Question

   My mother loves flowers. As soon as warm weather comes around,you will find her planting,watering and weeding over everything. For many 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 colourful bouquets (花束) to enjoy inside the house―both hers and mine. I would often come home from work and find a beautiful arrangement (布置) 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 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 colourful bouquet would hardly fill a small vase (花瓶) .

  I was so embarrassed. However,after wc returned home,she began to arrange the flowers she had received. "Mum,I'm sorry,"I told her. "I can't be?lieve 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.” Mum's words helped me realize something bigger and more important— when we have too many good things,we often fail to enjoy the beauty of each one.

  Thanks,Mum,for helping me understand that less is sometimes more.

1. According to Paragraph 1 , which of the following is TRUE?

   A. The author's mother put fresh flowers on the author's coffee table.

   B. The author used to buy some fresh flowers on her way home.

   C. The author's mother usually bought flowers for her daughter.

   D. The author and her mother shared a beautiful garden.

2. The author bought her mother flowers to     .

   A. celebrate the coming Christmas

   B. express thanks for all her mother had done

   C. bring more flowers to her mother's garden

   D. arrange her mother's new house

3. What can we 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.

4. The underlined word "skimpy" in Paragraph 4  means " ".

  A. beautiful   B. colourful   C. cheap   D. small

5. 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.

Answer 1

1. A细节理解题。由第一段最后两句话可知，妈妈经常将花园里新鲜的花拿到"我"和她的房间里，这样，"我"下班回家后会在咖啡桌上发现漂亮的鲜花，只有A项表达正确

2. B细节理解题。根据第二段的"It seemed to be a great way to thank her for all of the flowers she had given me through the years."可知选B.

3. C推理判断题。由第三段中的to pick up her first month's bouquet可知，这是第一个月的花，以后每个月作者还会送妈妈花。

4. D词义猜测题。由第三段的"The small fresh colourful bouquet would hardly fill a small vase (花瓶) ."可知，那束花连一个小花瓶都装不满，可见花束很小。

5. D推理判断题。尽管花的数量很少，妈妈却说这样她可以更好地欣赏每一朵花。文章最后一段升华了主题。由此推断作者从她母亲那里学会从另一个角度去看问题