My mother loves flowers. As soon as warm weather comes around, you will find her planting, watering, and weeding over everything. For a number of years we lived next door to each other, and she spent as much time in my garden as she did her own. After the flowers became plentiful each summer, she would cut colorful bouquets(花束) to enjoy inside the house -- both hers and mine. I would often come home from work and find a beautiful arrangement of fresh flowers on my coffee table.
Shortly before Christmas one year, a local flower shop offered a bouquet-a-month special. It seemed to be a made-to-order gift for Mom, a great way to thank her for all of the flowers she had given me through the years.
After the holidays, in early January, I drove her to the flower shop to pick up her first month's bouquet. The small fresh colorful bouquet would hardly fill a small vase.
I was so embarrassed. However, after we returned home, she began to arrange the flowers she had received. "Mom, I'm sorry," I told her. "I can't believe how skimpy that bouquet is." She looked at me and smiled. "It's okay," she said. "It allows me to better enjoy the beauty of each one."
Mom's words helped me to realize something bigger and more important --when we have too many good things, we often fail to enjoy the beauty of each one.
Thanks, Mom, for helping me understand that less is sometimes more.
1.The author bought her mother flowers to ____.
A. celebrate the coming Christmas
B. express thanks for all her mother has done
C. bring more flowers to her mother's garden
D. arrange her mother's new house
2. What can you infer from the passage?
A. The author couldn't afford a big bouquet.
B. The mother was not happy when receiving the bouquet.
C. The author would pick up another bouquet the next month.
D. The mother would send back the bouquet to the flower shop.
3.The underlined word "skimpy" in Para. 4 means ____.
A. beautiful B. colorful C. cheap D. small
4.What did the author learn from her mother?
A. How to grow flowers. B. How to arrange flowers.
C. Enjoying life if possible. D. Considering things in other ways.
5.A. until B. when C. before D. as
Recently I gave my adult students homework. It was to "go to someone you love and tell them you love them. It has to be someone you have 36 said those words to before or at least haven't 37 those words with for a long time. "
Since most of the men were over 35 and were raised in the 38 of men that were taught 39 feelings is not "manly", this was very 40 homework for some.
In our next 41 , I asked if someone wanted to share his story with us. I fully _42 one of the women to volunteer, as was 43 the case, but on this evening one of the men raised his hand. As he 44 out of his chair (all 1.85 meters of him), he began by saying, "Dennis, I was quite 45 with you last week when you gave us this homework. 46 were you to tell me to do something so personal? But as I began driving home my heart started talking to me, telling me that I knew 47 who I needed to say 'I love you' to. "
"My father and I had a severe 48 five years ago, and since then we had 49 seeing each other unless we had to at Christmas. But even then, we hardly 50 to each other. So last Tuesday I drove to my parents' house after work and said, 'Dad, I just 51 to tell you that I love you. '"
"Dad reached out and 52 me and said, 'I love you too, son, but I've never been able to say it.' Two days after my visit, my dad had a heart attack and I don't know if he will 53 it. So, I'm here to tell all of you that my 54 in this is: Don't wait to do the thing 55 it is too late. Take the time to do what you need to do and do it now!"
1.A. ever B. always C. never D. even
2.A. said B. shared C. talked D. discussed
3.A. year B. occasion C. period D. generation
4.A. explaining B. hurting C. devoting D. expressing
5.A. interesting B. threatening C. interested D. exciting
6.A. class B. term C. holiday D. week
7.A. asked B. disliked C. advised D. expected
8.A. often B. probably C. not D. seldom
9.A. sat B. rose C. jump D. struggle
10.A. bored B. amused C. curious D. angry
11.A. How B. Why C. Who D. What
12.A. exactly B. immediately C. directly D. simply
13.A. condition B. discussion C. disagreement D. experiment
14.A. hated B. avoided C. reduced D. continued
15.A. spoke B. smiled C. looked D. turned
16.A. dropped out B. ran across C. came over D. came across
17.A. touched B. tested C. inspired D. hugged
18.A. get B. make C. deserve D. overcame
19.A. sense B. point C. thought D. message
20.A. until B. when C. before D. as
During the scientific experiment, Mr. Chen carefully poured the water into the tube, with my classmates ____ beside to see what would happen.
A. were standing B. stood C. standing D. to stand
My uncle gave me a ____ bag, in which there was a nice mobile phone as a present.
A. red pretty paper B. pretty red paper
C. paper pretty red D. pretty paper red
Rather than ____his car on the busy road, Mr. Green always prefers____ his bike.
A. drive; to ride B. driving; ride C. to drive; riding D. to drive; ride
-- Your telephone number again? I ____ quite catch it.
-- It is 7657457.
A. didn’t B. wouldn’t C. don’t D. won’t
