2 . Before I turned 10, I lost my parents. My siblings left Hyderabad after relatives adopted them, but I insisted on staying back to continue my education. I lived alone in a room that a family member allowed me to use rent-free. To support myself, I began to deliver newspapers.
I would be up every morning by 5 a.m. and walk five kilometers to the newspaper office. By 6 a.m., I would collect 50 copies of Manzil (Urdu Daily)—the bundle must have weighed over 5 kilograms. My beat spanned 3 kilometers. After distributing the copies, I would rush home—another 3 kilometers —quickly cat and be off to high school.
One wintry morning in 1945,I got home after my deliveries to find a boy of my age at my doorstep. He introduced himself as Afzal and said his father wanted to see me.
I was greeted at the door by Afzal's mother, Naseem. She served tea and snacks as Afzal's father, Mr Kader, joined us. She gently asked me about my daily routine. I told her about my morning job.
Later, as I was about to leave after thanking them, Mr Kader asked me to wait. Later, Mr Kader emerged again, wheeling a new bicycle. "This is for you!" he said.
It took a few seconds for the love to sink in. It felt warm, like home. I didn't realize tears were rolling down my face.
Mr Kader said. Your newspaper editor is a friend of mine. He gave me your address. so I knew you lived close by. Then Afzal told us more about you."
I bowed, gratefully, shook hands with Afzal and left. This time I did not have to walk—I had the bicycle.
The bicycle saved my life for many years thereafter and taught me a lifelong lesson: Help should always be need-based. Never try to feed a person who is dying of thirst.
1. Why did Afzal's father want to meet the author?
| A．He wanted to help the author. |
| B．The author's parents used to be his friends. |
| C．He wanted to know more about the author. |
| D．The author reminded him of his own childhood. |
2. How did the author feel after Afzal's father offered him the bicycle?
| A．Satisfied. | B．Interested. | C．Touched. | D．Confused. |
3. To the author, the bicycle was
.
| A．a gift from his parents | B．a childhood toy |
| C．something that made him proud | D．something that he needed most |
4. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．The author lived alone in his own house after he lost his parents. |
| B．The author worked hard to support himself by delivering newspapers. |
| C．The author didn't cry although he felt touched by Mr Kader. |
| D．The author didn't want to accept the help from Mr Kader. |
5. What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?
| A．Sometimes helping others can hurt your relationships. |
| B．Try your best to help others even if you cannot. |
| C．Know what the person needs when giving help. |
| D．It's difficult to find out what a person really wants. |
