Today is the anniversary of that afternoon in April a year ago that I first saw the strange and appealing doll in the window of Abe Shifter's toy shop on Third Avenue near Fifteenth Street, just around the comer from my office, where the plate on the door reads: Dr. Samuel Amory. I remember just how it was that day: the first hint of spring floated across the East River, mixing with the soft-coal smoke from the factories and the street smells of the poor neighborhood.
As I turned the comer on my way to work and came to Shifter’s I was made once more aware of the poor collection of toys in the dusty window, and I remembered the approaching birthday of a small niece of mine in Cleveland, to whom I was in the habit of sending modest gifts. Therefore, I stopped and examined the window to see if there might be anything suitable, and looked at the confusing collection of unappealing objects- a red toy fire engine, some lead soldiers, cheap baseballs, bottles of ink, pens, yellowed envelopes, and advertisements for soft drinks. And thus it was that my eyes eventually came to rest upon the doll stored away in one comer, a doll with the strangest, most charming expression on her face. I could not wholly make her out, due to the shadows and the film of dust through which I was looking, but I was aware that a tremendous impression had been made upon me as though I had run into a person, as one does sometimes with a stranger, with whose personality one is deeply impressed.
- What made an impression on the author
- The doll's unusual face. B. The collection of toys.
- A stranger he met at the store. D. The resemblance of the doll to his niece.
- Why does the author mention his niece
- She likes dolls. B. The doll looks like her.
- She lives near Sheftel's. D. He was looking for a gift for her.
- Why did the author go past Sheftel's
- He was on his way to work. B. He was looking for a present for his niece.
- He wanted to buy some envelopes. D. He liked to look in the shop windows.
- The story takes place in the ________
- early summer B. early spring C. midsummer D. late spring
- Most of the things in the store window were ________
- expensive B. appealing C. neatly arranged D. unattractive
核心词汇注释
anniversary n．周年纪念
doll n．洋娃娃，玩偶；美丽但无头脑的女子；<俚>美男子
hint n．暗示，提示，线索
floater n．漂浮者，漂浮物，浮子；游民，临时工：(公司筹办的)筹资开办人
neighborhood n．附近， 邻近
approach n．接近，逼近，走进；方法，步骤，途径，通路
vt．接近，动手处理 vi.．靠近
rest n．休息，静止：支持物，台，架；[音]休止符；其余，其他
vi．休息，睡眠，静止：依靠，搁在；保持；取决于
vt．使休息，使静止，睡眠；依靠，搁在
tremendous adj．极大的， 巨大的
run n．跑，赛跑，奔跑；运转，趋向
vi．跑，奔，逃跑；竞选；跑步；蔓延；进行，行驶
vt．使跑，参赛；追究；管理；运行，开动
adj．熔化的，融化的，浇铸的
vbl．run的过去式和过去分词
长难句剖析
The first hint of spring floated across the East River, mixing with the soft-coal smoke from the factories and the street smells of the poor neighborhood.
[结构分析)本句主干是...hint...floated across the East River, 现在分词 mixing with...作伴随状语。
[参考译文]春天里最早的一丝气息从东河对岸飘过来，和工厂里燃烧烟煤排放出的浓
烟及附近街道上贫穷的气息混杂在一起。
As l as I turned the comer on my way to work and came to Sheftel's I was made once more aware of the poor collection of toys in the dusty window, and I remembered the approaching birthday of a small niece of mine in Cleveland, to whom I was in the habit of sending modest gifts.
[结构分析]本句主干是…1 was made once more aware Of．．．and l remembered the approaching birthday…。as引导时间状语从句，在第二个并列主句的后面接有一个由whom引导的非限定性定语从句用来修饰of的宾语a small niece。
[参考译文]当我从上班的路上转过拐角处来到Sheftel's玩具店的时候，我立刻就注意到在积满灰尘的橱窗里的那几个玩具，然后我想起在Cleveland我的一个小侄女就要过生日了，我习惯给她送一些便宜的礼物。
And thus it was that my eyes eventually came to rest upon the doll stored away in one comer, a doll with the strangest，most charming expression on her face．
[结构分析]本句是一个强调句型。rest upon的宾语是被强调成分，因为这个宾语接有过去分词做定语，而且还有一个同位语，因此没有直接放到让was后面。
[参考译文]就这样我的目光最终落到那个放在角落里的玩具娃娃身上，这个娃娃的脸上带着一种最奇怪、最有魅力的表情。
全文参考译文
一年前的今天，4月的一个下午，我在第五大街附近的第三大街上一家名为Abe Sheftel's玩具店的橱窗里，首次见到这个奇怪而又很吸引人的玩具娃娃。这家玩具店距离我门上写着“Samuel Amory医生”的办公室非常近。我仍记得当时的情形：春天里最早的一丝气息从东河对岸飘过来，和工厂里燃烧烟煤排放出的浓烟及附近街道上贫穷的气息混杂在一起。
当我从上班的路上转过拐角处来到Sheftel's玩具店时，我立刻就注意到在积满灰尘的橱窗里的那几个玩具，然后我记起在Cleveland我的一个小侄女就要过生日了，我习惯给她送一些便宜的礼物。所以我停下来仔细瞧瞧橱窗里是否有什么适合的东西，但看到了一堆莫名其妙并不招人喜爱的东西—件红色的玩具打火机，一些铅制的士兵，廉价的棒球，一瓶瓶墨水，钢笔，发黄的信封，还有软饮料的广告。就这样我的目光最后落到那个放在角落里的玩具娃娃身上。这个娃娃的脸上带着一种最奇怪、最有魅力的表情。由于是透过橱窗上一层灰尘观看并且光线阴暗，我无法完全辨认出她来。但是我意识到这个娃娃给我留下了深刻的印象，就像是我撞倒了一个人，就像有时候一个人对一个有着鲜明个性的陌生人所产生的深刻印象。
题目答案与解析
1． 什么给作者留下了印象 [答案]A
A．娃娃奇怪的脸。 B．一堆礼物。
C．他在店里遇到的陌生人。 D．娃娃和他侄女的脸的相同之处。
[解析]本题的依据是文章最后一段中的两句话a doll with the strangest，most charming expression on her face…a tremendous impression had been made upon me。因此A项为正确答案。
2． 作者提及他的侄女的原因是什么 [答案]D
A．她喜欢娃娃。 B．娃娃看上去像她侄女。
C．她住在Sheftel's玩具店附近。 D．他正在为她寻找礼物。
[解析]本题可参照文章的第2段。开始时作者说在上班的路上路过那家玩具店，而且当时碰巧想起每年要给自己的侄女买件生日礼物，而且他知道侄女喜欢不太贵的玩具，因此才停下来看看有没有合适的。这里提到侄女应该是作者为自己下一步的举动做出的一个铺垫。因此D项为正确答案。
3． 作者经过Shefte's玩具商店门口的原因是什么 [答案]A
A．他在去上班的路上。 B．他在给他侄女寻找礼物。
C．他想买点信封。 D．他喜欢看橱窗。
[解析]本题可参照文章的第2段。开始时作者说在上班的路上路过那家玩具店，从中可知作者并非专门去玩具店买东西，只不过是路过而已。因此A项为正确答案。
4． 本篇故事发生在________。 [答案]B
A．早夏 B．早春 C.仲夏 D．晚春
[解析]从文中第1行中间的in April和第4行的the first hint of spring可知，B项为正确答案。
5． 在玩具店橱窗中多数的东西 __________。 [答案]D
A．昂贵 B．吸引人 C．安排得很整洁 D．不引人注意
[解析]本题的依据是文章第2段的And looked at the confusing collection of unappealing objects，unappealing和D项中的unattractive一样，意思都是“不吸引人的”，因此D为正确答案。