Passage Four
On a hot summer's day many years ago, I was on my way to pick up two items at the supermarket. I was then a frequent visitor to it because there never seemed to be enough money for a whole week's food-shopping at once.
My wife, after a tragic battle with cancer, had died just a few months earlier. There was no insurance -just many expenses and a mountain of bills. I held a part-time job, which barely generated enough money to feed my two young children. Things were really bad.
And so, with a heavy heart and four dollars in my pocket, I was on my way to the supermarket to purchase a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread. The children were hungry and I had to get them something to eat. As I came to a red traffic light, I noticed on my right a young couple and a child on the grass next to the road. The noonday sun beat down on them without mercy.
The man held up a sign which read, “Will Work for Food.” The woman stood next to him, staring at the cars stopped at the red light. The child sat on the grass holding a one-armed doll. I noticed all this before the light changed to green.
I wanted so desperately to give them a few dollars, but if I did that, there wouldn’t be enough left to buy the food for my kids. Four dollars will only go so far. As the light changed, I took one last glance at them and sped off feeling both guilty and sad.
As I kept driving, I couldn't get the picture of them out of my mind. The sad, haunting eyes of the young couple stayed with me for about a mile. I could take it no longer. I felt their pain and had to do something about it. I turned around and drove back to where I had last seen them.
I pulled up close to them and handed the man two of my four dollars. There were tears in his eyes as he thanked me. I smiled and drove on to the supermarket. Perhaps both milk and bread would be on sale, I thought. And what if I only got milk alone, or just the bread? Well, it would have to do.
Questions 16-20 are based on Passage Four.
16. What can we learn from the passage?
A. The author went to the supermarket once a week.
B. The author went to the supermarket several times a week.
C. The author knew that milk and bread are the kids' favorite food.
D. The author would buy a whole week's food every time he went shopping.
17. Why did the young man stand under the burning sun at noon?
A. He wanted to stop the cars for food.
B. He wanted to beg for money.
C. He wanted to find an odd job.
D. He wanted to take a ride.
18. The “one-armed doll” in paragraph four is most probably meant to indicate that ______.
A. the child had a loving and caring heart
B. the doll had accompanied the child for years
C. the child was violent and mean to the doll
D. the family was too poor to afford a presentable toy
19. Why did the author decide to give the couple two dollars?
A. He just couldn't ignore their pains and sufferings.
B. He knew they would thank him for being so kind.
C. He believed they needed the money as much as he did.
D. He learned that both milk and bread were on sale that day.
20. Which of the following can best describe the author?
A. He was poor but sympathetic.
B. He was jobless and penniless.
C. He was mean and merciless.
D. He was down but not out.
