2 . Sam is autistic. Thus, dining out can be tricky. Though he loves to eat, he dislikes the loud noise during restaurant dining. So he has a solution: overpower all noise with a much louder noise of his own. Faced with a possibility of dining alone all the time, I decided to work on dining skills at a trendy new spot early one Tuesday night.

To my delight, we arrived at an empty restaurant. So far, so good. Everything went well until two older and elegantly-dressed women entered. They were seated two tables away from us. I felt a sense of impending doom.

The women began to chat, paying little notice to us. Sam happily took this as his cue(暗示) to start talking and drown them out. I leaned into Sam and asked for a quiet voice, but unfortunately Sam had left that voice at home.

I glanced at the neighboring table, knowing we wouldn’t go unnoticed much longer. I quickly used Plan B: eat quickly and leave. Sam, who normally inhales food, suddenly embraced the concept of leisurely dining and refused to rush — all while chattering away endlessly.

“SHUSH!” I said, a little annoyed. Sam responded by giggling loudly. “Be quiet!”

Now the two women were watching us. The older of the two women leaned over. “Here it comes!” I thought. She completely surprised me when she said, “Honey, stop shushing that boy. He has something important to say. I have friends that talk way more than he does, and they aren’t nearly as interesting.”

Then she asked Sam, “Now, boy, Don’t you listen to your mom. You talk as much as you want. I want to hear everything you have to say.” Turning to me, she added, “You have a delightful boy. Relax and enjoy your dinner—and don’t let him skip the chocolate cake. It’s unmissable.”

I will always remember those two lovely ladies. Their kindness meant the world to a stressed-out mom. Wherever they are, we’re sending them lots of love and hopes for chocolate cake.

1. What can we learn about the author and Sam from paragraph 1?

A．Few like to have dinner with them.	B．Sam suffers physically and mentally.
C．The author has no idea how to dine out.	D．Sam enjoys talking loudly when dining out.

2. How did the author feel about their being noticed by the two women?

A．Thrilled.

B．Annoyed.

C．Regretful.

D．Embarrased.

3. What did one of the women suggest Sam do?

A．Express himself freely.	B．Follow his mom’s order.
C．Listen to everything she said.	D．Relax and enjoy the dinner.

4. What could be the most suitable title for the passage?

A．My Autistic Son.	B．Chocolate Cake.
C．Two Helping hands.	D．The Pleasure of Eating.

3 . The bride is 97. The groom is 98. The couple has been married for 77 years, and thanks to some very special people, they were finally treated to some very special wedding memories they missed out on all those years ago.

The Kings are just like family to the staff of the St. Croix Hospice who serve as caretakers for the elderly pair in their Oelwein, Idaho home. With a big anniversary coming up, their caregivers wanted to do something special to celebrate the occasion — and knowing something of the couple’s history, they came up with a perfect plan.

When Frankie and Royce King took their vows (誓言) on September 16, 1944, the world was a very different place. The simple church ceremony was small and short. Rather than a lace gown (蕾丝长裙), Frankie wore a suit. There was no photographer on hand to record the vows.

While Frankie and Royce’s wedding lacked splendor (壮观), their life together has more than made up for it. Two kids, four grandkids, and several great-grandkids later, the Kings’ marriage is still going strong.

On their anniversary, as one staff member played Big-Band era tunes on his saxophone and another took photos, Frankie, dressed in a lovely 1940s-era wedding gown, was led through a flower-covered archway to where Royce was waiting for her. By the time the big wedding cake was served, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Photographer Hilary Michelson said, “I work for St. Croix Hospice full-time while doing photography in my spare time. I am passionate about both of my jobs and it made my heart so incredibly full to see them embracing each other.”

The Kings’ daughter, Sue Bilodeau, is now putting together a photo album of cherished memories for them. “It was definitely one of the most special things ever,” she said. “When Mom mentioned she didn’t have time to plan a big wedding and didn’t have a photographer, the St. Croix staff members worked together to make sure they could get their special day.”

1. What did the staff of the St. Croix Hospice decide to do for the Kings?

A．Help them recall their wedding memories.

B．Take good care of them as family members.

C．Write something about the couple’s history.

D．Celebrate their wedding anniversary like a real wedding.

2. What was the Kings’ wedding ceremony like?

A．It seemed to be the perfect plan.

B．It was simple and held in a small church.

C．It was followed by the couple’s long separation.

D．It had only one photographer to record their vows.

3. What was everyone’s response when the wedding cake was served?

A．They were all in tears.

B．They applauded loudly.

C．They were busy taking pictures of the couple.

D．They stopped doing everything and watched.

4. What did the Kings’ daughter think of what the staff did?

A．It made her feel ashamed of herself.

B．They set a good example for people.

C．It was meaningful and she was thankful.

D．She was passionate about doing the same work.