A
(2021·石家庄市质量检测一)Stephen Wamukota, a nineyearold boy from Mukwa village in Western Kenya, is making the headlines worldwide for his creative hand washing machine. The young boy came up with the idea after watching villagers, who do not have easy access to running water and struggle to find an effective way to wash their hands to avoid catching and spreading COVID19．
Using the few resources he could get—wood, nails, and a bucket—Stephen designed and built a simple but functional washing station. The clever creation, which is made up of two pedals(踏板) —one to release soap and the other to release water — enables villagers to wash their hands in a contactfree way, thus reducing the likelihood of catching the infectious disease.
“I had bought some pieces of wood to make a window frame, but when I came back home after work one day, I found that Stephen had made the machine，” his father, James, told the media. “The concept was his, and I helped tighten the machine. I’m very proud. ” James credits Stephen’s building skill to the village school’s curriculum(全部课程), which teaches children to construct items from a very young age.
The invention, which went_viral after James posted a photo online, has made Stephen an instant celebrity in Kenya. In early June 2020, the country’s leader gave Stephen the Uzalendo Award for making significant contributions towards the nation’s fight against COVID19．Stephen has also been promised a full scholarship to a school that can develop his creative talent, by the county governor.
Though thrilled at the unexpected fame and success, Stephen is not satisfied with what he has achieved. The young boy has already built another hand washing machine and plans on adding several more.
1．What inspired Stephen to design the hand washing machine?
A．The school project he was working on.
B．The few resources he could use in his house.
C．The difficulty the villagers had keeping their hands clean.
D．The number of the villagers getting infected with the disease.
2．What’s the original function of the pieces of wood?
A．To make the frame of a window.
B．To start a fire to cook meals.
C．To create two pedals of a machine.
D．To construct a hand washing machine.
3．What does the underlined phrase “went viral” in Paragraph 4 mean?
A．Spread rapidly. B．Disappeared suddenly.
C．Improved immediately. D．Matured gradually.
4．What can we learn from Stephen’s story?
A．Good fame is better than anything.
B．Many hands make light work.
C．A small child can make a big difference.
D．Failure is the mother of success.
【语篇导读】看到村民们没有方便的自来水，而且很难找到有效的洗手方式来避免感染和传播新型冠状病毒肺炎，来自肯尼亚西部村庄的九岁男孩发明了洗手机。
1．C 细节理解题。根据第一段第二句可知，看到村民们没有方便的自来水，而且很难找到有效的洗手方式来避免感染新型冠状病毒肺炎后，Stephen想出了这个主意。故选C项。
2．A 细节理解题。根据第三段中的“I had bought some pieces of wood to make a window frame…”可知，A选项正确。故选A项。
3．A 词义猜测题。本题可以使用代入法，只有把A选项代入后逻辑成立。即James在网上发布了一张照片后，这项发明“迅速传播”，使得Stephen立刻成为肯尼亚名人。B项意为“突然消失”，C项意为“立即改进”，D项意为“逐渐成熟”，代入后均不符合语境。故选A项。
4．C 推理判断题。本文记述了年仅九岁的男孩Stephen发明洗手机，帮助村民防止感染和传播新型冠状病毒肺炎的事迹，主人公年龄虽小，贡献却很大。故选C项。
