Mary was seven years old. Her parents recently moved to a new town, and so Mary was going to a 36   school, which was a few kilometers from the house they lived in now. A school bus going around picked up 37 every morning and brought them back to their  38  every afternoon, and as both of Mary’s parents  39 to go to work, she always went on this bus.

Mary’s parents always 40  their alarm clock for seven o’clock so that none of them would be 41   . But one morning the alarm  42  to go off, and it was not until a quarter past eight that Mary’s mother suddenly 43  , looked at the clock and said, “What’s ever happened to that clock?” and then 44   into Mary’s room to wake her up.

“I’m sorry, dear,” she said, “ 45 you’ll have to wash and dress very quickly, have an even  46 breakfast and then I’ll  47  you to school on my way to the office.”

“But how can you find the   48, Mum?” Mary said, “You’ve been to school only once.”

“Yes,” her mother answered, “but you’ve done the   49   several times now on the bus, so you can be my guide to get there, can’t you?”

“Oh, yes,” said Mary, “I suppose so.” She washed, and  50  and had a quick breakfast, and then they set off. Mary told her mother to turn each time they came to a place she 51  .In this way she made her mother drive round most of the town   52  they got to her school. When they arrived, her mother saw that it was not really very far from her house.

“Why ever did you make me go such a long way round, Mary, instead of the most    53    way?” her mother asked her.

“Well, Mum,” answered Mary, “it was because I didn’t know   54  else to get here. That’s the way our bus always goes to   55   the other children to school.

The friendship between us never fades. Mary Allen was my best friend—like a sister I never had. We did everything together: piano lessons, movies, swimming, horseback riding, and so on.

When I was 13, my family moved. Mary and I   36  in touch through letters, and we saw each other on special  37  — like my wedding and Mary’s. Soon we were  38  with children and moving to new homes, and we wrote less. One day a card that I sent came back,  39  “Address Unknown.” I had no idea how to   40   Mary.

Over the years, I thought of Mary often. I wanted to  41  stories of my children and then grandchildren. I need to share my   42 when my brother and then my mother died. There was an empty place in my heart that only a friend like Mary could  43 .

One day I was reading a newspaper   44  I notice a picture of a young woman who looked a lot like Mary and whose last name was Wagman— Mary’s married name. “There must be thousands of Wagmans,” I thought,  45 I wrote to her anyway.

She called as soon as she got my letter. “Mrs. Tobin!” she said excitedly, “Mary Allen Wagman is my mother”. Minutes later I heard a voice that I  46   at once, even after 40 years. We laughed and cried and asked about each other’s   47  .

Now the empty place in my heart is filled, and there is one thing that Mary and I know for sure: We won’t lose each other again!

As we drove along, my spirits went up again, and I turned, with pleasure, to the thought of the new life which I was entering. But though it was not far past the middle of September, the heavy clouds and strong north-easterly wind combined to make the day extremely cold; and the journey seemed a very long one, so that it was nearly one o’clock before we reached the place of our destination. Yet when we entered the gateway, my heart failed me, and I wished it were a mile or two farther off. For the first time in my life I must stand alone: there was no retreating now. I must enter that house, and introduce myself among its strange people. But how was it to be done? True, I was near nineteen; but, thanks to the protecting care of my mother and sister, I well knew that many a girl of fifteen, or under, was gifted with a more womanly address, and greater ease and self-possession, than I was. Yet, anyway. I would do very well, after all; and the children, of course, I should soon be at ease with them.
"Be calm, be calm, whatever happens," I said within myself; and truly I was so fully occupied in steadying my nerves and keeping down the rebellious beat of my heart that when I was admitted into the hall and into the presence of Mrs. Bloomfield, I almost forgot to answer her polite greeting; and it afterwards struck me that the little I did say was spoken in the tone of one half-dead or half-asleep.
With due politeness, however, she showed me my bedroom, and left me there to take a little refreshment for a little while and led me into the dining-room. Some beefsteaks and potatoes were set before me; and while I dined upon these, she sat opposite, watching me (as I thought) and trying to keep something like a conversation— consisting chiefly of commonplace remarks. In fact, my attention was almost wholly absorbed in my dinner: not from appetite, but from the toughness of the beefsteaks, and the numbness of my hands.
“I have had so little time to attend to their education myself, but I think they are clever children, and very willing to learn, especially the little boy; he is, I think, the flower of the flock— a generous, noble-spirited boy, one to be led, but not driven, and remarkable for always speaking the truth.” “His sister Mary Ann will require watching,” continued she, “but she is a very good girl on the whole, though I wish her to be kept out of the nursery as much as possible, as she is now almost six years old, and might acquire bad habits from the nurses. I have ordered her bed to be placed in your room, and if you will be so kind as to look after her washing and dressing, and take charge of her clothes, she needs to have nothing further to do with the nursery maid.”
I replied I was quite willing to do so; and at that moment the children entered the room. Tom Bloomfield was a well-grown boy of seven. Mary was a tall girl, for her age of six, somewhat dark like her mother. The second sister was Fanny, a very pretty little girl, looking little younger than Mary. The remaining one was Harriet, a little broad, fat, merry, playful thing of scarcely two, whom I had more desire for than all the rest — but with her I had nothing to do.
【小题1】Which of the following statements best describes how the writer felt when she entered Mrs. Bloomfield's home?

As we drove along, my spirits went up again, and I turned, with pleasure, to the thought of the new life which I was entering. But though it was not far past the middle of September, the heavy clouds and strong north-easterly wind combined to make the day extremely cold; and the journey seemed a very long one, so that it was nearly one o’clock before we reached the place of our destination. Yet when we entered the gateway, my heart failed me, and I wished it were a mile or two farther off. For the first time in my life I must stand alone: there was no retreating now. I must enter that house, and introduce myself among its strange people. But how was it to be done? True, I was near nineteen; but, thanks to the protecting care of my mother and sister, I well knew that many a girl of fifteen, or under, was gifted with a more womanly address, and greater ease and self-possession, than I was. Yet, anyway. I would do very well, after all; and the children, of course, I should soon be at ease with them.
"Be calm, be calm, whatever happens," I said within myself; and truly I was so fully occupied in steadying my nerves and keeping down the rebellious beat of my heart that when I was admitted into the hall and into the presence of Mrs. Bloomfield, I almost forgot to answer her polite greeting; and it afterwards struck me that the little I did say was spoken in the tone of one half-dead or half-asleep.
With due politeness, however, she showed me my bedroom, and left me there to take a little refreshment for a little while and led me into the dining-room. Some beefsteaks and potatoes were set before me; and while I dined upon these, she sat opposite, watching me (as I thought) and trying to keep something like a conversation— consisting chiefly of commonplace remarks. In fact, my attention was almost wholly absorbed in my dinner: not from appetite, but from the toughness of the beefsteaks, and the numbness of my hands.
“I have had so little time to attend to their education myself, but I think they are clever children, and very willing to learn, especially the little boy; he is, I think, the flower of the flock— a generous, noble-spirited boy, one to be led, but not driven, and remarkable for always speaking the truth.” “His sister Mary Ann will require watching,” continued she, “but she is a very good girl on the whole, though I wish her to be kept out of the nursery as much as possible, as she is now almost six years old, and might acquire bad habits from the nurses. I have ordered her bed to be placed in your room, and if you will be so kind as to look after her washing and dressing, and take charge of her clothes, she needs to have nothing further to do with the nursery maid.”
I replied I was quite willing to do so; and at that moment the children entered the room. Tom Bloomfield was a well-grown boy of seven. Mary was a tall girl, for her age of six, somewhat dark like her mother. The second sister was Fanny, a very pretty little girl, looking little younger than Mary. The remaining one was Harriet, a little broad, fat, merry, playful thing of scarcely two, whom I had more desire for than all the rest — but with her I had nothing to do.

1. 1.

   Which of the following statements best describes how the writer felt when she entered Mrs. Bloomfield's home?

   1. A.
      She was nervous, dissatisfied with her manners but still confident.
   2. B.
      She was cold, hungry but eager to see all the children in the family.
   3. C.
      She was frightened, nervous and regretful about her decision.
   4. D.
      She was calm, confident and very happy with all the family.
2. 2.

   What job would the writer take in Mrs Bloomfield's home?

   1. A.
      A nursery maid.
   2. B.
      A house cleaner.
   3. C.
      A home cook.
   4. D.
      A family teacher.
3. 3.

   Which of the following was TRUE according to the passage?

   1. A.
      The writer had some difficulty with her lunch because of the tough food and the cold.
   2. B.
      The delicious food took the writer's attention away from Mrs. Bloomfield’s words.
   3. C.
      All the children were well educated before the writer came to the family.
   4. D.
      All the children in the family were looked after by Mrs Bloomfield herself.
4. 4.

   From the passage, we can infer that ___________.

   1. A.
      Mrs Bloomfield would treat the writer kindly and help her a lot
   2. B.
      The youngest girl Harriet would be the writer’s favorite student
   3. C.
      the writer would take on more responsibilities than she should
   4. D.
      Tom Bloomfield would be the cleverest of all the children