1 . A Welcome Gift

Dario and his mother loved their new apartment. The living room was large enough for their piano. That night, the two of them _______ side by side at the piano. They played jazz music to celebrate their new home. The loud _______ filled the room and made them feel very happy.

The next morning, _______, their happiness disappeared. Someone had left a _______ under their door during the night. One of their neighbors had written to complain about the sound of the piano. Dario’s mother asked the building superintendent(管理员) if he knew anything about it. But he said that they were all _______ people and he couldn’t imagine any of them had done that. Later that morning, Dario suggested that they write a letter to their _______ and apologize for their playing.

“Maybe we could go and _______ everyone in person.” his mother said.

“What if we invited them to come here for a _______ instead?” Dario asked.

They both loved the _______. Over the next few days, they sent out invitations and prepared desserts __________ their guests. They decorated the apartment with streamers(彩带) and party lights.

Finally, the day of the party __________. Some guests brought presents. Others brought flowers. Some even brought desserts to __________. One woman, Mrs. Gilbert, __________ Dario’s mother with a book of piano music by Chopin.

“I heard you playing the other night,” she said. “The sounds woke me out of bed. I __________ that you might play like this every night. So I wrote a short note. I hope you don’t think I disliked the playing.”

Dario’s mother smiled at Mrs. Gilbert. “I think maybe we __________ you an apology.” she said. “I didn’t __________ how late it was when we were playing. Maybe we should play some quieter music at night.”

“You play, you play!” Mrs. Gilbert said. “I like what you play! Just not so loud at night.” She pointed to the book she had given them. “These songs are not such __________ music.”

“These songs are beautiful music.” Dario’s mother said. “We will be __________ to play them in the evening.”

“And we won’t play so loud or late!” Dario said. He was already looking forward to __________ the new music. More than that, however, he was happy to see the big smile on his mother’s face. It gave him a feeling of __________ and made him feel that they were home at last.

1.

A．sat

B．stood

C．lay

D．walked

2.

A．voice

B．ring

C．music

D．cry

3.

A．therefore

B．however

C．otherwise

D．instead

4.

A．note

B．poster

C．bill

D．report

5.

A．proud

B．rich

C．lucky

D．nice

6.

A．neighbors

B．friends

C．relatives

D．audience

7.

A．blame

B．instruct

C．question

D．visit

8.

A．party

B．concert

C．show

D．play

9.

A．experience

B．idea

C．performance

D．action

10.

A．to

B．with

C．for

D．from

11.

A．continued

B．arrived

C．passed

D．finished

12.

A．order

B．sell

C．share

D．advertise

13.

A．treated

B．presented

C．helped

D．served

14.

A．promised

B．admitted

C．agreed

D．worried

15.

A．give

B．send

C．offer

D．owe

16.

A．realize

B．remember

C．understand

D．accept

17.

A．sweet

B．strange

C．funny

D．loud

18.

A．brave

B．sorry

C．happy

D．afraid

19.

A．changing

B．practicing

C．recording

D．writing

20.

A．equality

B．freedom

C．warmth

D．sympathy

2 . Low-cost Gifts for Mother’s Day

Gift No. 1

Offer to be your mother’s health friend. Promise to be there for all doctor’s visits whether she has a disease or needs a regular medical check-up. Most mothers always say there is no need, but another set of eyes and ears is always a good idea at a doctor’s visit. The best part? This one is free.

Gift No. 2

Help your mother organize all of her medical records, which include the test results and medical information. Put them all in one place. Be sure to make a list of all of her medicines and what time she takes them. “Having all this information in one place could end up saving your mother’s life,” Dr. Marie Savard said.

Gift No. 3

Enough sleep is connected with general health conditions. “Buy your mother cotton sheets and comfortable pillows to encourage better sleep,” Savard said. “We know that good sleep is very important to our health.”

Gift No. 4

Some gift companies such as Presents for Purpose allow you to pay it forward this Mother’s Day by picking gifts, 10 percent of whose price you pay goes to a charity (慈善机构). Gift givers can choose from a wide variety of useful but inexpensive things — many of which are “green” — and then choose a meaningful charity from a list. When your mother gets the gift she will be told that she has helped the                                        chosen charity.

1. What are you advised to do for your mother at doctor’s visits?

A．To take notes.	B．To be with her.
C．To buy medicines.	D．To give her gifts.

2. Where can you find an idea for gifts to improve your mother’s sleep?

A．In Gift No. 1.	B．In Gift No. 2.
C．In Gift No. 3.	D．In Gift No. 4.

3. Buying gifts from Presents for Purpose allows mothers to ______.

A．enjoy good sleep	B．be well-organized
C．get extra support	D．give other help

3 .        My father had always been an alert observer of human character. Within seconds of meeting someone, he could sum up their strengths and weaknesses. It was always a challenge to see if any of my boyfriends could pass Dad’s test. None did. Dad was always right—they didn’t pass my test either. After Dad died, I wondered how I’d figure it out on my own.

That’s when Jack arrived on the scene. He was different from any other guy I’d dated. He could sit for hours on the piano bench with my mother, discussing some composers. My brother Rick loudly announced that Jack wasn’t a turkey like the other guys I’d brought home. Jack passed my family’s test. But what about Dad’s?

Then came my mother’s birthday. The day he was supposed to drive, I got a call. “Don’t worry,” he said, “but I’ve been in an accident. I’m fine, but I need you to pick me up.”

When I got there, we rushed to a flower shop for something for Mom. “How about gardenias (栀子花)?” Jack said, pointing at a beautiful white corsage (胸花). The florist put the corsage in a box.

The entire ride, Jack was unusually quiet. “Are you all right?” I asked. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” he said. “I might be moving.” Moving? Then he added, “Moving in with you.” I nearly put the car on the sidewalk. “What?” I asked. “I think we should get married,” he said. He told me he’d planned his proposal in a fancy restaurant, but after the accident, he decided to do it right away. “Yes,” I whispered. We both sat dumbfounded, tears running down our cheeks. I’d never known such a tender moment. If only Dad were here to give his final approval.

“Oh, let’s just go inside.” Jack laughed. My mother opened the door. “Happy Birthday!” we shouted. Jack handed the box to her. She opened it up. Suddenly, her eyes were filled with tears. “Mom, what’s wrong?” I asked. “I’m sorry,” she said, wiping her eyes. “This is only the second gardenia corsage I’ve ever received. I was given one years ago, long before you kids were born.” “From who?” I asked. “Your father,” Mom said. “He gave me one right before we were engaged.” My eyes locked on Jack’s as I blinked away (眨掉) tears. Dad’s test? I knew Jack had passed.

1. According to the text, we know the writer’s father was __________.

A．interested in observing things around

B．good at judging one’s character

C．strict with her boyfriend

D．fond of challenges

2. What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?

A．Jack got the family’s approval except Dad’s.

B．Jack was different from any other boy.

C．Jack was getting on well with Mother.

D．Jack knew a lot about piano.

3. The underlined word “proposal” in Paragraph 5 means __________.

A．piece of advice	B．wedding ceremony
C．celebration of birthday	D．offer of marriage

4. On hearing “moving in with you”, the writer felt          .

A．pleased	B．worried
C．surprised	D．disappointed

5. Why did the writer’s mother cry?

A．The gift was the same as the one her husband gave her.

B．She had never received such a beautiful gift.

C．Her daughter found her life partner at last.

D．The gardenia corsage was too expensive.

4 . Share   with   us!
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For more information, please visit: http://www.sws.com./share
1. How much will the magazine pay for a joke to be published?

A．$50.

B．$100.

C．$150.

D．$350.

2. If you want to share a story of your pets with the readers, you need to submit it to ________.

A．Anecdotes and Jokes	B．Smart Animals
C．Power of Love	D．My Story

3. A story showing people’s generosity should be emailed to the editor at ________.

A．juliet@sws.com	B．susan@sws.com
C．Audrey@sws.com	D．nanjc@sws.com

4. An inspiring story sent to the magazine should ________.

A．describe strange behaviour	B．contain less than 800 words
C．be real and original	D．be published before