清北班做的也不太好！一道较难的阅读B篇
"Are you still climbing all those stairs?" The question comes after friends say, "You're looking good," considerately not adding, "for your age."
"Yup. Still tapping up and down." I do a little soft shoe dancing for emphasis. "Just like Shirley Temple and Bill Whatzisname in that musical years ago."
They shake their heads. Same old question, same old response. They've been joking with us about our hardwood stairs ever since we bought this old farmhouse 50 years ago.
There were three flights, one from the main floor bending to the second, a narrow flight to the third-floor rooms, and narrow stairs down to the basement. The stairs didn't seem a problem when we moved in. We were younger, livelier and ran up and down many times a day without concern. Though as we grew older, carrying a load of freshly washed clothes from the basement to the third floor could be tiring and we'd have to pause to catch our breath on the landings.
Our daughter brought a friend over to meet the "old folks at home" and on his very first visit he looked up at the stairs and said, "These could be dangerous. Have you ever thought about putting rubber treads on them?" We did so at the request of my daughter, but we removed them later because they were dust collectors.
Our son, home from the West Coast for a visit but really to check on his aging parents, suggested, "You might investigate one of those lifts where you sit down, press a button and rise up."
"What happens if there's a power failure?" we protested. "And our legs have weakened because of no exercise."
Some people run, some drive to the gym, and others wear watches to count their steps. But a few trips up and down stairs after breakfast get my blood flowing and the muscles working and I'm set for the day. Occasionally my back aches and I'm reduced to a snail's pace. But speed is no longer a priority.
1 What does the author intend to do by responding to her friends in that manner?
Show her gratitude for their concern
B. Defend her daily habit of using stairs
C. Stop them from asking the same question
D. Hide her embarrassment about the broken stairs
2 What troubles the author's children most about the stairs?
A. Their safety B. Their appearance
C. Their maintenance D. Their effectiveness
3 How do the stairs benefit the author?
A. They provide a sense of belonging
B. They serve as a reminder of her past
C. They help her stay active and mobile
D. They offer a beautiful view of the surrounding area
4 What sort of person is the author?
A. Athletic and determined
B. Sensitive and traditional
C. Practical and economical
D. Optimistic and independent
全文译文：
"你还在爬那些楼梯吗？"这句话是在朋友们说完"你看起来不错"之后问的，他们很体贴地没有加上"对你这把年纪来说"。
"没错，还在天天上上下下呢。"我即兴做了个轻快的踢踏舞步来示范。"就像当年音乐剧里的 Shirley Temple 和那个叫什么来着的 Bill 一样。"
他们摇摇头笑了。这是我们之间的老对话了。自从 50 年前买下这座老农舍以来，他们就一直拿我们家这些实木楼梯开玩笑。房子里总共有三段楼梯：一段从一楼蜿蜒着通向二楼，一段窄楼梯通往三楼的房间，还有一段窄梯子通向地下室。
刚搬进来的时候，这些楼梯对我们来说不算什么。那时我们年轻力壮，每天上上下下好多趟都不觉得累。不过随着年纪渐长，要把一堆刚洗好的衣服从地下室搬到三楼就有点吃力了，常常得在楼梯平台上停下来歇口气。
有次女儿带了个朋友来看望我们这对"老家伙"，这位朋友第一次到访就抬头打量着楼梯说："这楼梯可能有点危险。你们有没有想过安装防滑条？"后来我们确实应女儿的要求装了，但因为总积灰，没多久就给拆了。
我们的儿子从西海岸回来探望——准确地说是来查看他年迈父母的情况，他建议说："要不要考虑装个楼梯升降机？就是那种坐着按个按钮就能上下的。"
"要是停电了怎么办？"我们不乐意地说。"再说了，不走楼梯的话，腿脚只会越来越弱。"
有人喜欢跑步，有人开车去健身房，还有人戴着计步器到处走。但对我来说，早餐后上下楼梯几趟就能让血液畅快循环，给肌肉做做运动，这就够我应付一整天了。偶尔背痛发作时，我也只能像蜗牛一样慢慢爬。不过现在的我早就不在乎速度了。
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