请认真阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Before I turned 29, my parents moved to Queensland, where I arrived for a visit six months later.
I upon my mother with hugs, and for the first time in my life I said, “I love you, mom!” Then I gently , expecting some kind of reciprocation. But it never came. Instead, she appeared in horror.
When I was back at work, I overheard a workmate on a call to her mother and she concluded it with “I love you, Mum.” As as that. Why wasn’t it like that in mine? Something had to be done about this situation once and for all.
My came the next Sunday during my weekly phone call to my mother. After we had shared our usual pleasantries and , I took a deep breath and asked, “Do you love me, Mum?” After a short , she replied, “I love you. Don’t be silly. You know we never said things like that in my family.”
“Well, I want it to be said in ours. From now on I want to our conversations with ‘I love you.’”
In May 2000 my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She was to hospital, and I phoned every day to her. One evening when I rang, a nurse answered the phone and regretfully informed me that my mother’s condition had rapidly worsened. She wasn’t expected to it through the night.
Knowing I couldn’t get a flight in time, I asked the nurse to put the phone next to my mother’s ear so I could talk to her. “She’s conscious,” the nurse replied. “It’s unlikely she’ll hear you.” But I didn’t care. I wanted to do it .
she’d placed the phone by my mother’s ear, I started and telling Mum over and over again that I loved her. At first, all I could hear was “Hmmmm” — but then, like a miracle, with a deep she said, “Love you … love you, darling.” It was the last thing she said before drifting into .
Although I was overwhelmed by her death, the surprising part was how well I . Of course, losing a parent is extremely painful and I shed many tears, but receiving those lovely last words made it much more . I had closure in the best possible way.
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We were standing at the top of a church tower. My father had __36__ me to this spot in a small town not far from our home in Rome. I wondered __37__.
“Look __38__, Elsa,” Father said. I gathered all my __39__ and looked down. I saw the square in the centre of the village. And I saw the crisscross(十字形) of twisting, turning streets leading to the __40__. “See, my dear,” Father said gently. “There is more than one way to the square. __41__ is like that. If you can’t get to the place where you want to go __42__ one road, try another.”
Now I understood why I was there. __43__ that day I had begged my mother to do __44__ about the terrible lunches that were served at school. But she __45__ because she could not believe the lunches were as __46__ as I said.
When I __47__ my father for help, he would not help. __48__, he brought me to this high tower to __49__ me a lesson — the value of an open, searching mind. By the time we reached home, I had a __50__.
At school the next day, I __51__ poured my lunch soup into a bottle and brought it home. Then I asked our cook to __52__ it to mother at dinner. The plan __53__ perfectly. She swallowed one spoonful and said, “The cook must have gone mad!” Quickly I told what I had done, and mother said firmly that she would take up the matter of lunches at school the next day.
In the years that followed I often remembered the lesson father taught me. I began to work as a fashion designer two years ago. I wouldn’t stop working __54__ I tried every possible means to my goal. Father’s wise words always __55__ me that there is more than one way to the square.
A．taken B．sent C．brought D．left
A．that B．why C．what D．how
A．down B．up C．out D．around
A．strength B．courage C．spirit D．bravery
A．tower B．church C．square D．village
A．School B．Society C．Family D．Life
A．in B．on C．by D．at
A．Earlier B．Later C．After D．During
A．her best B．a favor C．something D．everything
A．defended B．refused C．excused D．agreed
A．well B．good C．bad D．usual
A．belonged to B．turned to C．tried to D．led to
A．Therefore B．So C．Instead D．Anyway
A．show B．make C．prepare D．give
A．plan B．question C．problem D．suggestion
A．angrily B．secretly C．kindly D．politely
A．cook B．boil C．make D．serve
A．made B．failed C．worked D．took
A．if B．once C．since D．until
A．remind B．approve C．affect D．limit
Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents. Every day they are very busy trying to 31 in order to pay the high tuition for my brother and me. They don’t act in the 32 ways that I read in books or I see on TV. In their opinion, “I love you” is too 33 for them to say. Sending flowers to each other on Valentine’s Day is even more out of 34.
One day, my mother was sewing a quilt. I sat down beside her. “Mom, I have a question to ask you. Is there _35 between you and Dad?” I asked her in a very low voice. She didn’t answer immediately. She 36 her head and continued to sew the quilt.
I was very worried because I thought I had _37_ her. I was 38_ and I didn’t know what I should do. But at last I heard my mother say the following words:
“Susan,” she said thoughtfully, “Look at this thread．Sometimes it __39_, but most of it disappears in the quilt. The thread really makes the quilt _40__. If life is a quilt, then love should be a thread．It can hardly be seen _41 , but it’s really there. Love is 42_.”
I listened carefully but I __43_ her until the next spring. At that time, my father suddenly _44 seriously. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month. When they returned from the hospital, they both looked __45_. It seemed both of them had had a serious illness. After they were back, every day in the morning and dusk, my mother helped my father 46__ on the country road．
“Dad, how are you feeling now?” I asked him one day.
“Susan, don’t _47 me.” he said gently. “To tell you the truth, I just like walking with your mom.”_48_ his eyes, I know he loves my mother deeply.
Once I thought love meant flowers, gifts and 49 . But from this experience, I understand that love is just _50_ in the quilt of our life. Love is inside, making life strong and warm.
A．keep fit B．rise early C．collect money D．earn money
A．romantic B．magic C．fantastic D．attractive
A．simple B．luxurious C．relaxing D．easy
A．question B．the question C．reach D．control
A．feeling B．quarrel C．love D．smile
A．bowed B．shook C．nodded D．raised
A．hurt B．injured C．wounded D．harmed
A．in great surprise B．with deep depression C．in a great embarrassment D．at extreme sorrow
A．happens B．comes about C．occurs D．appears
A．warm and soft B．hot and hard C．thin and cool D．strong and durable
A．more or less B．here and there C．somewhere and sometime D．anywhere or anytime
A．inside B．outside C．faraway D．nearby
A．could believe B．wouldn’t recognize C．couldn’t understand D．might know
A．got stuck B．got sick C．threw up D．became disabled
A．quite healthy B．fairly red C．very pale D．much surprised
A．walk slowly B．go hurriedly C．run fast D．jump high
A．think about B．worry about C．talk with D．laugh at
A．Saying B．Seeing C．Reading D．Writing
A．fresh roses B．gold ring C．beautiful jewelry D．sweet kisses
A．a needle B．a thread C．the cloth D．the cotton
When I was a boy, every holiday that I had seemed wonderful. My 16 took me by train or by car to a hotel by the 17 . All day, I seem to remember, I 18 on the sands with strange 19 children. We made houses and gardens, and 20 the tide（潮汐） destroy them. When the tide went out, we 21 over the rocks and looked down at the fish in the rock-pools.
In those days the 22 seemed to shine always brightly 23 the water was always warm. Sometimes we left beach and walked in the country, 24 ruined houses and dark woods and climbing trees. There were 25 in one’s pockets or good places where one could 26 ice creams. Each day seemed a lifetime.
Although I am now thirty-five years old, my idea of a good 27 is much the same as it was. I 28 like the sun and warm sand and the sound of 29 beating the rocks. I no longer wish to 30 any sand house or sand garden, and I dislike sweets. 31 , I love the sea and often feel sand running through my fingers.
Sometimes I 32 what my ideal (理想的) holiday will be like when I am 33 . All I want to do then, perhaps, will be to lie in bed, reading books about 34 who make houses and gardens with sands, who watch the incoming tide, who make themselves 35 on too many ices…
A．teacher B．parents C．nurse D．younger sister
A．sea B．lake C．mountain D．river
A．played B．slept C．sat D．stood
A．moving B．exciting C．anxious D．nervous
A．made B．brought C．watched D．heard
A．rolled B．jumped C．turned D．climbed
A．light B．sun C．moon D．lamp
A．and B．yet C．but D．or
A．exploring B．examining C．repairing D．measuring
A．sweets B．sand C．ice-creams D．money
A．make B．sell C．buy D．offer
A．house B．holiday C．garden D．tide
A．hardly B．almost C．still D．perhaps
A．waves B．tides C．hands D．feet
A．destroy B．fix C．use D．build
A．But B．However C．Otherwise D．Besides
A．wonder B．feel C．understand D．believe
A．strong B．weak C．young D．old
A．children B．boys C．girls D．grown-ups
A．happy B．tired C．sad D．sick
Everyone wants to win a first-place blue ribbon, to be the best in something. Even kids in Kindergarten want that blue ribbon. In sports, I was never a blue-ribbon person. In a race, I was always 36 . In baseball I was likely to be 37 on the head or drop the ball. During the spring of my kindergarten year, our class had a field trip to a park in a town about twenty miles away. Making that drive now is no big 38 but when you’re six and you’ve lived in a town of 300 people all your life, going to a big town of a couple of thousand people is really something.
I don’t remember too much about it. But there was one that I will never forget —the __39__ race. The parents tied our feet together. One little boy got me for a 40 . He was the second most 41 boy in our class so he usually won at everything and I knew that with me tied to him he didn’t have a chance. And I’m sure he knew he was in trouble. The gun sounded and we were off. Some couples were falling and stumbling all around us, 42 we stayed on our feet and made it to the other side. 43 , when we turned around and headed back for home, we were in the lead! Only one couple had a chance to win, and they were a good several yards behind us.
A few feet from the finish line, disaster struck: I tripped and fell. We were 44 enough that my partner could have easily dragged me across the finish line and won. But he didn’t. Instead he stopped, 45 down and helped me up — just at the other couple crossed the finish line. As a result, we received a small red ribbon for coming in second.
I still remember that moment when the young boy decided that helping a friend get on her feet was more important than winning a blue ribbon. And 13 years later, I still have that little ribbon because it’s a 46 that a friend like this boy is one who really 47 .
A．last B．first C．quick D．successful
A．touched B．felt C．hit D．beaten
A．question B．event C．one D．deal
A．one-legged B．two-legged C．three-legged D．four-legged
A．partner B．helper C．supporter D．competitor
A．tallest B．youngest C．athletic D．handsome
A．but B．therefore C．however D．and
A．Obviously B．Unbelievably C．Secretly D．Undoubtedly
A．strong B．brave C．clever D．close
A．lay B．slowed C．moved D．reached
A．warning B．reminder C．gift D．notice
A．depends B．counts C．supports D．worthy
When I was young I loved taking part in high school musicals．I loved to 36 in front of hundreds of people．In one production, I auditioned（试音）like 37 else. My music teacher was 38 that I would get a particular part in the music drama. The part I thought I had was a 39 lead who sang some of the most beautiful love songs.
But one day the show director pulled me aside. I was 40 to be offered the leading role. To my disappointment, he said, “Bob, I found a boy with an excellent voice. I need to give the 41 to him.”
From that moment on I began hating music class. I 42 that I didn’t like what we were singing. My music teacher didn’t know why. She 43 me in front of the class and told me I had changed. She didn’t know what I had been told. But when they 44 the finalists, I was given a45 role. For some time my pride was46 with having to do something I didn’t think I should be doing. But I did it. The minor role I had 47 to be much more fun than I had expected. My performance even 48 my brother who was also in the audience.
Life is really like a 49 and although we do not audition for the role, each of us is 50 by the director to play a certain part in it. The 51 is that we sometimes don’t like the part we are given. Like me in high school I became 52 -–if I couldn’t be the lead, I wouldn’t show up for rehearsal（彩排）.
Then we wonder why we feel so 53 . Sometimes we don’t even feel like we are a part of the “Big Show. ” Everyone does indeed have a role. Some are in front of the curtain, some are behind, but all are 54 for the show to go on. All 55 to success no matter how minor the part is.
A．debate B．broadcast C．sing D．show
A．someone B．everyone C．anyone D．no one
A．prejudiced B．concerned C．unexpected D．convinced
A．romantic B．ridiculous C．mysterious D．sensitive
A．attempting B．expecting C．volunteering D．pretending
A．part B．deal C．favor D．item
A．assessed B．advocated C．concluded D．complained
A．warned B．scolded C．informed D．suspected
A．presented B．identified C．announced D．delivered
A．specific B．super C．slight D．small
A．struggling B．competing C．swinging D．changing
A．happened B．proved C．expanded D．switched
A．terrified: B．disappointed C．surprised D．embarrassed
A．joke B．journey C．stage D．play
A．appointed B．attached C．employed D．instructed
A．reason B．problem C．balance D．focus
A．curious B．helpless C．angry D．positive
A．exhausted B．lost C．delighted D．thrilled
A．necessary B．dependent C．natural D．perfect
A．react B．adjust C．refer D．contribute