Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents. Every day they are very busy trying to earn money in order to pay the high tuition for my brother and me. They don’t act in the romantic ways that I read in books or I see on TV. In their opinion, “I love you” is too luxurious for them to say. Sending flowers to each other on Valentine’s Day is even more out of the question. Finally my father has a bad temper. When he’s very tired from the hard work, it is easy for him to lose his temper.　
　　One day, my mother was sewing a quilt. I silently sat down beside her and looked at her.　
　　“Mom, I have a question to ask you,” I said after a while.　
　　“What?” she replied, still doing her work.　
　　“Is there love between you and Dad?” I asked her in a very low voice.　
　　My mother stopped her work and raised her head with surprise in her eyes. She didn’t answer immediately. Then she bowed her head and continued to sew the quilt.　
　　I was very worried because I thought I had hurt her. I was in a great embarrassment 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 appears, but most of it disappears in the quilt. The thread really makes the quilt strong and durable. If life is a quilt, then love should be a thread. It can hardly be seen anywhere or anytime, but it’s really there.”
　　I listened carefully but I couldn’t understand her until the next spring. At that time, my father suddenly got sick seriously. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month. When they returned from the hospital, they both looked very pale. 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 walk slowly on the country road. My father had never been so gentle. It seemed they were the most harmonious couple. Along the country road, there were many beautiful flowers, green grass and trees. The sun gently glistened through the leaves. All of these made up the most beautiful picture in the world.
　　Once I thought love meant flowers, gifts and sweet kisses. But from this experience, I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life, making life strong and warm.
　　thread: 线　　　 quilt: 被子
　　1. Why did the parents try to earn a lot of money?
　　A. To pay for the food.
　　B. To pay off the debt.
　　C. To pay for the hospital.
　　D. To pay the high tuition.

　　2. Which of the following is TRUE?
　　A. The parents sent flowers on Valentine’s day.
　　B. The parents liked to say “I love you.”
　　C. The father was too tired to have a good temper.
　　D. The mother had no job.

　　3. From the passage, we can know that _________.
　　A. the father made much money from his work
　　B. Susan couldn’t understand her mother
　　C. the parents always loved each other
　　D. the mother was worried about her husband

　　4. How did Susan feel towards her parents at last?
　　A. sad　　　　　 B. glad　　 　　C. worried　　　 D. easy

　　5. Which is the best title?
　　A. Love is inside.　　　　　　　　 B. Love is outside.
　　C. Love is seen everywhere.　　 　 D. Love is seen anytime.
　

Jenny mixed up the letters with the replies. Read the three letters and the replies A, B, C, then match each letter with the correct reply.

A.  You should discuss this problem with your parents. Have you talked to your father? Surely he misses you, too. Tell him how you feel, and perhaps he can spend more time with you. You can also ask your mother to make something special when your father isn’t working.

B. You shouldn’t worry so much. If you study hard, you’ll do well. Try to relax, find time to go for walks and eat three healthy meals every day. Don’t drink coffee or tea because you won’t be able to sleep. You should drink a glass of hot milk before you go to bed and think in a positive（积极的）way. Good luck.

C. Can you afford it? Can you pay for the huge bills（帐单）to run the mobile phone? Maybe you should save your pocket money. Anyway, you are still at school and you should concentrate on your study. Why not give up this idea?

1. Match each letter with the correct reply. Which of the following is RIGHT?

   A. 1-A; 2-C; 3-B                                  B. 1-B; 2-C; 3-A

   C. 1-B; 2-A; 3-C                                       D. 1-C; 2-B; 3-A

2. What’s Mary’s problem?

   A. She worries so much about her exams.

   B.  She does badly in some important exams.

   C.  She can’t do her homework very well.

   D.  She isn’t allowed to have a mobile phone.

3. What shouldn’t Mary do?

   A. Drink a glass of hot milk.

   B. Find more time to relax than before.

   C. Drink coffee or tea before going to bed.

   D. Do sports and think in a positive way.

4. Jenny advised that Nina should     ____      .

   A. not buy a mobile phone                 B. pay the bills all by herself

   C. not ask her parents to pay the bills        D. ask her parents for more pocket money

5. Why can’t Jim spend much time with his father?

   A. He dislikes his father.                     B. He has a lot of homework to do.

   C. His father works a lot every day.           D. His father has got a now job in another city.