阅读理解。

     Once there was an old farmer. He had a horse and the horse was almost as old as himself. One

 morning he set out with his young son to sell the horse before it died. The father and the son walked

 because the farmer did not want the horse to be too tired.

     They met two men on the road. They said, "Why are you walking, farmer? You have a horse. It's a

 long way to get to the market." The farmer knew that this was true, so he rode on the horse while his son 

 walked.

     Then they met two old ladies. "What are you doing up there, farmer? Can't you see how tired your son

  is? "So the farmer got down, and let his son ride on it.

     Twenty minutes later, three old men stopped them. One said, "Why are you walking, farmer? Get up.

 It's too hot for an old man like you to walk today." So the farmer got up behind his son and they went on

  riding.

     Some time later, a young woman passed them. "Why aren't you walking? " she asked, "It isn't far to the

  market. Give your poor old horse a rest. "So the farmer and his son got down once again. It is a fact that

  you cannot please all the people all the time.

1. The farmer was _____.

    A. nearly the same age as his horse  

    B. almost always older than his horse 

    C. not quite as old as his horse 

    D. a little older than his horse

2. The two men on the road _____.

    A. asked how far it was to the market  

    B. said they thought the horse looked very tired 

    C. asked why the farmer was not riding on his horse 

    D. told the farmer's son to get off the horse and walk

3. The two old ladies said it was wrong for _____ . 

    A. the farmer to ride such a tired horse  

    B. the farmer to ride while his young son walked 

    C. the boy to ride instead of his father  

    D. only one person to ride such a long way 

4 The farmer got up behind his son because _____. 

    A. the old man said it was too hot for him to walk 

    B. the three old men stopped them on the road 

    C. he did hot know why he was walking  

    D. his son could not ride the horse by himself

5. What did the writer really want to tell us? 

   A. The old man was a fool.

   B. The horse was old and was going to die.

   C. It is not right to listen to others. 

   D. It is impossible for a man to make everyone satisfied (满意) all the time.