Part of David’s heart muscle grew thick and stiff, keeping the flow of blood.The disease David had lived with for 17 years was slowly keeping his heart from beating.
The night Flora bent forward in front of her computer, everybody else was asleep.For the price, or keeping her husband alive?To do that, she needed to search for the information:a place and someone to fix David’s damaged heart.And she needed to be lucky.
Finally, she found what she needed on a magazine’s web site.When David came into the study early the following morning, she said,“I’ve found it.”and handed him the papers.
David wondered if there was any other way.Then he thought about his wife and kids.He stared at the papers.Only he could make the choice:should he have the same surgery(外科手术)that had killed his father, or the one that no one works?This experimental treatment might be his best hope.
The operation theatre was kept freezing cold.David wasn’t frightened, just nervous.
He felt a burning pain, like a burning knife cutting through his heart…
On the EKG screen, the tiny valley in the middle of each peak(高峰)-showing a sign of David’s disease-smoothed out.For the first time in years, he had a normal arterial(动脉)pressure.
“That’s the most unus ualthing,”said Flora, excited by the results.
Three days later, David and Flora drove home after the fight from Houston.Their kids ran out to meet them.
(1)
Decide which is closest in meaning to the underlined word“stiff”(Line 1)in the text?
[ ]
A.
unable to bend.
B.
dry, loose and smaller.
C.
not easy to turn or move.
D.
less straight as well as narrow.
(2)
“And she needed to be lucky”.What did this sentence suggest?
[ ]
A.
God would bring luck to her.
B.
Good luck was sure to reach her.
C.
She needed to try hard to be lucky.
D.
There was a chance that her efforts would end in failure.
(3)
From the text, we learn that Houston was probably the name of ________.
[ ]
A.
the operation room
B.
the most unusual surgery
C.
a city where the hospital lay
D.
the head doctor in charge of the operation
(4)
From the text, we can tell that ________.
[ ]
A.
the Davids got along well with each other
B.
David accepted Flora’s advice without any hesitation
C.
David’s father died from a sudden attack of heart trouble
D.
David became a normal person soon after the medical operation