After working many years in a big hospital, my work as PM charge nurse in a small local hospital yielded (产生) many frustrations. Occasionally we __1__ supplies or equipment and sometimes the food was __2__ desirable. The biggest __3__ was the lack of qualified help.__4__， everyone working there had a genuine love for the patients, and did their best to care for them.
Alice, a tiny elderly lady with bright blue, twinkling eyes was everyone's __5__. Her only living relative was her son Jack, a large，__6__ man.Tattoos (文身)covered his arms and his loud and rough manner most of the staff.
But this monstrous man loved his tiny mother. He sometimes visited at __8__ hours so he could surprise anyone he __9__ of not taking proper care of his mother. Yet, his __10__ with her amazed me.
And I, like everyone else, truly loved his mother. One particularly bad evening at the hospital, three __11__ called in sick. Jack came in at suppertime, as usual, to help his mother with her __12__. He stood gawking (盯着看) at me in the nurses' station as I __13__ tried to do the work of three nurses. Overwhelmed (不知所措的), and near tears, I __14__ his stare.
After the patients were finally __15__， bathed and put to bed I sat at the desk and put my head down on my arms for a few moment's __16__. Suddenly, the front door burst open. Startled, I thought, oh no! Here comes Jack, __17__ on us again! As he stepped in, I looked up to see him __18__ a pickle (泡菜) jar and in the jar was the __19__， longstemmed red rose I'd ever seen.Jack handed it to me and said, “I noticed what a __20__ time you were having tonight. This is for you, from me and my mother.”
语篇解读：作者在一家小医院工作，设备简陋，人手紧缺，但大家对病人都很负责。一位老妇人的儿子经常出其不意地检查护士是否对母亲的照料有疏漏，大家都有点害怕他。有一次作者忙碌了一天，在休息时，他送给作者玫瑰花以表谢意，使作者深受感动。
1．A.broke B．lacked
C．demanded D．misused
解析：选B 根据前文“a small local hospital”可推断出，这个小医院设备简陋紧缺。第3题空后的the lack of ...是提示。misuse“滥用”，不合题意。
2．A.as much B．rather than
C．more than D．less than
解析：选D 根据语境判断，此处还是强调医院条件差，因此食物也不那么令人满意，因此用less than，说明达不到一定的程度。 more than表示非常令人满意；rather than表示“而不是”。
3．A.problem B．doubt
C．fact D．reality
解析：选A 前面都在说医院的问题，由后文作者一个人干三个人的活可知，医院人手紧缺是最大的难题。
4．A.Besides B．Otherwise
C．Still D．Instead
解析：选C 前后形成转折关系，说明尽管条件不好，但医护人员对病人很负责。still表示“但是”，instead也表转折，但意思是“而不是，反而”。
5．A.favorite B．headache
C．topic D．pride
解析：选A 从第四段的“And I, like everyone else, truly loved his mother.”可推断，这个老妇人深受大家喜爱。
6．A.ridiculous B．funny
C．polite D．tough
解析：选D 从下文“Tattoos (文身) covered his arms and his loud and rough manner”可推断，这位老妇人的儿子高大强壮。tough表示“强健的，健壮的”，其他三项均与语境不符。
7．A.annoyed B．terrified
C．frustrated D．impressed
解析：选B 从前面对儿子相貌的描述可推断，大家都害怕他。annoy意为“使恼怒”，不合语境。
8．A.unreasonable B．unbelievable
C．unpredictable D．unbearable
解析：选C 结合下文的“he could surprise anyone”可推知，他有时会出其不意地来检查。unreasonable“不合情理的”；unbelievable“不可思议的”；unbearable“不可忍受的”，均不合语境。
9．A.suspected B．accused
C．warned D．reminded
解析：选A 从他出其不意来查岗，可以推断他怀疑母亲不能得到好的照料。accuse“谴责”，不合题意。
10．A.confidence B．patience
C．fairness D．gentleness
解析：选D 根据上文可知儿子对母亲十分爱护。gentleness表示“仁慈的，和善的”，符合语境。
11．A.patients B．nurses
C．doctors D．assistants
解析：选B 从下文第13题空后的“tried to do the work of three nurses”可知，有三个护士生病请假了。
12．A.sleep B．trouble
C．meal D．cooking
解析：选C 从前面的suppertime可知选meal。cooking“做饭”，用在医院不合适。
13．A.busily B．willingly
C．slowly D．angrily
解析：选A 因为是一个人干三个人的活，所以作者很忙碌。
14．A.feared B．met
C．turned D．avoided
解析：选D 从前面作者不知所措，几乎掉泪判断，作者在逃避对方的眼光。
15．A.checked B．fed
C．comforted D．calmed
解析：选B 根据前文的“suppertime”以及此处的并列关系判断，应该是吃饭、洗澡、睡觉。
16．A.silence B．satisfaction
C．relaxation D．recreation
解析：选C 从前文可知，作者干完活以后很累，因此休息一会。recreation意思是“娱乐”，不合逻辑。
17．A.checking up B．keeping watch
C．picking up D．dropping in
解析：选A 前文有提示，作者以为这位儿子又来查岗，keep watch on sb.“一直监视某人”；pick up on“了解；注意到”；drop in on“顺便拜访”，均不合语境。
18．A.decorating B．carrying
C．holding D．covering
解析：选C 根据下文可知瓶子里插着玫瑰花，显然这位儿子是把瓶子拿在手中，而不是携带，因此不选B。
19．A.expensive B．cheapest
C．thinnest D．loveliest
解析：选D 作者受到病人家属的理解和感激，此情此景，玫瑰花在作者眼中应该是最可爱的。
20．A.long B．bad
C．boring D．sad
解析：选B 这位儿子已经看到作者的辛苦，因此知道作者很不容易。 boring“乏味的”，不合语境。
