1 . “Mommy, will you play this with me?” My two-year-old daughter sat next to a mountain of laundry baskets. She held a toy in her hand. I looked at her, and then I stared down a pile of dirty clothes - enough, already. I thought of some popular phrases among moms I had read countless times on the Internet. “Days are long but the years fly by.” “A messy house is a happy house.” “Hard work pays off.” I become energetic every time the phrases pass through my mind.

Sometimes, the laundry just needed to get done. I stared straight into my daughter’s pleading eyes.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I cannot play right now. Mom is really busy.” Suddenly, an idea passed through my brain. I must do the housework! And that would not make me a bad mom!

Quite the opposite, I thought.

It’s okay to clean, to cook, or to spend a morning paying bills, making phone calls and folding towels. That’s what grown-ups do. And how else will our kids learn unless we demonstrate? Recently, I read an article about a local family. It was a diary of their typical week, written by the father of six children. Each day consisted of cooking and family devotions. The grandkids ran in the barn while the older children milked cows, and everyone helped make pies for the family bakery business. They were all faithfully devoted to one another as they worked side by side from dawn to dusk.

Could it be that the real call on a family is not for the parents to serve the children, but for everyone to serve each other for a greater purpose? Sometimes we work, and sometimes we play. Strong families are built with both.

“Sweetie, I have a great idea.” I set my daughter’s game on the table and held her hands. “You can help me put these clothes in the wash. Doesn’t that sound fun?” Her face lit up. “Can I push the buttons, too?” “Absolutely, you are a good button pusher.” “Yeah,” she said as if I had just asked her to play.

1. According to the writer, the popular phrases.

A．persuade the moms to enjoy their lives.

B．encourage and comfort the exhausted moms.

C．tell the moms the real meaning of life.

D．make the moms become more knowledgeable.

2. What did the writer learn from the diary?

A．Interest should be developed at a young age.

B．It is really hard to take good care of children.

C．Children should be taught to contribute to families.

D．Parents are responsible for keeping family in harmony.

3. How did the daughter feel when she was asked to do some housework?

A．Worried and scared.

B．Thankful and touched.

C．Excited and interested.

D．Disappointed and upset.

4. What might be the best title for the passage?

A．Enjoying a messy house.

B．Playing toys with my kid.

C．Making dreams come true.

D．Doing the laundry together.