I watched as my little brother was caught in the act. He was sitting in the corner of the living room, a _____in one hand and my father’s hymnbook(贊美詩集)in the other.

As my father walked into the room, my brother cowered slightly(輕微地畏縮). He sensed that he had done something _____. Form a distance I could see that he had  _____my father’s new hymnal and scribbled(亂涂)in it. Now looking at my father fearfully, we _____  waited for his punishment.

My father _____his book, looked at it, and then sat down without saying a word．He was a clergyman(神職人員) and for him, books were knowledge. And yet he _____ his children. What he did next was unbelievable. Instead of punishing my brother, he sat down, _____ the pen from my brother’s hand, and then wrote in the book himself, alongside the scribbles John had made:

“John’s work, 1959, _____ 2.” How many times have I looked into your beautiful face and into your warm eyes looking up at me and _____God for the one who has now scribbled in my new hymnal. You have made the book sacred(神圣的), as have your brother and sister.

“Wow,” I thought. “This is punishment?”

The years and the books came and went. Our family _____ what all families go through and perhaps a little bit more. But we _____ knew our parents loved us and that one of the proofs(證明)of their love was the hymnal by the piano.

Dad taught us about_____really matters in life: people, not objects; tolerance(寬容), not judgment; love, not anger. Now I, too, am a father. But unlike my father, I do not wait for daughters _____ to take books from my bookshelf and scribble in them. From time to time I take one down, and give it to one of my _____to scribble in. and as I look at their artwork, I think about my father and the_____he taught me.

1.A、book         B、pen     C、knife     D、toy

2.A、wrong      B、special         C、dangerous    D、different

3.A、dropped          B、read    C、borrowed   D、opened

4.A、all    B、both    C、either         D、each

5.A、picked up         B、put up          C、made up      D、wrapped up

6.A、hated       B、needed       C、loved          D、disliked

7.A、moved     B、took    C、brought       D、borrowed

8.A、old   B、birthday    C、aged   D、named

9.A、thanked   B、asked  C、respected D、pleased

10.A、spent     B、experienced        C、supported D、afforded

11.A、ever       B、sometimes  C、never         D、always

12.A、what       B、why     C、which D、who

13.A、quickly   B、secretly     C、carefully      D、suddenly

14.A、children          B、sisters C、brothers      D、parents

15.A、skills       B、rules   C、lessons      D、subjects

For years I wanted a garden. I’d spend hours thinking of different things I could plant that would look nice together.

But then we had Matthew, and Marvin, and the twins Alisa and Alan, and then Helen. I was too busy raising them to grow a garden.

Money was not enough. Neither was time. Often when my children were little,one of them would want something that cost too much, and I’d have to say, “Do you see a money tree outside? Money doesn't grow on trees, you know.”

Finally, all the children got through high school and college and were off on their own. I started thinking again about a garden.

Then, one spring morning, on Mother’s Day, I was working in my kitchen. Suddenly, I looked out of the window and there was a new tree, planted right in my yard. There were things blowing around on it. Then I put my glasses on—and I couldn’t believe what I saw.

There was a money tree in my yard!

I went outside to look. It was true! There were dollar bills*, one hundred of them, hanging all over that tree. There was also a note among them, “Thank you for your time, Mom. We love you!”

Later, my children bought me tools, ornaments, a sunflower stepping stone and gardening books. A new page started in my life.

That was three years ago. My garden’s now very pretty, just like I wanted. When I go out and take care of my flowers, I don’t seem to miss my children as much as I once did. It feels like they’re right there with me. Now every year when winter comes, I look out of my window and think of the flowers I’ll see next spring in my little garden. I think about what my children did for me, and I get tears in my eyes—every time.

I’m still not sure that money grows on trees. But I know love does!

1.How many children did the writer have?

A．Three            B．Four             C．Five              D．Six

2. What did the mother mean when she said “Money doesn’t grow on trees”?

A．She was too busy to plant a money tree at that time.

B．She had to save money so that she could have a garden.

C．It wasn’t easy for her to make money to raise all the children.

D．They didn’t have much money because the mother lost her job.

3. The “money tree” appeared in the writer’s yard _________.

A．before her children were born

B．one spring morning when the children were little

C．a(chǎn)fter the children went to school

D．on a Mother’s Day after the children left her

4. The children planted a money tree in their mother’s yard because _________.

A．their mother needed money badly

B．they wanted to show their love to their mother

C．it was time for them to give the money back to her

D．they wanted to live together with their mother forever

I loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it when mother sat doing letters. 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 again,“is for Elizabeth. ”
I never saw her get angry, and never saw her cry. I knew she loved me, and 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 (易動感情的)”, but she lived“on the surface”.
As years went by 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 that she did forgive (原諒) me.
I posted the letter and waited for her answer. It didn’t come.
It seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to her.
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 that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work, though she had never been able to. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside… a photo of my father and a one-paper letter. Folded (折疊) 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.
【小題1】The writer began to love her mother’s desk ______.