Have your parents ever inspected your room to see if you cleaned it properly? Imagine having your entire house, garage, and yard inspected at any time—with no warning. Inspections were a regular part of lighthouse (灯塔) living, and a keeper's reputation depended on the results. A few times each year, an inspector arrived to look over the entire light station. The inspections were supposed to be a surprise, but keepers sometimes had advance notice.

Once lighthouses had telephones, keepers would call each other to warn that the inspector was approaching. After boats began flying special flags noting the inspector was aboard, the keeper's family made it a game to see who could notice the boat first. As soon as someone spotted the boat, everyone would do last-­minute tidying and change into fancy clothes.The keeper then scurried to put on his dress uniform and cap. Children of keepers remember inspectors wearing white gloves to run their fingers over door frames and windowsills looking for dust.

Despite the serious nature of inspections, they resulted in some funny moments. Betty Byrnes remembered when her mother did not have time to wash all the dishes before an inspection. At the time, people did not have dishwashers in their homes. In an effort to clean up quickly, Mrs.Byrnes tossed all the dishes into a big bread pan, covered them with a cloth and stuck them in the oven. If the inspector opened the oven door, it would look like bread was baking. He never did.

One day, Glenn Furst's mother put oil on the kitchen floor just before the inspector entered their house. Like floor wax, the oil made the floors shiny and helped protect the wood. This time, though, she used a little too much oil. When the inspector extended his hand to greet Glenn's mother, he slipped on the freshly oiled surface. “He came across that floor waving his arms like a young bird attempting its first flight,” Glenn later wrote. After he steadied himself, he shook Glenn's mother's hand, and the inspection continued as though nothing had happened.

1.What does Paragraph 1 tell us about the inspection at the light station?

A It was carried out once a year.

B It was often announced in advance.

C It was important for the keeper's fame.

D It was focused on the garage and yard.

解析：选C。C　细节理解题。根据第一段第三句a keeper's reputation depended on the results.可知看守人的名声取决于结果的好与坏。此题需要注意词义的替换，fame和reputation是近义词。

2.The family began making preparations immediately after ______.

A one of the members saw the boat

B a warning call reached the lighthouse

C the keeper put on the dress uniform and cap

D the inspector flew special flags in the distance

解析：选A。A　细节理解题。根据第二段第三句As soon as someone spotted the boat, everyone would do last­-minute tidying and change into fancy clothes.可知一有人看到船的到来，每个人都会开始迅速准备。

3.Mrs. Byrnes put the dishes in the oven because this would _______.

A result in some fun

B speed up washing them

C make her home look tidy

D be a demand from the inspector

解析：选C。C　推理判断题。根据第三段第二句 Betty Byrnes remembered when her mother did not have time to wash all the dishes before an inspection. 可知没有在检查之前洗完所有的盘子，为了加快整理房间的速度，她把盘子放在了炉子里。以免被inspector所发现。

4.If the inspector had opened the oven door, he would have seen _______

A an empty pan

B many clean dishes

C pieces of baked bread

D a cloth covering something

解析：选D。D　推理判断题。根据第三段第四句Mrs. Byrnes tossed all the dishes into a big bread pan, covered them with a cloth, and stuck them in the oven.可推测，当检查者打开烤箱的时候会看到被一块布盖住的东西。

5.The inspector waved his arms _______.

A to try his best to keep steady

B to show his satisfaction with the floor

C to extend a warm greeting to Glenn's mother

D to express his intention to continue the inspection

解析：选A。A　推理判断题。根据最后一段最后一句After he steadied himself，he shook Glenn’s mother’s hand, and the inspection continued as though nothing had happened. 可知他挥舞着手臂是为了保持平衡。本句理解的关键词：steady在句中做动词使用。