I’m five years old, and my mother is washing the kitchen floor. I’m telling her about a new girl in school, and she suddenly looks up at me and says, “ Who are your two best friends ? ”

I’m not sure what to say. I’ve been friends with Jill since I was three or so , and I really like Jaime , a friend in kindergarten .

“ Jill and Jaime .”

“ Well , what about Karen and Cindy ?”

“ I don’t know who their best friends are ,” I say .

“ No ,” she says . “ I’m saying , why aren’t they your best friends ?”

“ But they’re my sisters .”

“ Yes , but they can still be your best friends . Friends may come and go, but your sisters will always be there for you .”

At that time, the idea of my two sisters being my closest friends seemed strange to me. We fought all the time over toys, food , attention , and what to watch on television . How could my sisters be my best friends ?

But my mother never let the three of us forget it : Sisters are lifelong friends . Her wish—like most parents’—was to give us something that she never had. Growing up as an only child, she longed for brothers and sisters. She gave birth to three daughters. She had given us each a gift—our sisters.

As we grew up, we realized that our mother was right. Today I share things with my sisters that I do with no one else. My sister Cindy and I ran the New York City Marathon together , side-by-side , even holding hands when we crossed the finish line . The three of us trust each other with our greatest secrets.

It was twenty-three years ago that my mother first asked me who my two best friends were. Today she doesn’t have to. She already knows.

46. How old was the writer when she wrote the passage ?

A. 5 .               B. 9 .              C. 23 .               D. 28 .

47. According to the writer , why can’t her sisters become her friends ?

A. Because they are older than her .          B. Because they don’t like her .

C. Because they often fought with each other .  D. Because they have their own friends .

48. What did the writer feel when her mother said her sisters could be her best friends ?

A. Strange .          B. Excited .          C. Interested .           D. Pleased .

49. What might be the most suitable title for the passage ?

A. My best friends .                       B. The greatest gift .     

C. My sisters and I                        D. My mother’s dream .

50. What can we learn from the passage ?

A. My mother used to give us some gifts .

B. My mother’s sisters are her best friends .

C. My sisters and I always get along well .

D. My sisters and I become good friends now .

阅读理解

　　When Jimmy was a boy, he always liked watches and clocks very much. When he was eighteen years old, he went into the army, and after a year, he began to teach himself to mend watches. A lot of his friends brought their broken watches to mend.

　　Then his captain heard about this, and one day he brought him an old watch and said, “My watch has stopped. Can you mend it for me, please?”

　　Jimmy said, “Yes, sir, I can.” After a few days, he took the watch back to the captain.

　　“How much do I pay you?” the captain asked.

　　“One pound, sir.” Jimmy answered. Then he took a small box out of his pocket and gave it to the captain, saying, “Here are the three wheels (轮子) from your watch, I didn't find a place for them when I put everything back.”

1．When Jimmy was 18, he became ________.

[　　]

2．When he was ________ years old, he began to teach himself to mend watches.

[　　]

3．His old friends brought him broken watches, and he mended them for them. The first “them” in this sentence means ________.

[　　]

A．his friends

B．his friend's broken watches

C．Jimmy and his friends

B．his friends and their broken watches

4．The captain asked how much ________.

[　　]

5．Which one is true?

[　　]

A．Jimmy learned to mend watches from a teacher.

B．The captain bought a watch for Jimmy.

C．Jimmy was good at mending watches.

D．Jimmy wanted the captain to pay him one pound.