When I was young, I went looking for gold in California. And I discovered a beautiful part of the country called Stanislaus. It had bright green hills and deep forests where soft winds touched the trees. By the time I arrived, a man had been smiling at me , standing in front of his little house. Inside, I saw a bright rug on the shining wooden floor. And on little tables there were seashells, books and china vases full of flowers. A woman had made this house into a home. The delight in my heart showed on my face. The man read my thoughts. “All her work.” He said , “Nothing here hasn’t felt the touch of her hand.”As he talked, I went to a little black-walnut shelf that held a small picture of the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. There was a sweetness and softness in the woman’s expression. “Nineteen, her last birthday. When you see her...ah, just wait until you meet her!” “Where is she now?” I asked. “Oh, she is away visiting her parents.” he said slowly. “She will be back on Saturday, in the evening.” That night, I stayed. The man told me his name was Henry.

Thursday evening we had two visitors, Tom and Joe. “When little madam is coming home. Any news from her?” “Oh yes,” the man replied. “A letter.” He took a yellowed letter out of his wallet and read it. It was full of loving messages. While reading, he glimpsed his friends and cried out, “Oh no, Tom! You always cry when I read a letter from her. I’m going to tell her this time!” “No, you must not do that, Henry,” the grey-haired miner said. “I am getting old. And any little sorrow makes me cry. I really was hoping she would be here tonight.”　 

Saturday finally came. I was glad to see Tom and Joe again. They kept giving him glasses of whiskey. “Boys,” he said, “I am sick with fear. Help! I want to lie down.” Henry was asleep almost before the words were out of his mouth. In a moment, the men tucked him into his bed. They seemed to leave. So I said, “Please don’t go. She won’t know me. I am a stranger.” They glanced at each other. “She? she’s been dead for nineteen years!” Joe said, “She went to see her folks(家人) after she got married. On her way back, on a Saturday evening, the Indians captured her. She’s never been heard of since. Henry went insane. But he only gets bad when that time of year comes round. Then we drop in here, to encourage him up and listen to him read the letter. We’ve done it for nineteen years. We drug him to sleep through the night.” The two old men opened the door and disappeared into the darkness .

56. You can sense the existence of a woman from the following sentences EXCEPT “______”.

A. Soft winds touched the trees in Stanislaus.

B. There was a bright rug on the shining wooden floor.

C. There were seashells, books and china vases full of flowers.

D. A little black shelf held a small picture of a woman.

57. Tom cried when Henry read the yellowed letter, because ______.

A. he was getting old

B. he was moved by the loving messages in the letter

C. he felt sad at the thought of Henry’s wife                             

D. he was disappointed that Henry’s wife would arrive so late

58. The underlined word “insane” probably means “______”.

A. depressed                B. disappointed       C. mad            D. sick

59. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A. Henry’s wife was 38 when she was last seen

B. Tom and Joe have heard the letter many times

C. the author stayed in Henry’s house because he was lost

D. the two miners came on Saturday to share past memories