There were a lot of hardships when growing up, but there were a lot of fond memories as well.
Back in those days, we had very little money, so we couldn’t afford a garden tractor that could make gardening easier. All the preparations has to be done by hand with hoes(锄头)，shovels and Daddy’s trusty plow(犁).
Part of my job in the garden was planting the seeds. I would sow the seeds and Daddy would come behind me with the plow and cover them. I liked to walk behind Daddy when he was planting. Every step he took left an impression. I would try to make my short legs match his stride(大步)and put my tiny feet in his footprints.
One of my gardening tasks was finding worms. We didn’t use a lot of pesticides so we often had worms. Some worms were harder to find because sometimes they would get on the bottom side of the leaves and have a similar color to that of the plant. I had to look very closely for them.
Next came the harvest. That was my mum’s busiest time. There were tomatoes, peas, corn and beans that all had to be washed and “put up” for the winter.
We would sit out in the yard late in the evening when air was cooler until midnight. I would sit and attentively listen to my mum and daddy to tell stories about their past. I loved those times because they created the most precious memories of all for me.
We may not have had too many material possessions, but we had a lot of love. I think our working together as a family to put food on the table helped to strengthen out ties to each other and kept us close.
56. What did the author like to do as a child in the garden?
A. Put up tomatoes, peas, corn and beans for the winter.
B. Follow his father’s footsteps.
C. Plow and cover the seeds.
D. Listen to his parents to tell stories.
57.The underlined word “Pesticides” (in Paragraph 4) most probably means “things that _______”.
A. can make plants grow more quickly    
B. can affect the growth of plants
C. kill worms                        
D. benefit worms
58. What does the author think of his childhood?
A. Poor and miserable.                                        B. Rich and fruitful.
C. Sad and unforgettable.                                   D. Hard but precious.
59. What does the author intend to tell us?
A. Learning to help parents is very important.
B. Family members’ working together is precious.
C. Staying in a garden is helpful to one’s development.
D. A person should be hard-working from childhood.