大学英语精读第二册(修订本)练习试卷5含答案及讲解

华东理工大学继续教育学院成人教育

《基础英语》（二级）模拟试卷五

I.Vocabulary and structure (30%)

Directions:There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Choose the ONE that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

1.The machine is named ________ its inventor.

A) with B) to C) by D) after

https://www.360docs.net/doc/437454850.html,cation may not ________ much today, but it will tomorrow.

A) mean by B) count C) hint D) hope

3.The two political parties have been in ________ since the election.

A) struggle B) battle C) conflict D) quarrel

4.It would be unwise to ________ too much importance to what he said.

A) indicate B) attach C) provide D) pay

5.The doctor soon made the worried patient feel ________.

A) at ease B) in private C) at rest D) in peace

6.Recently the OPEC decided to increase the oil prices, and this almost led to an economic

________.

A) problem B) crisis C) danger D) uncertainty

7.The rooms had been booked ________ before I arrived there.

A) in advance B) in detail C) in general D) in all

8.It was a(n) ________ caused by the weak lights that made me think I saw a man in the

shadows.

A) impression B) imagination C) vision D) illusion

9.The ________ to steal is greater than ever before — especially in large shops.

A) temptation B) lure C) attraction D) charm

10.Let’s put up some pictures on the ______ walls.

A) blank B) empty C) bare D) hollow

11.They have developed techniques which are ______ to those used in most factories.

A) more talented B) better C) greater D) superior

12.Man must stop ______ the earth’s atmosphere.

A) filling B) emitting C) polluting D) wasting

13.Unfortunately, very few sheep ______ the severe winter last year.

A) survived B) endured C) spent D) remained alive

14.The two boys has so ______ in common that they soon became good friends.

A) little B) few C) much D) many

15.I suddenly realized that he was trying to ______ quarrelling with me.

A) consider B) enjoy C) avoid D) prevent

16.The three hours I spent in the school library ______ my old passion for reading.

A) brought about B) brought over C) brought forth D) brought back

17.Thousands of people ______ to see the parade (游行).

A) turned off B) turned out C) turned up D) turned over

18.Here are some toys. You can ______ one or two for your little son as birthday gift from me.

A) single out B) pick out C) take out D) work out

19.Susan wants to know whether the measures have been agreed ______.

A) to B) with C) over D) upon

20.Don’t ______ a car thief by leaving the keys in the car.

A) arouse B) tempt C) intend D) invite

21.Social sciences such as psychology and sociology are concerned with the study of human

_______.

A) incident B) evidence C) indication D) behavior

22.So far the management has made no ______ to the workers’ demand for higher wages.

A) response B) admission C) conservation D) investigation

23.Meat easily ________ in summer season.

A) becomes badly B) changes worse C) turns badly D) goes bad

24.The noise around was terrible, but I had to _______ it.

A) keep away from B) keep up with C) live with D) live on

25.I expect to _______ many difficulties in the course of this job.

A) solve B) cause C) encounter D) emerge

26.This machine is very complicated. Once _______, it can hardly be put together again.

A) taken away B) taken out C) taken back D) taken apart

27.He was a(n) _______ person in spite of his great success.

A) ambitious B) modest C) profound D) incompetent

28.It was not long _______ the police knew where the suspect was and came to arrest him.

A) after B) when C) before D) until

29._______ appearances, they are probably Japanese.

A) Judged B) Considered C) Judging with D) Judging by

30.It was a long drive to get to the beach and we three took the wheel (驾驶) _______.

A) by return B) on turn C) in return D) in turn

II.Reading comprehension (30%)

Directions:There are 3 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B) C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

It is difficult to imagine what life would be like without memory. The meanings of thousands of everyday perceptions, the bases for the decisions we make, and the roots of our habits and skills are to be found in our past experiences, which are brought into the present by memory.

Memory can be defined as the capacity to keep information available for later use. It includes not only “remembering” things like arithmetic or historical facts, but also involves any change in the way an animal typically behaves. Memory is involved when a rat gives up eating grain because he has sniffed something suspicious in the grain pile. Memory is also involved when a six-year-old child learns to swing a baseball bat.

Memory exists not only in humans and animals but also in some physical objects and machines. Computers, for example, contain devices for storing data for later use. It is interesting to compare the memory-storage capacity of a computer with that of a human being. The instant-access memory of a large computer may hold up to 100,000 “words”— ready for instant use. An average U.S. teenager probably recognizes the meaning of about 100,000 words of English. However, this is but a fraction of the total amount of information which the teenager has stored. Consider, for example, the number of faces and places that the teenager can recognize on sight.

The use of words is the basis of the advanced problem-solving intelligence of human beings.

A large part of a person’s memory is in terms of words and combinations of words.

31.According to the passage, memory is considered to be _______.

A)the basis for decision making and problem solving

B)an ability to store experiences for future use

C)an intelligence typically possessed by human beings

D)the data mainly consisting of words and combinations of words

32.The comparison made between the memory capacity of a large computer and that of a human

being shows that _________.

A)the computer’s memory has a little bigger capacity than a teenager’s

B)the computer’s memory capacity is much smaller than an adult human being’s

C)the computer’s memory capacity is much smaller even than a teenager’s

D)both A and B

33.The whole passage implies that _________.

A)animals are able to solve only very simple problems

B) a person’s memory is different from a computer’s in every respect

C)only human beings have problem-solving intelligence

D)animals solve problems by instincts rather than intelligence

34.The phrases “in terms of” in the last sentence can best be replaced by _______.

A)in connection with B) expressed by

C)consisting in D) by means of

35.The topic of the passage is _______.

A)Memory is of vital importance to life.

B)What would life be like without memory?

C)How is a person’s memory different from an animal’s or a computer’s?

D)What is contained in memory?

Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

The earliest films were short, lasting only one minute or less. People could, for one cent, see simple action films of trains, fire engines, parades, crowds on city streets, and similar subjects. Soon 20-minute pictures of news items were being shown in theaters at the end of the regular stage show. Later, films used a new method (putting the beginning of one scene upon the end of the scene before) for magical effects and to tie a story together. In 1903 a film was made about a train robbery. Much of the action took place at the same time---the robbers escaping, the men meeting and planning to capture them---and the scenes moved smoothly, back and forth, from one

scene to another instead of unnaturally showing each scene separately. This was the earliest successful film in which scenes were filmed at different places and times and they combined to make a logical story. A short time later, theaters showed for five cents a whole hour's entertainment of short films---comedy, travel, and drama. These films were simple and rough, and many were vulgar. Gradually, the audiences improved as the techniques improved.

Before 1910 actors were employed in films without their names being given, because the producers were afraid that, if an actor became well known, he might demand more money. But later it became known that a film with a popular actor in it could be sold at a higher price to theater owners than could a film in which the actor was not known. Soon "movie star" won fame wherever films were shown. By 1915 the more popular stars were earning as much as $2,000 a week, and large theaters were being built downtown in all the larger cities to show films alone. The films shown in those theaters were of several types: comedies, emphasizing speed, movement, and camera tricks; "westerns," which showed, then as now, the American cowboy fighting on the side of law and justice; murder mysteries and crime stories, and special films on art, music, and other cultural subjects.

36. Pictures of paradox shown in the first films went on for no more than________.

A) one minute B) 20 minutes

C) a whole hour D) about two minutes

37. It was not until 1903 that people began to make films________.

A) by using magical effects

B) by naturally joining the scenes together in a story

C) at a railroad station

D) by putting the beginning of one scene upon the end of another

38. The first successful film in which the pictures were taken at different places and times and then put together logically was about ________.

A) a train accident B) the robbery of a train

C) a story of a train D) the capturing of the robbers

39. It was most likely that "movie stars" began to appear ________.

A) as early as 1903 B) not until 1910

C) in 1915 D) after 1915

40. This passage is mainly about ________.

A) modern movie development

B) early movie stars

C) various types of films in the early 20th century

D) history of film-making

Questions 41 to 45 are based on the following passage:

On May 13, 1787, a fleet of English ships set sail for Australia with about 750 people. These men and women were no ordinary passengers. They were convicts (罪犯) being sent to Australia as punishment for their crimes.

Laws in England during this period were very harsh, and people were punished severely for even the smallest crimes. A man could be sentenced to death for hunting on another man’s property or he could be put to death for chopping down someone else’s tree. For many other

crimes, the punishment was “transportation” (流放). The guilty person was shipped to a distant land where he was forced to work without pay. Often women and children were shipped to other land, too.

In 1770, Captain Cook had discovered the continent of Australia and claimed it for England. At first, England found no use for this vast land on the other side of the world, but then the American Revolution took place. England could no longer ship her convicts to the American colonies. So she turned to Australia as a good place for her prisoners.

A former naval captain was picked to accompany the convicts to the new colony. His job was to help them build a settlement which he would govern. The captain was glad to go. He believes the convicts could learn to live in peace. He felt they would obey the laws in new country.

In January 1788, the English fleet and its stranger cargo landed in Australia. After days of searching, the captain found a fine harbor. The land nearby had tree and streams. The convicts colony made a new beginning here. Australia’s history had begun.

41. What is implied but not directly stated in the passage?

A) People were not often punished in England long ago.

B) England’s laws have changed very much since 1787.

C) Laws in England remain the same since 1787.

D) Captain Cook claimed Australia for the convicts.

42. On the whole, the article tells about _______.

A) a fleet of English ships

B) hunting on other people’s property

C) a convict settlement in Australia

D) the transportation of Cook

43. Which statement does the article lead you to believe?

A) A new chance may de good for many people.

B) All English fleets have very stranger cargo.

C) The men on the English ships were ordinary.

D) Captain Cook could not govern the new country.

44. Why did England sent convicts to Australia?

A) It wanted to make Captain Cook happy about Australia.

B) It wanted convicts to find a fine harbor and good land.

C) It could not feed its overpopulation.

D) It could no longer send convicts to America.

45. Which statement seems true according to the passage?

A) Former naval captains always start new colonies.

B) The American Revolution took place in Australia.

C) A great country may grow from a small colony.

D) Convicts are not easy to be governed.

III.Cloze (10%)

Directions:There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Choose the ONE that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

Smoking, which may be a pleasure for some people, is a serious source of discomfort for their fellows. __46__, medical authorities express their __47__ about the effect of smoking ___48___ the health not only __49__ those who smoke but also of those who do not. In fact, non-smokers who must __50__ inhale the air polluted by tobacco smoke may __51__ more than the smokers themselves.

As you are doubtless __52__, a considerable number of our students have __53__ in effort to __54__ the university to ban smoking in the classrooms. I believe they are __55__ right in their aim. __56__, I would hope that it is __57__ to achieve this by __58__ on the smokers to use good judgment and show concern __59__ others rather than regulation.

Smoking is __60__ by city laws in theaters and halls used for __61__ films as well as in laboratories where there __62__ be a fire hazard. Elsewhere it is up to your good sense.

I am __63__ asking you to maintain __64__ in the auditoriums, classrooms and seminar rooms. This will prove that you have the non-smokers health and well-being in __65__ which is very important to a large number of our students.

46. A) Still B) More C) Again D) Further

47. A) concern B) trouble C) interest D) displeasure

48. A) on B) in C) with D) to

49. A) of B) about C) with D) to

50. A) involuntarily B) differently C) directly D) reluctantly

51. A) endure B) suffer C) undergo D) put

52. A) alert B) awake C) aware D) informed

53. A) linked B) connected C) associated D) joined

54. A) make B) persuade C) say D) talk

55. A) entirely B) total C) just D) whole

56. A) Then B) However C) Further D) Moreover

57. A) like B) probable C) capable D) possible

58. A) pleading B) begging C) suggesting D) calling

59. A) with B) for C) to D) in

60. A) prohibited B) stopped C) suppressed D) prevented

61. A) playing B) demonstrating C) showing D) exhibiting

62. A) will B) should C) may D) must

63. A) then B) therefore C) subsequently D) so

64. A) “No Smoking” B) “Non-Smoking”C) “No Smoke”D) “Non-Smoke”

65. A) head B) heart C) mind D) sense

IV.Translation from English into Chinese (15%)

66. A spirited discussion springs up between a young girl, who says that women have outgrown

the jumping-on-a-chair-at-the-sight-of-a-mouse era and a major who says that they haven’t. 67. By birth and by education Jefferson belonged to the highest social class. Yet, in a day when

few noble persons ever spoke to those of humble origins except to give an order, Jefferson went out of his way to talk with gardeners, servants, and waiters.

68. He won the Nobel Prize for his Photoelectric Theory (光电理论), a series of equations that he

considered relatively minor in importance, but he didn’t have any curiosity in observing how his theory made TV possible.

V.Translation from Chinese into English (15%)

69. 他病了一个月左右，这使他在学习上耽误了很多。(set back)

70. 就业余爱好而言，珍妮和她妹妹几乎没有什么共同之处。(as far as…be concerned,

have…in common)

71. 只要你不断努力，你迟早会解决这个难题的。(as long as, sooner or later, resolve)

72. 警察要求司机把事故讲述的更详细一些。(in detail)

73. 有迹象表明，不少工厂正面临着十分困难的局面。(indications, be faced with)

《基础英语》（二级）模拟试卷五

答案及详解

I. Vocabulary and structure

1. D。name after表示“以某人或某物的名字给某人或某物命名”。

2. B。mean表示“意味着；意思是”；count表示“重要，有价值”；hint表示“暗示，示意”；hope表示“希望”。

3. C。struggle表示“斗争”；battle表示“战争，战斗”；conflict表示“冲突”；quarrel表示“争吵，吵架”。

4. B。indicate表示“”；attach表示“系；绑；贴”，attach importance to表示“认为某事物很重要”；provide表示“提供”；pay表示“支付”。

5. A。at ease表示“不拘束，放松”；in private表示“私下地，单独地”；at rest表示“静止的，不动的”；in peace表示“和平”。

6. B。problem表示“问题”；crisis表示“危机”；danger表示“危险”；uncertainty表示“犹豫，迟疑”。

7. A。in advance表示“事先，预先，提前”；in detail表示“详细地”；in general表示“一般来说，大体上”；in all表示“总共，合计”。

8. D。impression表示“印象、感想、盖印”；imagination表示“想像力; 创造力”；vision表示“视力;视觉”；illusion表示“错觉，幻觉”。

9. A。temptation表示“引诱,诱惑[(+to-v)]”；lure表示“诱惑力,吸引力;魅力[the S][(+of)]”；attraction表示“吸引力；吸引人之物”；charm表示“魅力”。

10. C。blank表示“空白的”, 指表面无字迹，没有写字、印刷、或做记号的空白处; empty 表示“(房间等)空的，没有物的”，指描绘之物的内部本应有的东西这时却没有，或者可容人或物的地方或容器这时未容纳(房间里无设备或家里没有人); bare表示“光秃秃的, 无遮蔽的”，通常指局部的裸；hollow表示“空的，空心的，空虚的”, 指所描绘之物的中心是空的，也可指空虚的。

11. D。superior to表示“优于…，比…好”。More talented, better, greater要求后跟than表示比较级。

12. C。fill表示“装满;填满;使充满[(+with)]”；emit表示“散发,放射;发出”；pollute表示“污

染”；waste表示“浪费”。

13. A。survive表示“在...之后仍然生存, 从...中逃生”；endure表示“忍耐, 忍受”；spend

表示“花钱; 花时间, 花费精力”；remain alive表示“仍然活着”，为不及物动词词组。

14. little表示“少, 不多的”，修饰不可数名词；few表示“很少数的; 几乎没有”，修饰可数

名词；much表示“许多，多；大量的”，修饰不可数名词；many表示“许多人;许多”, 修

饰可数名词。

15. C。consider表示“考虑”；enjoy表示“欣赏; 享受; 喜爱[+v-ing]”；avoid表示“避免

[(n./+v-ing)]”；prevent表示“阻止; 制止; 妨碍[(+from)]”。

16. D。bring about表示“带来，造成”；bring over表示“把…带来；使某人转变”；bring forth

表示“使产生；结果”; bring back表示“拿回来, 使回忆起来, 使恢复”。

17. B。turn off表示“关掉”；turn out表示“生产, 关闭, 出动, 证明是”；turn up表示“出

现;发生”；turn over表示“翻过来，翻倒；移交，交；仔细考虑”。

18. B。single out表示“选拔，找出”；pick out表示“挑选出; 拣出”；take out表示“取出”；

work out表示“想出; 制订出; 产生出”。

19. D。agree to表示“同意;接受”；agree with表示“和...意见一致”；agree upon表示“对...

取得一致意见; 同意，赞成”。

20. B。arouse表示“唤起; 激动, 使奋发”；tempt表示“引诱, 诱惑, 勾引”；intend表示“想

要;打算”；invite表示“引起, 招致; 吸引”。

21. D。incident表示“事件; 事变”；evidence表示“根据,证据,形迹,迹象”；indication表示

“指示，显示，指征”；behavior表示“行为, 举止; 态度”。

22. A。response表示“回应; 反应; 响应”；admission表示“准许，接收，容纳，进入”；

conservation表示“保存；(对自然资源的)保护,管理”；investigation表示“调查”。

23. D。become, change, turn 和go都可用作系动词，后跟形容词。go表示“变为, 成为”。

24. C。keep away from表示“使避开；使远离”；keep up with表示“跟上……，不落后于”；

live with表示“接受；忍受；承认”；live on表示“靠...生活; 以...为食”。

25. C。solve表示“解决”；cause表示“使发生，引起”；encounter表示“遭遇(敌人);遇到(困

难,危险等)”；emerge表示“出现”。

26. D。take away表示“拿走，夺去，使离去；减去”；take out表示“取出；割掉；拔去；

取得；擦掉；洗掉；请人(吃饭，看戏等)”；take back表示“收回(说错的话)；使回忆起”；

take apart表示“拆开，拆卸（机器）”。

27. B。ambitious表示“有雄心的；野心勃勃的”；modest表示“谦虚的；审慎的”；profound

表示“渊博的, 造诣深的; 深奥的”；incompetent表示“无能力的;不能胜任的;不合适的”。

28. C。It is not long before …表示“不久后…”。

29. D。judging by/from表示“根据……判断”。

30. D。in return表示“作为报答/回报/交换”；in turn表示“依次地，轮流的；转而，反过

来”。

II. Reading comprehension (30%)

31.B。根据文章第二段第一句，memory是把信息储存起来供将来使用的能力。

32.C。根据文章第三段后半部分，一个大型计算机的实时信息获得的记忆容量为10万个

单词，智力中等的青少年也能识别10万个单词，然而这只是他储存的信息量的微小的一部分。所以计算机的储存量比青少年的要小得多。

33.A。根据文章第二段，动物也有记忆力，比如老鼠如果闻到了可疑的气味就不会吃谷物，

所以选项C、D错误；根据文章第三段，人脑和电脑在记忆功能方面是相同的，都可储存信息供将来使用。

34.C。in terms of表示“根据，按照，用……的话，在……方面”。in connection with表示

“关于…；与…有关；有联系”；expressed by表示“由…表达”；by means of表示“用…

方法，依靠”。

35.B。文章主要讨论了记忆力的重要性，文章一开始就提到：如果没有记忆力很难想象生

活会是什么样子。

36.A。根据文章第一段第一句，最早的电影只持续约一分钟。

37.B。根据文章第一段第五、六、七句，1903年拍了一部关于火车抢劫案的影片，在这部

电影里，许多动作同时发生，场景自然地转换。这是最早的一部电影---场景在不同的地方和时间拍摄，组合成一个有逻辑的故事。

38.D。见上题。

39.B。根据文章第二段，1910年前电影中电影演员的名字并未显示，因为制片人担心演员

一旦出名就会索要高的片酬。后来他们知道人气高的演员出演的电影会卖更高的价钱，所以不久每当电影放映时，电影演员就会赢得声誉。所以很可能1910年后电影明星才开始出现。

40.D。文章主要讲述了电影制作的历史。

41.B。根据文章第二段，1787年之前，英国惩罚罪犯非常严厉。1770年Cook上校发现了

澳大利亚，所以1787年，英国把首批罪犯流放到澳大利亚。所以文章暗示了1787年后英国法律有很大改变。

42.C。文章主要讲述了18世纪英国把罪犯流放到澳大利亚的历史事实。

43.A。根据文章最后一段内容，罪犯被流放到澳大利亚后，罪犯殖民地有了新的开始，所

以对人们来说新的机会是有益的。

44.D。根据文章第三段，美国发生内战，所以英国不能把罪犯流放到那里，因此他们把目

标转到澳大利亚。

45.C。根据文章内容，澳大利亚是由最为罪犯流放地的英国殖民地发展而来的。

III. Cloze

46.D。still表示“仍旧，依然”；more表示“更多的”；again表示“又”；further表示“而

且; 另外; 再者”。

47.A。concern表示“担心,挂念;关怀[U][C][(+about/for)]”；trouble表示“困难;困境;麻烦

的事”；interest表示“兴趣”；displeasure表示“不快; 不满; 生气”。

48.A。effect表示“效果,效力;作用;影响[C][U][(+on/upon)]”, 后跟介词on或upon。

49.D。介词to表示“(表示对象)对, 向”。

50.A。involuntarily表示“无意地; 偶然地”。differently表示“不同地; 相异地”；directly

表示“直接地; 笔直地”；reluctantly表示“不情愿地; 勉强地”。

51.B。endure表示“忍耐, 忍受”；suffer表示“受痛苦，遭受损失”；undergo表示“经历，

遭受，忍受”；put表示“放, 摆, 装”。

52.C。alert表示“警觉的; 警惕的; 留神的”；awake表示“醒着的; 清醒的”；aware表示

“知道的, 察觉的”；informed表示“消息灵通的”。

53.D。link表示“连接, 结合; 联系”；connect表示“连接, 连结”；associate表示“使联

合, 使结合”；join表示“和...一起做同样的事; 和...作伴”。

54.B。make表示“使得; 使...做...”；persuade表示“说服, 劝服”；say表示“说”；talk

表示“谈话”。

55.A。entirely表示“完全地; 彻底地”；total表示“总计的, 总括的, 全体的”；just表示

“仅仅,只是”；whole表示“整个的; 完整的; 无缺的, 无损的”。

56.B。however表示转折。

57.D。like表示“像要; 好像是”；probable表示“大概的，很可能的”；capable表示“有

能力的,能干的, 有才华的”；possible表示“有可能的”。probable表示有几分根据的推测，比possible表示的可能性大。possible表示客观上潜在的可能性，也许实际发生

的可能性并不大。

58.D。plead表示“恳求[(+with/for)]”；beg表示“请求,恳求[(+of/for)]”；suggest表示“暗

示；建议”；call on表示“号召”。

59.B。concern for表示“担心, 挂念; 关怀”。

60.A。prohibit表示“禁止”；stop表示“阻止”；suppress表示“镇压, 平定; 压制”；prevent

表示“防止”。

61.C。show films表示“放电影”；demonstrate表示“显示, 表露”；exhibit表示“展示, 陈

列”。

62.C。will表示“(表示经常性、习惯性)经常, 惯于, 总是; (表示单纯的将来)将”；should

表示“应该”；may表示“(表示可能性)可能, 也许”；must表示“必须，一定”。

63.B。then表示“然后”；therefore表示“因此; 因而; 所以”；subsequently表示“其后, 随

后, 接着”；so表示“这么, 那么”。

64.A。“No Smoking”表示“禁止吸烟”。

65.C。have in mind表示“记在心里；考虑到，想到”。

IV. Translation from English into Chinese

66. 一位年轻的女士同一位少校展开了热烈的讨论。年轻的女士认为，妇女已经有所进步，

不再像过去那样一见到老鼠就吓得跳到椅子上；而少校则不以为然。

67. 按出身及其所受的教育，杰斐逊均属于最高的社会阶层。然而，在那个贵人们除了发号

施令以外很少跟出身卑贱的人说话的年代，杰斐逊却想尽办法跟园丁、仆人和侍者交谈。

68. 他因为光电理论获得了诺贝尔奖，这一系列公式他认为并不太重要，可他对观察他的理

论怎样使电视成为可能却没有一点好奇心。

V. Translation from Chinese into English

69. He was ill for about a month, which has really set him back in his studies.

70. As far as hobbies are concerned, Jane and her sister have little in common.

71. As long as you keep (on) trying, you will be able to resolve this difficult problem sooner or later.

72. The policeman asked the driver to describe the accident in greater detail.

73. There are indications that numerous factories are faced with a very difficult situation.