1 . It was almost the worst birthday of Abraham Lincoln’s life.
On February 11, 1861 (the day before he turned fifty-two), Lincoln left for Washington to become the nation’s sixteenth President. As he left home in Springfield, Illinois, Lincoln handed his son Robert a black oilskin(油布) bag, and told him to keep it carefully. He did not tell Robert what was inside.
Unknown to his seventeen-year-old son, Lincoln had placed his newly written inaugural speech in the bag. It was to be the most important speech he ever made. And it was his only copy.
When the train arrived in Indianapolis----the first stop on the long journey---Lincoln rode off in a special carriage without his family. Robert walked from the station to the local hotel.
When Robert arrived at the hotel, he learned that his family’s rooms were not ready. So he asked that the bag should be held at the front desk. Then he went off to be with friends.
On his return, Robert found his father waiting anxiously. Where was the bag? Robert explained that he had checked it at the desk.
An angry Lincoln sped to the hall and leaped over the front desk. He began searching through a huge pile of luggage.
As puzzled guests looked on, Lincoln dragged from the pile a familiar-looking black bag and opened it, only to find someone else’s dirty clothes. It was the wrong bag. Back he went to the pile.
At last he found the valuable bag and the speech inside. Lincoln handed it to his son and said strictly, “Now you keep it!”
It was the one and only time, Robert said, that his father had ever lost his temper at him. But with his speech fond and his birthday yet to be celebrated, Abraham Lincoln grew cheerful. As Robert proudly recalled, “Father did not scold(责骂).”
1. The underlined words “inaugural speech” in Paragraph 3 probably refer to a speech_________.
| A．made to a school |
| B．written by Lincoln’s secretary |
| C．to take office of President |
| D．to give at Indianapolis station |
2. Lincoln gave his newly written inaugural speech to Robert in order to__________.
| A．have Robert make a copy of it |
| B．let Robert keep an eye on it |
| C．ask Robert to have a read |
| D．train the independence of Robert |
3. Robert began to realize the importance of the bag when
.
| A．he found his father very anxious |
| B．his father handed the bag to him |
| C．his father returned the bag to him |
| D．he arrived at the Indianapolis station |
4. From the text we can infer that Lincoln was
.
| A．warm-hearted |
| B．strong-willed |
| C．bad-tempered |
| D．readily-trusting |
