“Father, do you see Mother in your dreams?” the young girl asks. “You know sometimes I do.”

“Mother comes to see me a lot, you know. We sit and talk.” The father smiles. “How is your homework coming along?”

“Why do I have to study so hard?”

“It is what your mother would have wanted!”

She regrets speaking her mind. “I’m sorry, Father, I shouldn’t have said that.” She looks up and sees his eyes well up with tears.

“It’s okay, love,” he gets up and pours himself a drink. “I’ll just sit outside for a while. You finish up your work, okay?”

“I’m sorry, Father; Mother did love you very much. She told me all the time.”

“Homework, first, eh? Then we can chat about your mother.”

He heads off outside and sits in his usual chair, looking around the courtyard. The whole area relaxes the mind and somehow soothes the soul.

“All finished, Father. May I get a drink and sit with you? I have some questions.”

She comes with two drinks one for him and one for herself. He looks surprised. She never really liked him having a drink. Although he had cut back a lot from before he brought her here, it still seemed strange.

“Mother told me all about you. That is before she passed away. We would laugh together at your love stories.”

He listens without uttering a single sound.

“Why didn’t you come and take her away with you? She really wanted that. Did you know that?”

Her father looks at his daughter lovingly. “Circumstances were difficult back then. It was just the way things were. When it came time to…” He sighs. “To visit her it was too late.”

The girl smiles. “I hope I will have the same kind of love you and mother had.”

“Without all the heartache,” her father adds.

“She always knew you loved her. She told me every day,” the child mentions cheerfully. “I saw her crying sometimes when she read your letters.”

“Did she make you promise to look after me?” She inquires.

“She asked me to take care of you.”

“You promised her, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did.”

“It is nice out here, isn't it? Mother would have been very happy here.”

She talks with some authority. Her father remains silent. A smile comes to his weary brow. He nods his head.

“Mother wanted me to give you something. I think now the time is right.” She runs to her room. Upon returning she hands her father a book. “It’s mother’s diary! She wanted me to give it to you.”

He takes the book and holds it in his trembling hands, “Thank you.”

“Mother said you would understand things better.”

“Wise woman, your mother.”

He places the book on the table as he gets up. The girl gets up and wraps herself around her father.

“I love you.” she looks up at his face.

He picks her up and hugs her. “I love you, too.” His voice trembles.

“It’s okay, Father. We have each other now and mother is in both of us.”

He kisses her head.

“Time you went to bed,” her father softly says.

He puts her down and she scampers off to get washed and ready for bed.

Clearing up everything he checks on his daughter. She is in bed waiting for her good night kiss. He tucks her in and bids her goodnight.

Just as he is to leave she tells him. “Mother told me she adopted me when I was a baby.”

He stands at her bedroom door. Words fail him. Yes, he knew she was adopted.

“I am really lucky for being loved by my parents, even if I am not really theirs.”

You trying to bring on the water works?” he tells her.

She giggles, “Goodnight, Father. I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

His face lights up as he wipes his dampened eyes.

The door closes and the child falls asleep dreaming of her mother.

Sitting outside he picks up the diary and opens it and reads the first line: “I love you, my dearest, if only things could have been different…”

1.Why isn’t the mother with her family?

A. She has already died. B. She is ill in hospital.

C. The couple is divorced. D. She lives in another city.

2.What can we know about the couple’s relationship?

A. They understood each other very well.

B. They quarreled a lot and are separated.

C. They used to have misunderstandings.

D. They were quite sure of each other’s love.

3.What can we learn from the story?

A. The girl was adopted because the couple couldn’t give birth.

B. Father looks after the girl just because the girl is alone.

C. The girl feels unfortunate that she was adopted.

D. Father was not very close to the girl before she moved in with him.

4.Why didn’t father bring mother home when she was ill?

A. Because he was too busy with his work

B. Because he didn’t know he was wanted

C. Because he was too poor to afford the medical fees

D. Because he didn’t know she was in hospital

5.What does the sentence “You trying to bring on the water works?” mean?

A. You want another cup of water?

B. Are you kidding me?

C. Are you trying to make me cry?

D. Are you thinking about the water factory?

6.Which word best describes father’s feeling at the end of the story?

A. Regretful B. Satisfied

C. Confused D. Doubtful

There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy; the other becomes unhappy. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.

People who are to be happy fix their attention on the convenience of things: the pleasant parts of conversation, the well prepared dishes, the goodness of the wine, and the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the opposite things. Therefore, they are continually dissatisfied. By their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, offend (hurt) many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. The intention of criticizing and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation(仿效). It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it realize its bad effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit.

Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious results in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people offend many others; nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect. If they bring on themselves public objections, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their wrong doings. These people should change this bad habit and be pleased with what is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and others. If they don’t, it will be good for others to avoid any contact with them. Otherwise, it can be disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels.

1.People who are unhappy ______.

A. always consider things differently from others

B. usually are affected by the results of certain things

C. usually misunderstand what others think or say

D. always discover the unpleasant side of certain things

2.The underlined phrase “sour the pleasure of society” in the second paragraph means ______.

A. have a good taste with social life

B. make others unhappy

C. tend to scold others openly

D. enjoy the pleasure of life

3.We can conclude from the second paragraph that_______.

A. we should pity all such unhappy people.

B. such unhappy people are dangerous to social life.

C. people can get rid of the habit of unhappiness.

D. unhappy people can not understand happy persons.

4.If such unhappy person insists on keeping the habit, the author suggests people should______.

A. prevent any communication with them.

B. show no respect and politeness to them

C. persuade them to recognize the bad effects

D. quarrel with them until they realize the mistakes

B

The aims of the Illustrators’ (插图画家的) Exhibition, staged as part of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, organized by BolognaFiere and held from 23to 26 December 2011, are to bring illustrators and publishers together and to promote illustrators and their works among publishers.

QUALIFICATIONS

•Individual illustrators or groups of illustrators of any nationality, if they were born before 31st December 1992, whose artwork is intended for use in children’s books, are qualified to enter the Exhibition, either directly or through publishing houses or schools.

•Please state in the application form whether you are entering work for the Fiction or Nonfiction Category. Illustrators may only enter one category.

•Artwork previously presented to the Exhibition may not be re-entered.

•The confirmation (确认) form must be filled in and a photograph attached, then presented together with illustrations no later than 15 October 2011.

SHIPMENT

Entries may be delivered by post, express delivery service or by hand. From abroad, please use the following forms: Form “A” for registered mail or post by air; Form “B” if using an international forwarding agent or airline. To avoid delays, material should not be sent by normal post. Material should be sent “carriage paid”, including any customs and delivery costs.

BolognaFiere may not be held responsible for the non-arrival or late arrival of artwork. All published works must be accompanied by a declaration bearing the ISBN number, publisher’s name and address.

REQUIREMENTS

The illustrations (i.e. the size of the sheet) must not exceed (超过) the following dimensions:

Fiction: 32×42 cm (or 42 × 32 cm)

Non-fiction: 50 ×70 cm (70 × 50cm)

Illustrations in larger formats will not be considered, nor will they be returned by BolognaFiere. The illustrations must be on paper or flexible board, maximum thickness 2mm (for scanner separation purposes).

SELECTION PROCESS

All artwork received by the stated deadline and meeting the specified requirements will be examined and selected by an international group (whose decision is final), including five members (from publishing house and art schools) appointed each year by BolognaFiere.

EXHIBITIONS ABROAD

After the Bologna event, the Illustrators Exhibition will travel to Japan under the supervision of JBBY. The Illustrators Exhibition may afterwards be transferred to other venues(场馆) in other countries. The exhibitions of illustrations held abroad follow the same rules and regulations as the Illustrators Exhibition, and the provisions (条款) of the regulations are extended to the organizers of the exhibitions held abroad.

RETURN OF ARTWORK

All the works will be returned to their owners by BolognaFiere or directly by the organizers of the exhibitions and held abroad by the end of July 2013.

1.Which of the following of the Illustrators’ Exhibition is true?

A. It will last five days in all in July every other year.

B. It is intended for college students who are good at painting.

C. It is held by the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in BolognaFiere.

D. It can strengthen the relationship between illustrators and publishers.

2.The illustrators of the Illustrators Exhibition __________.

A. should be at least 16 and no more than 25

B. may re-enter their artwork after it is returned

C. should state the category of their artwork clearly

D. may choose to attach a photo to the application form

3.What is BolognaFiere responsible for?

A. Paying for the delivery costs

B. Late arrival of artwork

C. Confirmation of ISBN number

D. Returning the illustrators’ works

4.The illustrators’ works will not be considered if they .

A. are received after the day of 15 October 2011

B. are smaller than the required size

C. have already been published abroad before

D. don’t meet the demands of the international experts

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