Bertie knew there was something in the wind.His mother had been sad in recent days，not sick，just strangely sad.The lion had just lain down beside him，his head warm on Bertie's feet when Father cleared his throat and began， "You'll soon be eight，Bertie.A boy needs a proper education.We've found the right place for you，a school near Salisbury in England."
   His heat filled with a terrible fear.All Bertie could think of was his white lion "But the lion，" he cried， "What about the lion？"
   "I'm afraid there's something else I have to tell you，" his father said.Looking across at Bertie's mother，he took a deep breath.Then he told Bertie he had met a circus（馬戲團(tuán)）owner from France，who was now in Africa looking for lions to buy.He would come to their farm in a few days.
   "No!You can't send him to a circus!" said Bertie." People will come to see him.He'll be shut in a cage.I promised him he never would be.And they will laugh at him.He'd rather die if he loses his pride？" But as Bertie looked across the table at them，he knew their minds were quite made up.
   Bertie felt completely hurt.He waited until he heard his father's deep breathing next door.With his white lion，he walked downstairs quietly in his pajamas，took down his father's gun from the case and stepped out into the night.He ran and ran till his legs could run no more.As the sun came up over the grassland，he climbed to the top of a hill and sat down，his arms round the lion's neck.The time had come.
   "Be wild now，" he whispered" "You've got to be wild.Don't ever come home.All my life I'll think of you.I promise I will. "Ha put his head down in the lion's neck.Then，Bertie climbed down the hill and walked away.
   When he looked back the lion was still sitting there watching him，but then the lion stood up，yawned，ran down after him.Bertie shouted at him，but he kept coming.He threw sticks.He threw stones.Nothing worked.
   There was only one thing left to do.With tears filling his eyes and his mouth，he lifted the gun and fired over the lion's head.

（1）Bertie's mother was sad probably because she

C

C

.
A．had been seriously ill recently
B．had decided to send Bertie to school
C．knew selling the lion would upset Bertie
D．knew Bertie would hate to go to England
（2）The underlined word "they" in Para.4 probably refers to

A

A

.
A．some people who watch the show
B．other animals
C．Bertie's parents
D．circus owners
（3）In the last paragraph，the boy lifted the gun to

B

B

.
A．kill the lion
B．scare the lion back to the wild
C．protect himself from the lion
D．show his anger towards his the lion
（4）The best title of the passage could be

C

C

.
A．The Sad Mom
B．Go to school
C．For Your Pride
D．You are my love