to make a success of the farming business, he had to make sure they produced a large number of healthy lambs. So he was determined to spend as many nights as necessary in the fields, to save his lambs from dying of cold or hunger.

　　The hut was warm and quite comfortable inside. There was a stove, and some bread and beer on a shelf. On each side of the hut was a round hole like a window, which could be closed with a piece of wood. These air holes were usually kept open when the stove was burning, because too much smoke in a small, airless hut could kill the shepherd.

　　From time to time the sound of the flute stopped, and Gabriel came out of his hut to check his sheep. Whenever he discovered a half­dead new lamb, he brought the creature into the hut. In front of the stove it soon came back to life, and then he could return it to its mother.

　　He noticed a light further down the hill. It came from a wooden hut at the edge of a field. He walked down to it and put his eye to a hole in the wood. Inside, two women were feeding a sick cow. One of the women was middle­aged. The other was young and wore a cloak (披风). Gabriel recognized the girl, who owed him two pence.

　　语篇解读：本文是一篇记叙文，选自小说《远离尘嚣》，讲述了牧羊人Gabriel在严冬的夜晚保护羊羔免受饥饿和寒冷而死的故事。

　　1．The meaning of the underlined word "shepherds" can be replaced by "________"．

　　A．people taking care of sheep B．people playing the flute

　　C．people living on farming D．people treating sick animals

　　解析：选A　词义猜测题。根据画线词所在句中的"looking after very young lambs (羊羔)"可以判断，shepherd是指"牧羊人"，故A项正确。

　　2．The function of the round holes was ________.

　　A．to let the sunshine in B．to warm the hut

　　C．to keep the smoke out D．to air the hut

　　解析：选D　推理判断题。根据第三段最后一句"These air holes were usually kept open ...because too much smoke in a small, airless hut could kill the shepherd."可知，当炉火燃烧时，这些气孔常常打开，因为在这个狭小而空气稀薄的棚屋里，烟雾太多会杀死牧羊人；据此可知，这些圆孔是为了通气，故D项正确。

　　3．How did Gabriel save his half­dead lambs from dying of cold or hunger?

　　A．By treating them like his families.

　　B．By staying with them in the fields

C．By curing them of their diseases.