D
My shock and surprise disappeared when I understood that this island was my salvation(得救). I began to shout for help to the people on the island. They did not understand me but they understood that I was in difficulty and made signs for me to move towards them. They moved closer and when I was underneath the island, they sent a chair down to me on a chain and pulled me up.
The people on the island were friendly and accepted me but they were incredibly strange. They wore the strangest clothes and they all had their own personal man servant who carried a large balloon on the end of a stick. The servant’s job was to tap(轻拍) his master on his mouth or ear when he needed to speak or listen to something. This was because these masters passed most of their time in intense thought(沉思). They thought about the strangest subjects for hours and hours a day. And as a result they had no sense of practical things in life, such as speaking or listening, or looking where they were going.
I later learnt that this island was called Laputa. Some people took me to speak to the king. When we arrived at his palace, the king was lost in thought and didn’t notice me. I waited for more than an hour until, finally, one of his servants tapped him on the mouth and he spoke.
I didn’t understand their language and could not answer the king. One of the servants tried to tap me on the mouth with his balloon to make me speak. I protested very quickly.
“I know exactly when to speak and listen,” I told them. They understood the sense of what I said. But they thought I was a complete
idiot because I did not pass my time in thought. Then after dinner, a servant came to teach me their language and tell me about life on Laputa.
—Taken from *Gulliver’s Travels*
(
B
)12. Which place did Gulliver come to in the story?
A. Lilliput. B. Laputa.
C. Brobdingnag. D. Houyhnhnm.
(
C
)13. Which of the following is TRUE according to the story?
A. Gulliver could understand what the people on the island said.
B. The people on the island were rude to Gulliver.
C. The king was lost in thought and didn’t notice Gulliver.
D. The masters could do something by themselves.
(
B
)14. Which of the following is the correct order according to the story?
a. After dinner, a servant came to teach me their language.
b. People on the island pulled me up and saved me.
c. Some people took me to speak to the king.
d. The king didn’t notice me until one servant tapped him on the mouth.
e. I told them that I knew exactly when to speak and listen.
A. c-d-b-e-a B. b-c-d-e-a
C. b-d-c-e-a D. c-b-d-a-e
(
C
)15. What does the underlined word “idiot” mean?
A. genius B. stranger C. fool D. doll
