托福考试阅读材料.docx

托福考试阅读材料.docx

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托福考试阅读材料

GoldenGlass

ShortstorybyAlmaLuzVillanueva

Itwashisfourteenthsummer.Hewasthinningout,becomingangularandclumsy,butthecautiousness,theold-manseriousnesshe’dhadasababy,kepthimcontained,agelessandsafe.Hishumor,alwaysdryandtothebonesinceasmallchild,letyouknowhewaswatchingeverything.

Heseemedalwaystobeatthecenterofhisownuniverse,soitwasnosurprisetohismothertohearTedsay:

“I’mbuildingafortandsleepingoutinitallsummer,andIwon’tcomeinforanything,notevenfood.Okay?

”

Thishadbeentheirsilentcommunion,thesteadypresenceoflovethatflowedregularly,daily---food.Thepresenceofhismotherpreparingit,hisgreatappetiteandobviousenjoymentofit---hisnosesmellingeverything,seeinghismothermorevividlythanwithhiseyes.

Hewatchedhernowforsignsofoffense,alarm,andonlysawinterest.“Wherewillyouputthefort?

”Vidaasked.

Shetrustedhimtobuildwellandnotruinthings,butofcourseshehadtoknowwhere.Shelookedathisdark,containedfaceandherhair,whenhewrappedhisarmsaroundherneck.Theirquiettimes---undemanding---hecouldbeletdown,andasmalltoycoulddelighthimforhours.Shethoughtoftheyearhebegankissingherelbowinpassing,thewayhepreferred.Vidawouldtouchhishair,hisforehead,hisshoulders---thebodybreathingoutatthetouch,hisstillness.Thentheexplosionoutthedoortoldherheneededhertouch,still.

“I’llbuilditbytheredwoods,inthecypresstrees.Okay?

”

“Makesureyoukeepyournailstogetheranddon’tdigintothetrees.I’llbechecking.Ifthetreesgetdamaged,it’llhavetocomedown.”

“Jasonalreadysaidhe’dbringmyfoodandstuff.”

“Wheredoyouplantoshowerandtothebathroom?

”Vidawondered.

“Withthehosewhenit’shotandI’lldigholesbehindthebarn,”Tedsaidsoquietlyastoseemunspoken.Heknewhowslitherunderher,smoothly,likesilk.

“Soundsinteresting,butitbetterstayclean---thisplaceisn’tthatbig.Also,onyourdinnernight,youcancookoutdoors.”

Hiseyesflashed,buthesaid,“Okay.”

Hebegantogatherwoodfromvariousstacks,dryingitpatientlyfromthelongrains.Hekeptinhisroomoneofthehammersandasupplyofnailsthathe’dbought.ItwasearlyJuneandtheseasonalcreekwasstillrunning.Itwasprettydarkoutthereandhewonderedifhe’dmeantwhathe’dsaid.

Tedhadn’tseenhisfatherinnearlyfouryears,andhedidn’tmisshimlikeyoushouldaregularfather,hethought.Hisfather’simageblurredwiththememoryofafootballhittinghimtoohard,pointed（abullet）,rightinthestomach,andthpunishmentforthepennycandies---atesthisfatherhadsetupforhimtofail.Hisstomachhardenedatthethoughtofhisfather,andhefoundhedidn’tmisshimatall.

Hebegantolookatheshapesofthetrees,wherethelimbsweresolid,whereapacewasprovided（heknewhismotherreallywouldmakehimteardownthefortifhehurtthetrees.）Thecypresswasrightnexttotheredwoods,makingitseemveryremote.Redwoodsdothat---theysuckupsoundandtimeandsmelllikeanotherplace.Sohecountedthefootsteps,whennoonewaslooking,fromtheforttothehouse.Hecouldn’tbelieveitwassoclose;itseemedsoseparate,alone---especiallyinthedark,whentheonlysafewayoftravelseemedflight（invisibleatbest）.

Tedhadseenhismotherwalkouttothebridgeatnightwithaglassofwine,lookingintothewater,listeningtoit.Heknewshelovedtoseethemoon’sreflectioninthewater.She’dpointeditouttohimoncebyariverwheretheycamped,herfacefulloflonging---toonakedsomehow,hethought.Then,sheswamoutintothewater,atnight,asthoughtryingtotouchthemoon.Hewouldn’tlookather.Hesatandglaredatthefireandroastedanothermarshmallowthewayhelikedit:

bubbly,softandbrown（maybesixifhecouldgetawaywithit）.Thenshe’dbeback,chilledandbright,andhewasgladshewent.MaybeIlikethemoontoo,hethought,involuntarily,asthoughthethoughtweren’thisown---butitwas.

Hebuiltthegroundfloordirectlyontheearth,withacoverofoldplywood,thenscatteredremnantrugsthathe’daskedVidatogetforhim.Heconcoctedalatchandadoor,withhishandaxoverit,justincase.Hebroughthissleepingbag,somepillows,atransistorradio,someclothes,andmovedinforthesummer.Thefirstweekhesleptwithhisbuckknifeopeninhishandandhispelletgunloadedonthesameside,hisright.ThesecondweekTedsheathedtheknifeandputitunderhishead,butkeptthepelletgunloadedatalltimes.Hemissednooneinthehousebutthedog,sohebroughthimintothecrampedlittlespace,enduringdogbreathandfartsbecausehemissedsomeone.

Tedthoughtofwhenhisfatherleft,whentheylivedinthecity,withfortykidsononesideoftheblockandfortyontheother.Herememberedthatonelittlekidwiththefunnysoresonhisbodywhochoseanappleovercandyeverytimes.Heworriedtheywouldstarveorsomethingworse.Thattimehewokeupscreaminginhisroom（heforgotwhy）,andhissisterbegancryingatthesametime,“Someone’sinhere,”asthoughtheywerehavingthesameterribledream.Vidaraninwithachairinonehandandakitchenknifeintheother,whichfrightenedthemevenmore.Butwhentheirmotherrealizeditwasonlytheirhysteria,shebecameangryandleft.Latertheyalllaughedaboutthistilltheycried,includingVida,andthingsfeltsafer.

Hebegantobuildthetopfloornowbuthehadtoprunesomelimbsoutoftheway.Well,thatwasokayaslongashewascareful.Sohestackedthemtoonesideforkindlingandbegantobracethingsinplace.Itfeltweirdgoingupintothetree,notassafeashissmall,containedplaceontheground.Hebegantobuildit,thinkingoflight.Hecouldbringhiscomicbooks,newones,situpstraightandeatsnacksinthedaytime.Hewouldputinasidewindowfacingthehousetowatchthem,ifhewanted,andatunnelfromthebottomfloortothetop.Also,aladderhe’dfoundandrepaired---hecouldpullitupandplaceitonhooks,outofreach.Ahatchatthetopoftheceilingforleavingorentering,tieddowninsidewitharope.Hebegantosleepuphere,withoutthedog,withthetunnelclosedoff.

VidanoticedTedhadbecomecheerfulandwouldstandnexttoher,toherleftside,talkingsometimes.Butsherealizedshemustn’tfacehimorhe’dbecomesilentandwanderaway.Soshestoodlistening,inthesameevenbreathandheartbeatshekeptwhenshespottedthewildpheasantswiththeirlong,lushtailstrailingthefrappearbor,pickingdelicatelyandgreedilyattheunpickedgrapesintheearlyautumnlight.Sosharp,soperfect,soraretoseeawildthingatpeace.

Sheknewheatewell---hisbrotherbroughtoutahalfgallonofmilkthatnevercameback,waitingtobeaskedtojoinhim,butneverdaringtoask.Hissistermadehimanextrapieceofhamforhisfoureggs;mostalwaysheatecoldcerealandgruitorgotahotchocolateonthewaytosummerschool.TheytreatedTedsomewhatlikeastranger,becausehewas.

Tedwastakingamakeupcourseandoneinstainedglass.There,hetalkedandactedrelaxed,likeaboy;nooneexpectedanymoreorless.Thecolorsofthestainedglassweredeepandbeautiful,andspecial---youcouldn’twastethisglass.Thesidesweresharp,thecutswereslowandmeticulouswithasteadypressure.Thedesign’splanhadtobeabsolutelyfollowedorthebeautifulglasswouldgotowaste,andhe’dcursehimself.

ItwaslateAugustandTedhadn’tgoneinsidethehouseonce.Helikedwakingup,hearingnothingbutbirds---nothismother’svoiceorhissister’sorhisbrother’s.Hecouldtellthevariousbirdcallsandlikedthesoftbrownquailcallthebest.Heimaginedtheirtasteandwonderediftheirfleshwasassoftastheirsong.Quailwould’vebeenokaytokill,aslongasheateit,hismothersaid.Instead,hekilledjaysbecausetheyirritatedhimsomuchwiththeirshrillcries.Besides,aneighborpaidTedperbirdbecausehedidn’twanttheminhisgarden.Butthatwaslastsummerandhedidn’tdothatanymore,andthequailwereproudandplumpandswift,andTedwasglad.

Thestainedglasswasfinishedandhedecidedtoplaceitinhisfortfacingthebackfields.Infact,itlookedlikethebackfields---treesandthesuninadarksky.Duringthedaytheglasssunshimmeredabeautifulyellow,theblueamuchbettercolorthantheskyoutside:

deeper,likenight.

Hewassousedtosleepingoutsidenowhedidn’twakeupduringthenight,justlikeinthehouse.Onenight,towardtheendwhenhe’dhavetomovebackwitheveryone（schoolwasstarting,frostwascomingandtherains）,Tedwokeuptoseethestainedglassfulloflight.Thelittlesunwasagoldenmoonandtheinsideglassskyandtheoutsideskymatched.

Inafewdayshe’dbeinside,andhewouldn’tmindatall.

1.Asyoureadlines1-25,begintocitetextevidence.

·UnderlinetextthatdescribesTed’scharacter.

·Inthemargin,writeandinferencethatexplainswhatfoodrepresentstoTed.

2.Rereadlines-1-25.Inthemargin,writeaninferenceaboutTed’srelationshipwithhismother,Vida.

3.Asyoureadlines26-59,underlinetextaboutsuggeststhatTedmaychangehismindaboutthefort.

4.Rereadlines26-38.Inthemargin,writewhatyoulearnaboutTedandVida’srelationshipfromthedialogue.

5.Asyoureadlines60-92,continuetocitetextualevidence.

·CircletextthattellssomethingTedandVidamighthaveincommon.

·Inthemargin,explainhowtheplotadvancesineachparagraph.

6.Rereadlines82-92.Withasmallgroup,discusshowTedfeelsabouthisfatherleaving.

7.Asyoureadlines