The winter of 1948was very difficult for our family of eight living in Knoxvile，Tennessee．Unfortunately，Dad became ill and soon was out of a job．I was only 8years old and my younger brother，Buddy was 7．After school we went to pick coal（煤） that fell from the coal train along the railroad near our home．When the train slowed down，we ran alongside it．After the train passed，we picked up the fallen coal．

One day，the train stopped for a short time unusually．My brother and I were digging around in the snow when the train's fireman came to the window and shouted to us，"Why are you boys digging in the snow？Are you looking for gold？"he laughed．

"No，sir，"I replied，"We are finding coal．"

"Why doesn't your daddy buy coal？It's really dangerous here．"

"Our daddy is very sick and we have no money to buy food and coal，"I answered．

The fireman turned and went inside．After a moment，he shouted again．"Hey! Bring that coal bucket（桶子） here．I got something for you．"Then the fireman filled our bucket with clean coal．We were happy with his gift，and we knew we could go home early that day．

He smiled the kindest and warmest smile I had ever seen．"You two boys come here the day after tomorrow and I'll throw off some coal．"

Two days later，Buddy and I stood by the railroads as the train slowed down．The fireman waved to us，then disappeared．Suddenly，some coal and a piece of red cloth came out．In the red cloth were two pieces of bubble gum（泡泡糖） and a new one﹣dollar bill．

All that winter，three days a week，we received a bucket of coal，a gift and，sometimes，money．I never knew the person's full name，but to our family，he was a guardian angel．

44．The winter was very difficult for the family because 　　．

A．the weather was colder than ever

B．they couldn't afford food or coal

C．the writer's father was paid a little

D．they couldn't get help from the government

45．We can learn from the passage that 　　．

A．in order to help his family the writer didn't go to school

B．the fireman thought the boys were very brave to go near the train

C．the train would stop for a while every time near their home

D．the writer and his brother collected fallen coal to help their family

46．The underlined sentence "he was a guardian angel" in the last paragraph means "　　"．

A．the fireman was a close friend of the family

B．the fireman often gave them good food

C．the fireman protected the two boys from danger

D．the fireman had pity on the family and offered them help

47．The writer wrote the story mainly to 　　．

A．tell us to be hopeful in times of difficulty，no matter how bad it is

B．remember a difficult time during his childhood

C．show a little kindness can make a great difference to people in need

D．show how he and his brother helped his family out．

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