I always knew that I wanted to be a doctor - at least from the age of eight or ten years old, anyway.
Although my father wasn't a doctor, he made his own way of "house calls". I followed him as he
brought some food to an elderly man named Frank on all major holidays and when Frank was sick. As
far as I know, their only connection was that Frank was an occasional customer at Dad's small gas
station. Frank's home was a two-room house on the rough side of town with an old front porch (门廊)
where you could fall if you weren't careful. Frank had no relatives and as far as I could tell, no other
visitors either. Through his attitude and by caring, my father was teaching me to be a doctor, although
neither of us knew it at the time.
When I was 13, my father developed lung cancer. He brought home a diagram the doctor had drawn
showing where his cancer was and told me that he was going to die. He asked me to take care of my
mother when he was gone. I was an only child. He said he loved me on the night when he died.
When you're 13 and your father dies, you have some choices to make. You can use the situation as an
excuse for letting your actions and grades go down, or you can honor his memory and try to do something positive with yourself. I focused my energy on my schoolwork and my goal of becoming a doctor.
1. What's the father's "own way of 'house calls'"?
A. His treatment for Frank's serious illness.
B. His care for Frank.
C. His attitude towards the author.
D. His wish that his kid would be a doctor.
2. The author began to want to be a doctor when ____.
A. Father helped Frank regularly
B. Father developed lung cancer
C. Father asked him / her to take care of Mother
D. Father died
3. What was the influence of Father's death on the author?
A. The author began to think seriously about his / her career.
B. The author was too sorrowful to carry through his / her study.
C. The author used the situation as an excuse for quitting school.
D. The author made great effort at his / her goal of becoming a doctor.
4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Father taught the author how to be a doctor by making house calls on Frank.
B. In return for Father's help, Frank usually gassed up(加油) at his gas station.
C. The author had no sisters or brothers.
D. The author was deeply influenced by Father's doctor who treated his cancer.
