Question

When I was about seven or eight years old, I once went into the barn (馬廄) one evening where my dad was doing his daily work. I was surprised to see him wearing his hat backwards. It looked funny.

When I asked Dad why he put his hat backwards, he smiled and gave me an explanation. There was a large water tank for the cattle that had to be filled every day. Since it took a long time to finish the work, he would turn the water on and then go about doing other things like cleaning the barn or feeding the cattle, which usually cost him twenty minutes or even more time. The danger, of course, was that if he forgot to turn the water off, the tank would overflow and water would be wasted, which would make a mess.

Then he told me the reason why he had his hat turned around. When he finished other work and began to take off his work clothes, he would notice as he removed his hat that the visor (帽舌) was not where it was supposed to be. This would remind him that the water was still running. Then he would go back to the barn and turn it off.

I have seen my dad develop many other systems over the years. And I will never forget how helpful and valuable they are. Some may have even been life-saving.

Sometimes, people may forget some things. So they will easily make mistake though they may try their best. Using some good methods can help them operate more effectively. In order not to blame others or yourself for mistakes, you’d better look for some ways, whether they are funny or not, as long as they will help you in achieving what you truly wish to do.

This could be utility, and as simple as a checklist. Now I’ve used a lot of them, such as putting my car keys in the same place every time. It could be having someone check your work and it could also be a computer program that helps to find out whether your calculations are correct.

1.The author found his father’s behavior funny because__________.

A. he had never been to the barn before B. his father’s hat was different from others

C. the horses played some tricks D. his father wore the hat in a strange way

2.What would the author’s father NOT do in the barn according to the passage?

A. Clean the barn B. Feed the chicken

C. Give food to the cows D. Fill the large water tank

3.The word “utility” probably means “__________” in the passage.

A. practical B. difficult C. meaningless D. avoidable

4.What can we know about the author’s father?

A. His job was to develop new systems in the barn.

B. The systems he invented were always very useful.

C. He developed as many systems as possible to help people.

D. He always taught the author how to make proper checklists.

5.The best title of the passage could be “__________”.

A. My Funny Dad B. Knowledge in Barn

C. A Good Cat Can Catch a Healthy Rat D. Keep a Checklist in Your Mind

Answer 1