American English | CEFR C1− | 350 Words
Contents 目录
Reading 阅读
Questions 题目
Vocabulary 词汇
Useful Structures 常用结构
Comprehension Questions 阅读理解问题
Reading 阅读
The Letter That Arrived Too Late
When eighteen-year-old Olivia returned to her childhood home after her grandmother’s death, she expected to spend the weekend sorting through old belongings. Instead, she discovered a letter that would change her understanding of her family.
The envelope was hidden inside a wooden box, addressed to Olivia’s mother, who had died five years earlier. Although the letter had never been opened, Olivia immediately recognized her grandmother’s handwriting. After considerable hesitation, she decided to read it.
For years, Olivia had believed that her grandmother had deliberately abandoned her mother during a difficult period. According to the story she had grown up hearing, her grandmother had refused to help when Olivia’s parents were struggling financially. The resulting disagreement had destroyed their relationship, and the two women had never reconciled.
The letter revealed a different perspective. Her grandmother explained that she had been experiencing serious financial difficulties herself and had been unable to provide the assistance her daughter requested. Ashamed of her circumstances, she had remained silent rather than admitting the truth. Her silence, however, had been interpreted as indifference.
As Olivia continued reading, she discovered that her grandmother had repeatedly attempted to reconnect with her daughter. Several messages had gone unanswered, and eventually both women had stopped trying. The letter represented one final attempt to explain what had happened and ask for forgiveness.
Olivia felt overwhelmed by conflicting emotions. She was relieved to discover that her grandmother had not been as uncaring as she had imagined, yet devastated that the misunderstanding had remained unresolved for so long.
Over the following days, Olivia reflected on how easily silence could create lasting emotional distance. Neither woman had intended to destroy their relationship, but pride, shame, and unspoken assumptions had gradually made reconciliation impossible.
Before leaving, Olivia placed the letter beside an old photograph of her mother and grandmother smiling together. She could not change their past, but she could reconsider how she approached her own relationships.
The experience taught her that understanding another person’s actions requires more than judging what is immediately visible. Sometimes, the explanations we never ask for are precisely the ones we need most.
Questions 题目
Total Questions: 15
Part 1: True / False / Not Given
Questions 1–5
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?
Write TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN.
1. Olivia discovered the letter while organizing her grandmother’s belongings.
Answer
TRUE
2. Olivia’s mother had personally read the letter before her death.
Answer
FALSE
3. Olivia had previously believed that her grandmother deliberately refused to help her mother during financial difficulties.
Answer
TRUE
4. Olivia’s grandmother had borrowed money from several relatives to support her daughter.
Answer
NOT GIVEN
5. Both Olivia’s mother and grandmother eventually stopped attempting to repair their relationship.
Answer
TRUE
Part 2: Multiple Choice
Questions 6–10
Choose the correct answer, A, B, C, or D.
6. Why had Olivia’s grandmother remained silent about her financial circumstances?
A. She believed her daughter would eventually solve her problems independently.
B. She was embarrassed by her own financial difficulties.
C. She wanted to punish her daughter for previous disagreements.
D. She had been advised by relatives to avoid discussing money.
Answer
B
7. What was the main purpose of the grandmother’s letter?
A. To explain her previous behavior and seek forgiveness
B. To request financial assistance from her daughter
C. To criticize her daughter for refusing to maintain contact
D. To explain how her family’s financial situation had improved
Answer
A
8. How did Olivia react after discovering the truth?
A. She became angry that her mother had concealed important information.
B. She immediately rejected the explanation provided in the letter.
C. She experienced both relief and sadness about the unresolved misunderstanding.
D. She felt satisfied that her grandmother had finally admitted her mistakes.
Answer
C
9. What does the writer suggest was primarily responsible for the breakdown of the relationship?
A. The grandmother’s deliberate refusal to accept responsibility
B. The daughter’s unwillingness to provide financial support
C. The influence of other family members on their decisions
D. A combination of shame, pride, and assumptions that were never discussed
Answer
D
10. What is the central message of the passage?
A. Family relationships inevitably become weaker when financial difficulties arise.
B. Misunderstandings can cause lasting damage when people fail to communicate openly.
C. Forgiveness is only possible when both individuals acknowledge their mistakes.
D. People should always accept explanations offered by older family members.
Answer
B
Part 3: Sentence Completion
Questions 11–15
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.
11. Olivia discovered the letter inside a __________ while sorting through her grandmother’s belongings.
Answer
wooden box
12. Her grandmother had been unable to help because she was experiencing serious __________ herself.
Answer
financial difficulties
13. The grandmother’s silence had been misunderstood as __________.
Answer
indifference
14. Olivia realized that pride, shame, and __________ had made reconciliation increasingly difficult.
Answer
unspoken assumptions
15. The experience encouraged Olivia to reconsider how she approached her own __________.
Answer
relationships
Vocabulary 词汇
| resident | /ˈrɛzɪdənt/ | 居民 |
| community | /kəˈmyunəti/ | 社区 |
| necessary | /ˈnɛsəˌsɛri/ | 必要的 |
| renovate | /ˈrɛnəˌveɪt/ | 翻新；修缮 |
| guarantee | /ˌɡɛrənˈti/ | 保证 |
| survey | /ˈsərveɪ/ | 调查 |
| unemployed | /ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪd/ | 失业的 |
| essential | /ɪˈsɛnʃl/ | 必不可少的 |
| atmosphere | /ˈætməsfɪr/ | 气氛；氛围 |
| maintain | /meɪnˈteɪn/ | 维护；保养 |
| establish | /ɪˈstæblɪʃ/ | 建立；设立 |
| adapt | /əˈdæpt/ | 适应；调整 |
Useful Structures 常用结构
face a serious problem 面临严重的问题
The old library was facing a serious problem.
这座旧图书馆正面临一个严重的问题。
consider doing something 考虑做某事
The local government was considering closing the library.
当地政府正在考虑关闭这座图书馆。
instead of doing something 而不是做某事
Instead of simply providing books, the library could offer free computer classes.
图书馆不仅可以提供书籍，还可以开设免费的电脑课程。
offer someone something 为某人提供某物
Volunteers offered residents free technology lessons.
志愿者为居民提供免费的科技课程。
be interested in doing something 对做某事感兴趣
Several unemployed adults were interested in improving their computer skills.
几名失业的成年人有兴趣提高自己的电脑技能。
be responsible for doing something 负责做某事
The committee was responsible for organizing activities and raising funds.
该委员会负责组织活动和筹集资金。
struggle to do something 努力做某事；做某事有困难
The library struggled to maintain its equipment.
图书馆在维护设备方面遇到了困难。
adapt to something 适应某事物
Traditional institutions must adapt to changing needs.
传统机构必须适应不断变化的需求。