When my grandfather died, my 83-year-old grandmother, once so full of life, slowly began to fade. No longer able to manage a home of her own, she moved in with my mother, where she was visited often by other members of her large, loving family. Although she still had her good days, it was often hard to arouse her interest.

But one chilly December afternoon three years ago, my daughter Meagan, then eight, and I were visiting her, when she noticed that Meagan was carrying her favorite doll.“I, too, had a special doll when I was a little girl,” she told a wide-eyed Meagan. “I got it one Christmas when I was about your age. I lived in an old farmhouse in Maine, with Mom, Dad and my four sisters, and the very first gift I opened that Christmas was the most beautiful doll you’d ever want to see.”

“She had an exquisite(优美的,高雅的), hand-painted face, and her long brown hair was pulled back with a big pink bow. Her eyes were blue, and they opened and closed. I remember she had a body of kidskin, and her arms and legs bent at the joints.”

GG’s voice dropped low, taking on an almost respectful tone. “My doll was dressed in a pretty pink gown, decorated with fine lace. … Getting such a fine doll was like a miracle for a little farm girl like me — my parents must have had to sacrifice so much to afford it But how happy I was that morning!”

GG’s eyes filled and her voice shook with emotion as she recalled that Christmas of long ago. “I played with my doll all morning long. And then it happened. My mother called us to the dining room for Christmas dinner and I laid my new doll down gently on the hall table. But as I went to join the family at the table, I heard a loud crash.”

“I hardly had to turn around — I knew it was my precious doll. And it was. Her lace skirt had hung down from the table just enough for my baby sister to reach up and pull on it. When I ran in, there lay my beautiful doll on the floor, her face smashed into a dozen pieces. She was gone forever.”

A few years later, GG’s baby sister was also gone, she told Meagan, a victim of pneumonia(肺炎). Now the tears in her eyes spilled over — tears, I knew, not only for a lost doll and a lost sister, but for a lost time.

Subdued(沉默的) for the rest of the visit, Meagan was no sooner in the car going home than she exclaimed, “Mom, I have a great idea! Let’s get GG a new doll for Christmas. Then she won’t cry when she thinks about it.”

My heart filled with pride as I listened to my sympathetic little daughter. But where would we find a doll to match GG’s fond memories?

Where there’s a will, as they say, there’s a way. When I told my best friends, Liz and Chris, about my problem, Liz put me in touch with a local doll-make. From a doll supply house I ordered a long brown hair and a kidskin body to copy the outfit GG had so lovingly described. Liz volunteered to put the doll together, and Chris helped me make the doll’s outfit. Meagan wrote the story of the lost doll by giving examples.

Finally our creation was finished. To our eyes it was perfect. But there was no way it could be exactly like the doll GG had loved so much and lost. Would she think it looked anything like it?

On Christmas Eve, Meagan and I carried our happily packed gift to GG, where she sat surrounded by children, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins. “It’s for you,” Meagan said, “but first you have to read the story that goes with it.”

GG no sooner got through the first page than her voice cracked and she was unable to go on, but Meagan took over where she left off. Then it was time to open her present.

I’ll never forget the look on GG’s face as she lifted the doll and held it to her chest. Once again her tears fell, but this time they were tears of joy. Holding the doll in her frail arms, she repeated over and over again, “She’s exactly like my old doll, exactly like her.” 

And perhaps she wasn't saying that just to be kind. Perhaps however impossible it seemed, we had managed to produce a close copy of the doll she remembered. But as I watched my eight-year-old daughter and her great-grandmother examining the doll together, I thought of a likelier explanation. What GG really recognized, perhaps, was the love that inspired the gift. And love, wherever it comes from, always looks the same.

1.GG moved in with her daughter because ______.

A.she wanted to live with a large family

B.she was not able to live on her own due to her weakness

C.her husband passed away

D.she thought it was the children’s obligation to take care of her

2.Why did GG become very emotional on a December afternoon?

A.Because she saw her great granddaughter’s doll.

B.Because she recalled her long deceased parents.

C.Because she was surrounded by her offspring.

D.Because she felt lonely during the Christmas season.

3.What can we infer from the underlined sentence in paragraph 4? 

A.GG’s doll was important and was a symbol of many things.

B.GG showed great respect for his husband’s love.

C.GG missed the great old days she spent with her family

D.GG was grateful for her long life.

4.What happened to GG’s baby sister?

A.She envied her sister all her life.

B.She felt guilty for breaking GG’s doll and decided to go.

C.She left home at a young age.

D.She died of some disease at a young age.

5.Why did Meagan’s mum feel proud of her daughter?

A.Because she was clever.                  B.Because she was loving.

C.Because she was amiable.                 D.Because she was imaginative.

6.This passage implies that ______.

A.treating the elderly well is moral

B.it is impossible to copy the exact doll for the elderly

C.love, the permanent rhythm of life, will always remain in the elderly’s heart

D.physical comfort from children rather than psychological care is important

 

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?” 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.

 

Amy and Mark Blaubach were very excited about adopting a child from an orphanage (孤儿院). They thought they would adopt a baby girl. After waiting one and a half years, the social worker asked them to consider adopting a six-year-old boy named Jerry.

After the adoption papers were signed, Amy asked if Jerry had a good friend at the orphanage. Jerry said his best friend was Zack. That was the first time that Amy heard about Zack.

Then Jerry went to his new home with Amy and Mark, where he lived happily and adjusted very well. However, Jerry kept talking about his best friend that he had left behind at the orphanage. So Amy became determined to try and find out more about Zack.

She came across a database specifically for families who had adopted children from the orphanage where she met Jerry. The database allowed parents to enter their child’s name and his or her adoption information. As Amy looked through the database, she found what appeared to be a possible match of her son’s best friend. After sending a new e-mails back and forth, Amy was sure to have the right Zack. He had adopted by Rae and Bruce Hostetler two weeks before. To her surprise, the two families were living in the same city. Then she decided to give these two friends a special reunion (重逢)

On a sunny Sunday, the two boys finally met each other again. When Jerry asked Zack, “Do you remember me?” Zack quickly answered, “Yes! Let’s go and play!” That led to hours of laughter and play. Rae and Amy were excited to see how well their sons got along, and what an amazing bond(联系) they had. Thanks to both families, that special bond between Zack and Jerry can continue for the rest of their lives.

1.What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?

A.Amy and Mark thought they would adopt a baby boy.

B.Amy and Mark were unwilling to adopt Jerry.

C.Amy had met Zack before he left the orphanage

D.Amy knew that Zack and Jerry were good friends.

2.After Jerry left the orphanage ________.

A.he wasn’t happy in his new home

B.he couldn’t adapt to his new environment

C.he missed his friend very much

D.he left guilty about leaving his friend behind

3.What can we learn about Zack from the fourth paragraph?

A.He was found at the orphanage by Amy.

B.He was living in the same city as Jerry.

C.He would be adopted by Amy and Mark.

D.The boy named Zack in the database wasn’t Jerry’s friend.

4.Which of the following is TURE according to the last paragraph?

A.The boys met again at Amy’s home.

B.The boys couldn’t get along with each other any longer.

C.When they met again, the boys didn’t recognize each other at first.

D.The boys can keep in touch with each other for the rest of their lives.

5.What is the best title for this text?

A.How to Adopt a Child

B.Amy and Her Adopted Child

C.A Story in an Orphanage

D.A Very Special Reunion

 

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