BenjyandIwereworkingintheyardtogetheroneafternoon．Itwas...

問題詳情：

Benjy and I were working in the yard together one afternoon．It was during a summer between college terms，a time of uncertainty for my son．Benjy wanted to follow in my footsteps as a musician，but he was impatient for success．I ached for him and wished I could say something．

Taking a break，Benjy looked around our 15acres with its stream，its trees，and its rolling grass．"This place is beautiful，"he said．"How did you get it？"

"I wondered when you'd ask，"I replied．We tend to take things for granted until we're about to leave or lose them．I told Benjy the story．

Our first child，Suzanne，had just been born．Gloria and I were teaching in a town where I had grown up．We wanted land so we could build a house．

I noticed a parcel south of town where cattle grazed（吃草）．It belonged to a 92﹣year﹣old retired banker named Mr．Yule．He owned a lot of land in the area，but was selling none of it．He gave the same speech to everyone who inquired．"I promised the farmers they could use it for their cattle．"

Nevertheless，Gloria and I visited him at the bank，where he still spent his days．We made our way past a forbidding mahogany（紅木） door and into a dim office．Mr．Yule sat behind a desk，reading The Wall Street Journal．He barely moved，looking at us over the top of his bifocals．

"Not selling，"he said pleasantly，when I told him we were interested in the piece of land．"Promised it to a farmer for grazing．"

"I know，"I replied nervously．"But we teach school here，and we thought that maybe you would sell it to someone planning to settle．"

He pursed his lips and stared．"What'd you say your name was？"

"Gaither．Bill Gaither．"

"H'm．Any relation to Grover Gaither？"

"Yes，sir．He was my granddad．"

Mr．Yule put down his paper and removed his glasses．Then he pointed to a couple of chairs，and we sat down．

"Grover Gaither was the best worker I ever had on my farm，"he said．"Showed up early，stayed late，did whatever needed doing and never had to be told．"

The old man leaned forward．"I found him in the barn one night an hour after quitting time．He told me the tractor needed fixing and he wouldn't feel right about leaving it undone．"Mr．Yule squinted，his eyes distant with the memory．"What'd you say you wanted，Gaither？"

I told him again．

"Let me do some thinking on it，then come back and see me．"

I was in his office again within a week．Mr．Yule told me he had thought about it．I held my breath．

"How does 3，800sound？"heasked．At3，800per acre，I would have to come up with nearly 60，000!Wasthisjustawayofputtingmeoff？"Thirty﹣eighthundred？"Irepeated，withacatchinmythroat．"Yup．Fifteenacresfor3，800．"The land had to be worth at least three times that!I gratefully accepted．

Nearly three decades later，my son and I strolled the green property that had once been pasture．"Benjy，"I said，"you've had this wonderful place to grow up on all because of the good name of a man you never met．"

At Granddad's funeral，many people had come up to me to say，"Your grandfather was a good man．"He was praised for his compassion，his ability to forgive，his tenderness，his generosity﹣﹣﹣and，most of all，his integrity．He had been a simple farmer，but his character made him a leader．

A good man．A wonderful phrase﹣﹣﹣one that has almost been lost in our culture．It reminds me of a verse from Proverbs that I was raised on："A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches，and loving favor rather than silver and gold．"

A good name is the legacy（遺產） Granddad Gaither left me．It is what I hope to leave Benjy，along with a story he can tell his son as they walk this gentle land．

55．When the writer was asked by his son how he got the land，he　  　．

A．felt very surprised

B．didn't know how to reply

C．wondered if it was the right time to tell him the story

D．had expected his son to ask this question for a long time

56．According to the text，Mr．Yule　  ．

A．grazed cattle on his farm

B．rented the land to farmers for grazing

C．had previously sold none of the land he owned

D．charged a very high price for his land

57．What was Mr．Yule's reaction when the writer requested to buy his land for the first time？　  　

A．He refused to sell it at first as usual．

B．He agreed as soon as he learned the writer's relation with Grover Gaither．

C．He asked a price that the writer couldn't afford．

D．He said it had already been sold to a farmer for grazing．

58．Why did the writer eventually get the land from Mr．Yule？　  　

A．Because he had a good name．

B．Because he offered a reasonable price．

C．Because he was the grandson of Grover Gaither．

D．Because he planned to settle．

59．Which of the following statements is true about Granddad Gaither？　  　

A．He was made a leader among the farmers．

B．He was seen by Mr．Yule as the best worker on his farm．

C．He earned a living by being a tractor driver．

D．He died before the writer was born．

60．Which of the following can be the best title？　  　

A．A good man

B．A kind banker         

C．The land

D．The legacy．

【回答】

DCACBD

知識點：人物傳記 故事類閱讀

題型：閱讀理解