the children receive good look-after.
B. Because their parents work hard to satisfy their demands.
C. Because the children have dreams to fulfill.
D. Because the children are poor in life but rich in spirit.
【解析】选D。深层理解题。解析电影的名字, 明明生活贫穷, 好像事事不如意, 却说是生活在天堂, 这不是从他们的物质生活角度出发, 而是着重人们美好的心灵和一家人之间的体贴关爱, 有爱的地方就是天堂。
2. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “suspense”in the first paragraph?
A. Full of excitement about the future.
B. Feel frightened about the cruelty of life.
C. Feeling of tenseness about what may happen.
D. Be angry about the unfair situation.
【解析】选C。词义猜测题。根据全文内容, 知道电影既感人至深又悬念不断, 看的人揪心连连, 所以此处表达的应该是: 电影的主题思想是普世皆通的, 所以即便是小孩子观看时也会睁大眼睛, 满怀兴趣和悬念。A是对未来充满激动之心, 应该是期待美好事情的发生, 但电影里不都是美好的愿望得以实现; B是对生活的残酷感到害怕, 流于片面, 生活不总如人意, 但幸福就存在于生活的细节之中; C对接下来要发生的事情感到紧张, 这正是观影时的正常反应, 因为不知道剧情会往哪里反转所以才会紧张不安; D对不公平的现象感到愤怒, 就整部电影的主题思想而言, 显然跑偏, 故不对。
3. What can we expect about the result of the race?
A. Ali realizes his dream and gives his sister the shoes.
B. Ali breaks his promise and goes to the summer camp.
C. Ali gets the first prize and gives his sister the shoes.
D. Zahra gets the third place and wins a pair of shoes.
【解析】选A。推理判断题。文章倒数第二段说: 区里有个跑步比赛, 第三名的奖品是一双鞋子, 阿里对第一名不在乎, 他想要的是一双还给妹妹的鞋子, 故推测他会努力赢得这双鞋子, A项合适。B项从全文来看, 阿里不是一个会违背初衷背叛诺言的人; C项, 因为第一名的奖品是为期两周的夏令营活动和其他奖品, 阿里对此不感兴趣, 所以不会期待这个奖; D项, 从头到尾没有提到他妹妹参加比赛。
