“Leave her alone.” Hans Hubermann entered the fray (争吵). His gentle voice made its way in, as slipping through a crowd. “Leave her to me.” He moved closer and sat on the floor, against the wall. The floor was cold and unkind.
“You know how to roll a cigarette?” he asked her, and for the next hour or so, they sat in the rising pool of darkness, playing with the tobacco and the cigarette papers and Hans Hubermann smoking them.
When the hour was up, Liesel could roll a cigarette well. She still didn’t have a bath.
To most people, Hans Hubermann was barely visible. An un-special person. Certainly, his painting skills were excellent. His musical ability was better than average. Somehow, though, and I’m sure you’ve met people like this, he was able to appear as merely part of the background, even if he was standing at the front of a line. He was always just there. Not noticeable. Not important or particularly valuable.
The frustration of that appearance, as you can imagine, was completely misleading, let’s say. There definitely was value in him, and it did not go unnoticed by Liesel Meminger. (The human child — so much cleverer at times than the stupid adults.) She saw it immediately.
His manner.
The quiet air around him.
When he turned the light on in the small, humble washroom that night, Liesel observed the strangeness of her foster father’s (养父) eyes. They were made of kindness, and silver. Like soft silver, melting. Liesel, upon seeing those eyes, understood that Hans Hubermann was worth a lot.
When Liesel finally had a bath, after two weeks of living on Himmel Street, Rosa gave her an enormous tight hug. Nearly choking her, she said, “It’s about time!”
After a few months, they were no longer Mr and Mrs Hubermann. With a few typical words, Rosa said, “Now listen, Liesel — from now on you call me Mama.” She thought a moment. “What did you call your real mother?”
Liesel answered quietly. “Also Mama.”
17. What might be the cause of the fray before Hans interrupted it?
A.Liesel refused to have a bath. |
B.Liesel was annoyed by Rosa’s cooking. |
C.Liesel wanted to learn how to roll a cigarette. |
D.Liesel suffered from living with Hans and Rosa. |
18. What did Liesel notice immediately when she met Hans?
A.His musical ability. | B.His painting skills. |
C.His being invisible. | D.His personal qualities. |
19. Which of the following expressions best describe Liesel?
A.Shy and thoughtful. | B.Sensitive and clever. |
C.Naughty and tough. | D.Imaginative and easy-going. |
20. What does the underlined sentence “After a few months, they were no longer Mr and Mrs Hubermann.”mean?
A.Liesel started to call them Hanns and Rosa. |
B.Liesel was sent back to her real parents. |
C.Liesel adapted herself to the new family. |
D.Liesel was used to Rosa’s strange manner. |