Mum just pushed harder, each swipe (拖) of the mop taking her farther and farther down the hall. I watched until she was out of sight and the nurse had turned back to writing in the big book.
After a long time Mum came back. Her eyes were shining. She quickly put the mop back and took my hand. As we turned to go out of the door, Mum nodded politely to the nurse and said, "Thank you."
Outside, Mum told me: "Dagmar is fine. No fever."
"You saw her, Mum?"
"Of course. I told her about the hospital rules, and she will not expect us until tomorrow. Dad will stop worrying as well. It's a fine hospital. But such floors! A mop is no good. You need a brush."
56．When she took a mop from the small room what Mum really wanted to do Was ____________.
A．to clean the floor B．to please the nurse
C．to see a patient D．to surprise the story-teller
57．When the nurse talked to Mum she thought Mum was a _________.
A．nurse B．visitor C．patient D．cleaner
58．After reading the story what can we infer about the hospital?
A．It is a children's hospital.
B．It has strict roles about visiting hours.
C．The nurses and doctors there don't work hard.
D．A lot of patients come to this hospital every day.
59．Why did Mum go to see Dagmar in the hospital?
A．To give her some message about Dad.
B．To make sure her mom was clean.
C．To check that she was still there.
D．To find out how she was.
60．Which of the following words best describes Mum?
A．polite B．patient C．changeable D．clever
B
Most animals have little connection with animals of a different kind, unless they hunt them for food. Sometimes, however, two kinds of animals come together in a partnership (伙伴关系) which is good for both of them. You may have noticed some birds sitting on the backs of sheep. This is not because they want a ride, but because they find easy food in the parasites (寄生虫) on sheep. The sheep allow the birds to do so because they remove the cause of discomfort. So although they can manage without each other, they do better together.
Sometimes an animal has a plant partner. The relationship develops until the two partners cannot manage without each other. This is so in the corals (珊瑚) of the sea. In their skins they have tiny plants which act as "dustmen", taking some of the waste products from the coral and giving in return oxygen which the animal needs to breathe. If the plants are killed, or are even prevented from receiving light .so that they cannot live normally, the corals will die.
61．Some birds like to sit on a sheep because ____________.
A．they can eat its parasites