A
I was given a voice. That’s what people said about me I trained my voice, because it would be a shame to waste such a gift. I pictured this voice as a greenhouse plant and made sure it was provided with the right temperature, the right amount of water. I relieved its fears. I told it not to tremble. I nursed it, I trained it, and I watched it climb up inside my neck
My voice bloomed. People said I had grown into my voice. Invitations to perform flooded over us. All the best places wanted us. I was sought after, or rather my voice was. We went everywhere together and gave performances. Bouquets （花束）were thrown to it. Money was presented to it. Men fell on their knees before it. Applause flew around it.
Then my voice began to shrivel. People said my voice would bloom only for a certain term: finally it would drop off and gone with it would be all the fame and wealth. I have noticed it so far. Fear has entered me since my voice has used up most of my life. I’ve given it all my love. But my voice is still as greedy as ever. It wants more: more and more, more of everything it has had so far.
Now it’s evening: the bright lights come on, and excitement quickens in the streets. We sit in this hotel room. Soon it will be time for us to go out. We have to attend a grand occasion. The two of us chained together as always. I have to put on its favourite dress, its favourite necklace and wind a fur around it. Then I have to go out: shining like ice: my voice attached to my throat like an invisible vampire （吸血鬼）.
1. Why did the author compare her voice to a greenhouse plant?
A. To introduce her way to grow a plant.
B. To stress her hard efforts to train her voice.
C. To express her determination to show her gift.
D. To indicate her strong desire to improve her skill.
2. What does the underlined word “shrivel’ in paragraph 3 mean?
A. go up B. die away
C. grow more pleasant D. become less attractive
3. What can we infer from the last paragraph of the text?
A. The author totally ruined her fame.
B. The author gradually lost her freedom.
C. The author eventually accepted her voice.
D. The author greatly enjoyed her performances.
【答案】1. B 2. D 3. B
【解析】
这是一篇记叙文。文章讲述的是作者具有天生的好嗓音，作者对声音进行精心地培养和训练，这给作者带来了名利，但作者也失去了随意运用和控制声音的自由。
【1题详解】
推理判断题。根据第一段“I was given a voice. That’s what people said about me I trained my voice, because it would be a shame to waste such a gift. I pictured this voice as a greenhouse plant and made sure it was provided with the right temperature, the right amount of water. I relieved its fears. I told it not to tremble. I nursed it, I trained it, and I watched it climb up inside my neck.(我被赋予了声音。这是人们对我的评价，我训练了自己的声音，因为浪费这样的天赋太可惜了。我把这个声音想象成温室里的植物，并确保它有合适的温度，合适的水量。我消除了它的恐惧。我叫它不要发抖。我照顾它，训练它，看着它爬上我的脖子。)”可知作者天生好声音，并且觉得浪费这样的天赋会很可惜，所以作者就像是培养植物一样努力地培养训练自己的声音，B项“强调她努力训练嗓音”切题，故选B项。
【2题详解】
词义猜测题。根据第三段第二句“People said my voice would bloom only for a certain term： finally it would drop off and gone with it would be all the fame and wealth.(人们说我的声音只会在某一个时期绽放：最后它会落下，随之而去的将是所有的名利。)”可知作者的声音开始失去吸引力，shrivel本意为“枯萎，皱缩”，在本句中指吸引力变少，故选D项。
【3题详解】
推理判断题。根据最后一段“Now it’s evening: the bright lights come on, and excitement quickens in the streets. We sit in this hotel room. Soon it will be time for us to go out. We have to attend a grand occasion. the two of us chained together as always. I have to put on its favourite dress， its favourite necklace and wind a fur around it. Then I have to go out： shining like ice： my voice attached to my throat like an invisible vampire （吸血鬼）.(现在是傍晚了：明亮的灯光亮了起来，街上的人们兴奋起来了。我们坐在这个旅馆房间里。很快我们就要出去了。我们必须出席一个盛大的场合。我们俩像往常一样被锁在一起。我得穿上它最喜欢的衣服，它最喜欢的项链，在它周围缠上一层毛皮。然后我要出去：像冰一样闪闪发光：我的声音像一个看不见的吸血鬼附在我的喉咙上。)”中的“我们俩像往常一样被锁在一起。”与“我的声音像一个看不见的吸血鬼附在我的喉咙上。”可知作者的声音已经无法自由地控制,要不断地给声音进行装饰，并且这让作者失去了随意运用声音的自由。故选B项。
