When I was young, I really doubted whether there was love between my parents. Every day they were busy earning money so that they could   41  the high tuition my brother and I needed. They didn’t   42  in the romantic ways that I read in books or saw on TV.

One day, Mom was sewing a quilt（被子）. I  43 sat down beside her. “Mom, I have a  44  here,” I said after a while. “Is there love between you and Dad?” I asked her in a very　45 voice.

Mom stopped her work and raised her head with   46  in her eyes. She didn’t answer immediately. She bent her head and continued to sew the quilt. I was   47  if I had hurt her. I was in great embarrassment and I was at a loss what to do. But at last she said, very   48  , “Susan, look at this   49 . Sometimes it appears, but most of it disappears in the quilt. The thread really makes the quilt strong and lasting. If   50  is a quilt, then love should be a thread. It can hardly be seen, but it’s really there.   51  is inside.”

I listened carefully but I couldn’t understand her until years later.

One day, Dad accidentally got　  52  while on duty. Ever since then he could no longer　  53　properly. Every morning and dusk Mom would help Dad walk slowly on the country road. Along the country road, there were beautiful flowers, green grass and trees. The leaves were gently glistening（发光）   54  the sun shining upon them. All of these made up the most beautiful   55  in the world.

“Dad, how are you feeling now?” I asked him one day. “Susan, don’t worry about me,” he said gently. “I just like walking with your mom. I like this kind of life.” Looking into his eyes, I  56　what they meant.

The doctor had said Dad would   57 in two months. But that day never came. He   58 away in peace.

59 I thought love meant flowers, gifts and sweet kisses. But from this   60 , I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life, which makes life strong and warm…

1.                A．afford          B．cost            C．spend    D．offer

 

2.                A．go             B．live            C．act  D．walk

 

3.                A．happily         B．silently         C．secretly  D．nervously

 

4.                A．request        B．problem        C．message  D．question

 

5.                A．loud           B．light           C．low  D．clear

 

6.                A．surprise        B．anger          C．stress    D．horror

 

7.                A．amazed         B．confused        C．shocked  D．ashamed

 

8.                A．quickly         B．excitedly        C．bitterly   D．gently

 

9.                A．quilt           B．needle         C．thread   D．sewing

 

10.               A．belief          B．work           C．experience D．life

 

11.               A．Warmth        B．Thread         C．Cotton    D．Love

 

12.               A．tired           B．drunk          C．ill    D．injured

 

13.               A．talk            B．walk           C．work D．think

 

14.               A．with           B．as             C．for   D．by

 

15.               A．signs           B．symbols        C．pictures   D．reflections

 

16.               A．read           B．doubted        C．translated  D．recognized

 

17.               A．retire          B．recover        C．regain D．remove

 

18.               A．passed         B．escaped        C．faded D．turned

 

19.               A．Again          B．Once          C．Then D．Later

 

20.               A．word          B．account        C．experience D．accident

 

 

Behind our house is the start of a fascinating trail (小径). This trail is one of the old roads that wind through untold miles of forest. My 　1 , Beans, and I walk the trail frequently. Normally, Beans sniffs alongside the 2　 to follow the smell of a deer track or 3 some cause known only to him.

　 Beans is a white dog, quite handsome and very 　4　 . He not only understands what

we tell him, but also often makes sounds as if he were trying to 　5 back.

　 One morning, we took a different route, which led us to a(n) 　6　 trail. I was sure this trail would eventually lead us to our familiar 　7　 . But, no. We seemed to be far off course. After two hours, I suddenly realized that Beans probably 　8　 the way home. So I urged, "Beans, take me home." He ran down a new trail. But it merely led to an intersection (岔道口) of trails.

　 Soon it became 　9　 that we were getting nowhere. I began to picture the rest of the day in the 　10 , without food or drink. We had walked about ten miles. But Beans seemed totally 　11　 . The sniffing and exploring was going well for him.

　 Finally, we 　12 a crossroad near a highway. Lady Luck suggested I should turn left. We did and 13　 　reached a cottage beside a field. I knocked on the door and explained my situation to an old man. He laughed and then 14　 us home.

　 Since our adventure, I 15 that Beans probably knew all along how to get home.

He was just having too much fan exploring new trails.

1. A. deer	B. dog	C. lady	D. man
2 　 A. route	B. road	C. trail	D. way
3.　 A. imagine	B. consider	C. explore	D. present
4.　 A. smart	B. sweet	C. slow	D. shy
5. A. turn	B. kick	C. jump	D. speak
6 　 A. unfamiliar	B. similar	C. indifferent	D. changeable
7. A. driveway	B. path	C. crossroad	D. highway
8. A. knew	B. saw	C. showed	D. made
9. A. mysterious	B. ridiculous	C. fascinating	D. apparent
10. A. house	B. forest	C. field	D. cottage
11. A. unconcerned	B. unconscious	C. undecided	D. uncomfortable
12. A. left for	B. went off	C. came to	D. drove toward
13 A. punctually	B. frequently	C. formally	D. shortly
14. A. walked	B. drove	C. sent	D. carried
15. A. regretted	B. remembered	C. concluded	D. confirmed

I stood by and watched her and her mother busily decorating her college dormitory.Everything was in place，__1__ boxes under the bed and photos of her dearest friends on the wall.I closely monitored that this time things were __2__.I began to accept that her room at home is no longer __3__.It is now ours，our room for her when she visits.

I __4__ myself thinking of when I held her in my arms sitting in a chair by my wife's hospital __5__.One day old.So small，so beautiful，so perfect，so totally reliant on her new，untested parents.My life changed from the day I drove this little baby home from the __6__.I saw myself different that day，__7__.

The last few days __8__ she left for college，I touched her face—anything—__9__ that when my wife and I returned home，she would not be with us and there would be __10__ to touch.I had so much to say，but no words with which to say it.

Suddenly she looked up，__11__ me staring at her，which caused her to say to her mother，“Mom，Dad's looking at me funny.” She then said，“It'll be __12__，Dad.I'll be home from school soon.” I told her she would have a __13__ year.But I said little else.I was __14__　 that I would say something too small for what I was feeling，__15__ I only held onto our goodbye hug a little longer，a little __16__.

My wife's eyes followed her as she left us.Mine did not.I __17__ she hadn't gone.I knew that the life she was going __18__ was exciting and wonderful.I remembered what the world looked like to me when everything was __19__.

On the way back home，my eyes were wet and my heart was sore，and I realized that my __20__ was changed forever.

1．A.with　 　　　　 B．in

C．by　　　　 　　　 D．on

2．A.important 　　　　 B．enjoyable

C．convenient　 　　 D．different

3．A.mine　　 　　　　 B．hers

C．ours　　　 　　　 D．theirs

4．A.sent　　　 　　　　 B．stopped

C．found　　 　　　 D．set

5．A.desk　　　 　　　　 B．wall

C．room　　　 　　　 D．bed

6．A.kindergarten　 　　 B．hospital

C．school　　 　　　 D．park

7．A.neither　　 　　　 B．either

C．other　　 　　　 D．too

8．A.before　　 　　　　 B．after

C．since　　 　　　 D．when

9．A.wondering 　 　　　 B．saying

C．knowing　 　　　 D．showing

10．A.nothing　 　　　　 B．everything　

C．anything 　　　 D．something

11．A.observing　 　　　 B．catching　

C．watching 　　　 D．keeping

12．A.bad　　 　　　 B．wrong　

C．fine　　 　　　　 D．right

13．A.whole　　 　　　　 B．comfortable　

C．difficult 　　　　　 D．great

14．A.aware　　 　　　　 B．afraid　

C．sure　　 　　　　 D．sorry

15．A.but　　 　　　　 B．for　

C．so　　　 　　　　 D．and

16．A.better　 　　　　 B．tighter　

C．happier　 　　　 D．nearer

17．A.imagined　 　　　 B．thought　

C．guessed　 　　　 D．expected

18．A.across　 　　　　 B．by 　

C．towards　 　　　 D．over

19．A.good　　 　　　　 B．bright　

C．new　　 　　　　 D．perfect

20．A.life　　 　　　　 B．heart

C．dream　 　　　　 D．belief