I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as Mother sat doing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the most wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final illness, Mother kept different things for my sister and brother. “But the desk”, she said, “is for Elizabeth”.
I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me, she showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.
They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional”. But she lived “on the surface”
As years passed and I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.
I posted the letter and waited for her answer. None came.
My hope turned to disappointment，then little interest, finally, peace---it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to Mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.
Now the present of her desk told me, as she’d never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work, I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside---a photo of my father and a one-page letter, folded(被折叠) and refolded many times.
Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose, Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.
81. The writer began to love her mother’s desk________.
A. after Mother died B. before she became a writer
C. when she was a child D. when Mother gave it to her
82. The passage shows that__________.
A. Mother wrote her daughter in careful words
B. Mother cared much about her daughter in words
C. Mother was too serious about everything her daughter had done
D. Mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter
83. The word “gulf” in the passage means________.
A. part of the sea going far in land
B. free talks between mother and daughter
C. different ideas between the mother and the daughter
D. deep understanding between the old and the young
84. What did Mother do with her daughter’s letter asking for forgiveness?
A. She had never received the letter.
B. She read the letter again and again till she died.
C. For years, she often talked about the letter.
D. She didn’t forgive her daughter at all in her life.
85. What’s the best title of the passage?
A. My letter to Mother B. Mother and Children
C. My Mother’s Desk D. Talks between Mother and Me
In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the child's acquisition (学会) of each new skill in the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing. It is often tempting to hurry the child beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child. This might happen at any stage. A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads. On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural enthusiasm for life and his desire to find out new things for himself.
Parents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children. Some may be especially strict in money matters. Others are severe (严格的) over time of coming home at night or punctuality for meals. In general, the controls represent the needs of the parents and the values of the community as much as the child's own happiness.
As regards the development of moral standards in the growing child, consistency(一致性) is very important in parental teaching. To forbid a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality (道德). Also, parents should realize that "example is better than precept". If they are not sincere and do not practice what they preach (说教), their children may grow confused when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent fooled.
A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents' principles(原则) and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment.
76. Eagerly watching the child's acquisition of new skills ___________.
A. should be avoided
B. is universal among parents
C. sets up dangerous states of worry in the child
D. will make the child lose interest in learning new things
77. In the process of children's learning new skills, parents ________.
A. should encourage them to read before they know the meaning of the words they read
B. should expect a lot of the children
C. should achieve a balance between pushing them too hard and leaving them on their own.
D. should create as many learning opportunities as possible.
78. The second paragraph mainly tells us that ___________.
A. parents should be strict with their children
B. parental controls reflect only the values of the community
C. parental restrictions vary, and are not always for the benefit of the children alone
D. it's parents' and society's duty to control the children
79. The word "precept" in Paragraph 3 probably means "___________".
A. opinion B. punishment C. behavior D. instruction
80. In terms of moral matters, parents should _________.
A. follow the rules themselves
B. be aware of the huge difference between adults and children
C. forbid their children to do anything
D. always ensure the security of their children
Ⅳ、阅读理解（共20题，每题2分，共40分）
Kerry and Alice were both artists in Britain. They taught drawing and painting at Cambridge University. Although they were friends, each thought oneself to be the better painter.
One day, Kerry promised marriage to Alice. Surprised and pleased by the offer, the girl was not sure whether she would spend her future as a wife or a painter. After a moment she replied as follows, "Each of us must paint a picture. If yours is superior to mine, you can make me your wife. If not, please drop the question." Then it was decided to give it the following day.
The next morning. Alice hung her picture on the gate. It showed a bunch of flowers and won high praise from everyone who passed by. In fact, a crowd collected in front of her masterpiece and fixed eyes on it.
Several hours passed. Then Kerry was seen coming along to the gate with what appeared to be a beautiful leather suitcase in his hand. When he finally stopped before Alice, the girl artist brushed like a rose and agreed to marry him without any hesitation. Why?
71．What did Alice think Kerry's offer?
A. She liked Kerry, but she didn't expect him to promise marriage to her.
B. She didn't want to marry anybody.
C. She didn't like it at all.
D. She thought the offer wasn't polite.
72．In the sentence "If yours is superior to mine, you can make me your wife"。 "superior to" here means ____.
A. not so better than B. better than C. as bad as D. as good as
73. Which of the following is true?
A. Kerry didn't accept Alice's suggestion.
B. Kerry wasn't sure of his painting so he dropped his offer.
C. Kerry did go the next day, but he failed to take a picture
D. Kerry agreed to Alice's suggestion.
74．Alice's picture won high praise because ____.
A. it was true to nature
B. the flowers were red
C. it showed so large a bunch of flowers
D. people felt it strange to hang it on the gate
75．The "leather suitcase" was in fact ____.
A. a real one B. a painting drawn by Kerry
C. a box with a picture in it D. made up of leather
Ⅲ、完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
When I was a small child, during the war, we were very poor and we lived in a faraway village. One day, on the road, I found the 51 pieces of a mirror. There was a Garman motorcycle accident.
I tried to find all the pieces and put them 52 , but it was not possible, so I kept only the 53 piece and I made it round. I could 54 with it as a toy and became greatly attracted by the 55 that I could reflect（反射）light to dark places where the sun would never shine—in 56 holes and some other dark places. It became a 57 for me to get light into the darkest places I could find.
I 58 the little mirror, and, as I 59 up, I would take it out when I had nothing to do and 60 the game, As I became a 61 , I grew to understand that this was not 62 a child’s game but a metaphor（象征）for what I might do with my life. I came to 63 that I am not the light or the source of light. But light—truth, understanding, knowledge—is 64 , and it will shine in many dark places only if I reflect it.
I am just a single piece of a mirror whose 65 design and shape I do not know. 66 , with what I have I can reflect light into the dark places of this 67 —into the black places in the 68 of men—and change some things 69 some people. Perhaps others may see and do the same. This is what I am about. This is the 70 of my life.
51. A. broken B. dropped C. pointed D. sharpened
52. A. back B. down C. together D. up
53. A. best B. longest C. smallest D. largest
54. A. talk B. play C. flash D. share
55. A. idea B. fact C. decision D. reason
56. A. deep B. big C. pretty D. empty
57. A. job B. task C. game D. trouble
58. A. kept B. hid C. forgot D. lost
59. A. came B. stood C. grew D. went
60. A. watch B. continue C. remember D. change
61. A. man B. boy C. father D. grandfather
62. A. always B. completely C. really D. just
63. A. announce B. doubt C. understand D. expect
64. A. absent B. home C. far D. there
65. A. whole B. most C. half D. other
66. A. So B. However C. Besides D. Certainly
67. A. country B. village C. world D. city
68. A. hands B. brains C. eyes D. hearts
69. A. on B. in C. with D. like
70. A. way B. standard C. quality D. meaning
--- What’s up , Sharon?
--- I just can’t help thinking of the game we lost last week.
--- Oh, ____, Sharon. It is not like you to worry about the past.
A. give it up B. don’t mention it C. Nonsense D. come on
Shelly had prepared carefully for her biology examination so that she could be sure of passing it on her first_________.
A. intention B. attempt C. purpose D. desire
