When I told my father that I was moving to Des Moines，Iowa，he told me about the only time he had been there.It was in the 1930s，when he was an editor of the literary magazine of Southern Methodist University （SMU） in Dallas，Texas.He also worked as a professor at SMU，and there was a girl student in his class who suffered from a serious back disease.She couldn't afford the operation because her family was poor.
Her mother ran a boarding house in Galveston，a seaside town near Houston，Texas.She was cleaning out the attic （閣樓） one day when she came across an old dusty manuscript （手稿）.On its top page were the words， "By O.Henry".It was a nice story，and she sent it to her daughter at SMU，who showed it to my father.My father had never read the story before，but it sounded like O.Henry，and he knew
that O.Henry had once lived in Houston.So，it was possible that the famous author had gone to the beach and stayed in the Galveston boarding house，and had written the story there and left the manuscript behind by accident.My father visited an O.Henry expert at Columbia University in New York，who authenticated the story as O.Henry's.
My father then set out to sell it.Eventually，he found himself in Des Moines，meeting with Gardner Cowles，a top editor at the Des Moines Register.Cowles loved the story and bought it on the spot.My father took the money to the girl.It was just enough for her to have the operation she so desperately needed.
My father never told me what the O.Henry story was about.But I doubt that it could have been better than his own story.
（1）What did the author's father do at SMU？ （no more than 12 words）
He was an editor of a literary magazine and a professor.OR：He worked as an editor of a literary magazine and a professor.
He was an editor of a literary magazine and a professor.OR：He worked as an editor of a literary magazine and a professor.
（2）Why was O.Henry's manuscript found in the attic？ （no more than 20 words） Because he might stay in the Galveston boarding house and write the story when he once lived in Houston.OR：O.Henry might once stay in the boarding house and leave it there by accident.
Because he might stay in the Galveston boarding house and write the story when he once lived in Houston.OR：O.Henry might once stay in the boarding house and leave it there by accident.
（3）What does the underlined word "authenticated" in Paragraph 2 mean？ （1 word） Proved.
Proved.
（4）Why did the author's father set out to sell the manuscript？ （no more than 10 words） He sold it to help the girl with her operation.OR：To help the girl with her operation she desperately needed.OR：Because the money could help the girl with her operation.OR：Because the girl needed money desperately to have her operation.
He sold it to help the girl with her operation.OR：To help the girl with her operation she desperately needed.OR：Because the money could help the girl with her operation.OR：Because the girl needed money desperately to have her operation.
（5）What do you think of the author's intention of writing such a story of his father？Please explain. （no more than 25 words） Open./One possible answer：The author wants/wanted to show how kind and noble his father is/was.Because it's very likely that his father gave his own money to the girl.
Open./One possible answer：The author wants/wanted to show how kind and noble his father is/was.Because it's very likely that his father gave his own money to the girl.
