One cold winter morning, an old woman had to go to see her doctor. When she walked into the doctor’s office, she told him that her right leg hurt and sometimes she could not walk. She asked him what was wrong. She told him that she had never had such a feeling（感觉）before.
The doctor checked（检查）the old woman carefully, then he said, “You’re in good health for a woman of your age. I think the trouble in your right leg is just a matter of old age catching up with you. We get all kinds of illness（疾病）as we get older. The trouble will almost certainly end in spring.”
“I don’t think so, doctor！” she said. “My left leg is well, and it’s the same age as my right one.”

1. 1.

   When did this story happen（发生）?

   1. A.
      One cool autumn morning.
   2. B.
      One cold spring morning.
   3. C.
      One cold winter morning.
   4. D.
      One hot summer afternoon.
2. 2.

   What was wrong with the old woman?

   1. A.
      She ate little food every day.
   2. B.
      One of her legs hurt.
   3. C.
      Her hands were both hurt.
   4. D.
      Her head hurt badly.
3. 3.

   The doctor said when next spring comes, the old woman ____.

   1. A.
      will die
   2. B.
      will feel better
   3. C.
      should come back
   4. D.
      will hurt her left leg
4. 4.

   What did the doctor think of the woman?

   1. A.
      She was young enough
   2. B.
      She was not ill
   3. C.
      She got all kinds of illnesses
   4. D.
      She must do a lot of exercise in spring
5. 5.

   Which of the following is TRUE?

   1. A.
      The doctor and the woman were the same age.
   2. B.
      The woman’s right leg was longer than her left one.
   3. C.
      The woman’s trouble didn’t come in spring.
   4. D.
      The woman caught a train to see the doctor.

After my husband died, my world crashed around me. My six children were ten, nine, eight, six, three and 18 months, and I was overwhelmed(不知所措的) with the responsibilities of earning a living, caring for the children and simply keeping my head above water.
I was lucky to find a wonderful housekeeper to care for the children during the week, but from Friday nights to Monday mornings, the children and I were alone, and frankly(坦诚地) I was uneasy. Every unusual noise or any late-night phone call filled me with fear. I felt really alone.
One Friday evening I came home from work to find a big beautiful German shepherd(牧羊犬) on our doorstep. It was obvious he wanted to make the house his home. The children took an instant liking to “German” and asked me to let him in. I agreed to let him sleep in the basement(地下室) until the next day. That night I slept peacefully for the first time in many weeks.
The following morning we made phone calls and checked lost-and-found ads for German’s owner, but with no results. Saturday night he was still with us. 
On Sunday I had planned to take the children on a picnic. Since I thought it best to leave German behind in case(以免) his owner came by, we drove off without him. When we stopped to get gas at a local station, we were amazed to see German racing to the gas station after us. He stayed again Sunday night.  
Monday morning I let him out for a run while the children got ready for school. He didn’t come back. We thought we’d never see him again. On Friday evening, German was back again. We took him in, and again he stayed until Monday morning, when our housekeeper arrived. It went like this for almost 10 months. We looked forward to his coming. Each Monday morning he left home.
Each week, between German's visits, I grew a little braver, but every weekend I enjoyed being with him . Then one Monday morning we patted his head and let him out for what turned out to be the last time. He never came back. We never saw or heard from German again. I think of him often. He came when I needed him the most and stayed until I was strong enough to go on alone. I believe German was sent because he was needed, and because no matter how abandoned(被放弃的) and alone we feel, somehow, somewhere, someone knows and cares. We are never really alone.
【小题1】What does the underlined part “keeping my head above water” in the first paragraph mean?