Every year for more than a decade I've gone with some good male friends to the music festi- val. Women are not invited, but they do prepare a picnic for our trip. The better the food, the more likely we are to continue our annual tradition and give them peace at least one week out of the year.

　　When we're not eating, we sit around in circles and talk about manly stuff: women, mostly.After years of this special journey I have figured out women are different from us, especially when it comes to how we communicate. Women don't need to manufacture reasons to chat, but guys need excuses like outings or organized events.

　　And I've noticed that when women are in groups there can be several conversations going on at once. When men are in a group, one man talks, and everybody else listens. It's like bluegrass jamming in a way; one musician plays the lead, and the rest try to follow.

　　I've had more heartfelt conversations with other men at the festival than I've had at any other time in my life, partly because there are no women there, and partly because we're all a little drunk. It was males bonding over whatever parts we still had left. The festival is also the only place I've ever cried in front of other men.

　　As the years have slipped by, some in our group have lost parents and grandparents, some have divorced, and others have changed careers, not always on purpose. It seems that every year something distressing has happened to at least one member of our crew, and the rest of us are there to listen and offer support.

　　I hope that this column can offer some comfort to women: if your man heads out on a bowling or poker night with the guys, be happy. Chances are good he's not fleeing you and the kids, but he's running toward the conversations he can only have with other men, and he'll come home the better for it.

　　51. It is implied in the first paragraph that

　　A. the trip is a relief for both men and women________

　　B. the trip will continue in spite of everything

　　C. the quality of the picnic needs improvement

　　D. the women can rarely get peace themselves

　　52. Men and women differ in the way they talk in that________

　　A. men like to play the lead in conversations

　　B. women can strike up a talk for any reason

　　C. men can be engaged in several talks at once

　　D. women are good listeners in conversations

　　53. That the author cried in front of other men reveals________

　　A. the effect of bluegrass music upon men

　　B. the effect of alcohol on men's behaviors

　　C. men's need to release their deep emotions

　　D. men's need to cultivate intimate friendship

　　54. What is the idea that the author wants to convey in paragraph 5 ?

　　A. Life is doomed to be full of distresses.

　　B. Changes are the constant theme of life.

　　C. Friendship stays despite changes in life.

　　D. Life consists of sweating and harvesting.

　　55. In the last paragraph, the author advises women to________

　　A. encourage their husbands to improve their life style

　　B. encourage their husbands to go bowling or play poker

　　C. give their husbands chances to flee from housework

　　D. give their husbands chances for male communication

　　參考譯文

　　近十幾年來，每年我都會(huì)和一些男性好友去參加音樂節(jié)。我們沒有帶上妻子，但是她們會(huì)為我們的旅途準(zhǔn)備野餐食物。食物越豐盛，我們就越有可能繼續(xù)我們每年的傳統(tǒng)，留給她們一年當(dāng)中至少一星期的放松時(shí)間。

　　當(dāng)我們吃完飯時(shí)，我們會(huì)圍坐一圈談?wù)撃行栽掝}，大部分是關(guān)于女性。在許多年的特殊旅行后，我意識(shí)到女性和我們是不同的，特別是關(guān)于交流方式。女性們不用找理由去聊天，而男人卻需要如外出或組織活動(dòng)等理由來進(jìn)行交流。

　　我注意到當(dāng)有一群女性時(shí)，會(huì)立刻產(chǎn)生許多話題。但在一群男性中，當(dāng)一位男性在說話時(shí)，其他男性都在傾聽。就像即興演出藍(lán)草音樂，一人主奏，其他人合奏。

　　與其他時(shí)候相比，大多是在音樂節(jié)的時(shí)候我跟好友有過推心置腹的交談，一部分是因?yàn)闆]有女性在場(chǎng)，還有一部分是因?yàn)槲覀兌加悬c(diǎn)喝醉了。這是一種我們所具有的超越任何事物的兄弟情誼。我也只在音樂節(jié)時(shí)在其他男性朋友面前大哭過。時(shí)光荏苒，我們這群兄弟中，有人失去了父母，有人失去了祖父母，有人離婚，也有人換了職業(yè)，當(dāng)然，這些都并非刻意。似乎每年我們中至少有一人會(huì)發(fā)生這樣令人悲痛的事情，這時(shí)其他人就會(huì)傾聽并給予他支持。我希望這個(gè)欄目會(huì)給女性帶來一些安慰。如果你的丈夫晚上和朋友出去打保齡球或玩撲克，你應(yīng)該要感到高興。他很有可能不是在逃避你和孩子，而是跟他的朋友聊一些只能和他們談的話題，他之后就會(huì)回家，這樣反而更好。

　　51.A【精析】推斷題。文章第一段介紹了作者每年一次和男性友人的音樂之旅，跟他們一起放松，同樣留給妻子們一年當(dāng)中至少一星期的放松時(shí)間。由此可推斷，這個(gè)旅行對(duì)男性和女性來說都是放松時(shí)間。故選A。

　　52.B【精析】細(xì)節(jié)題。由文章第二段最后一句“Women don’t need to manufacture reasons to chat，but guys need excuses like outings or organized events.”可知，女人們不用找理由去聊天，而男人卻需要如外出或組織活動(dòng)等理由。故選B。

　　53.C【精析】推斷題。由文章可知，這個(gè)音樂節(jié)只有男士參加，他們都是親密的朋友，作者只有在這才哭過，可以推斷出，男士們也需要釋放他們的情感。故選C。

　　54.C【精析】推斷題。從文章第五段可知，盡管男性朋友的生活中總會(huì)出現(xiàn)這樣那樣的事故，但是大家都會(huì)傾聽并支持他，由此可推斷，不管生活怎么改變，友誼會(huì)一直不變。故選C。

　　55.D【精析】推斷題。文章最后一段，作者建議如果你的丈夫出去打保齡球或者打牌，你應(yīng)該要感到高興，因?yàn)樗�在跟男性之間進(jìn)行交流，從朋友那獲得支持和幫助。由此可知，作者建議妻子應(yīng)給丈夫們機(jī)會(huì)去講行男性之間的交流.故詵D.