Mario's tired feet carried him up the narrow metal staircase to the upper deck.With his lantern in hand，he checked the living-room and the dining hall，but his father was nowhere to be seen.Most of the men had retired to their bedrooms for the night.The surest place to find him was the captain's library.His father kept scores of books at home，but had packed only a few favorite ones in his luggage.Some evenings he liked to sit in the ship's library，buried in heavy，salt-stained books about the places they would soon visit.
   Mario walked his way through the dark corridor（走道），guided only by the light from his lantern.Suddenly，he heard a funny sound like a held-back sneeze，he thought.He turned around，looking for the source，but he couldn't see anyone else.Shrugging，he continued down the hall until - "Achoo!" A real sneeze erupted in the narrow hall.
   "Who's there？" Mario called.There was no answer.Maybe those girls were playing a trick on him，trying to scare him.Holding his light high，he began to search the walls，looking for a door or window where someone might be hiding.There was only a narrow fireplace.He lifted his lantern and looked into the darkness beyond.When his light reflected in two dark eyes，he sprang back with a scream.
   "Who are you？What are you doing in there？" he cried.
   After a long silence，a whisper came through the fireplace. "Don't tell anyone，please，sir.I boarded the ship to escape my cruel step-father，but if they find me，they will send me back to him，or make a slave of me，or worse!"
   Mario's fear disappeared as the boy spoke. "I'm Mario，" he offered. "What's your name？"
   "Benito，" the boy replied.
   "Come out，Benito." Mario insisted. "My father would never let anyone harm jye.ai.You must be starving.Come out，and we'll have apples and bread，and you can sleep in our bedroom." More long moments followed as the boy considered his situation.Finally he climbed out of the fireplace and stood on his unsteady legs.
   "Let's go find my father，" Mario said. "This voyage is turning out to be a good adventure，after all!"

（1）Why was the corridor empty and quiet？

B

B

A．There were few passengers on the ship.
B．Most people had already gone to bed.
C．It's dangerous to stay outside during nights.
D．There was a rule against walking around at night.
（2）What did Mario do when he heard the sneeze-like sound？

D

D

A．He was scared away.
B．He was ready to fight.
C．He ignored the girly trick.
D．He tried to find out the truth.
（3）How did Mario feel after he heard Benito's story？

D

D

A．He's happy to have a new friend.
B．He's worried about Benito's future.
C．He's greatly touched by his bravery.
D．He's relieved from the scaring sound.
（4）Which of the following best describes Mario's father？

C

C

A．He's cruel and strict.
B．He's serious and dull.
C．He's caring and educated.
D．He's learned and adventurous.