Question

The day was warm and the sun shone down like a new beginning on my life. I was waving goodbye to my son, the last one of my fledglings （刚会飞的鸟）to leave home and go to new woods, "University actually" . I felt so lighthearted after spending many years looking after my four children-cooking, washing, ironing, teaching them how to look after themselves and manage their finances-that I actually thought “At long last, freedom".
But, as I watched my last one leave, although it was a joyous occasion, I realized I had not really prepared for this day, I was too tied up with bringing up these adults of the future to realize that they would all leave the nest and lives independently.
At first I didn't know what "I" wanted to do. I tried a part time job, which ended in me running out in tears. I started a business making soft furnishings, but that didn't work either.  I grew my own veggies and fruit, which lasted 3 years, until I was advised by my doctor that my feet couldn't take any more "tools” driven through them. 
I began wondering if I had a future of my own. I cried for the life I was used to, and hadn't known or wanted anything different.
Then one day I saw an ad. For foster parents, I discussed it with my husband who was always behind everything I tried and with great disturbance, I rang up the number.
I now laugh and sing with my 14-year-old foster daughter, even when my cooker is a mess and my bathroom is a disaster area. I now know, 8 years later, what “I” was meant to be doing with all the spare hours, days, and weeks I had on my hands when my last fledgling flew the nest. The sun shines once again in my home

1. 1.
   How did the mother first feel when her last child went off to university?
   1. A.
      Lonely
   2. B.
      Anxious
   3. C.
      Relieved
   4. D.
      Annoyed
2. 2.
   The underlined phrase “was tied up with” in the second paragraph means “        ”
   1. A.
      was occupied in
   2. B.
      was associated with
   3. C.
      was tired of
   4. D.
      was addicted to
3. 3.
   In the third paragraph, the poor mother did all the things just to         
   1. A.
      live a greener and healthier life
   2. B.
      earn more money for her kids’ education
   3. C.
      shift her attention and ease her anxiety
   4. D.
      start her own decorating business
4. 4.
   What did the empty-nested mother think of her husband?
   1. A.
      Skilled
   2. B.
      Supportive
   3. C.
      Stubborn
   4. D.
      Open-minded
5. 5.
   Thanks to the foster daughter, the author         
   1. A.
      got rid of her busy work
   2. B.
      forgot her other children
   3. C.
      found a suitable job
   4. D.
      knew what she really wanted

Answer 1

CACBD
试题分析：
1.C 推理题。根据第一段后3行I felt so lighthearted after spending many years looking after my four children-cooking, washing, ironing, teaching them how to look after themselves and manage their finances-that I actually thought “At long last, freedom"说明我很放松，再这么多年的辛苦以后，终于可以放松了。故C正确。
2.A 猜测词义题。根据本句I was too tied up with bringing up these adults of the future to realize that they would all leave the nest and lives independently.是， 这些年来我一直忙于抚养教育我的孩子们，故A正确。Be occupied in 忙于…
3.C 推理题。根据第三段I tried a part time job和I started a business making soft furnishings 以及I grew my own veggies and fruit说明我做了很多事情来把自己的注意力转移并减轻自己的焦虑。故C正确。
4.B 推理题。根据倒数第二段I discussed it with my husband who was always behind everything说明我的丈夫总是在背后支持我。故B正确。
5.D 推理题。根据文章最后一段可知我收养了一个孩子，这个孩子让我知道了自己真正想要的是什么。故D正确。
考点：考查社会现象类短文阅读
点评：文章介绍了现在很正常的空巢现象，文章以我为例说明这些空巢母亲所遇见的困境。考查推理题为主，解此类题需要结合上下文提供的语境和信息进行简单的概括和判断。