Tess was eight years old. Her little brother Andrew was very sick and their parents were completely out of money. She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother, “Only a miracle can save him now.”
Tess took her money and made her way six blocks to Rexall’s Drug Store.
“And what do you want?” the chemist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. “I’m talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven’t seen for ages.”
“Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,” Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. “He’s really sick. He has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?”
“We don’t sell miracles here, little girl. I’m sorry but I can’t help you,” the chemist said, softening a little.
“Listen, I can help you.” The chemist’s brother was a well-dressed man. He asked Tess, “What kind of miracle does your brother need?”
“I don’t know,” Tess replied. “Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can’t pay for it, so I want to use my money.”
“How much do you have?” asked the man from Chicago. “One dollar and eleven cents,” Tess answered. “And it’s all the money I have, but I can get some more, if I need to.”
“Well，what a coincidence (巧合),” smiled the man. “A dollar and eleven cents － the exact price of a miracle for your little brother. Take me to where you live. Let’s see if 1 have the kind of miracle you need.”
That man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon in neurosurgery (神经外科). The operation was completed without charge and it wasn’t long until Andrew was home again and doing well．
Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost… one dollar and eleven cents… plus the faith of a little child.
小题1:What can we learn from the first paragraph?
A．Tess’s brother would recover because there was a miracle.
B．Tess’s brother would die because his family had no money to treat his illness.
C．Tess’s family would look for a miracle to treat Andrew’s illness.
D．Andrew should go to hospital for a miracle.小题2:Why did the chemist get annoyed first？
A．Because he was a nervous man．
B．Because Tess didn’t buy his medicine.
C．Because Tess had bothered him and his brother.
D．Because Tess was poorly dressed.小题3:What can we learn about Dr. Carlton Armstrong?
A．He was a stone－hearted man.
B．He cared for only a little money.
C．He never helped others unless given a lot of money．
D．He was a kind gentleman and ready to help others.小题4:What can be the best title？
A．A dying boy and her sister
B．A miracle of $ 1.10
C．A kind doctor and his brother
D．A poor girl and a doctor
