The police （） there to reassure the audience that it was being protected.

yet,  ____  his reading skills, Steve had been failing since the first grade. Steve was a

big boy, yet, he went unnoticed… ____   Miss White.

Miss White was a smiling, beautiful, young lady. For the first time in his   ____  life, Steve couldn't take his eyes off his teacher; yet,   ____  he failed. In the middle of the first term, the entire seventh grade was   ____  for basic skills. Steve hurried through his tests, and  ____  to dream of other things, as the day passed slowly. One day, Miss White's ____   voice broke into his daydreams. “Steve！” Startled (吓了一跳), he  ____  to look at her. “Pay attention！” She began to ____  the test results. “You all did pretty well，” she told the class, “  ____   one boy, and it breaks my   ____  to tell you this, but…” She hesitated, pinning Steve to his seat with a sharp  ____.“…The smartest boy in the seventh grade is failing my class！”

After that, Steve still  ____  do his homework. “Just try it，” Miss White said one day. “Steve!

Please! I care about you！” Wow! Suddenly, Steve got it! Someone cared about him？ Someone, so beautiful and perfect, cared about him! Steve went home from school,   ____   that afternoon. The following Monday he arrived at school on time, and waited for Miss White to enter the classroom. She walked in, all sparkle and smiles! Immediately, she gave a  ____  on the weekend homework. Steve was the first to ____  his paper. With a look of  ____， Miss White took his paper. Steve walked back to his desk, his heart beating strongly within his chest. Miss White's face was in total  ____  ! Suddenly, her face broke into a bright smile. The smartest boy in the seventh grade had just  ____   his first test! From that moment ____  was the same for Steve.

On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow."Buy it," my

wife said at once. "We'll carry it home on the roof rack. I've always wanted one like that."

What could I do？ Ten minutes later I was ￡20 poorer; and the cupboard was tied on the roof rack. It

was six feet long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too.

In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police

even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.

After a time my wife said, "There's a long line of cars behind. Why don't they overtake, I wonder？" In

fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with

great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One

of the officers came to me.

"Right, sir," he said. "Do you need any more help？"

I was a bit puzzled. "Thanks, officer," I said. "You have been very kind. I live just on the road."

He was staring at our car, first at the flowers, then at the cupboard. "Well, well," he said, laughing. "It's

a cupboard you've got there! We thought it was something else."

My wife began to laugh. The truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. "Yes, it's

a cupboard, but thanks again." I drove home as fast as I could.

B. badly wanted

C. was glad to have bought

D. would rather not buy

B. sending flowers to the church

C. carrying nothing but a piece of furniture

D. going to attend a funeral at the church

B. in great sorrow

C. driving with wild flowers in the car

D. carrying furniture

B. He felt ashamed of it.

C. He took great pride in it.

D. He was puzzled at it.