A
The driver, Zhang Sai, wandered outside an apartment building in Wuhan, the central Chinese city at the heart of the Coronavirus (冠状病毒) outbreak.He had been ordered not to take food to customers' doors in order to minimize the risk of infection.But the woman on the phone was pleading, he recalled.The food was for her mother, who couldn't go down to meet him.
Mr Zhang relented (怜悯)．He would drop off the order and sprint away.As he placed the bag on the floor, Mr Zhang said, the door opened.Startled, he rushed away.Without thinking, he said, he jabbed the elevator button with his finger, touching a surface he feared could transmit the virus.
That was how Mr Zhang, 32, found himself speeding back to his delivery station with one finger held high in the air, careful not to touch the rest of his hand — a quarantine in miniature (小型隔离现场)．
For many in China, delivery drivers like Mr Zhang are the only connection to the outside world.Once a common but invisible presence on the streets of nearly every Chinese city, the drivers are now being praised as heroes.
Throughout China, at least 760 million people — almost a tenth of the world's population — face some form of household lockdown.The rules are particularly strict in Wuhan, where government's efforts to contain the virus have blocked most of the 11 million residents in their homes.
Each household can send someone out for necessities just once every three days.Many residents do not go outside at all, for fear of infection.
But people still have to eat, which is why Mr Zhang and many delivery drivers find themselves on the street each day.As Wuhan and the rest of China stay at home, they have become the country's vital arteries, keeping fresh meat, vegetables and other supplies flowing to those who need them.
It is grueling (艰巨) and dangerous work.Mr Zhang, who works for Hema, a supermarket chain owned by the tech giant Alibaba, crisscrosses the city armed only with the face masks and hand sanitizer that his company supplies each morning.
The epidemic (疫情) has brought some unexpected bright_spots. Before, Mr Zhang said, he sometimes ran red lights during rush hour in order to meet his delivery goals for the day.Now, the streets are empty.He has no problem getting around.
People are nicer, too.Some customers hardly opened the door or avoided eye contact.After the outbreak erupted, everyone said thank you.
语篇解读：本文是一篇新闻报道。文章主要讲述了在疫情爆发期间，外卖骑手们给被困家中的人们配送物资，成为与外界的唯一联系，他们的工作也得到人们的认可，变得更重要和更有价值。
1．Why did Zhang Sai wander outside an apartment building in Wuhan?
A．He was unwilling to take food to customers' doors.
B．He was afraid of being infected by the Coronavirus outbreak.
C．The woman on the phone forbade him to take food to her door.
D．He was forbidden to take food to customers' doors.
解析：选D 细节理解题。根据第一段的“He had been ordered not to take food to customers' doors in order to minimize the risk of infection.”可知，他不被允许把食物送到顾客的家门口，故选D。
2．Which of the following can describe the work of delivery drivers after the outbreak of the epidemic?
A．Risky and important.
B．Necessary and lighthearted.
C．Easy and creative.
D．Valuable and hardworking.
解析：选A 推理判断题。根据文章第四段第一句和第八段中的“It is grueling and dangerous work.”可知，疫情爆发后，骑手的工作是危险的，也是重要的，故选A。
3．What does the underlined part “bright spots” mean in the ninth paragraph?
A．Marks on something.
B．Bright places.
C．Difficult situations.
D．Good things in a bad situation.
解析：选D 词义猜测题。根据画线词后文的举例及最后一段的“People are nicer, too.”可知，画线词指的是在坏的情况下也有好的事情发生，故选D。
4．Why did people become nicer and say thank you to delivery drivers after the outbreak erupted?
A．People need them to deliver necessities.
B．People have realized the value of their job.
C．Because of the outbreak of the epidemic.
D．Because of the danger of infection.
解析：选B 细节理解题。根据文章第七段“they have become the country's vital arteries ... flowing to those who need them”可知，他们解决了被困家中人们的必需品的配送，人们意识到骑手工作的价值，所以感谢他们，故选B。
