《2025年5年中考3年模拟英语广东专版》

Passage 4(2024广州一模,A)
One dark stormy night, an elderly couple hurried into a hotel and asked whether they could be put up for the night. “I’m sorry,” the clerk on night duty said politely. “All the rooms are taken tonight, but I can’t send a nice couple like you out in the rain. Would you be willing to stay in my room? It’s not exactly a hotel room but it will make you comfortable. As I’m on duty, I’ll be staying up in the office anyway.” The elderly couple accepted his offer thankfully.
The next day, when the old gentleman went to pay his bill, the clerk behind the reception desk was that same helpful young man. “The room you and your wife stayed in is not a proper guestroom so you don’t need to pay,” said the clerk with the same friendly smile. The old gentleman nodded with a smile, “You’re an employee (雇员) that every boss in the hotel business would dream of. Perhaps someday I’ll build a hotel for you.” The clerk was amazed but he decided that the guest must have been joking. He gave no more thought to what the old man said.
Two years later, the young man received a letter from the old gentleman in which he mentioned the experience of that dark stormy night. With the letter, there was an air ticket to New York and an invitation, asking the young man to pay a visit. At a street corner in Manhattan, the young man met his old guest. The gentleman pointed to a great new building and said, “Look, that is the hotel I promised to build for you. I hope you’ll manage it for me.” The young man was shocked, “Sir, why do you choose me and who are you?” “My name is William Astor. Like I told you before, you are the best employee I could ever dream of.”
This building was the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. This hotel has been a symbol in the city of New York 和the No.1 choice for visiting leaders from different countries. The young man who became its first manager was George Boldt. He turned Waldorf into one of the most famous hotels in the world.
1. What can we know about the couple from the beginning of the story?
A. They were all wet on a stormy night.
B. They booked a hotel room before they arrived.
C. They stayed in the hotel clerk’s room for the night.
D. They flew to New York hurriedly that night.
2. Why did the old gentleman nod with a smile after hearing the clerk’s reply?
A. Because the hotel room was comfortable.
B. Because the price of the room was reasonable.
C. Because he was satisfied with the clerk.
D. Because he found the clerk’s reply very funny.
3. How did the clerk feel when he heard the old gentleman’s promise in paragraph 2?
A. He didn’t take it seriously.
B. He found the decision amazing.
C. He expected it to come true.
D. He joked about it with others.
4. Why did William Astor choose George Boldt as the manager of his new hotel?
A. Because George Boldt was kind and dependable.
B. Because George Boldt was young and polite.
C. Because William Astor always kept promises.
D. Because George Boldt was popular among leaders.

答案： 语篇解读　本文是一篇记叙文，文章讲述了一位善良的宾馆职员善意地对待一对老年夫妇，后来这对老夫妇开了一家酒店让他管理。这个故事告诉我们要善待别人，好人自有好报。
1.C　细节理解题。根据职员说的“Would you be willing to stay in my room? It’s not exactly a hotel room but it will make you comfortable.”及第一段最后一句话可知，那对夫妇晚上睡在职员的房间里，故选C。
2.C　推理判断题。根据老先生说的“You’re an employee that every boss in the hotel business would dream of. Perhaps someday I’ll build a hotel for you.”可知，他很满意这个职员，所以点头微笑，故选C。
3.A　细节理解题。根据“The clerk was amazed but he decided that the guest must have been joking. He gave no more thought to what the old man said.”可知，这个职员感到很吃惊，但是没过多考虑，故选A。
4.A　推理判断题。根据老先生说的“You’re an employee that every boss in the hotel business would dream of. Perhaps someday I’ll build a hotel for you.”以及“Like I told you before, you are the best employee I could ever dream of.”可知，老先生觉得乔治·博尔特是善良可靠的，故选A。