三、阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
第一节阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
A gentle breeze blew through Jennifer's hair. The golden red sun was setting. She was on the beach, looking up at the fiery (火红的) ball. She was amazed by its color, deep red in the middle, softly fading into yellow. She could hear nothing but the waves and the seagulls flying up above in the sky.    
The atmosphere relaxed her. After all she had been through, this was what she needed. "It's getting late," she thought, "I must go home. My parents will be wondering where I am."
She wondered how her parents would react, when she got home after the three days she was missing. She kept on walking, directing herself where she spent every summer holiday. The road was deserted. She walked slowly and silently. Just in a few hundred meters she would have been safe in her house.
It was really getting dark now. The sun had set a few minutes before and it was getting cold too. She wished she had her favorite sweater on: it kept her really warm. She imagined having it with her. This thought disappeared when she finally saw her front door. It seemed different. Nobody had taken care of the outside garden for a few days. She was shocked: her father was usually so strict about keeping everything clean and tidy, and now... It all seemed deserted. She couldn't understand what was going on.    
She entered the house. First, she went into the kitchen where she saw a note written by her father. It said: "Dear Ellen, there is some coffee ready. I went looking." Ellen was her mother but－where was she? On the right side of the hallway was her parents' room. She went in. Then she saw her. Her mother, lying on the bed, was sleeping. Her face looked so tired, as if she hadn't slept for days. She was really pale. Jennifer would have wanted to wake her up but she looked too tired. So Jennifer just fell asleep beside her. When Jennifer woke up, something was different－she wasn't in her mother's room and she wasn't wearing the old clothes she ran away in. She was in her cozy bed in her pajamas.     
It felt so good being back home. Suddenly she heard a voice, "Are you feeling better now, dear? You know you got us very, very scared."
41. Three days later Jennifer came back home      .
A. at sunrise        B. at sunset     C. at night       D. at midday
42. What does the underlined phrase "This thought" most probably mean?
A. The idea of going back home.          
B. Her anxiety about her parents.     
C. The feeling of being warm in her favorite sweater.     
D. The feeling of getting back home safely.
43. Her father didn't take care of the garden because      .
A. he was busy looking for her   
B. he had to look after his wife
C. he was not strict with his job       
D. he no longer enjoyed working in the garden
44. What can we infer from this passage?
A. In fact Jennifer's mother had been sick for days.     
B. As Jennifer walked towards home, she became increasingly scared.     
C. When she found the garden deserted, she realized she was wrong.     
D. Having experienced a lot outside, Jennifer felt home was safest for her.