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2019-2020年高考英語優(yōu)等生百日闖關(guān)系列 專題18 閱讀理解記敘文類 方法與技巧 方法概述 記敘文類文章描述的是一件具體事情的發(fā)生、發(fā)展和結(jié)局，通常有時(shí)間、地點(diǎn)、人物、事件等。有些文章是按事件發(fā)展的經(jīng)過為主線敘述的，在敘述的過程中有詳有略；有些文章是按時(shí)間的順序敘述的，有順敘、倒敘等。從總體上來講，文章的難度通常不大，在閱讀過程中，我們一直在某個(gè)線索的引導(dǎo)下，隨著作者的思路去了解一個(gè)故事或一件事情的始末，因此會(huì)感到比較輕松。命題往往從故事的情節(jié)、人物或事件之間的關(guān)系、作者的意圖和態(tài)度、故事的前因和后果等方面入手，考查學(xué)生對(duì)細(xì)節(jié)的辨認(rèn)能力以及推理判斷能力。閱讀此類文章應(yīng)特別注意：（1）若是一般故事性文章，應(yīng)讀懂故事的發(fā)生，發(fā)展，高潮和結(jié)局；（2）若是“哲理故事”，要理解故事所蘊(yùn)含的哲理意義；（3）若是 “逸聞趣事”，應(yīng)體會(huì)對(duì)話的風(fēng)趣性，進(jìn)而才能感受幽默的精髓。 命題方式 考點(diǎn)一、細(xì)節(jié)事實(shí)理解。 一篇文章必然是由許多具體的細(xì)節(jié)、具體的內(nèi)容構(gòu)成的，所有這些信息以某種順序（時(shí)間、空間、情感變化等）排列起來，來進(jìn)一步解釋或闡釋主題，體現(xiàn)文章的主旨大意。 細(xì)節(jié)理解題目主要考查學(xué)生對(duì)文章具體事實(shí)和細(xì)節(jié)的理解能力，屬于表層理解題學(xué)@科@網(wǎng)范疇，難度較小，但在整個(gè)閱讀理解題中所占比例最大，細(xì)節(jié)理解題多從文章的某個(gè)具體事實(shí)或細(xì)節(jié)出發(fā)來設(shè)計(jì)題目。 此類題通常根據(jù)文章具體內(nèi)容來設(shè)問，也常使用下列方式來提問 1.Which of the following statements is(not) true/correct? 2.Which of the following is not mentioned? 3.All of the following are true except... 4.According to the passage,when/where/why/how/how/what/which,etc...？ 1.直接事實(shí)題 在解答這類問題時(shí)要求學(xué)生抓住題干文字信息，采用針對(duì)性方法進(jìn)行閱讀，因?yàn)檫@類題的答案在文章中可以直接找到。 如： A giant dam was built many years ago to control the Colorado River in the U.S.This dam was built to protect the land and houses around the river. This huge dam is in the Black Canyon.It is possible to drive a car from one side of the river to the other on a road，which is on the top of the dam.This dam is so big that there is an elevator inside.The elevator goes down forty-four stories from the road to the bottom.There is enough concrete in this dam to build a highway from New York to San Francisco.Thousands of people worked on this dam for five years. This huge dam was called Boulder Dam when it was finished in 1936.Later it was renamed Hoover Dam in honor of a president of the United States.Hoover Dam，one of the highest dams in the world，is situated between the states of Arizona and Nevada. Q：Hoover Dam lies______ . A.between Arizona and Nevada B.in the Black Canyon C.between New York and San Francisco D.both A and B 【解析】由第二段的第一句話和最后一段的最后一句話可得出正確答案是D項(xiàng)。 2.間接事實(shí)題 解答此類題，需要結(jié)合上下文提供的語境和信息進(jìn)行簡單的概括和判斷或者要進(jìn)行簡單的計(jì)算。 Invited by Mr.Ye Huixian，host of the well-received TV programme“Stars Tonight”，Miss Luo Lin，Miss Asia of 1991，appeared as the guest hostess on the Shanghai TV screen last Sunday. Born in Shanghai and taken to Hongkong when she was only six years old，Luo Lin has never dreamed of being Miss Asia.Her childhood dream was to be an air hostess.Before she took part in the petition，she had been an airhostess in Cathay Airline for seven years.However， it still took her three months to learn the art of walking on the stage，dancing,singing,making-up and other proper manners，designed by the Asia TV Station. “It’s really a hard job for me.I won’t enter for such petition any more.Anyhow，I am quite lucky.I am also glad to have had more chance to work for the social welfare since I won the title.This time，in Shanghai，I’d love to make a deep impression on my TV audience，”said Luo Lin with a sweet smile. Q：Which of the following is NOT true? A.Luo Lin is a native of Shanghai. B.Luo Lin moved to Hongkong with her parents. C.Luo Lin won the title of Miss Asia in 1991. D.Asia TV Station helped Luo Lin to bee Miss Asia. 【解析】A、C和D項(xiàng)都可在原文找到答案，而B項(xiàng)原文所給的是：taken to Hongkong可判斷不是moved to Hongkong with her parents，因此選B。 3、數(shù)據(jù)推算。 If you register both the VIEW qualification course and the Forum at the same time,you will save_______ . A.$100　 B.$300　 C.$350　 D.$400 這類題目要求學(xué)生就文章提供的數(shù)據(jù)，以及數(shù)據(jù)與文中其他信息的關(guān)系做簡單計(jì)算和推斷。在做此類題時(shí)： 1.要抓住并正確理解與數(shù)據(jù)有關(guān)的信息含義。 2.弄清眾多信息中那些屬于有用信息，那些屬于干擾信息。 3.不要孤立看待數(shù)字信息，而要抓住一些關(guān)鍵用語的意義。 考點(diǎn)二、主題理解或?qū)懽饕鈭D推斷。 一、主旨閱讀理解題考查的內(nèi)容 1.短文的標(biāo)題（title,headline）； 2.短文或段落的主題（subject）； 3.中心思想(main idea)； 4.作者的寫作目的(purpose)。 二、此類題的設(shè)問方式 1.What would be the best title for the text? 2.What does the second paragraph mainly discuss? 3.What is the passage mainly about? 4.The main purpose of announcing the above events is__________. 考點(diǎn)三、推理推斷。 推理題要求考生根據(jù)文章提供的事實(shí)和線索進(jìn)行邏輯推理，推斷出作者沒有提到或者沒有明說的事實(shí)或者可能發(fā)生的事實(shí)。這類題旨在考查學(xué)生透過詞語的字面意義去理解作者的言外之意或弦外之音的能力，屬于深層理解題。 此類題的設(shè)問常常包括infer,imply,suggest,conclude 等詞，這類題的設(shè)問方式主要有： 1.We can infer from the Passage that__________. 2.What can be inferred from the Passage? 3.Which of the following can be inferred from the Passage? 4.It can be inferred from Paragraph 3 that__________. 5.The author suggests in this paragraph that__________. 6.The writer implies that__________. 7.It can be inferred that__________. 8.It can be concluded from the Passage that__________. 9.On the whole,we can conclude that__________. 10.From the text we can conclude that__________. 11.After reading the Passage we may conclude that__________. 12.What conclusion can be drawn from the Passage? 13.The author is inclined to think that__________. 14.When the writer talks about,what he really means is that__________. 15.What’s the writer’s attitude/feeling towards...? 16.In the writer’s opinion,... 考點(diǎn)四、詞義、句義猜測(cè)。 詞義猜測(cè)閱讀理解題考查對(duì)文中關(guān)鍵詞語的理解。在閱讀理解題中，所考查的詞或短語的意義往往不停留在字面上，要根據(jù)語境來判斷。 此類題的設(shè)問方式主要有 1.The word “...”in Line...means/can be replaced by... 2.As used in the passage,the phrase “...”suggests... 3.From the passage,we can infer that the word/phrase “...” is/referred to... 4.The word “...” is closest in meaning to...猜詞是應(yīng)用英語的重要能力，也是高考中常用的題型。它不但需要準(zhǔn)確無誤地理解上下文，而且要有較大的泛讀量，掌握或認(rèn)識(shí)較多的課外詞匯。我們要學(xué)會(huì)“順藤摸瓜”，通過構(gòu)詞、語法、定義、同位、對(duì)比、因果、常識(shí)、上下文等線索確定詞義。 1.定義法。如: Annealing is a way of making metal softer by heating it and then letting it cool very slowly. 句子給予annealing 以明確的定義，即 “退火”。 It will be very hard but also very brittle—that is,it will break easily. 從后面的解釋中我們可以了解到brittle 是“脆”的意思。 The herdsman,who looks after sheep，earns about 650 yuan a year. 定語從句中 looks after sheep 就表明了 herdsman 的詞義為“牧人”。 2.同位法。如: They traveled a long way and at last got to a castle,a large building in old times. 同位語部分a large building in old times 給出了 castle 的確切詞義，即“城堡”。 We are on the night shift—from midnight to 8 a.m.—this week. 兩個(gè)破折號(hào)之間的短語很清楚地表明night shift 是“夜班”的意思。 3.對(duì)比法。如: She is usually prompt for all her class,but today she arrived in the middle of her first class. but一詞表轉(zhuǎn)折，因此but 前后的意思正相反。后半句的意思是“她今天第一節(jié)上了一半才來”，因此反向推理，可得出她平時(shí)一向“準(zhǔn)時(shí)”的結(jié)論。 4.構(gòu)詞法(前綴、后綴、復(fù)合、派生等)。如: Perhaps,we can see some possibilities for next fifty years.But the next hundred? possibility 是 possible 的同根名詞,據(jù)此可以判斷定 possibility 意思是“可能性”。 5.因果法。如： The lack of movement caused the muscles to weaken.Sometimes the weakness was permanent.So the player could never play the sport again. 從后面的結(jié)果“永遠(yuǎn)不能再運(yùn)動(dòng)”中，可以推測(cè) permanent 的意思為“永遠(yuǎn)的，永久”。 體驗(yàn)高考 【xx四川卷】C A schoolgirl saved her fathers life by kicking him in the chest after he suffered a serious allergic (過敏的) reaction which stopped his heart. Izzy, nine, restarted father Colms heart by stamping (踩) on his chest after he fell down at home and stopped breathing. Izzys mother, Debbie, immediately called 999 but Izzy knew doctors would never arrive in time to save her father, so decided to use CPR. However, she quickly discovered her arms werent strong enough, so she stamped on her fathers chest .Debbie then took over with some more conventional chest pressions (按壓) until the ambulance arrived . Izzy, who has been given a bravery award by her school, said: "I just kicked him really hard. My mum taught me CPR but I knew I wasnt strong enough to use hands. I was quite scared. The doctor said I might as well be a doctor or a nurse. My mum said that Dad was going to hospital with a big footprint on his "Shes a little star," said Debbie, "i was really upset but Izzy just took over. I just cant believe what she did. I really think all children should be taught first aid. Izzy did CPR then the doctor turned up. Colm had to have more treatment on the way to the hospital and weve got to see an expert." Truck driver Colm, 35, suffered a mystery allergic reaction on Saturday and was taken to hospital, but was sent home only for it to happen again the next day. The second attack was so serious that his airway swelled, preventing him from breathing, his blood pressure dropped suddenly, and his heart stopped for a moment. He has now made a full recovery from his suffering. 【小題1】. Izzy kicked her father in the chest ______ . A. to express her helplessness B. to practise CPR on him C. to keep him awake D. to restart his heart 【小題2】. Whats the right order of the events? 1Izzy kicked Colm. 2Debbie called 999. 3Izzy learned CPR. 4Colms heart stopped. A. 3124 B. 4231 C. 3421 D. 4312 【小題3】 What does Paragraph 8 mainly talk about? A. What Colm suffered. B. Colms present condition. C. What caused Colms allergy. D. Symptoms of Colms allergic reaction. 【小題4】. Why does the author write the news? A. To describe a serious accident. B. To prove the importance of CPR. C. To report a 9-year-old girls brave act. D. To call peoples attention to allergic reaction. 【答案】 【小題1】D 【小題2】C 【小題3】A 【小題4】C 【小題1】D考查細(xì)節(jié)理解。根據(jù)文章第二段lzzy, nine , restarted father Colm’s heart by stamping on his chest 可知Lzzy自知自己力氣小，用手很難達(dá)到急救的目的，她用腳踩父親胸口的目的就是為了讓他的心臟恢復(fù)跳動(dòng)，故答案選D。 【小題2】C考查細(xì)節(jié)理解。本道排序題的解題重點(diǎn)是首尾確定法，文章采取倒敘的手法，先描述了Lzzy對(duì)父親采取的急救措施，然后在下文又提到以前母親教給過Lzzy如何急救，所以Lzzy學(xué)會(huì)急救方法是最先發(fā)生的事情，排除BC選項(xiàng)。再根據(jù)作者對(duì)事件的敘述可知在父親暈倒后，母親去撥打了急救電話，而她怕醫(yī)生不能及時(shí)趕到而又去對(duì)父親采取了必要的急救措施，選C。 【小題3】A考查細(xì)節(jié)理解。在文章第八段中作者對(duì)Colm，也就是Lzzy的父親進(jìn)行了介紹，這位卡車司機(jī)因病而住院接受治療，然而在出院的第二天病癥又次發(fā)生，以至于呼吸停止，由此可知本段內(nèi)容主要講述了Colm發(fā)病的事情，故答案選A。 【小題4】C考查推理判斷。在文章中作者主要講述了當(dāng)父親發(fā)病，呼吸心臟停止的時(shí)候，Lzzy采取急救行動(dòng)救父親的故事，通過這件事描寫了小女孩lzzy的勇敢，而其他選項(xiàng)內(nèi)容片面，不能反應(yīng)文章的中心，故答案選C。 考點(diǎn)：考查故事類短文閱讀。 【xx四川卷】B In 1943, when I was 4, my parents moved from Coeur dAlene, Idaho, to Fairbanks, Alaska, where adventure was never very far away. We arrived in the summer, just in time to enjoy the midnight sun. All that sunlight was fantastic for Moms vegetable garden. Working in the garden at midnight tended to throw her timing off, so she didnt care much about my bedtime. Dad was a Railway Express agent and Mom was his clerk. That left me in a mess. I usually managed to find some trouble to get into. Once I had a little Are going in the dirt basement of a hotel. I had tried to light a barrel（桶） of paint but couldnt really get a good fire going. The smoke got pretty bad, though, and when 1 made my exit, a crowd and the police were there to greet me. The policemen took my matches and drove me Mom and Dad were occupied in the garden and Dad told the police to keep me, and they did! I had a tour of the prison before Mom rescued me. 1 hadnt turned 5 yet. As I entered kindergarten, the serious cold began to set in. Would it surprise you to know that I soon left part of my tongue on a metal handrail at school? As for Leonhard Seppala, famous as a dog sledder (駕雪橇者), I think I knew him well because I was taken for a ride with his white dog team one Sunday. At the time I didnt realize what a superstar he was, but I do remember the ride well. I was wrapped (包裹) heavily and well sheltered from the freezing and blowing weather. In 1950, we moved back to Coeur dAlene, but we got one more Alaskan adventure when Leonhard invited us eight years later by paying a visit to Idaho to attend a gathering of former neighbors of Alaska. 【小題1】. What can be inferred about the authors family? A. His father was a cruel man. B. His parents didnt love him. C. His parents used to be very busy. D. His mother didnt have any jobs. 【小題2】. What happened when the author was 4? A. He learned to smoke. B. He was locked in a basement. C. He was arrested by the police. D. He nearly caused a fire accident. 【小題3】. Which of the following is true? A. Leonhard was good at driving dog sleds. B. The author spent his whole childhood in Alaska. C. Leonhard often visited the authors family after 1950. D. The author suffered a lot while taking the dog sled in Alaska. 【小題4】. What is the authors purpose of writing the text? A. To look back on his childhood with adventures. B. To describe the extreme weather of Alaska. C. To express how much he misses Leonhard. D. To show off his pride in making trouble. 【答案】 【小題1】C 【小題2】D 【小題3】A 【小題4】A 【解析】 試題分析: 本文是一篇記敘文，在文章中作者回憶了自己童年時(shí)候發(fā)生的一件件的事情，基本都是作者惹得亂子。那時(shí)父親在鐵路部門工作，母親則是父親手下的一名職員，他們工作忙碌而無瑕顧及作者以至于他有一次點(diǎn)燃了一桶油漆，差點(diǎn)引起火災(zāi)，闖下大禍。此外，在文中作者還提到了自己第一次做雪橇的美好回憶。 【小題3】A考查細(xì)節(jié)理解。從文章末段內(nèi)容可知作者后來搬家了，故 B選項(xiàng)內(nèi)容錯(cuò)誤，而C選項(xiàng)中作者提到Leonhard1950年以后還經(jīng)常去他家，內(nèi)容與文章末段提示的信息矛盾，故排除。根據(jù)文章第四段As for Leonhard Seppala, famous as a dog sledder和but I do remember the ride well.可知Leonhard Seppala以駕雪橇的高超技術(shù)而著名，而且作者第一次的乘坐雪橇也是非常愉快的，故D選項(xiàng)錯(cuò)誤，答案選A。 【小題4】A考查主旨大意。文章開頭提出自己在四歲的時(shí)候，一家人搬到了阿拉斯加，在那里他的冒險(xiǎn)生活就開始了，然后在下文中作者回憶了在那里發(fā)生的的事情，由此可知本文主要講述了作者小時(shí)候的事情，是作者對(duì)童年的回憶，選A。 考點(diǎn)：考查故事類短文閱讀。 【xx全國新課標(biāo)II】A ArrivinginSydneyonhisownfromIndia, my husband ,Rashid, stayedina hotel for a short time while looking for a house for me and our children. During the first week of his stay, he went out one day to do some shopping. He came back in the late afternoon to discover that his suitcase was gone. He was extremely worried as the suitcase had all his important papers, including his passport. He reported the case to the police and then sat there，lost and lonely in strange city, thinking of the terrible troubles of getting all the paperwork organized again from a distant country while trying to settle down in a new one. Late in the evening, the phone rang. It was a stranger. He was trying to pronounce my husband’s name and was asking him a lot of questions. Then he said they had found a pile of papers in their trash can（垃圾桶）that had been left out on the footpath. My husband rushed to their home to find a kind family holding all his papers and documents. Their young daughter had gone to the trash can and found a pile of unfamiliar papers. Her parents had carefully sorted them out, although they had found mainly foreign addresses on most of the documents. At last they had seen a half-written letter in the pile in which my husband had given his new telephone number to a friend. That family not only restored the important documents to us that day but also restored our faith and trust in people. We still remember their kindness and often send a warm wish their way. 【小題1】.What did Rashid plan to do after his arrival in Sydney? A. Go shopping B. Find a house C. Join his family D. Take his family 【小題2】.The girl’s parents got Rashid’s phone number from_______. A. a friend of his family B. a Sydney policeman C. a letter in his papers D. a stranger in Sydney 【小題3】.What does the underlined word “restored” in the last paragraph mean? A. Showed B. Sent out C. Delivered D. Gave back 【小題4】.Which of the following can be the best title for the text? A. From India to Australia. B. Living in a New Country. C. Turning Trash to Treasure. D. In Search of New Friends. 【答案】 【小題1】B 【小題2】C 【小題3】D 【小題4】C 【解析】 試題分析: 本文屬于記敘文題材。在文中作者講述了她們一家經(jīng)歷的一件事情。作者的丈夫不慎丟失了文件包，正當(dāng)著急的時(shí)候，有人打電話給送了回來，原來是那家人的小孩在垃圾桶旁邊發(fā)現(xiàn)了這些文件，通過這件事作者一家不僅找回了丟失的文件也找回了對(duì)人們的信任。 【小題1】B 考查細(xì)節(jié)理解。根據(jù)文章首段Rashid, stayedina hotel for a short time while looking for a short time while looking for a house可知作者的丈夫Rashid獨(dú)自一人到了悉尼后住在旅館中，同時(shí)到處去給家人找房子住，故答案選B。 【小題2】C 考查細(xì)節(jié)理解。 根據(jù)文章倒數(shù)第二段At last they had seen a half-written letter in the pile in which my husband had given his new telephone number to a friend.可知陌生人一家是通過作者丈夫文件中一封信里的內(nèi)容得知他的電話號(hào)碼的，故答案選C。 【小題4】C 考查文章標(biāo)題。文章講述了作者的丈夫丟失的物品被人認(rèn)為是垃圾而扔到了垃圾箱里，但是有一個(gè)好心的家庭卻把那些文件等規(guī)整好送還給作者的丈夫，這些別人眼里的垃圾對(duì)作者的丈夫來說卻是重要的，由此判斷C選項(xiàng)內(nèi)容更能體現(xiàn)文章中心，故答案選C。 考點(diǎn)：考查故事類短文閱讀。 【xx陜西卷】B When I told my father that I was moving to Des Moines, Iowa, he told me about the only time he had been there. It was in the 1930s, when he was an editor if the literary magazine of Southern Methodist University（SMU）in Dallas, Texas. He also worked as a professor at SMU, and there was a girl student in his class who suffered from a serious back disease. She couldn;t afford the operation because her family was poor. Her mother ran a boardinghouse in Galveston, a seaside town near Houston, Texas. She was cleaning out the attic（閣樓）one day when she came across an old dusty manuscript（手稿）. On its top page were the words, “By O. Henry”. It was a nice story, and she sent it to her daughter at SMU, who showed it to my father. My father had never read the story before, but it sounded like O. Henry, and he knew that O. Henry had once lived in Houston. So it was possible that the famous author had gone to the beach and stayed in the Gainestown boardinghouse, and had written the story there and left the manuscript behind by accident. My father visited an O. Henry expert at Columbia University in New York, who authenticated the story as O. Henry’s. My father then set out to sell it. Eventfully, he foud himself in Des Moines, meeting with Gardner Cowles, a top editor at the Des Moines Register. Cowles loves the story and bought it on the spot. My father took the money to the girl. It was just enough for her to have the operation she so desperately needed. My father never told me what the O. Henry story was about. But i doubt that it could have been better than his own story. 【小題1】 Who found the O. Henry’s manuscript? A. The girl’s mother. B. The author’s father. C. The girl. D. The author. 【小題2】Which of the following might explain the fact that the manuscript was found in the attic? A. O. Henry once worked in Houston. B. O. Henry once stayed in Galveston. C. O. Henry once moved to Des Moines. D. O. Henry once taught at SMU. 【小題3】The underlined word “authenticated” in Paragraph 2 probably means __________. A. named B. treated C. proved D. described 【小題4】According to the text, why did the author’s father go to Des Moines? A. To sell the O. Henry story. B. To meet the author himself. C. To talk with the O. Henry expert. D. To give money to the girl. 【答案】 【小題1】A 【小題2】B 【小題3】C 【小題4】A 【解析】 試題分析：文章大意：這是一位處于貧困中的母親在發(fā)現(xiàn)O.Henry書稿時(shí)沒有私藏，而是轉(zhuǎn)交給作者的父親，作者的父親讓專家鑒定后將書稿賣的錢如數(shù)給小女孩的母親，生病的孩子得救了。 【小題1】A考查細(xì)節(jié)理解。根據(jù)第二段的She was cleaning out the attic（閣樓）one day when she came across an old dusty manuscript（手稿）. On its top page were the words, “By O.Henry”可知那位小女孩的母親一天打掃閣樓上發(fā)現(xiàn)布滿塵土的舊手稿，手稿上寫著O.Henry的簽名，故選A。 【小題2】B 考查細(xì)節(jié)理解。根據(jù)第二段的My father had never read the story before, but it sounded like O. Henry, and he knew that O.Henry had once lived in Houston可知我父親從沒有聽說過這個(gè)故事，但是他知道O.Henry曾住在Houston，故選B。 【小題3】C考查猜測(cè)詞義。根據(jù)前文作者的父親找到一位專家應(yīng)是“證明”是O.Henry的作品。A命名；B對(duì)待；C證明；D描述。故選C。 【小題4】A考查細(xì)節(jié)理解。根據(jù)最后一段的My father then set out to sell it我父親然后出發(fā)去把它賣掉，可知選A。 考點(diǎn)：考查故事類短文閱讀 【xx天津卷】C “Dad,” I say one day …..take a trip. Why don’t you fly and meet me?” My father had just reired……….. His job filled his day, his thought, his life. While he woke up and took a warm shower, I screamed under a freezing waterfall Peru. While he tied a tie and put on the same Swiss watch, I rowed a boat across Lake of the Ozarks. My father sees me drfting aimlessly, nothing to show for my 33 years but a passport full of funny stamps. He wants me to settle down, but now I want him to find an adventure. He agrees to travel with me through the national parks. We meet four weeks later in Rapid City. “ What is our first stop?” asks my father. “What time is it?” “Still don’t have a watch?” Less than an hour away is Mount Rushmore. As he stares up at the four Presidents carved in granite(), his mouth and eyes open slowly, like those of little boy. “Unbelievable,” he says, “How was this done?” A film in the information center shows sculptor Gutzon Borglum devoted 14 years to the sculpture and then left the final touches to his son. We stare up and I ask myself, Would I ever devote my life to anything? No directions, …… I always used to hear those words in my father’s voice. Now I hear them in my own. The next day we’re at Yellowstone National Park, where we have a picnic. “Did you ever travel with your dad? I ask. “Only once,” he says. “ I never spoke much with my father. We loved ea