FREE Gaokao Classical Chinese Reading Comprehension Questions and Answers

Question 1

Read the following passage from 《送东阳马生序》: 余幼时即嗜学。家贫，无从致书以观，每假借于藏书之家，手自笔录，计日以还。天大寒，砚冰坚，手指不可屈伸，弗之怠。录毕，走送之，不敢稍逾约。以是人多以书假余，余因得遍观群书。
What is the meaning of the character "致" (zhì) in the phrase "无从致书以观"?

What is the meaning of the character "致" (zhì) in the phrase "无从致书以观"?

Accepted Answer

To obtain/acquire (取得)

Answer

To write (写作)

Answer

To send (送达)

Answer

To cause (导致)

Question 2

Which of the following is the most accurate translation of "手指不可屈伸，弗之怠"?

Accepted Answer

My fingers were so stiff they could not bend, but I did not slacken because of it. (手指冻僵了不能弯曲伸直，但我没有因此而懈怠)

Answer

My fingers could not bend, so I had to be lazy. (手指不能屈伸，所以我只能懈怠)

Answer

I could not stretch my fingers, and this was not lazy. (我不能伸展手指，这不是懒惰)

Answer

My fingers were bent and could not be stretched, so I stopped. (我的手指弯曲不能伸直，所以我停止了)

Question 3

What character trait of the author is primarily highlighted by the sentence "录毕，走送之，不敢稍逾约"?

Accepted Answer

His trustworthiness and punctuality (守信守时)

Answer

His physical strength (体力好)

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His intelligence (聪明才智)

Answer

His humility (谦虚)

Question 4

According to the passage, what was the main reason the author was ultimately able to "遍观群书" (read a wide range of books)?

Accepted Answer

He earned people's trust through his diligence and punctuality, so they were willing to lend him books.

Answer

He eventually saved enough money to buy books.

Answer

He had a very good memory and only needed to read each book once.

Answer

He found a wealthy patron who provided him with books.

Question 5

Which of the following statements about the function word "以" in the passage is correct?

Accepted Answer

Its meaning and grammatical function are different in each of the three instances mentioned.

Answer

It means "using" (用) in all instances.

Answer

It means "because" (因为) in all instances.

Answer

It is a preposition in the first two cases and a conjunction in the last.

Question 6

How should the unpunctuated sentence "每假借于藏书之家手自笔录计日以还" be correctly punctuated to show its grammatical structure?

Accepted Answer

每假借于藏书之家，手自笔录，计日以还。

Answer

每假借，于藏书之家手自，笔录计日以还。

Answer

每假借于藏书之家手，自笔录计日，以还。

Answer

每假借于藏书，之家手自笔录，计日以还。