1998/01（本試）
Old Fred Ford had gone to live with his daughter, Kate, and her family shortly after his wife, Mary, died. Kate was an energetic woman who expected people always to be doing something, and she found plenty of jobs for Fred to do. This made him feel part of the household, but now he really wanted to be able to sit and reflect on the events of his life. If he had continued to live alone, he would have had the time to do this to his heart’s content.
One afternoon he felt he simply had to get away from the house. “I’m going for a walk,” he said, closing the door behind him.
Leaving the town, he walked across the fields and followed a slow-moving stream toward the hills. After a while he came to a pool in the stream under some trees. Here, he thought, was a place he could come to when he needed to reflect on the past. Although the stream seemed unlikely to have any fish, he would simply tell Kate he had found a place to go fishing.
When he mentioned the stream that night, his son-in-law, Jim, said in disbelief, ‘There aren’t any fish there. That stream runs dry half the summer.”
The old man pretended to be surprised. “You don’t say! Well, I’ll give it a try, anyway.”
The next day he dug his old fishing rod out of the garage. It reminded him of the last time he had gone fishing, eight years back, with Mary.
When he stopped to buy a fishing license and some equipment at the store and mentioned the little stream, the owner looked surprised. “No fish in that. If you want my advice, drive down to Lake Henshaw.”
Fred thanked him, said something about trying the lake sometime, left the store, and made his way to the pool. No one else was there; it was just as he had left it. He found a comfortable place to sit, set up the rod and relaxed.
During the following months he came to this spot frequently. Kate complained that it was a waste of time; “If only he’d bring some fish home sometimes!” The men at the gas station would call out in a friendly way, “Come to Lake Henshaw with us sometime. We’ll show you how to catch some real fish!” Sometimes boys on bicycles would pause to watch him and he would overhear their judgment: “He must be crazy.”
But he didn’t let these comments spoil his visits to this quiet place, where he would sit gazing at the sky, the water, or the hills, almost motionless, remembering the richness of his life. He found contentment beside the slow-moving water, which, like himself, had left the steep, rocky days far behind.
One day old Fred felt the rod jerk. Instantly wide awake, he saw a large trout jump from the water trying to shake itself free. His heart beating fast, he began to play the fish with all his former skill. Slowly it weakened, and finally he managed to bring it onto the bank where he stood looking victoriously at the beautiful trout. It was like honey in his mouth to imagine what Kate and all the others would say when they saw such a fine trout.
Then he realized word would soon get around and all those who had thought him foolish would invade his privacy, pole in hand, and fill it with the noise of feet and voices. No. he decided, his moment of sweet victory would not he worth that price.
He reached down to the fish and removed the hook. The fish floated slowly away with the stream, then disappeared into the depths. Then, with a quiet smile, the old man made ready to start for home.
- Why did Fred leave the house and go for a walk one afternoon?
① He didn’t want to stay alone in the house.
② He thought he would like to try fishing again.
③ He wanted a chance to be alone and think quietly.
④ He was keen to explore the hills outside the town. - What did Fred find when he went for a walk one afternoon?
① He found a pleasant spot to spend his time as he wished.
② He found a pool which appeared to have good fish in it.
③ He found a stream which had dried up because it was summer.
④ He found the place where the townspeople liked to go fishing. - Why did Fred tell Kate that he had found a place to go fishing?
① He didn’t feel part of the household with Kate and Jim.
② He enjoyed fishing very much and was glad to be able to do it again.
③ He wanted a way to leave the house without hurting Kate’s feelings.
④ He was bored in the house because there were few things to do. - What did Fred do in the months that followed?
① He convinced Kate that the stream was a good place for catching fish.
② He let the men at the gas station show him how to fish more successfully.
③ He tried other streams nearby, looking for a better place to fish.
④ He visited the pool many times and made it appear that he was fishing. - Why did Fred smile as he set off for home?
① He was looking forward to having a delicious trout for dinner.
② His daughter’s family would praise him for catching such a fine fish.
③ The people who teased him would have to apologize to him.
④ The pool he liked so much was going to remain quiet and undisturbed.
