18．Mother's Love
I've loved my mother's desk since I was just （36）D enough to see above the top of it as mother sat doing letters．Standing （37）B her chair，looking at the inkbottle，pens，and white paper，I decided that the act of writing must be the most wonderful thing in the world．
Years later，during her（38）C illness，mother kept different things for my sister and brother．"But the （39）D，"she'd said again，"is for Elizabeth．"
I never saw her anger，never saw her cry．I knew she loved me； she showed it in action．But as a young girl，I wanted heart-to-heart （40）C between mother and daughter．
They （41）A happened．And a gulf（鴻溝）opened between us．I was"too emotional"，but she lived"on the surface"．
As years passed，I had my own family．I （42）D my mother and thanked her for our own happy family．
I wrote to her in careful words and （43）A her to let me know in any way she chose that she forgive（原諒）me．
I （44）B the letter and waited for her answer．None came．
My hope turned to disappointment，then little interest and，finally，peace-it seemed that nothing happened．I couldn't be sure that the letter even （45）C to Mother．I only knew that I had written it，and I could stop trying to make her into （46）A she was not．
Now the present of her desk told me，as she had never been able to，that she was pleased that（47）B was my chosen work．I cleaned the desk carefully and found some paper inside，a photo of my father and a one-page （48）B，folded and refolded many times．Give me an（49）D，my letter asks，in any way you choose．Mother，you always chose the act that speaks （50）A than words．
| 36．A．old | B．young | C．short | D．tall |
| 37．A．behind | B．by | C．near | D．in front of |
| 38．A．first | B．next | C．final | D．terrible |
| 39．A．paper | B．pen | C．inkbottle | D．desk |
| 40．A．a(chǎn)ctions | B．words | C．talks | D．a(chǎn)nswers |
| 41．A．never | B．hardly ever | C．sometimes | D．a(chǎn)lways |
| 42．A．hated | B．liked | C．disliked | D．loved |
| 43．A．a(chǎn)sked | B．told | C．invited | D．taught |
| 44．A．wrote | B．posted | C．received | D．took |
| 45．A．came | B．a(chǎn)rrived | C．got | D．reached |
| 46．A．someone | B．everyone | C．a(chǎn)nyone | D．nobody |
| 47．A．reading | B．writing | C．speaking | D．listening |
| 48．A．book | B．letter | C．magazine | D．newspaper |
| 49．A．reply | B．idea | C．call | D．a(chǎn)nswer |
| 50．A．louder | B．lower | C．higher | D．quieter． |
