He was an old man who fished alone in a boat in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish．hi the first forty days a boy had been with him．But after tony days without a fish the boy's parents had told him that the old man was now definitely salao and he finally would be so．The boy had gone at their orders in another boat which caught three good fish the first week．It made the boy sad to see the old man come in each day with his skiff empty and he always went down to help him carry either the coiled lines or the gaff （鱼钩） and harpoon （鱼叉） and the sail that was rolled around the mast （桅杆）．The sail was patched with flour bags and, rolled, it looked like tneflag of permanent defeat．

       The old man was very thin with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck．The brown blotches（斑点）of the skin cancer the sun brings from its reflection on the tropic sea were on his cheeks．The blotches ran well down the sides of his face and his hands had the deep-creased scars from handling heavy fish on the cords．But none of these scars were fresh．They were as old as erosions in a fishless desert．Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated．

       "Santiago," the boy said to him as they climbed the bank from where the boat was pulled up．"I could go with you again．We've made some money．" The old man had taught the boy to fish and the boy loved him．

       "No," the old man said．"You're with a lucky boat．Stay with them."

       "But remember how you went eighty-seven days without fish and then we caught big ones every day for three weeks．"

       "I remember," the old man said．"I know you did not leave me because you doubted．"

       "It was papa who made me leave．I am a boy and I must obey him．"

       "I know," the old man said．"It is quite normal．"

       "He hasn't much faith．"

       "No," the old man said．"But we have．Haven't we?"

       "Yes," the boy said．"Can I offer you a beer on the Terrace and then we'll take the stuff home．"

       "Why not?" said the old man, "between fishermen．"

55．The underlined word "salao" in the first paragraph probably means ____．

       A．lonely      B．unlucky  C．selfish          D．stubborn

56．The boy left the old man and went in another boat to fish because ____．

       A．the old man preferred to fish alone      

       B．the old man was poor

       C．the boy's parents ordered him to             

       D．the old man's sail suggested a permanent defeat

57．After reading this passage, we may safely conclude that ____．

       A．the old man was insistent and not afraid of failure

       B．the boy's papa had confidence in everything

       C．the old man caught big fishes during eighty-seven days

       D．the boy obeyed his father because he had some doubts about the old man

58．What might happen after the last paragraph?

       A．The old man and the boy might go to fish with other fishermen．

       B．The old man might go to have a drink with the boy．

       C．The old man and the boy might go to enjoy beer at the old man's home．

       D．The old man might go to tell the boy's papa about the secrets between fishermen．

Now came great news! It came from a neighboring state, where the family’s only surviving relative lived. It was Sally’s relative—a distant relative by the name of Tilbury Foster, seventy and single. Tilbury now wrote to Sally, saying he should shortly die, and should leave him thirty thousand dollars, cash; not for love, but because money had given him most of his troubles, and he wished to place it where there was good hope that it would continue its evil work. The bequest would be found in his will, and would be officially handed over provided that Sally should be able to prove to the executors (遗嘱执行人).
As soon as Aleck had partially recovered from the strong emotions created by the letter, she sent someone to the relative’s home and subscribed for the local paper.
For the rest of the day Sally made confusion with his books, and Aleck could not keep her mind on her affairs, not even take up a flower-pot or book or a stick of wood without forgetting what she had intended to do with it. For both were dreaming.
“Thirty thousand dollars!”
All day long Aleck was absorbed in planning how to invest it, Sally in planning how to spend it.
There was no romance-reading that night. The children took themselves away early, for their parents were silent, disturbed, and strangely unentertaining. Two pencils had been busy during that hour —note-making; in the way of plans. It was Sally who broke the stillness at last. He said, with excitement, “Ah, it’ll be grand, Aleck! Out of the first thousand we’ll have a horse and a buggy for summer, and a cutter and a skin lap-robe for winter.”
Aleck responded with decision and calmness.
“You can spend a part of it. But the whole of the capital must be put right to work.
“Why, yes. Yes, of course. Have you got it invested yet?”
“No, there’s no hurry about that; I must look around first, and think, er…, I’ve turned it over twice; once in oil and once in wheat.”
“Why, Aleck, it’s splendid! What does it amount to?”
“I think — well, to be on the safe side, about a hundred and eighty thousand clear, though it will probably be more.”
“My! Isn’t it wonderful? Good heaven! Luck has come our way at last, Aleck!”
Then they went up to bed, but they left the candle burning in the sitting room. They did not remember until they were undressed; then Sally was for letting it burn; he said they could afford it, if it was a thousand. But Aleck went down and put it out.
A good job, too; for on her way back she hit on a scheme that would turn the hundred and eighty thousand into half a million before it had had time to get cold

1. 1.

   Why would Tilbury like to give all his money to Sally?

   1. A.
      Because Sally was Tilbury’s only relative alive
   2. B.
      Because Tilbury loved Sally and his family deeply
   3. C.
      Because Tilbury wanted his money to continue its function
   4. D.
      Because Sally and his wife are good at investing
2. 2.

   The underlined word “bequest” in Paragraph1 probably means _________

   1. A.
      a gift of personal property
   2. B.
      a proof of a person’s identity
   3. C.
      a method of getting money
   4. D.
      a reason for giving money
3. 3.

   What do we know about Sally and his wife after receiving the letter?

   1. A.
      They were in deep sorrow and stayed up all night
   2. B.
      They cared little about the bequest and lived their life as usual
   3. C.
      They paid a visit to Tilbury to confirm the truth of the letter
   4. D.
      They had a big ambition to invest the money and make huge profits
4. 4.

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

   1. A.
      Thrilling News
   2. B.
      Sally’s Distant Relative
   3. C.
      The $30,000 Bequest
   4. D.
      A Smart Investment

He was an old man who fished alone in a boat in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish．hi the first forty days a boy had been with him．But after tony days without a fish the boy's parents had told him that the old man was now definitely salao and he finally would be so．The boy had gone at their orders in another boat which caught three good fish the first week．It made the boy sad to see the old man come in each day with his skiff empty and he always went down to help him carry either the coiled lines or the gaff （鱼钩） and harpoon （鱼叉） and the sail that was rolled around the mast （桅杆）．The sail was patched with flour bags and, rolled, it looked like tneflag of permanent defeat．

       The old man was very thin with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck．The brown blotches（斑点）of the skin cancer the sun brings from its reflection on the tropic sea were on his cheeks．The blotches ran well down the sides of his face and his hands had the deep-creased scars from handling heavy fish on the cords．But none of these scars were fresh．They were as old as erosions in a fishless desert．Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated．

       "Santiago," the boy said to him as they climbed the bank from where the boat was pulled up．"I could go with you again．We've made some money．" The old man had taught the boy to fish and the boy loved him．

       "No," the old man said．"You're with a lucky boat．Stay with them."

       "But remember how you went eighty-seven days without fish and then we caught big ones every day for three weeks．"

       "I remember," the old man said．"I know you did not leave me because you doubted．"

       "It was papa who made me leave．I am a boy and I must obey him．"

       "I know," the old man said．"It is quite normal．"

       "He hasn't much faith．"

       "No," the old man said．"But we have．Haven't we?"

       "Yes," the boy said．"Can I offer you a beer on the Terrace and then we'll take the stuff home．"

       "Why not?" said the old man, "between fishermen．"

1．The underlined word "salao" in the first paragraph probably means ____．

       A．lonely                 B．unlucky             C．selfish              D．stubborn

2．The boy left the old man and went in another boat to fish because ____．

       A．the old man preferred to fish alone       

       B．the old man was poor

       C．the boy's parents ordered him to                                     

       D．the old man's sail suggested a permanent defeat

3．After reading this passage, we may safely conclude that ____．

       A．the old man was insistent and not afraid of failure

       B．the boy's papa had confidence in everything

       C．the old man caught big fishes during eighty-seven days

       D．the boy obeyed his father because he had some doubts about the old man

4．What might happen after the last paragraph?

       A．The old man and the boy might go to fish with other fishermen．

       B．The old man might go to have a drink with the boy．

       C．The old man and the boy might go to enjoy beer at the old man's home．

       D．The old man might go to tell the boy's papa about the secrets between fishermen．

He was an old man who fished alone in a boat in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish. In the first forty days a boy had been with him. But after forty days without a fish the boy’s parents had told him that the old man was now definitely and finally salao, which is the worst form of unlucky, and the boy had gone at their orders in another boat which caught three good fish the first week. It made the boy sad to see the old man come in each day with his skiff empty and he always went down to help him carry either the coiled lines or the gaff (鱼钩) and harpoon (鱼叉) and the sail that was furled around the mast (桅杆). The sail was patched with flour sacks and, furled, it looked like the flag of permanent defeat.

The old man was thin and gaunt with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck. The brown blotches（斑点）of the skin cancer the sun brings from its reflection on the tropic sea were on his cheeks. The blotches ran well down the sides of his face and his hands had the deep-creased scars from handling heavy fish on the cords. But none of these scars were fresh. They were as old as erosions in a fishless desert.

Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated.

“Santiago,” the boy said to him as they climbed the bank from where the skiff was pulled up. “I could go with you again. We’ve made some money.”

The old man had taught the boy to fish and the boy loved him.

“No,” the old man said. “You’re with a lucky boat. Stay with them.”

“But remember how you went eighty-seven days without fish and then we caught big ones every day for three weeks.”

“I remember,” the old man said. “I know you did not leave me because you doubted.” 

“It was papa who made me leave. I am a boy and I must obey him.”

“I know,” the old man said. “It is quite normal.”

“He hasn’t much faith.”

“No,” the old man said. “But we have. Haven’t we?”

“Yes,” the boy said. “Can I offer you a beer on the Terrace and then we’ll take the stuff home.”

“Why not?” the old man said. “Between fishermen.”

56. The boy left the old man and went in another boat to fish because            .

A. the old man preferred to fish alone              

B. the old man was unlucky

C. the boy’s parents ordered him to

D. the old man’s sail suggested a permanent defeat

57. After reading this passage, we may safely conclude that                 .

A. the old man was insistent and not afraid of failure[

B. the boy’s papa had confidence in everything

C. the old man caught big fishes during eighty-seven days

D. the boy obeyed his father because he had some doubts about the old man

58. What might happen after the last paragraph?

A. The old man and the boy might go to fish with other fishermen.

B. The old man might go to have a drink with the boy.

C. The old man and the boy might go to enjoy beer at the old man’s home.

D. The old man might go to tell the boy’s papa about the secrets between fishermen.