题目内容
B. caught fire; was on fire
C. had caught fire; had been on fire
D. caught a fire; was on fire
On Thursday afternoon Mrs. Clarke, dressed for going out, took her handbag with her money and her key in it, pulled the door behind her to lock it and went to the over 60s Club. She always went there on Thursdays. It was a nice outing for an old woman who lived alone.
At six o’clock she came home, let herself in and at once smelt cigarette smoke. Cigarette smoke in her house? How? How? Had someone got in? She checked the back door and the windows. All were locked or fastened, as usual. There was no sign of forced entry.
Over a cup of tea she wondered whether someone might have a key that fitted her front door — “a master key” perhaps. So she stayed at home the following Thursday. Nothing happened. Was anyone watching her movements? On the Thursday after that she went out at her usual time, dressed as usual, but she didn’t go to the club. Instead she took a short cut home again, letting herself in through her garden and the back door. She settled down to wait.
It was just after four o’clock when the front door bell rang. Mrs. Clarke was making a cup of tea at the time. The bell rang again, and then she heard her letter-box being pushed open. With the kettle of boiling water in her hand, she moved quietly towards the front door. A long piece of wire appeared through the letter-box, and then a hand. The wire turned and caught around the handle on the door-lock. Mrs. Clarke raised the kettle and poured the water over the hand. There was a shout outside, and the skin seemed to drop off the fingers like a glove. The wire fell to the floor, the hand was pulled back, and Mrs. Clarke heard the sound of running feet.
【小题1】Mrs. Clarke looked forward to Thursday because .
| A.she worked at a club on the day |
| B.she had visitors on Thursday |
| C.she visited a club on Thursday |
| D.a special visitor came on Thursday |
| A.A key to all the doors. |
| B.A key only to the woman’s door. |
| C.A key only its master can use. |
| D.A key not everyone can use. |
| A.because she didn’t want to miss the club again |
| B.to see if the thief was wandering outside |
| C.to the club but then changed her mind |
| D.in an attempt to trick the thief |
| A.needed a piece of wire to open it |
| B.could be opened from inside without a key |
| C.couldn’t be opened without a key |
| D.used a handle instead of a key |
“This one’s for you,” Sergeant (警官) Barstow shouted and left quickly through the back door. I was a little puzzled. I looked out a window of the Ashfordly Police Station and saw an elderly woman come into the building.
“Good morning, Madam,” I said.
“Good morning,” she said pleasantly. “You’re new, aren’t you?”
“Yes, Madam.”
“It’s about that man who’s been annoying me,” she said. “I’ve been here about him before.”
“Could I have your name and address, please?”
“Miss Fraser. Josephine Fraser. I live at 43 Prince Terrace. Now, can you please do something about Jackson?”
“What’s he done, Miss Fraser?”
“Done? He’s thrown garbage all over my stairs again. He must be stopped.”
“Where does he live?”
“Next door, Number 41,” she said.
“I’ll go and see later and warn him off, Miss Fraser.”
“I would be most grateful.” With that she left.
Half an hour later, I reached Prince Terrace. NO. 41 was in a bad state of repair. I knocked. No reply. I entered. The place was deserted. I wondered if the Jackson was a tramp (流浪者). Anyway, it seemed he had left, possibly because of Miss Fraser’s threatening police action. I decided to visit her.
I knocked on her door and it was opened almost immediately. “Ah!” she said gladly. “You’re just in time for coffee.” I followed her inside. Miss Fraser told me more about her battle with Jackson. But when I asked specific questions, it clearly showed that she had never seen Jackson. Finally, I managed to leave.
Sergeant Barstow smiled kindly as I returned. “Nick, did you kick(踢出) Jackson out of that house?”
“Jackson!” I cried. “Who is he?”
“There is no Jackson,” he said. “Miss Fraser is lonely and she likes company. We always let the new young men deal with Miss Fraser. It gives her deep satisfaction. That’s what we are here for, isn’t it — to satisfy the public?”
【小题1】Why did Sergeant Barstow leave quickly when Miss Fraser came?
| A.Because he wanted to let Nick deal with her alone. |
| B.Because he had to go and catch Jackson at once. |
| C.Because he was tired of the elderly woman. |
| D.Because he knew she would tell a lie. |
| A.her neighbor had often caused her trouble |
| B.it was her first visit to the police station |
| C.she was looking for Sergeant Barstow |
| D.someone had broken into her house |
| A.she liked to play jokes on the policemen |
| B.she wanted to have someone to talk with |
| C.she loved to show others her nice coffee |
| D.she hated Jackson very much |
Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new baby. They find out that the new baby is going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sings to his sister in Mommy's stomach.
In time, the labor pains come. But complications arise during delivery. Finally, Michael's little sister is born. But she is in serious condition. With alarm in the night, the ambulance rushes the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee. The days go by. The little girl gets worse. The pediatric (儿科的) specialist tells the parents, “There is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst.”
Karen and her husband contact a local cemetery about a burial plot. They have fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby, but now they plan a funeral. Michael keeps begging his parents to let him see his sister, "I want to sing to her," he says. But kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. Karen makes up her mind. She will take Michael whether they like it or not. If he doesn’t see his sister now, he may never see her alive.
She dresses him in an oversized suit and marches him into ICU. He looks like a walking laundry basket, but the head nurse recognizes him as a child and shouts, "Get that kid out of here now. No children are allowed. Never disturb patients here.” The mother rises up strongly and said," He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!"
Karen leads Michael to his sister's bedside. He gazes at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. And he begins to sing. In the pure hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sings:" You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray…" Instantly the baby girl responds. The pulse rate begins to calm down and becomes steady.
“Keep on singing, Michael.”encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes. "You never know, dear, how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away."
The next day, the very next day, the little girl is well enough to go home! Woman's Day magazine called it "the miracle of a brother's song". The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of Gods love!
Never give up on the people you love.
【小题1】What may the underlined words "the infant" refer to?
| A.The baby | B.Karen | C.Mary | D.Michael |
| A.She was driven to St. Mary's shop. | B.A doctor came to see her in her house. |
| C.She was very thin and couldn't speak. | D.She was in great danger. |
| A.Because he could make his sister alive. |
| B.Because his sister would be sent to a far hospital. |
| C.Because his sister was going to die soon. |
| D.Because his father wanted to take him away. |
| A.The head nurse was careful. | B.The head nurse was rude. |
| C.The head nurse was responsible. | D.The head nurse had no sympathy. |
| A.A boy’s singing saved his sister’s life. |
| B.The little girl is well enough to go home. |
| C.Michael's little sister is born with a serious disease. |
| D.No children are allowed to enter the intensive care unit. |