“Have you checked the oil in the car?” my father used to say to me, his way of “Hello, hope you are well.” Sometimes our phone calls would begin with a question about the oil and end with a question about the oil, with not a lot in between.

Fathers have a lot of love to give, but it’s often offered by means of practical advice. In my experience: It’s mostly about my car. “How’s the car running?” “Did you get it serviced?” My car — an old green Toyota Corona bought for $500 — was where my father showed his love.

Why can’t we fathers just say “I love you” or “It’s great to see you”? The point is: that’s exactly what we are saying. You just have to translate from the language that is Fatherlish. Listen closely enough and the phrase “I love you” can be heard in the slightly longer “I could come around Saturday and repair your chair.” The words “You made my life better from the moment you were born” may be hardly heard, but the main meaning is there in the more common “I’ll hold the ladder while you get the leaves down from the roof.”

When I was 17, I went on my first road trip — a friend and I in that old car. My father stood on the corner on a cold morning to say goodbye. “Highways are dangerous,” he said, “so don’t try overtaking anything faster than a horse and buggy. And take a break every two hours. And every time you stop for gas, you really should check the oil.” At the time we thought his speech was pretty funny and would sing “horse-and-buggy” every time I tried to overtake some other speeding cars.

Dad’s long gone now. But after all these years, I realize that had I owned a copy of the Fatherlish-to-English dictionary, I’d have understood that the speech my friend and I so carelessly laughed at was simply Dad’s attempt at love.

【小题1】Why did the author’s father often ask about the car?

A．To show his love for the car.	B．To see if there is enough oil.
C．To express his care to his son.	D．To check the condition of the car.

【小题2】Which of the following sentences is an example of Fatherlish?

A．I love you deeply.	B．It’s great to see you.
C．You made my life better.	D．I can check the oil for you.

【小题3】What does the underlined word “overtaking” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Outrunning.	B．Approaching.
C．Crashing into.	D．Knocking over.

【小题4】What can be inferred about the author in the last paragraph?

A．He wanted to own a dictionary.	B．He regrets his childish behavior.
C．He is sad about his father’s death.	D．He realized his father’s love then.