第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题满分40分）

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中选出最佳选项

My father was driving us to our grandparents’ house for our annual Christmas dinner. The closer we got to the turnoff (岔道) for my grandparents’ house, the slower the car went. Suddenly, my father U-turned in the middle of the road and said: “I can’t stand it!”

“What?” asked my mother.

“It’s those people back there at the Pan Am, standing in the rain. They’ve got children. It’s Christmas. I can’t stand it.”

When my father pulled into the service station, I saw that there were five of them: the parents and three children – two girls and a small boy.

My father rolled down his window. “Merry Christmas,” he said.

“Howdy (您好),” the man replied. He was very tall and had to stoop (弯腰) slightly to peer into the car.

My sisters Jill, Sharon, and I stared at the children, and they stared back at us.

“You’re getting wet standing here. Just a couple miles up the road there’s a shed (小棚) with a cover there, and some benches,” my father said. “Why don’t you all get in the car?”

The man thought about it for a moment, and then he waved to his family. They climbed into the car.

Once they settled in, my father looked back over his shoulder and asked the children if Santa had found them yet. Three unhappy faces gave him the answer.

“Well, I didn’t think so,” my father said, winking at my mother, “because when I saw Santa this morning, he told me that he was having trouble finding all, and he asked me if he could leave your toys at my house. We’ll just go to get them before I take you to the bus stop.”

All at once, the three children’s faces lit up, and they began to bounce around in the back seat, laughing and chattering.

When we got out of the car at our house, the three children ran through the front door and straight to the toys that were spread out under our Christmas tree. One of the girls spied Jill’s doll and hugged it to her breast. The little boy grabbed Sharon’s ball. And the other girl picked up something of mine.

We left them there at the bus stop in Winborn. As we drove away, I watched out the window as long as I could, looking back at the little girl hugging her new doll.

That was the Christmas when my sisters and I learned the joy of making others happy.

56. The writer’s father U-turned in the middle of the road because ______.

A. he could not stand the people at the service station

B. he could not bear the thought of leaving the people behind

C. he wanted to do something special for his parents

D. he wanted to help the family standing in the rain

57. The reason the father asked the kids if Santa had found them was probably that _____.

A. he knew the mention of Santa would lift their spirits

B. he once promised to receive them as guests in his house

C. he wanted to avoid embarrassing the family

D. he had met Santa and got the presents for the kids

58. How did the author feel at the end of the story?

A. She was pleased that they had been able to give the kids presents and make them happy.

B. She was unhappy remembering that they had been late for the Christmas dinner.

C. She was angry because she realized that she didn’t receive a Christmas gift that year.

D. She was puzzled by why her father had done this on Christmas.

59. What is the article mainly about?

A. How my family found the lost Santa.

B. The people at the service station.

C. The art of celebrating Christmas.

D. The joy of making others happy.