Yesterday was my stepmother’s birthday. I haven’t been home

Yesterday was my stepmother’s birthday. I haven’t been home for a long time, so I wanted to stop by the house to see her on this special day.
I have been struggling on a low income so I was afraid that I couldn’t afford the long trip. Gas is so expensive nowadays! Anyway, I filled my tank with gas and set off. 
I stopped at a shopping mall and found a present. It was the perfect gift and I knew she would love it. But when I got to the cashier, my card wasdeclined! I didn’t have enough money in my account to pay for the gift!
So I pondered the issue for a few minutes. I could put it back and get something cheaper, but I knew there was nothing else in the store she would have liked as much. So, I got to my smart-phone and transferred some money from my saving account and was able to buy the gift. It took a big part of my savings but I wanted her to have something special.
It turned out that she loved the gift and I felt that even though I had spent almost all my money, my stepmother deserved the best. I was glad I gave her the best I could.
Before I left my parents’ house, my dad took me to one side and, with our secret handshake, he gave me some money. I hadn’t said anything to him about my financial condition, but I guessed my dad just knew it. When I got to the car, I saw the amount he gave me was three times what I had spent on the gas and the gift!
It goes to show that doing the right thing always comes with great rewards.
小题1: Why was the writer unwilling to have a long trip?

A．Because gas was hardly available.

B．Because the writer was short of money.

C．Because the writer didn’t like driving.

D．Because the road was difficult to drive on.

小题2:The underlined word “pondered” in Paragraph 4 probably means ________.           

A．thought about

B．tried on

C．depended on

D．got through

小题3:From the passage, we can infer that ________.

A．the writer loves his stepmother very much

B．the gift the writer bought was loved by his father very much

C．the writer spend all his savings buying the gift for his stepmother

D．the gift the writer bought was the most expensive one in the shop

小题4:Why did the writer’s father shake hands with the writer in secret?

A．Because he wanted to ask the writer for something special.

B．Because he wanted to give the writer some money.

C．Because he knew the writer had been struggling financially.

D．Because he didn’t want others to copy their handshake.