高中英语故事类阅读阅读理解

When Boris left school, he could not find a job. He tried hard and pestered (纠缠) his relatives, but they had problems of their own. He answered advertisements until he could not afford to buy any more stamps. Boris grew annoyed, then depressed, then a little hardened. Still he went on trying and still he failed. He began to think that he had no future at all.
“Why don't you start your own business?” one of his uncles told him. “The world is a money-locker. You'd better find a way of opening it.”
“But what can I do?”
“Get out and have a look round.” advised his uncle in a vague sort of way. “See what people want; then give it to them, and they will pay for it.”
Boris began to cycle around the town and found a suitable piece of a waste ground in the end. Then he set up his business as a cycle repairer. He worked hard, made friends with his customers and gradually managed to build up his goodwill and profit. A few months later, he found that he had more work than he could deal with by himself. He found a number of empty shops but they were all no good: in the wrong position, too expensive or with some other snag(障碍). But at long last, he managed to find an empty shop on a new estate where there were plenty of customers but no competition.
Boris and his assistant taught themselves how to repair scooters and motor-cycles. Slowly but surely the profits increased and the business developed. At last, Boris had managed to open the money-locker and found bank notes and gold coins inside.
Which of the following best describes Boris' job hunting experience?

A．Surprising.

B．Encouraging.

C．Boring.

D．Disappointing.

Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Goodwill is the key to success

B．The world is a money-locker

C．No education, no future

D．Difficulty of starting a small business

Boris started his career by       .

A．repairing cycles	B．developing a waste ground
C．cycling around the town	D．buying empty shops

Boris finally chose an empty shop on a new estate because       .

A．it was not so expensive

B．he had a lot of old customers there

C．there were good opportunities there

D．he could make good use of his skills there

We can infer from the last paragraph that Boris     .

A．still couldn't make good profits

B．found a lot of gold coins by accident

C．set off in a successful career

D．had great difficulty running his business

“Mum, what does it mean when someone tells you that they have a skeleton（骨骼）in the closet（衣橱）?” Jessica asked. “A skeleton in the closet?” her mother paused thoughtfully. “Well, it’s something that you would rather not have anyone else know about. For example, if in the past, someone in Dad’s family had been arrested for stealing a horse, it would be ‘a skeleton in his family’s closet’. He really wouldn’t want any neighbor to know about it.”
“Why pick on my family?” Jessica’s father said with anger. “Your family history isn’t so good, you know. Wasn’t your great-great-grandfather a prisoner who was transported to Australia for his crimes?” “Yes, but people these days say that you are not a real Australian unless your ancestors arrived as prisoners.” “Gosh, sorry I asked. I think I understand now,” Jessica cut in before things grew worse.
After dinner, the house was very quiet. Jessica’s parents were still quite angry with each other. Her mother was ironing clothes and every now and then she glared at her husband, who hid behind his newspaper pretending to read. When she finished, she gathered the freshly pressed clothes in her arms and walked to Jessica’s closet. Just as she opened the door and reached in to hang a skirt, a bony arm stuck out from the dark depths and a bundle of white bones fell to the floor. Jessica’s mother sank in a faint（晕倒）, waking only when Jessica put a cold, wet cloth on her forehead. She looked up to see the worried faces of her husband and daughter.
“What happened? Where am I?” she asked. “You just destroyed the school’s skeleton, Mum,” explained Jessica. “I brought it home to help me with my health project. I meant to tell you, but it seemed that as soon as I mentioned skeletons and closets, it caused a problem between you and Dad.” Jessica looked in amazement as her parents began to laugh madly. “They’re both crazy,” she thought.
According to Jessica’s mother, “a skeleton in the closet” means ______.

A．a family honor	B．a family secret
C．a family story	D．a family treasure

What can we learn about some Australians’ ancestors form Paragraph 2?

A．They were brought to Australia as prisoners.

B．They were the earliest people living in Australia.

C．They were involved in some crimes in Australia.

D．They were not regarded as criminals in their days.

Why did Jessica bring a skeleton home?

A．She was curious about it.

B．She planned to keep it for fun.

C．She needed it for her school task.

D．She intended to scare her parents.

Jessica’s parents laughed madly at the end of the story probably because ______.

A．they were crazy

B．they were over excited

C．they realized their misunderstanding

D．they both thought they had won the quarrel

Lee Ann Laraway has polio (小儿麻痹症) and is not able to move very much. Most things are out of reach for her. Jeannie, a Labrador retriever, acts as her arms and legs. Jeannie understands 72 or more different commands. On a shopping trip, she can get money for Lee Ann at the bank or candies at the store. She can pay the cashier (收银员) and get change back. Jeannie brings things to Lee Ann and puts them in her lap.
Jeannie was trained at a place called Canine Companions for Independence, located on twelve acres of land in Santa Rosa (California). The land was donated (捐赠) by the cartoonist Charles Shultz. “We train four different types of dogs here,” said Ken Kirsh, a dog trainer there. “Hearing dogs, service dogs, skilled companion dogs, and facility dogs.”
Trainers work with Labrador retrievers and golden retrievers for hours a day, but not every dog is good enough to be a working dog.
The work is a serious business. Hearing dogs warn their owners of sounds like ringing telephones and doorbells. Other dogs work with disabled patients like eight-year-old Noah Habib who communicates with a special computer. He likes it when people come to ask him about his dog. His father says, “People are really interested in the dog and will come over and ask to pet her and play with her, and ask about what she does, and these are people that normally might not approach us and want to talk to Noah.”
When Lee Ann Laraway comes home with Jeannie and her goods, Jeannie helps her open the door. “You can train a dog to do a lot of things.” said Lee Ann.
According to this passage, we can know that Jeannie is Lee Ann’s        .

A．servant

B．daughter

C．dog

D．mother

Jeannie can help Lee Ann do all the following things EXCEPT___________.

A．go to the bank to get money

B．pay for what Lee Ann buys in the shop

C．bring things home

D．do some cooking at home

People want to talk to Noah mainly because         .

A．he is good at training dogs

B．he is not only honest but also lovely

C．they want to play with his dog

D．they want to ask him for help

Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．Dogs are helpful to people	B．Four kinds of dogs
C．Jeannie, a very clever dog	D．How to train working dogs

What kind of dogs are not trained in the center?

A．Dogs that warn their owners of sounds like doorbells.

B．Dogs that help their blind owners cross over a road.

C．Dogs that open the door for their owners.

D．Dogs that work with children who have polio.

In 1933 an unknown American called Clarence Nash went to see the filmmaker Walt Disney. He had an unusual voice and he wanted to work in Disney’s cartoon film for children. When Walt Disney heard Nash’s voice, he said “Stop! That’s our duck!”
The duck was the now-famous Donald Duck, who first appeared in 1934 in the film The Wise Little Hen. Donald lived in an old houseboat(水上住家) and wore his sailor jacket and hat. Later that year he became a star after an eight-minute Mickey Mouse film. The cinema audience liked him because he was lazy and greedy, and because he lost his temper very quickly. And they loved his voice when he became angry with Mickey’s eight nephews. Soon Donald was more popular than Mickey Mouse himself, probably because he wasn’t a goody-goody like Mickey.
In the 1930s, 40s and 50s Donald and his friends Mickey, Goofy and Pluto made hundreds of Disney cartoons. He also made educational films about the place of the USA in the world, and safety in the home. Then in 1966 Donald Duck and his voice disappeared---there were no more new cartoons.
Clarence Nash died in February, 1985. But today’s children can still see the old cartoons on television and hear that famous voice.
Who made Donald Duck film?

A．Mickey Mouse

B．Clarence Nash

C．Walt Disney

D．Pluto

When did Donald Duck become popular?

A．In 1933

B．In 1934

C．In 1966

D．In 1930

Where do today’s children see Donald Duck?

A．In new film

B．At the cinema

C．On television

D．At concerts

The underlined word “goody-goody” in the second paragraph means a person who __________ .

A．likes to appear to be faultless in behavior

B．likes to appear to be faulty in behavior

C．dislikes to appear to be faultless in behavior

D．dislikes to be faulty in behavior

What’s the main idea of the second paragraph?

A． Donald’s lovely voice.

B．A brief introduction of Donald.

C． Donald’s temper.

D．Donald Duck and Clarence Nash.

Kong Zi , also called Confucius (551-479 B.C) , and Socrates（苏格拉底） (469-399 B. C) lived only a hundred years apart , and during their lifetimes there was no contact （联系）between China and Greece, but it is interesting to look at how the world that each of these great philosophers（哲学家） came from shaped their ideas , and how these ideas in turn ,shaped their societies.
Confucius suggested the Golden Rule as a principle for the conduct of life:” Do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you.” He assumed that all men were equal at birth, though some bad more potential than others, and that it was knowledge that set men apart. Socrates focused on the individual, and thought that the greatest purpose of man was to seek wisdom. He believed that the superior class should rule the inferior(下层的)classes.
For Socrates, the family was of no importance, and the community of little concern. For Confucius, however, the family was the centre of the society, with family relations considered much more important than political relations.
Both men are respected much more today than they were in their lifetimes.
Which of the following is TURE according to the first paragraph?

A．Socrates and Confucius had much in common,

B．Confucius had much influence on Socrates’ ideas.

C．The societies were influenced by the philosophers’ ideas.

D．There were cultural exchanges between China and Greece.

Socrates shared with Confucius the idea that           .

A．all men were equal when they were born

B．the lower classes should be ruled by the upper class

C．the purpose of man was to seek freedom and wisdom

D．people should not ask others to do what they did not want to

What made some people different from others according to Confucius?

A． Family.

B．Potential（潜力）.

C．Knowledge.

D．Community.

The hardworking blacksmith(铁匠) Jones used to work all day in his shop and so hard working was he that at times he would make the sparks fly from his hammer.
The son of Mr. Smith, a rich neighbor, used to come to see the blacksmith everyday and for hours and hours he would enjoy himself watching how the blacksmith worked. "Young man, why don't you try to learn to make shoe tacks（鞋钉）, even if it is only to pass the time?" said the blacksmith. "Who knows, one day, it may be of use to you." The lazy boy began to see what he could do. But after a little practice he found that he was becoming very skilled and soon he was making some of the finest tacks.
Old Mr. Smith died and the son because of the war lost all his goods. He had to leave home and settled down in another country. It so happened that in this village there were many shoemakers who were spending a lot of money to buy tacks for their shoes and even at times when they paid high prices they were not always able to get what they wanted, because in that part of the country there was a high demand for soldiers' shoes.
Our young Mr. Smith, who was finding it difficult to earn his daily bread, remembered that he had learned how to make tacks and had the sudden idea of making a bargain with the shoemakers. He told them that he would make the tacks if they would help to get him settled in his workshop. The shoemakers were only too glad of the offer. And after a while, Mr. Smith found that he was soon making the finest tacks in the village.
"How funny it seems," he used to say, "even making tacks can bring a fortune（财富）.”
From the passage, we can learn the young Mr. Smith became rich ______.
A by selling shoes  B by making shoe tacks  C with his father’s help D by making bread
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A The young Mr. Smith’s father was very wealthy.
B The young Mr. Smith was lazy before learning to make shoe tacks.
C The shoemakers offered him a working place to make shoe tacks.
D The shoemakers were unwilling to buy the young Mr. Smith’s tack.
What can we learn from the young Mr. Smith’s success?

A．It is no use crying over the spilt milk.

B．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

C．All roads lead to Rome.

D．Seeing is believing.

What is the right order of the events related to the young Mr. Smith?
a. He was born in a rich family.
b. He became rich by selling tacks.
c. His father died and he became poor.
d. He was asked to learn to make shoe tacks.
e. He settled in another country.

A．a-d-c-e-b

B．a-d-b-c-e

C．b-d-c-e-a

D．b-d-a-e-c

Mr. Brown was going away for a week. Before he left, he said to his son, "if anyone asks for me, you can tell him that your father has been out for doing something, and will be back in a week, then be sure to ask him to sit down for a cup of tea."
"OK, Dad," said his son. But he was afraid his son couldn't remember this, he wrote these words down on a piece of paper and gave it to him. His son put it into his small pocket, took it out and looked at it every now and then.
Four days passed, but no one came to see his father. The boy thought that there was no man to come and that the piece of paper was of no more use for him, so he burnt it that evening.
The next afternoon, someone knocked at the door. The boy opened it. A man was standing at the door and said, "Where is your father?" The boy put his hand into his pocket at once and looked for the piece of paper. He could not find it. He suddenly remembered he had burnt it, so he shouted, "No more." The man was very surprised. He asked, "No more? I met your father last week. When did it happen?"
"Burnt yesterday evening."
Mr. Brown told his son that _____.

A．he would be away from home for four days

B．he would be back in seven days

C．he would be back in a month

D．he liked a cup of tea

Mr. Brown wrote the words down on ________.

A．the wall

B．the door

C．a piece of paper

D．his son's pocket

A man came to visit the boy's father on ________.

A．the second day

B．the third day

C．the fourth day

D．the fifth day

The man was very surprised because _________.

A．he thought the child's father was dead

B．the child didn't ask him to sit down

C．the child gave him a cup of tea

D．he couldn't find that piece of paper

What was burnt?

A．The piece of paper

B．Mr. Smith

C．The visitor

D．The boy

It was when I was attending high school that I first read Asimov’s stories. At the time, a few science fiction magazines began to introduce this author, and to translate a few pieces from his “Robot Series”. Of Asimov’s works, the one that left the deepest impression on me was Pebble in the Sky. This novel directly influenced my early science fiction writing. Asimov was one of the leading writers of western science fiction’s Golden Age, so although his writing may not have a direct influence on writers of today, his underlying (潜在的) influence on many levels is undeniable — the famous Three Laws of Robotics, and many classic writing techniques, for example. Asimov’s novels are marked by a fully integrated (完整的) logical system, and his stories are a pleasure to read. This is the reason his novels still attract readers today. Naturally, western science fiction has few people these days who follow Asimov’s creative methods. But still the majority of Chinese science fiction readers would rather read the classic works of Asimov. Compared with the “Robot Series”, Asimov’s “Foundation Series” is a little less well-known in China. In fact, the “Foundation Series” creates an entire world, even grander than that of the “Robot Series”; this science fiction had a direct influence on later western science fiction, the most famous example being Star Wars.
We learn from the passage that the writer is probably a _________.

A．science fiction writer	B．science fiction publisher
C．high school student	D．science fiction fan

The purpose of the passage is to _________.

A．compare Asimov with other science fiction writers

B．advise people to read Asimov’s stories

C．give some comments on Asimov’s influence

D．explain why Asimov is popular in China

According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Asimov is criticized by today’s science fiction writers.

B．Asimov still has many readers in China.

C．Asimov wrote Star Wars in his later life.

D．Asimov’s writing techniques are still widely used.

In the writer’s opinion, Asimov’s “Foundation Series” _________.

A．was not as successful as his “Robot Series”

B．is better known to readers than his “Robot Series”

C．was more logically organized than his “Robot Series”

D．was written better than his “Robot Series” in some ways

Last year when Tom graduated from school, he came to Taibei. He didn't like to work on his father's farm and hoped to find a job in a big city. He went from one company to another but no one wanted him. With little money left, he got to the station, sad and tired. All he wanted to do was go back to his small town. It was very late at night and the station was full of people. They were waiting to buy tickets of the last train. He bought the last ticket, and he was very happy.
At that time, a woman with a crying baby walked to him and asked him to sell her the ticket. He gave her the ticket because he thought they needed it more than he did. After the train left, he sat on the bench and didn't know where to go. Suddenly, an old man came and said, "Young man, I have seen what you did to the woman. I am the owner of a big company. I need a good young man like you. Would you like to work for me?"
Tom came to the station to _______.

A．find a job	B．take the train home
C．sell the ticket	D．take the train to Taibei

The woman walked to Tom because _______.

A．she was Tom's old friend

B．her child wanted to talk to Tom

C．she needed to take the train

D．she had no money to buy a ticket

Tom didn't take the train because _______.

A．he didn't take a train ticket

B．he missed the train

C．he wanted to talk to the old man

D．he gave his ticket to the woman

What can we learn from this story?

A．Many people find job in a train station.

B．Don't buy the last ticket of the train.

C．If we try our best to help others, others will help us.

D．We should not give our ticket to others in a train station.

My 8-year-old daughter is making an experiment. She has been making her own colorful smile cards and often takes them with her everywhere.
Last Sunday, I took my kid to go shopping with me. She was hoping to see John, who is an elderly man and gives out samples. We see him from time to time and he is so happy and friendly. John wasn’t at the store on Sunday, so my daughter decided that it would be a good idea to distribute her smile cards to the store’s other employees.
So she did. In the produce department, she gave a card to a young man and she hoped it would make him smile. And he smiled at her and thanked her. Then she came across an older gentleman who looked rather impatient. And she snuck a card into his cart on top of his groceries, remarking to me later that he looked at her suspiciously as if she was dumping trash in his cart. But I thought he would be happy later.
When we got back from our shopping trip, she had run out of cards. She was walking by a woman with two babies in her cart. My daughter smiled at her and the young mother smiled back. My daughter came to me and said excitedly, “Mom, I just realized something. You don’t need cards to make someone smile. All you need to do is make eye contact and smile into their eyes and they will smile back.” 
What a beautiful lesson my daughter reminded me of. You are never too young or too old to experiment with kindness and smiles.
At first, the writer’s daughter made an experiment by ______.

A．giving smile cards	B．giving samples
C．making eye contact	D．giving groceries

According to the text, John was a man ______.

A．who is very young and lively	B．who may be a salesman
C．who is in trouble and needs smiles	D．who is never seen to smile

The underlined word “distribute” in paragraph 2 probably means ______.

A．make up

B．tear up

C．give out

D．sell out

From the text, we can learn that ______.

A．John got a smile card from the writer’s daughter

B．the older gentleman would smile later after he got the smile card

C．we could make others smile only by giving them what they wanted

D．the mother with two babies smiled because she got a smile card

When an official at the U. S. Open Pocket Pool(台球)Championship saw a 9-year-old girl playing at one of the tournament tables, he told her that spectators(观众)were not allowed to play. But much to his surprise, the girl was actually a competitor. That was nine years ago, and today, with five U. S. Open Women’s titles behind her and a recently won world championship, no one is likely to mistake Jean Balukas for a spectator again.
It doesn’t seem too surprising that Jean became caught up in pool——her father owns a pool hall within walking distance of the family’s home in Brooklyn. When she was just tall enough to see over the table, she fell in love with the game soon. Five years later Jean was ready to enter her first U. S. Open. She still remembers the letter the officials sent her reminding her that she wouldn’t be allowed to stand on a box to play.

As Jean improved, she found it increasingly difficult to play games at her father’s pool hall. “If I’d beat one of the guys, his friends would laugh at them about losing to me,” she says. Now Jean comes to the hall only weeks before a tournament when she plays Johnny Goon, her father’s pool manager.
That Johnny can beat her shows the gap that now exists in pool — as in other sports — between the top men and women competitors. “I’m supposedly the top woman player, but I’d have a hard time beating the number 50 man,” says Jean. “If I was a boy and played pool, I’d be a nobody.”
Jean thinks that women pool players still have a long way to go because pool has been a man’s game for so long. “When they think of pool players, people have this picture in their head of gambling(赌博) and smoke,” she says.
Jean won four of the seven games in these two years. She was as surprised as anyone else at her performance, even though she was a New York City tennis champion and center for her high-school basketball team. Jean does not take full credit for her achievements, saying, “I think what I have in sports is a gift from God, and that’s why I can get out there and do so well.”
We can learn from the first passage that Jean Balukas_____.

A．had become well-known at the age of 9

B．had achieved great fame at the age of 18

C．was often asked to play with men players

D．was refused to play in the U. S. Open for her young age

The letter Jean received before her first U. S. Open_____.

A．told her to arrive in time for the game

B．showed people’s doubt about her ability

C．told her about the basic rules of the game

D．invited her to compete in the U. S. Open

Jean Balukas believed that women pool players_____.

A．fall far behind men players

B．aren’t suitable for a man’s game

C．are impossible to beat any man player

D．have a bad reputation(名声) for gambling and smoking

By saying the underlined words in the last paragraph Jean meant that _____.

A．women players had a long way to go

B．she wouldn’t stop before her great achievement

C．she had much confidence in the game

D．she achieved her success because of her born gift

Mr. and Mrs. Gordon were sitting on the sand， reading their magazines． Mr. Gordon was too stingy（吝啬）to rent a chair． Their twelve－year－old daughter，Sandra， was playing at the water's edge． Suddenly a huge wave lifted Sandra up and carried her out to sea． Fortunately， a lifeguard　was on duty and he saw the wave carry Sandra away． He ran along the beach and dived into the sea． He swam quickly to where the girl， with her head only just above the water， was shouting for help． She was very frightened． When the lifeguard reached her, she struggled with him， as drowning people often do． However， he was a skilful lifeguard and quickly took hold of her and swam with her back to the beach． By the time he reached it， Mr. and Mrs. Gordon had realized what had happened． They had run down to the water's edge． Neither of them could swim． They just stood in the shallow water， and worried about their daughter． Had the lifeguard reached her in time？ Fortunately， he had． “That was quick work，young man，”Mr. Gordon said． He turned to his wife， “Give the lifeguard a dollar．” “A dollar！” Sandra cried． “Dad，how can you give him a dollar！ He saved my life． I was half dead．” “Quite right， girl” Mr. Gordon said， pleased by his daughter's awareness（知道） of the value of money． He turned to his wife again and said， “She's right． She was only half dead． Give him fifty cents． ”
What happened to Sandra？

A．She ran into the sea．

B．Her life was saved by a lifeguard．

C．She was drowned．

D．She died．

What did Mr. and Mrs. Gordon do when Sandra was carried out to sea by the wave？

A．They shouted to the lifeguard．

B．They dived into the water．

C．Perhaps they were reading magazines．

D．They offered the lifeguard money to save Sandra．

Why was Sandra angry with her father？

A．He did not give the lifeguard any money．

B．He did not swim out to save her．

C．He did not show the lifeguard hearty thankfulness．

D．He gave the lifeguard too much money．

Why was Mr. Gordon pleased with her daughter？

A．She was safe again．

B．She was polite to the lifeguard．

C．He thought she did not want him to give the life-guard too much money．

D．She gave the lifeguard fifty cents．

One day I took several pairs of shoes to the shoemaker to be mended. After a week I went to take them back. Four months later, my husband and I were invited to dinner. I took out a pair of shoes. I hadn't worn them since they were mended. I put one shoe on my right foot, and then I put the other on my left. But I felt that the other one was on the wrong foot. I took both shoes off for a closer look. They were nearly the same style (式样), color and size, but each was for the right foot. Then I thought of the shoemaker. Though I was sure he wouldn't remember me after such a long time, I called him.  "Thank goodness you called me at last!"  He said happily.  "An angry woman has been troubling me for months!"
How many pairs of shoes did the woman take to the shoemaker to be mended?

A．One shoe.	B．Two pairs of shoes.
C．Only three shoes.	D．Some pairs of shoes.

The shoemaker ___________.

A．was very careful with his work

B．mistook one of the woman' s shoes for the other woman' s

C．forgot the woman because it happened a long time ago

D．was troubled by two men

Did the woman look at the shoes carefully after they were taken back?

A．Yes, she did.	B．The story didn't tell us.
C．No, but her husband did.	D．No, she didn't.

The shoemaker felt very            when the woman rang him.

A．sad

B．angry

C．glad

D．worried

Dr Asim Syed, 32, has performed more than 100 operations at London’s Hammersmith Hospital in the country’s busiest transplant unit, but never imagined that he would one day become a donor himself.
He stepped forward when was told his 64-year-old mother might be dead within months unless she got a new kidney (肾). The worried surgeon brought her to London to be cared for at his hospital. However, it was not all plain sailing. Tests showed Dr Syed was the wrong blood group, so the only way was to go through a special blood-washing process. He consulted colleagues about that, but they didn’t agree, because the risk of rejection is still too high. Dr Syed and his mother were then advised to consider a new way of donating and receiving, called an organ-paired. That is, Dr Syed donated his kidney to an unknown person and another donor in the chain was a successful match for his mother. The chain of three transplants took place at the same time on July 31 with Dr Syed’s kidney going to a recipient in the Midlands and Mrs. Syed receiving her kidney from a person in the south of England.
Just hours after donating his own kidney, Dr Syed found himself recovering in bed next to his mother. Mrs Syed said, “When I came round from my operation Asim was in the next bed and the first thing he said was, ‘Mum now all your worries are over.’ Tears fell down.”
Now mother and son are recovering well with Dr Syed already back at work. Mrs. Syed is staying with him for several months while the hospital monitors her progress.
He said, “I did what anyone would do when they see a relative suffering disease. Although I wasn’t able to help mum directly, by agreeing to be part of a chain, I was also very happy.”
Why isn’t it a plain sailing?

A．No one can treat his mother well.

B．Dr Syed was the wrong blood group.

C．They didn’t have money to be in hospital.

D．Mrs. Syed was unwilling to receive the operation.

Why didn’t his colleagues agree to the method of blood-washing?

A．It is very dangerous.	B．It costs too much.
C．They didn’t know how to do it at all.	D．They didn’t have the relative equipment.

What can we learn about Mrs. Syed?

A．She was touched by his son’s deed.

B．She has already recovered completely.

C．After operation, she went her own home.

D．She was in hospital in London for many years.

What can be inferred from the text?

A．The hospital still needs improving.

B．Dr Syed has love and devotion to his parents.

C．The expense in the hospital is too high to afford.

D．Dr Syed donated his kidney to his mother directly.

The dirty, homeless man sat on the pavement, staring at the atones. He thought back more than twenty years to when he was a boy living in a small red brick house on this very street. He recalled the flower garden, the swing his dad made, and the bike he had saved up for months to buy.
The man shrugged impatiently, for the brightness of those pictures hurt him, and his memory travelled on another ten years. He had a job by then, plenty of friends and started to come home less. He did not really want to remember those years, nor the day when, because o’ debts, he had gone home planning to ask for money. He felt embarrassed, but he knew exactly where his dad kept the money. When his parents stepped out of the room, he took what he wanted and left.
That was the last time he had seen them. Ashamed, he went abroad, and his parents knew nothing about the years of wandering or time in prison. But locked in his cell he often thought of home. Once free, he would love to see his parents again, if they were still alive, and still wanted to see him.
When his prison time was up, he found -a job, but couldn’t settle. Something was drawing him home. He did not want to arrive penniless, so he hitchhiked most of the long journey back. But less than a mile from his destination he started to feel sick with doubt. Could they ever accept this man who had so bitterly disappointed them?
He spent most of that day sitting under a tree. That evening he posted a letter which, although short, had taken him hours to write. It ended with:
I know it is unreasonable of me to suppose you want to see me ... so it’s up to you. I’ll come early Thursday morning. If you want me home, hang a white handkerchief in the window of my old bedroom. If it’s there, I’ll come in; if not, I’ll wave good-bye and go.
And now it was Thursday morning and he was sitting on the pavement at the end of the street. Finally he got up and walked slowly toward the old house. He drew a long breath and looked.
His parents were taking no risks. ________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
The man threw his head back, gave a cry of relief and ran straight through the open front door.
Why did the man shrug impatiently (paragraph 2) while he was thinking of his childhood?

A．The thoughts made him angry.

B．He felt he had wasted time.

C．He was anxious to go home.

D．The sweet memory caused him much pain.

Why did it take him hours to write the letter?

A．He doubted if his parents still lived in that house.

B．He had much news to tell his parents.

C．He felt ashamed to ask for forgiveness.

D．He was longing to return home and felt excited.

In what order did the following events take place?
a. He took the money from his parents.
b. He bought a bicycle with his savings.
c. He was sentenced to prison.
d. He wrote the letter home.
e. He sat on the pavement.
f. He hitchhiked back home.

A．b, a, c, d, e, f	B．b, a, c, f, d, e
C．a, c, b, d, f, a	D．a, d, b, c, e, f

Which of the following best fits into paragraph 8 ?

A．Every inch of the house was covered in white. Sheets, pillowcases and table clothes had been placed on every window and door, making it look like a snow house.

B．The house before him was just as he remembered: the red bricks, the brown door and nothing else.

C．A colourful blanket was over the front door. On it, in large letters, was written, "Welcome home, son

D．A police car was parked in the drive way, and two officers stood at the front door.

The best title of the passage is _______.

A．Sweet Memory	B．White Handkerchief
C．Abandoned Son	D．Leaving Home