When I was seven, my parents gave me a doll, a doll's house and a book． The Arabian Nights, came wrapped in red paper． I was just ready to read when my mother walked into my room．

"Isn't your doll just beautiful?" my mother asked． I looked at the doll, with fair hair in a pink dress-I'll have to call her "she" because I never gave her a name． I folded my lips and raised my eyebrows, not really knowing how to let my mother down easily．

"This doll is different．" My mother explained, trying to talk me into playing with it．

Thinking the doll needed love, I hugged her tightly for a long time． Useless, I said to myself．Finally, I decided to play with the doll's house． But since rearranging the tiny furniture seemed to be the only active possible, I lost interest． I caught sight again of the third of my gift The Arabian Nights, and I began to read it． From that moment, the book was my constant companion．

Every day I climbed our garden tree, Nestled among its branches, I read the stories in The Arabian Nights to my heart's content． My mother became concerned as she noliced I wasn't playing with either the doll or the little house． She insisted that I take the doll up the tree with me．

Trying to read on a branch 15 feet off the ground while holding on to the silly doll was not easy． Alter nearly falling off twice, I tied one end of a long vine around the doll's neck and the opposite one -around the branch, letting the doll hang in mid air while I read． I always looked out for my mother, though． I sensed that my playing with the doll was of great importance to her． So every time I heard her coming, I lifted the doll up and hugged her． The smile in my mother's eyes told me 　my plan worked．

The inevitable happened one afternoon． Totally absorbed in the reading, I didn't hear my mother calling me． When I looked down, I saw my mother staring at the hanging doll． Fearing the worst of scolding, I climbcd down in a flash, reaching the ground just as my mother was untying the doll． To my surprise, she didn't scold． She kept on staring at the doll．

The next day, my father came home early and suggested he and I play with the doll's house．Soon I was bored, but my father seemed to be．having so much fun, I didn't have the heart to tell him．Quietly I slipped out, picking up my book on my way to the yard． So absorbed was he in arranging 　and rearranging the tiny furniture that he didn't notice my quick exit．

Almost 20 years passed before I found out why the hanging-doll incident had been so significant for my parents． By then I was a parent myself． After recalling the incident, my mother said all those years she had been afraid whether I would turn out to be a most loving and understanding mother to my son．

My mother often thanks God aloud for making me a good parent, pointing out that with education I might have been a rich dentist instead of a poor poet． I look back on that same childhood incident, recalling my third gift, the book in red- paper, and I take advantage of the experiences that have made me who and what I am． Sometimes I pause to wonder at life's wonderful ironies （讽刺） ．

67． Why didn't the author give the doll a name?

　　　 A． Because the gift was given by her parents．

　　　 B． Because the girl didn't care much for the doll．

C． Because her parents would give the doll a name．

D． Because the doll had little in common with her．

68． Which of the following best refers to the "irony" mentioned at the end of the passage?

　　　 A． The author has herself now become a mother．

　　　 B． The father was as troubled by the incident as her mother．

　　　 C． The father was comfortable playing with toys traditionally meant for girls．

　　　 D． The author was influenced most by the gift which was least valued by her mother．

69． The author's account of a childhood incident shows that, as a young girl, she viewed her parents

　　　 as people who　　　　 .

　　　 A． hoped to shape their children's future　

　　　 B． were unconcerned about their behavior

　　　 C． ruined their children's dreams completely

D． might withdraw their love at any moment

70． What can we infer from the last paragraph?

　　　 A． The mother is now satisfied with her daughter's career．

　　　 B． The daughter now regrets what she did when she was a girl．

　　　 C． The mother thinks the daughter's achievements are unsatisfactory．

D． The daughter wishes that she had been allowed more freedom as a child．

　　Under her bed, Mrs. Chang kept a box containing some jewellery which had belonged to her mother. The jewellery was the only   1   thing she had, and she always said she would keep it and only sell it for a very important reason. Well, this was an important reason, wasn't it? She said nothing to Mary,    2   went secretly into the city and sold the jewellery for $ 2,750. Over half the money! But where could she   3   the other half?

    During the next few months, Mrs. Chang was always busy. She went out four mornings a week and   4   other people's houses. She   5   until late in the night and sewed dresses and trousers for the people in the village. She embroidered (绣)colorful birds and flowers on a piece of silk for the   6  who came through the village.    7   , her pile of money under her bed began to   8   . Mary noticed that her mother was very   9  , but her mother just said,  “I want to have some new clothes for your   10    I'll need to buy cloth. And I want to be able to   11   you another good present.”

    By June, Mrs. Chang had $4,250 under her bed.  She went to a relative in Yuen Long, who had a small business. “Tsun Man,” she said. “I badly   12   $750.” Her relative was   13   . Mrs. Chang had   14   asked anyone for money before. But he lent her the money.

    Mrs. Chang   15   her best clothes, went to the city and   16   a return ticket from London to Hong Kong. After putting it in a nice  17  , she began to write   18   address on it and posted it. “What a surprise this will be for David.” She said to   19   “How happy he will be! And how happy Mary will be too, to   20   her brother with her on her wedding day.”

1. A. valuable 　　   　　  B. beautiful  　　　　 C. interesting 　　     D. wonderful

2. A. or   　　 　　　　  B. but  　　  　　　　 C. so   　　   　　   D. however

3. A. get 　　   　　　　　　  B. borrow 　　　　 C. make    　　   D. bring

4. A. searched      　　  B. entered   　　　　 C. cleaned  　　   D. washed

5. A. stayed up     　　  B. kept up   　　　　 C. made up 　　   D. dressed up

6. A. neighbors 　　 　　  B. tourists　　 　　 C. relatives  　　      D. friends

7. A. Gradually     　　  B. Frequently    　　 C. Probably          D. Immediately

8. A. reduce  　　   　　　　  B. appear    　　　　 C. disappear　　    D. grow

9. A. worried       　　  B. busy     　　　　 C. angry　　　　   D. content

10. A. wedding   　　  B. birthday 　　   　　　　 C. family     　　 D. work

11. A. give     　　　　  B. send     　　　　 C. buy　　 　　   D. mail

12. A. lose   　　　　  B. owe     　　　　 C. need      　　   D. earn

13. A. surprised    　　  B. frightened     　　 C. hurt    　　　　    D. disappointed

14. A. always       　　  B. usually    　　　　 C. never 　　  　　   D. sometimes

15. A. picked up   　　     B. had on  　　　　 C. took off   　　   D. put on

16. A. bought  　　 　　  B. sent    　　　　 C. took    　　　　    D. carried

17. A. envelope 　　 　　  B. box　　 　　   　　 C. package　　　　 D. bag

18. A. mother's     　　  B. brother's  　　 　　 C. Mary's　　　　  D. David's

19. A. him   　　　　  B. them   　　　　 C. herself    　　   D. her

20. A. have　　　　　　 B. invite　　　　    C. take　　　　    D. leave