I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mother sat doing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the most wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final illness, mother kept different things for my sister and brother. “But the desk,” she would say again, “it’s for Elizabeth. ”
I never saw her be angry, and never saw her cry. I knew she loved me—she showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.
They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional(易动感情的)”. But she lived “on the surface(表面)”.
As years passed I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive(原谅) me.
I posted the letter and waited for her answer. None came.
My hope turned to disappointment(失望), then little interest and, finally, peace— it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.
Now the present of her desk told, as she’d never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside —a photo of my father and a one-page letter, folded(折叠) and refolded many times.
Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose. Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.
1.The writer began to love her mother’s desk ______.
A. after Mother died
B. before she became a writer
C. when she was a child
D. when Mother gave it to her
2.The passage shows that ______.
A. mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter
B. mother was too serious about everything her daughter had done
C. mother cared much about her daughter in words
D. mother wrote to her daughter in careful words
3.The word “gulf” in the passage means ______.
A. deep understanding between the old and the young
B. different ideas between the mother and the daughter
C. free talks between mother and daughter
D. part of the sea going far in land
4.What did mother do with her daughter’s letter asking forgiveness?
A. She had never received the letter.
B. For years, she often talked about the letter.
C. She didn’t forgive her daughter at all in all her life.
D. She read the letter again and again till she died.
5.What’s the best title of the passage?
A. My letter to Mother B. Mother and Children
C. My mother’s Desk D. Talks between Mother and Me
完形填空
The Other Side of the Wall
There was a young woman who took great pride in her flower garden. She was raised by her grandmother who taught her to love and take care of flowers. So her flower garden was the______ .
One day, while she was looking through a flower list she often ______ the flowers from, suddenly a picture of a plant caught her eyes. She had never ______ blooms(花) on a flower like that before. “I have to have it,” she said to ______ , and she ordered it at once.
When it arrived, she already had a ______ prepared to plant it. She planted it at the back of her yard. It grew well, with beautiful green leaves all over it, ______ there were no blooms. Day after day she continued to water it, feed it, and she even talked to it, trying to make it bloom. However, it was ______ .
One morning, a few weeks later, when standing before the vine(藤), she felt very ______ that her plant had not bloomed. She was giving thought to______ it down and planting something else in its place.
It was at this point that her neighbor, whose ______ joined hers, called over to her. “Thank you so much! You can’t imagine how much I have ______ the blooms of that vine you planted.” The young woman walked ______ the gate into her neighbor’s yard, and she saw that on the other side of the wall the vine was ______ with blooms.
They were indeed the most beautiful blooms she had ______ seen. The vine had grown through the crevices (缝隙) and it had not flowered on ______ side of the wall, but it had flowered on the other side.
Sometimes one may not see the good result of his effort (努力), but that doesn’t mean it isn’t successful.
1.A. worst B. bad C. best D. fine
2.A. learned B. heard C. ordered D. borrowed
3.A. seen B. smelt C. sold D. picked
4.A. her B. himself C. him D. herself
5.A. place B. bag C. wall D. vine
6.A. and B. so C. or D. but
7.A. endless B. useless C. successful D. hopeful
8.A. excited B. nervous C. sad D. frightened
9.A. putting B. cutting C. turning D. taking
10.A. balcony B. kitchen C. bedroom D. yard
11.A. enjoyed B. dreamed C. expected D. hated
12.A. through B. across C. above D. below
13.A. satisfied B. connected C. filled D. pleased
14.A. never B. ever C. yet D. just
15.A. its B. his C. her D. their
— Thanks for listening to my problem and giving me your advice, Amy.
— _____________. That’s what friends are for.
A. My pleasure B. With pleasure
C. Never mind D. It’s nice of you
—Mrs. Green. Do you think I can get an “A” in the exam if I start working hard now?
— Of course. _________.
A. Better late than never
B. Many hands make light work
C. You cannot burn the candle at both sides
D. Actions speak louder than words
--Would you mind me_______ here? --_______. Let me take my bag away.
A. to sit; Better not B. sitting; I'm afraid not
C. sitting; Not at all D. to sit; I hope so
— I hear that your good friend David ____________ books about history.
— Yes, but now he ____________ novels.
A. used to read; used to read
B. use to read; used to reading
C. use to read; is used to reading
D. used to read; is used to reading
