阅读理解阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个-优题课

Dick was a twenty-year-old man. His father was a teacher and taught chemistry in a middle school and his mother worked in a shop. They lived a happy life until his parents died one night when suddenly an earthquake broke out. All that happened on his sixth birthday. Luckily his sister who was two years senior to him took him to see their aunt in the city and they did not stay at home. Everything was destroyed in the earthquake and the two children got into trouble. Thanks to their aunt who was not rich enough, they grew up but they lived a hard life. His sister was so sad that she became a nun(修女). After he finished middle school, he was introduced to an owner of a hotel and began to work there.
One day the young man fell to the ground while he was cleaning a window on the second floor. He was sent to the hospital and the doctor looked him over. One of his legs was broken and he had to be in hospital. He said to the nurse, “I’m a poor man, madam. Arrange a third-class ward(病房) for me, please.”
“Can’t anybody help you?”
“No, madam,” answered Dick. “I have only a sister. She’s a nun and she’s poor, too.”
“I don’t think so,” the nurse said angrily. “Nuns usually marry God. And God is the richest in the world, you know!”
“Well, then, ” Dick said with a smile. “Please arrange a first-class ward for me and post the bill to my brother-in-law.”
How old was Dick’s sister when the earthquake happened?

A．6

B．8

C．10

D．12

The sister and brother lived a hard life because ____________.

A．they lost all as a result of the earthquake

B．they were too young

C．they were hurt in the earthquake

D．they had to look after themselves

Which of the following is true?

A．The nurse would arrange a third-class ward for Dick.

B．The nurse would arrange a first-class ward for Dick.

C．The nurse would post Dick’s bill to God.

D．Dick had a rich brother-in-law.

From the story, we know that the boy is very.

A．silly

B．kind

C．humorous

D．Lucky

In the USA, many high schools and some colleges and universities have a special celebration(庆典) once a year called Homecoming. Former students and teachers come back to the school to enjoy the memories of their time there and the many Homecoming activities. Homecoming might last for only one day or for several days, even one week.
High schools usually choose one boy and one girl from the senior class to be the “Homecoming King” and “Homecoming Queen”. The students usually choose a boy and a girl who have done a lot for the school.
Most schools have a Homecoming parade(游行). The school band will often lead the way, followed by many different cars and trucks. Most schools also have a football game for Homecoming—and, of course, tailgate parties. A tailgate party is a group of people drinking and eating around the back, or tailgate, of someone’s pick-up truck.
There are many other activities that might be a part of the Homecoming celebration. There might be a school-wide picnic one day; another day, there may be plays, concerts, competitions or games, all depending on a school’s traditions.
Homecoming celebrations nearly always end with a dance and/or a great dinner. The school is decorated beautifully, and a band is paid to come and play. Students dress up: guys in suits and girls in beautiful dresses.
Homecoming in the USA _____.

A．is held only in high schools

B．is held to celebrate the birth of schools

C．might be prepared for students only

D．might last from one day to one week

“King and Queen of Homecoming” are chosen according to _____.

A．their contributions (贡献) to the school

B．their healthy bodies

C．their excellent grades in study

D．their good-looking faces

All the activities might be found at the Homecoming except _____.

A．a parade	B．a football game
C．a picnic	D．an exam

Homecoming celebrations usually end with _____.

A．a play or concert	B．a dance or a dinner
C．a picnic or a dance	D．a competition or a game

We spent a day in the country and picked a lot of flowers. Our car was full of flowers inside! On the way home we had to stop at traffic lights, and there my wife saw the bookshelf.（书柜）
It stood outside a furniture（家具）shop. “Buy it,” she said at once. “We’ll carry it home on the roof-rack（车顶架）. I’ve always wanted one like that.”
What could I do? Ten minutes later I was twenty dollars poorer, and the bookshelf was tied on to the roof rack. It was tall and narrow, quite heavy too.
As it was getting darker, I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed more polite than usual that evening. The police even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.
After a time my wife said, “There’s a long line of cars behind. Why don’t they overtake（超车）?”
Just at that time a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously when they went past. But then, with a kind smile they asked us to follow their car through the busy traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One of the officers came to me.
“Right, sir,” he said. “Do you need any more help now?”
I didn’t quite understand. “Thanks, officer,” I said. “You’ve been very kind. I live just down the road.”
He was looking at our things: first at the flowers, then at the bookshelf. “Well, well,” he said and laughed. “It’s a bookshelf you’ve got there! We thought it was——er, something else.”
My wife began to laugh. Suddenly I understood why the police drove here. I smiled at the officer. “Yes, it’s a bookshelf, but thanks again.” I drove home as fast as I could.
From the story we know that.

A．the writer was poor and didn’t buy the bookshelf for his wife

B．the writer’s wife didn’t like the bookshelf at all

C．the writer was not very glad to buy the bookshelf for his wife

D．the writer was always glad to buy something for his wife

What made the writer think that carrying furniture was “a good idea”?

A．Other drivers would let him go first.

B．He could drive slowly and it was safe.

C．His wife could use a new bookshelf.

D．He could save a lot of money and time.

Why were the police and other drivers so kind to the writer?

A．Because they thought the writer liked studying very much and needed a bookshelf.

B．Because they didn’t think it was polite to overtake a car with a bookshelf on it.

C．Because they thought it was dangerous to carry a bookshelf on a car.

D．Because they thought somebody in the writer’s family had died and he needed help.

Why did the writer’s wife begin to laugh?

A．Because the police had helped them a lot.

B．Because at last the police had driven to the church.

C．Because the officer was always looking at the flowers and the bookshelf.

D．Because now she knew what mistake the police had made.

When did the officers begin to realize they had made a mistake?

A．After they arrived at the church.

B．Before they overtook the writer’s car.

C．Before they arrived at the church.

D．After the writer’s family left the church.

At the time, I would go out in the evening with my parents. But this time I had borrowed a bicycle from a friend of mine. I didn’t know why, but once I was on my own bicycle, a kind of free feeling flooded through me. The faster I rode, the faster I wanted to go! Far ahead, I rode as if my life depended on it, head down, hands grasping the handbars（车把手）. I meant to get to Jinghai Bar as fast as I could...
Oh! My hands! Don’t come any closer... Don’t touch me! That poor doctor just couldn’t get my gloves off. Each time he took a step towards me, I broke into painful shouting. Much later, I discovered that I had crashed(碰撞) heavily with another bicycle, and I hadn’t spoken one word of sense for at least three hours! After some time, my mother arrived at the hospital, her face as white as a sheet（纸张）, and gave me a hug(拥抱), only then did the doctor begin to stitch(缝合) my head wound, not only did he merrily（愉快地） cut off a long lock of my hair, but used no anaesthetic(麻药) either! Later. I seemed to hear faraway voices saying that my right hand was broken. I almost burst into tears. How would I ever play the piano again?
On her way to Jinghai, the writer felt _______.

A．nervous	B．comfortable
C．light-hearted	D．Upset

Why did the writer ride a bicycle to Jinghai Bar that evening?

A．Because she wanted to attend a party on time.

B．Because she wanted to meet her friend who was waiting for her there.

C．Because she just wanted, to join some of her friends and drink some wine.

D．We are not quite sure about what she was really going there for.

What did the writer think of the doctor?

A．Friendly.	B．Cruel.
C．Hardworking.	D．Kind.

One thing is sure, that is, before she was wounded she _______.

A．often went to Jinghai Bar with her friends

B．liked playing the piano

C．didn’t like any doctors at all

D．would burst into tears when she was in trouble

Mr. Briggs got a job with an insurance company(保险公司) after he left school and went around visiting people in their homes to sell them life insurance. One day, after he had been working for the company for about a year, the insurance manager sent for him and said, “Mr. Briggs, I have been looking at your record as a salesman with our company, and there is one thing that surprises me about it. Why have you been selling insurance only to people over 95 years old, and why have you been giving them such generous（宽厚的）conditions? You’ll ruin our company if you go on like that.”
“Oh, no, sir,” answered Mr. Briggs at once, “Before I started work, I looked at the figures(数字) for deaths in this country during the past ten years, and I can tell you that few people die at the age of 95.”
Before he worked in an insurance company, what was Mr. Briggs?

A．He was a student.	B．He was an official.
C．He was a worker.	D．He was a businessman.

As a salesman with the company, Mr. Brigs .

A．visited people to ask them to work with him

B．called on people to make them join the company

C．saw old people in order to help them

D．visited many people so as to offer insurance

Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Mr. Briggs had studied the figures for deaths for several years.

B．Mr. Briggs began to look at the figures after he started work.

C．The number of the very old people who died every year is small.

D．A great number of very old people die every year.

A．a cook	B．a waitress
C．an instructor	D．an artist