Dentists always ask questions when it is impossiblefor you to answer. My dentist had just pulled outone of my teeth and had told me to rest for a while. Itried to say something, but my mouth was full ofcottonwool. He knew I collected match boxes andasked me whether my collection was growing.He then asked me how my brother was andwhether I liked my new job in London. Inanswer to these questions I either nodded ormade strange noises. Meanwhile, my tongue wasbusy searching out the hole where the tooth had been. I suddenly felt very worried, but couldnot say anything. When the dentist at last removed the cotton wool from my mouth, I wasable to tell him that he had pulled out the wrong tooth.
精讲笔记：
4. He knew I collected match boxes and asked me whether my collection was growing.
他知道我收集火柴盒，于是问我收藏的火柴盒是否在增加。
真题测试 测试语言点：whether引导宾语从句
Elephants have their own way to tell the shape of an object and ___ it is rough or smooth. (2005年高考天津卷，第2题)
A.不填 B. whether C. how D. what
答案：选B
分析：whether引导的宾语从句和the shape of an object并列，都作tell的宾语;whether...or...意为“是....还是”。
翻译：大象有自己的方法来辨别物体的形状，它还可以辨别物体是粗糙的还是光滑的。
5. He then asked me how my brother was and whether I liked my new job in London.
接着他又问我的兄弟近况如何，问我是否喜欢伦敦的新工作。
6. In answer to these questions I either nodded or made strange noises.
作为对这些问题的回答,我不是点头,就是只能发出很奇怪的声音。
真题测试 测试语言点：“祈使句 + and / or”的用法
Follow your doctor's advice, ____ your cough will get worse. (2005年高考辽宁卷，第30题)
A. or B. and C. then D. so
答案：选A
分析：本题考查的句型结构是“祈使句 + and/ or”，前面的祈使句表示条件，or或and 引导的分句表示结果。
翻译：听从医生的建议，否则你的咳嗽将会越来越严重的。
