One silly question I simply can’t stand is “How do you feel?” Usually the question is asked of a man in action—a man on the go, walking along the streets, or busily working at his desk. So what do you expect him to say? He’ll probably say, “Fine, I’m all right,” but you have put a bug in his ear —maybe now he’s not sure. If you are a good friend, you may have seen something in his face, or his walk that he overlooked that morning. It starts worrying him a little. First thing you know, he looks in a mirror to see if everything is all right, while you go merrily on your way asking someone else, “How do you feel?”
Every question has its time and place. It’s perfectly acceptable, for instance, to ask “How do you feel?” if you’re visiting a close friend in the hospital. But if the fellow is walking on both legs, hurrying to make a train, or sitting at his desk working, it’s no time to ask him that silly question.
When George Bernard Shaw, the famous writer of plays was in his eighties, someone asked him “How do you feel?” Shaw put him in his place. “When you reach my age,” he said, “either you feel all right or you’re dead.”
44. The question “How do you feel?” seems to be correct and suitable when asked of_________.
A. a friend who is ill B. a man working at his desk
C. a person having lost a close friend D. a stranger who looks somewhat worried
45. George Bernard Shaw’s reply in the passage shows his________.
A. cheerfulness B. cleverness C. ability D. politeness
46. The underlined ‘You’ve put a bug in his ear’ in the 1st paragraph means that you’ve _____.
A. made him laugh B. shown concern for him
C. made fun of him D. given him some kind of warning