After sunset on our last day at the farm I walked out into the desert. In this, the first pleasant moment for a walk after long hot hours, I thought I was the only thing out of doors. Suddenly I stopped. Before me a rattlesnake lay fixed, its head not yet drawn back to strike but only turned a little to watch what I would do. Many snakes will run away at the sight of a man but this rattlesnake felt no necessity to get out of any-body's way. He held his ground in calm watch-fullness waiting for me to show my intentions. My first aim was to take no notice of him; I had never killed an animal if I was not forced to kill. But I remembered that there were children, dogs and horses at the farm as well as men and women with thin clothes on; my duty was to kill the snake. I went back to the farm and returned with a stick. The rattlesnake had not moved; he lay like a wire but more quickly than I could stride he shot into a bush and set up his rattling, warning me by this that I had made an unreasonable attack and attempted to take his life and that if I insisted he would have no choice but to take mine if he could. For a moment I listened to this terrifying sound and then I struck into the bush with my stick and, chop-ping about, dragged him out of the bush with his back broken.
He struck once more at the stick but a moment later his neck was broken and he was soon dead although when I picked him up by the tail his mouth opened, proving that a dead snake may still bite. There was blood in his mouth and poison was dropping; it was not only a dis-gusting(令人作呕的) sight but a pitiful one too. I dropped the body into a green bush and, as I did so, I saw him in my imagination, crawling over the sands as he might have done if I had let him go.
小题1:At the sight of the author, the rattlesnake .
A．shot into a bush
B．lay motionless but got ready to meet danger
C．drew itself up to strike
D．took no notice of his presence小题2:The author had to kill the rattlesnake because .
A．it stood in his way
B．it attempted to take his life
C．it presented a disgusting sight
D．its presence was a danger to the people and animals at the farm小题3:Which of the following best describes the rattlesnake?
A．It attacked man without any reason.
B．It would not attack unless it was attacked.
C．It ran away at the sight of man.
D．It exposed itself to danger.小题4:It is implied at the end of the passage that the author____.
A．regretted having killed the snake
B．was glad that he had killed the snake
C．felt a little sorry for the snake
D．could not help thinking about the dead snake
