阅读理解.
My aunt Edith was a widow (寡妇) of 50, working as a secretary, when doctors discovered
what was thought to be a very serious heart disease.
Aunt Edith doesn't accept defeat (击败) easily. She began studying medical reports in the library
and found an article in a magazine about a well-known heart surgeon (外科医生), Dr. Michael
DeBakey, of Houston, Texas. He had saved the life of someone with the same disease. The article
said Dr. DeBakey's fees were very high; Aunt Edith couldn't possibly pay them. But could he tell
her of someone whose fee she could pay?
So Aunt Edith wrote to him. She simply listed her reasons for wanting to live: her three children,
who would be on their own in three or four more years, her little girl was dreaming of traveling and
seeing the world. There wasn't a word of self-pity---only warmth and humor and the joy of living.
She mailed the letter, not really expecting an answer.
A few days later, my doorbell rang. Aunt Edith didn't wait to come in; she stood in the hall and
read aloud: "Your beautiful letter moved me very deeply. If you can come to Houston, there will
be no charge for either the hospital or the operation. Signed-Michael DeBakey."
That was seven years ago. Since then, Aunt Edith has been around the world. Her three children
are happily married. For her age, she is one of the youngest, most alive people I know—all
because of an open heart surgeon who knew how to honor his profession, and how to open his
own heart.
1. We learn from the reading that ________.
A. the heart disease was hard to deal with at that time
B. some doctors also could save Aunt Edith's life
C. Aunt Edith's children worried about their mother
D. Aunt Edith finally died when she was 57
2. The underlined word charge is the closest in meaning to ________.
A. problem
B. fee
C. time
D. chance
3. Aunt Edith didn't really expect an answer because ________.
A. she didn't know Dr. DeBakey's exact address
B. Dr. DeBakey was too busy to write a letter
C. she didn't tell the doctor her trouble
D. she thought the doctor didn't care about the poor
4. Dr. DeBakey promised to help Aunt Edith in order to ________.
A. make himself better-known
B. make her dream come true
C. honor his profession
D. help the children live better
5. Which is the best title of the passage?
A. A Lucky Widow
B. A Successful Operation
C. An Unexpected Answer
D. A Full-loved Letter
