B
Deep into the night, the bus pulled into a Howard Johnson’s restaurant and everybody got off the bus except Vingo. The young people began to wonder about him, trying to imagine his life:perhaps he was sea captain; maybe he had run away from wife; he could be an old soldier going home. When they went to the bus, one of the girls sat beside him and introduced herself. After a long time, slowly and painfully, he began to tell his story. He had been in prison in New York for the last four years, and he was going home.
“Well, when I was in prison I wrote to my wife. I said, Martha, I understand if you can’t stay married to me. I said I was going to be away a long time, and that if she couldn’t stand it, if the kids kept asking questions, if it hurt her too much, well, she could just forget all about me. I told her she didn’t have to write to me, and she didn’t. Not for the three and a half years.”
“Last week, when I was sure freedom was coming through, I wrote to her. I told her if she had a new young man, I would understand. But if she didn’t, if she would take me back, she should let me know. We used to live in this town, Brunswick, and there’s a great big oak tree just as you come into the town. I told her if she could take me back, she should put a yellow handkerchief on the tree, and if she didn’t want me, forget me, no handkerchief and I’d keep going on through.”
Soon all the others were in it. When they were 20 miles from Brunswick, the young people took over window seats on the right side, waiting for the approach of the great oak tree. Vingo stopped looking, tightening his face into the excon’s mask. Then it was 10 miles, and five, and the bus became very quiet.
Then suddenly all of the young people were up out of their seats, screaming and shouting and crying, doing small dances. All except Vingo.
39.In the story, the yellow handkerchief probably means_______.
A.happiness B.sadness C.I hate you D.I still love you
40.The bus became quiet when it came near the town because all the passengers_______.
A.got tired after a long journey B.got too sad to say anything
C.were anxious to see the oak tree D.were touched by the story
41.The underlined part “All except Vingo” probably implies_______.
A.he found no handkerchief on the oak tree
B.he feared that his wife was playing a joke
C.he felt he could not match his wife any longer, afraid to face her
D.he had complicated feelings at the moment:guilty, grateful as well as excited
42.What is the best title for the passage?
A.Going Home B.A Handkerchief and an Oak Tree
C.A Long Bus Journey D.A Story of an Oak Tree
