40. What can we learn about the pet lizard from Paragraph 1 ?
- A. Its tank grew dirty.
- B. Its old skin came off.
- C. It got a skin disease.
- D. It went missing.
答案：B
答案句：About five weeks ago, I noticed the skin of our pet lizard (蜥蜴)was growing dusty. It worried me. I reported the strange surface on the skin of the lizard to my husband and children the next morning. Seconds later, our lizard emerged from its tank with its old skin flowing behind it.
参考译文：大约五周前，我注意到我们的宠物蜥蜴的皮肤变得灰暗。这让我很担心。第二天早上，我把蜥蜴皮肤上的奇怪表面告诉了丈夫和孩子们。几秒钟后，我们的蜥蜴从它的饲养箱里出来，旧皮在它身后飘动。
定位线索：题干“from Paragraph 1”→答案句取自第1段“our lizard emerged from its tank with its old skin flowing behind it”；文中“old skin flowing behind it”对应选项B“Its old skin came off”。
解析：题干问从第一段能了解到宠物蜥蜴的什么信息。答案句直接描述蜥蜴从箱子里出来时旧皮在身后飘动，即旧皮脱落，对应选项B。选项A“Its tank grew dirty”是偷换概念，文中说的是皮肤变灰暗而非箱子脏；选项C“It got a skin disease”无中生有，文中未提及疾病；选项D“It went missing”无中生有，文中未说蜥蜴失踪。
41. Why did the author's husband have banana pudding for his birthday?
- A. The birthday cake was ruined.
- B. The author made good puddings.
- C. Pudding was his favorite dessert.
- D. They couldn't afford a birthday cake.
答案：A
答案句：Two hours before my husband came back home from another job interview, my daughter climbed up to grab a glass vase from a high shelf. It fell and crashed beside the cake. Tiny pieces of glass were everywhere. She sobbed loudly as I threw the cake away. My husband had banana pudding for his birthday.
参考译文：在我丈夫从另一次求职面试回家前两小时，我女儿爬上去从高架子上拿一个玻璃花瓶。花瓶掉下来，在蛋糕旁边摔碎了。到处都是小玻璃碎片。当我扔掉蛋糕时，她大声抽泣。我丈夫的生日吃了香蕉布丁。
定位线索：题干“why did the author's husband have banana pudding”→答案句取自第6段“I threw the cake away”和“My husband had banana pudding for his birthday”；文中“threw the cake away”对应选项A“The birthday cake was ruined”。
解析：题干问为什么作者丈夫生日吃香蕉布丁。答案句说明蛋糕被玻璃碎片污染，作者扔掉了蛋糕，因此丈夫只能吃布丁，对应选项A。选项B“The author made good puddings”无中生有，文中未提布丁做得好；选项C“Pudding was his favorite dessert”无中生有，文中未提丈夫最爱布丁；选项D“They couldn't afford a birthday cake”无中生有，文中未提经济原因。
42. Why does the author mention The Last Dance in the passage?
- A. To prove a theory.
- B. To define a concept.
- C. To develop the theme.
- D. To provide the background.
答案：C
答案句：The poignancy (酸楚)of Jordan retiring from his beloved basketball to play baseball and what had pushed him to make such a tough decision took me by surprise. As I watched him take off his basketball uniform and replace it with a baseball uniform, I saw him leaving behind the layer that no longer served him, just as our lizard had. Neither of them chose the moment that had transformed them. But they had to live with who they were after everything was different. Just like us. I realized that we have to learn to leave the past behind.
参考译文：乔丹从他心爱的篮球退役去打棒球，以及是什么促使他做出如此艰难的决定，这种酸楚让我感到惊讶。当我看着他脱下篮球服换上棒球服时，我看到他抛下了不再为他服务的那个层面，就像我们的蜥蜴一样。他们都没有选择改变他们的那个时刻。但在一切不同之后，他们必须接受自己现在的样子。就像我们一样。我意识到我们必须学会把过去抛在身后。
定位线索：题干“mention The Last Dance”→答案句取自第8段“I saw him leaving behind the layer that no longer served him”和“I realized that we have to learn to leave the past behind”；文中“leaving behind the layer”对应选项C“To develop the theme”（发展主题）。
解析：题干问作者为什么提到《最后之舞》。答案句先描述乔丹退役的例子，然后引出观点“I realized that we have to learn to leave the past behind”，这个例子是为了发展文章主题——放下过去，对应选项C。选项A“To prove a theory”范围过大，文中不是证明理论；选项B“To define a concept”答非所问，文中未定义概念；选项D“To provide the background”偷换概念，例子不是背景而是主题发展。
43. The underlined part “leaving behind the layer” in Paragraph 8 can be understood as .
- A. letting go of the past
- B. looking for a new job
- C. getting rid of a bad habit
- D. giving up an opportunity
答案：A
答案句：As I watched him take off his basketball uniform and replace it with a baseball uniform, I saw him leaving behind the layer that no longer served him, just as our lizard had. Neither of them chose the moment that had transformed them. But they had to live with who they were after everything was different. Just like us. I realized that we have to learn to leave the past behind.
参考译文：当我看着他脱下篮球服换上棒球服时，我看到他抛下了不再为他服务的那个层面，就像我们的蜥蜴一样。他们都没有选择改变他们的那个时刻。但在一切不同之后，他们必须接受自己现在的样子。就像我们一样。我意识到我们必须学会把过去抛在身后。
定位线索：题干“leaving behind the layer”→答案句取自第8段“leaving behind the layer that no longer served him”和“I realized that we have to learn to leave the past behind”；文中“leave the past behind”对应选项A“letting go of the past”。
解析：题干问划线部分“leaving behind the layer”的含义。答案句先描述乔丹换掉篮球服，然后解释“leaving behind the layer that no longer served him”，最后明确说“we have to learn to leave the past behind”，即放下过去，对应选项A。选项B“looking for a new job”无中生有，文中未提找工作；选项C“getting rid of a bad habit”偷换概念，文中不是坏习惯；选项D“giving up an opportunity”偷换概念，文中不是放弃机会。
44. What does the author most likely want to tell us?
- A. Love of family helps us survive great hardships.
- B. It's not the end of the world if we break things.
- C. We should move on no matter what happens.
- D. Past experiences should be treasured.
答案：C
答案句：Humans do not shed skin (蜕皮)as easily as other animals. The beginning of change is upsetting. The process is tiring. Damage changes us before we are ready. I see our lizard, raw and nearly new. Jordan said that no matter how it ends, it starts with hope. With our tender, hopeful skin, that is where we begin.
参考译文：人类不像其他动物那样容易蜕皮。改变的开始令人不安。过程令人疲惫。伤害在我们准备好之前就改变了我们。我看到我们的蜥蜴，新生而几乎全新。乔丹说，无论结局如何，它始于希望。带着我们柔软而充满希望的皮肤，那就是我们开始的地方。
定位线索：题干“most likely want to tell us”→答案句取自第9-10段“Damage changes us before we are ready”和“no matter how it ends, it starts with hope”；文中“starts with hope”对应选项C“We should move on no matter what happens”。
解析：题干问作者最可能想告诉我们什么。答案句强调改变和伤害是不可避免的，但我们要带着希望重新开始，即无论发生什么都要继续前进，对应选项C。选项A“Love of family helps us survive great hardships”范围缩小，文中虽提到家庭但主旨是放下过去；选项B“It's not the end of the world if we break things”偷换概念，文中不是关于打破东西；选项D“Past experiences should be treasured”与主旨相反，文中是放下过去而非珍视。