D

When I walked into the house after school, I found my dad at home.

"What are you doing home already?" I asked casually.

"Andrew, I was laid off today," he answered quietly.

I was sure he was joking. "No, you weren't. Why are you really home?"

Then I noticed his expression and realized he was telling the truth. My father has always been a hard worker and prided himself on his career. My father's unemployment created many changes in our lives. He was home all day, which meant my bed had to be made, my room cleaned up, and my homework done right after school. I would come home every day to find him at the computer searching for jobs. I began to notice how down he seemed, and how losing his job had affected his self-esteem (自尊心), though he tried to be optimistic. He asked my brother and me to spend less money. I gave up my allowance（零用钱）, which even though it wasn't much, felt like the right thing to do. I also found a part-time job.

After several difficult months of searching, my dad decided to go in a totally different direction. He explained that he never wanted to be laid off again, so he was going to start his own business. Day by day, I watched him build it, and I admired how much time and energy he devoted to it.

One evening I asked if he needed help. "Only if it doesn't interfere（打扰，妨碍） with school," he said, which sounded like a yes.

I showed up at his office the next afternoon, and most afternoons after that for two months. I always knew he was a hard worker, but watching him in action really influenced me. Although this was one of the worst experiences for our family, it taught me a lot about dealing with adversity. Now I know that through creative problem-solving, I can always find Plans, ask for help, and take risks. 

54．When the father was laid off, he ________.

A．was angry with his boss             B．didn't care about it at all

C．couldn't accept the fact easily         D．was as happy as usual

55．We can know from the passage that ________.

A．it was not easy for the father to find a new job

B．the father asked his sons to give up their allowance

C．the father found a good job when he changed his direction

D．Andrew and his brother helped his father set up his business

56．The underlined word "adversity" in the last paragraph probably means        .

A．poor feelings     B．bad situations     C．low spirits     D．old ideas

57．What has Andrew learned from his father?

A．The spirit of creative problem-solving.    B．The skills of surfing the Internet.

C．The experience of saving money.         D．The rich business skills.