I hitched (钩住) the traveling-can containing the food on to the carrier．I rolled the bicycle the short distance from the house to the road while Edna in a green-and-red dress walked beside me．Mounting the vehicle with the can on the back and Edna on the cross-bar proved a little tricky; but I am rather good with bicycles．I solved the problem by getting on the seat first and keeping the bicycle stationary with one foot resting firmly on the ground．Then Edna climbed on the bar sitting sideways;and I pushed off．The excitement of having her so close within my arms and the perfume of her hair in my nose would have proved overpowering if I'd had much time to consider it．I hadn't．The road to the hospital turned out to be quite hilly, not steep but just enough to take the wind out of one; and with the kind of passenger I had, I didn't care to admit too readily (爽快地) to being tired．So I raced up all the little hillocks until my heart raged like a bonfire (篝火) which was very stupid of me．

　　“You are very strong,” said Edna．

　　“Why?” I said, or rather out of breath, in one enormous expiration (呼气) as I rounded the summit of yet another small hill．

　　“You are eating all the hills like yam (山药)．”

　　“I haven't seen any hill yet,” I replied, getting back some

of my breath as I pedaled (踩自行车踏板) freely down the small, friendly descent that followed．These words were hardly out of my mouth when a stupid sheep and her four or five lambs rushed out of the roadside on my left．I braked sharply．Unfortunately Edna's back was resting on my left arm and prevented me applying the brake on that side effectively．So only the brake on the front wheel performed fully．The bicycle pitched (直冲) forward and crashed on the road．She was thrown farther up the road and as soon as I got up, I rushed to help her to her feet again．Without taking my eyes from the food I murmured that I was very sorry．

　　“It was not your fault,” she said．“It was the stupid sheep．”

　　Then I noticed with the corner of my eyes something that was bending down．I turned then and saw where she had grazed (擦伤) her knee on the road．

　　“Oh dear,” I said, “Edna, I am sorry．”

She left her frock (长袍) which she had held up a little at the knee and came to dust my shoulder where my new white shirt carried a thick patch of indelible (洗不掉的) red-earth．Then she bent down and picked up the traveling-can and began to wipe away the sand, and the spilt soup with green leaves．To my surprise she was crying and saying something like “ My mother will die of hunger today．” Actually I think her crying was probably due to hurt pride because the food lying on the road showed how poor her family was．But I may be wrong．At the time, I was greatly upset．

　　“Can she manage bread and corned (盐腌的) beef?” I asked．“We could buy some outside the hospital．”

　　“I haven't brought any money,” said Edna．

　　“I have some money,” I said, feeling the first breath of relief since the accident happened．“And we could get some disinfectant (消毒剂) for your knee．I'm terribly sorry, my dear．”

1．We can infer that, at the beginning of the passage, the writer had just________．

[　　]

A．offered to marry Edna

B．lied to her

C．offered to take some food to her mother in hospital

D．offered to give Edna a lift to visit her mother in hospital

2．The way the writer rode his bicycle over the hills shows that ________．

[　　]

A．he was very strong

B．Edna was so attractive that he couldn't concentrate

C．he wanted to impress Edna

D．he was not very observant

3．The accident could probably have been avoided if ________．

[　　]

A．he had not braked sharply

B．both brakes had worked properly

C．he had not been so busy admiring Edna

D．he had looked when he was going

4．Why was Edna crying?

[　　]

A．She had hurt her knee．

B．She thought that her mother would have to go hungry that day．

C．The food lying on the road showed her family was poor．

D．We cannot be sure．

5．After the accident the writer was________．

[　　]

A．sad because of the spoilt food

B．guilty because of Edna's grazed knee

C．worried about what Edna might think of him

D．angry at the stupid sheep

Two weeks before Christmas, Mother told me we were going to my grandmother’s house for the holiday. Grandma and Uncle Henry lived on a farm some 15 miles out of town. They had no electricity or running water and 26 what I considered the “good things” in life. They 27 made no plans for Christmas. When Christmas Eve arrived, Mom told me in her best “I-mean-it” voice to 28 all the decorations from our tree. She packed those up 29 all the materials for a 30 turkey dinner.

Christmas morning 31 perfectly with the sun shining brightly across a fresh blanket of snow. 32 　I was angry silently in the backseat of the car as we made our 33 to grandma’s. This was going to be the 34 Christmas ever! Grandma was 35 to see us as we walked up to her door. “What on earth are you doing here?” she said.” We weren’t expecting 36 . It’s Christmas, and I don’t even have a turkey to cook for you.” “I knew 37 .” Mom said as we set boxes of goodies on the kitchen table. “That’s 38 we brought all with us.” “We 39 have a tree,” Mom insisted. “ 40 , what will we do with all these decorations?” Uncle Henry quickly caught Mom’s spirit. He called me to join him, and we found a perfect Christmas tree in the woods. Soon the house 41 fresh and piney as we decorated the pine tree, and the day 42 a festive air. The turkey dinner was very good, too. I was actually beginning to enjoy this unusual Christmas day!

Dessert was almost forgotten 43 Mom came out with the final surprise—a flaming pudding! “Merry Christmas, mother,” Mom said. “Dear me!” Grandma said with her mouth wide open. “I haven’t seen a flaming pudding since I left England before I was married.” Tears of 44 filled her eyes. I could not keep the tears 45 my eyes, either. I knew then that Mom had also given me the best Christmas present ever.

She had taught me what a beautiful thing it is to give.

26. A. wanted　　 B. lacked　　　 C. refused　　　 D. prepared

27. A. also　　　　　 B. still　　　　 C. never　　　　 D. hardly

28. A. replace　　　 B. collect　　　 C. remove　　　 D. cover

29. A. instead of　　 B. by the side of C. along with　　 D. in spite of

30. A. normal　　　 B. complete　　 C. fresh　　　　 D. separate

31. A. dawned　　　 B. passed　　　 C. broke　　　　 D. happened

32. A. But　　　　 B. So　　　　　 C. And　　　　 D. Then

33. A. decision　　 B. way　　　　　 C. wish　　　　 D. plan

34. A. last　　　　 B. busiest　　　　 C. best　　　　 D. worst

35. A. expected　　 B. crazy　　　　 C. surprised　　 D. ready

36. A. anyone　　　 B. others　　　　 C. someone　　 D. no one

37. A. you　　　　 B. it　　　　　　 C. that　　　　　 D. this

38. A. how　　　　 B. why　　　　　 C. where　　　 D. what

39. A. may　　　　 B. will　　　　　　 C. can　　　　 D. must

40. A. In short　 B. Therefore　　　 C. However　　 D. Or rather

41. A. improved　　 B. smelled　　　　 C. became　　 　D. changed

42. A. went on　　 B. put on　　　　 C. took on　　　 D. tried on

43. A. until　　　　 B. after　　　　　　 C. because　　　 D. unless

44. A. sadness　　 B. joy　　　　　　　 C. regret　　　 D. worry

45. A. inside　　　 B. back　　　　　 　 C. away　　　　 D. From