阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
It took me all of five minutes to say yes to the idea of riding a sheep. Being seven years old, my decision-making ability was pretty limited. I figured I could ride a sheep as well as the next kid. Little did I know that I was in for a world of pain and embarrassment.
My nerves were shaking the day of the rodeo. I hated being in front of crowds. I didn’t like getting dirty; I didn’t even like sheep, which I thought of as just dirty and smelly. Yet there I was, getting ready to ride one for eight seconds in front of hundreds of people. I wanted to run out of the field and hide in the hot car until it was over. But by the time this idea occurred to me, it was too late. I was lifted away from my mother by a rodeo trainer and placed onto a platform.
My feet went into the narrow pen (羊圈) first. I felt my shoes touch the dirty floor of the pen. Once I was balanced on the top of the sheep, the trainer let go and told me to lean forward. I did as he said. I could feel the animal’s heart beating faster than mine. I realized that the poor sheep was even more frightened than I was.
Then the gate opened, and I quickly discovered that my hold was too weak. Within three seconds I had fallen off the sheep, and found myself face-down on the sun-baked earth. The sheep thought this was its time to take revenge (复仇), and attacked me from behind. There I lay, hat down, covered in dirt, with tears streaming down my face. I looked behind me to see my mother running to comfort me. “Stand up and show them you’re okay,” she told me as she wiped the dirty tears from my face. I stood up, dirty and upset, waved my little hand, and walked out with my mother.
Sadly, I didn’t win anything, not even the respect of these rodeo animals. I did find a new admiration for those little balls of wool, though.
21．Which of the following is TRUE about “mutton busting”?
A．It is a dirty and terrible game. B．Only strong adults can ride a sheep.
C．It is intended to pick the fastest sheep. D．It's a game for 6-to-10-year-old children.
22．The author decided to take part in the competition because _________.
A．it was part of growing up B．he thought he could do well
C．mother made him do so D．he found it very interesting
23．What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?
A．Why the author lost the competition. B．Why a mother should comfort her child.
C．How the author failed in the sheep riding. D．How the sheep hurt the author when it attacked.
24．We learn from the article that _________.
A．sheep riding is as difficult as bull riding
B．sheep riding is not popular because the pen is very dirty
C．the author wanted to give up before the competition
D．the author kept trying until he succeeded in riding a sheep
21-24 DBCC
A
Growing up in Arizona's rodeo (竞技) country, I was familiar with the events that come with traveling rodeos: bull riding, dressing and mutton busting. Mutton busting is like bull riding, but instead of bulls, they use sheep. And in place of the men, it’s children between six and ten years old who try to hang on for eight seconds.It took me all of five minutes to say yes to the idea of riding a sheep. Being seven years old, my decision-making ability was pretty limited. I figured I could ride a sheep as well as the next kid. Little did I know that I was in for a world of pain and embarrassment.
My nerves were shaking the day of the rodeo. I hated being in front of crowds. I didn’t like getting dirty; I didn’t even like sheep, which I thought of as just dirty and smelly. Yet there I was, getting ready to ride one for eight seconds in front of hundreds of people. I wanted to run out of the field and hide in the hot car until it was over. But by the time this idea occurred to me, it was too late. I was lifted away from my mother by a rodeo trainer and placed onto a platform.
My feet went into the narrow pen (羊圈) first. I felt my shoes touch the dirty floor of the pen. Once I was balanced on the top of the sheep, the trainer let go and told me to lean forward. I did as he said. I could feel the animal’s heart beating faster than mine. I realized that the poor sheep was even more frightened than I was.
Then the gate opened, and I quickly discovered that my hold was too weak. Within three seconds I had fallen off the sheep, and found myself face-down on the sun-baked earth. The sheep thought this was its time to take revenge (复仇), and attacked me from behind. There I lay, hat down, covered in dirt, with tears streaming down my face. I looked behind me to see my mother running to comfort me. “Stand up and show them you’re okay,” she told me as she wiped the dirty tears from my face. I stood up, dirty and upset, waved my little hand, and walked out with my mother.
Sadly, I didn’t win anything, not even the respect of these rodeo animals. I did find a new admiration for those little balls of wool, though.
21．Which of the following is TRUE about “mutton busting”?
A．It is a dirty and terrible game. B．Only strong adults can ride a sheep.
C．It is intended to pick the fastest sheep. D．It's a game for 6-to-10-year-old children.
22．The author decided to take part in the competition because _________.
A．it was part of growing up B．he thought he could do well
C．mother made him do so D．he found it very interesting
23．What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?
A．Why the author lost the competition. B．Why a mother should comfort her child.
C．How the author failed in the sheep riding. D．How the sheep hurt the author when it attacked.
24．We learn from the article that _________.
A．sheep riding is as difficult as bull riding
B．sheep riding is not popular because the pen is very dirty
C．the author wanted to give up before the competition
D．the author kept trying until he succeeded in riding a sheep
21-24 DBCC
