A
I couldn't believe it
I just couldn't believe it.“How could they do this to me？” I screamed to myself as I walked along the icy New York streets to my apartment just a few blocks away.Just a few minutes ago, I was happily working at my job.Meat was on the grill (烤架) and bread was being toasted.
I knew it was a little fishy when Mark called me into his office for a “chat”．Something just didn't seem right.
“This is so hard for me to say，” he said “but we will not need your service any more.Please take off your apron (围裙)．Here is your final paycheck.”
Just then, the winter wind whipped (鞭打) onto my face and big snowflakes started to fall on my heavy winter coat.I didn't even know how, but warm tears started to drip out of the corners of my eyes.My hands were too cold to even wipe my face.
Out of nowhere, an old man walked up to me.He had black mustache and his eyes were surprisingly blue.
“Hello，young man，”he said to me，“lift your spirits up.”
“I can't.I just can't.I was just fired from my favorite job.”
“I know.I know，” he said, interrupting me，“I want you to always remember that it is always the darkest before dawn.You will get another job.Don't worry.”
I didn't know what to do.I looked down at my shoes to think about the situation.Maybe this man was right.Maybe dawn was not so far away.
I decided to thank the man for supporting me, but when I looked up, he was gone.
A week later I got a wellpaid job as the executive chef for a fivestar restaurant.The man was right.
【语篇解读】 作者无故被辞，在心情低落时，一位老人鼓励作者，让作者重新燃起对生活的希望。
21．What couldn't the author believe?
A．The streets of New York were very dangerous to walk on.
B．He had just been fired for no reason.
C．His colleagues had just made fun of him.
D．What he had cooked turned out very bad.
解析：选B 细节理解题。根据第四段中的“but we will not need your service any more.Please take off your apron(围裙)．Here is your final paycheck.”可知，作者被无故解雇了。
22．What does the underlined word “fishy” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A．Strange. B．Amazing.
C．Fresh. D．Difficult.
解析：选A 词义猜测题。根据第三段可知，当Mark叫作者去办公室的时候，作者感到奇怪，觉得有点不对劲。
23．Why did the author describe the wind and the snow?
A．To show that he was wearing very little.
B．To explain that the weather was not good.
C．To show that he was in a very bad mood.
D．To explain that he hadn't enough money for supper.
解析：选C 推理判断题。根据第五段的内容可知，作者心情十分不好，并且难过得流泪了。因此描写风雪的原因是想衬托他的坏心情。
24．What does the author want to tell us according to the passage?
A．There is always hope in the dark.
B．Don't believe what you see.
C．A kind heart will always be paid back.
D．Someone will give you a hand in the end.
解析：选A 主旨大意题。通读全文可知，作者因为失去工作感到很难过，在老人的安慰和鼓励后很快找到了一份高薪的工作，因此作者想告诉读者“在黑暗之中总有希望”。
