1．Silly birthday cards were always the norm（规范） in my family．Cards with messages of love were viewed with embarrassment（尴尬） in our family．Looking back now，I don't remember the words"I love you"（23）C being spoken．
Before I turned 29，Dad retired and my parents moved from Victoria to Queensland．Soon my mother was diagnosed（诊断） with cancer．I hurried to Queensland for a visit and was shocked by my mother's （24）B．She was weak and underweight．She looked as though she had （25）D20years．The sad sight made my （26）Awelling up inside．I hugged my mother with my arms tightly，and for the first time I said，"I love you!"She made no response．（27）B，she appeared frozen in horror．Feeling rather （28）D，I struggled to understand this rejection．
Five months later，Mum was （29）A to hospital．I phoned every morning to check on her．One afternoon，my instincts（直觉） told me I needed to （30）B again．My worst fear was （31）C when a nurse answered the phone and informed me that my mother's （32）C had rapidly worsened．She wasn't expected to make it through the night．Knowing I was unable to get a flight in time，I asked the nurse to put the phone next to my mother's ear so I could talk to her．"She is rarely （33）A，"the nurse replied．"It's unlikely she'll hear you．"But I didn't care．（34）D I wanted to try．
（35）A she placed the phone by my mother's ear，I repeatedly told Mum that I loved her．At first，all I could hear from the other （36）B was"Hmmmm"-but then，like a miracle（奇迹），with a deep sigh she said，"Love you，…love you，darling．"It was the last thing she said．She never spoke again before drifting into unconsciousness．My mother died at 4o'clock the next morning．
Of course，losing a parent is so （37）C an experience that I could never really recover，but receiving those lovely last words made it much more bearable．I had closure in the best possible way．
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Before I turned 29，Dad retired and my parents moved from Victoria to Queensland．Soon my mother was diagnosed（诊断） with cancer．I hurried to Queensland for a visit and was shocked by my mother's （24）B．She was weak and underweight．She looked as though she had （25）D20years．The sad sight made my （26）Awelling up inside．I hugged my mother with my arms tightly，and for the first time I said，"I love you!"She made no response．（27）B，she appeared frozen in horror．Feeling rather （28）D，I struggled to understand this rejection．
Five months later，Mum was （29）A to hospital．I phoned every morning to check on her．One afternoon，my instincts（直觉） told me I needed to （30）B again．My worst fear was （31）C when a nurse answered the phone and informed me that my mother's （32）C had rapidly worsened．She wasn't expected to make it through the night．Knowing I was unable to get a flight in time，I asked the nurse to put the phone next to my mother's ear so I could talk to her．"She is rarely （33）A，"the nurse replied．"It's unlikely she'll hear you．"But I didn't care．（34）D I wanted to try．
（35）A she placed the phone by my mother's ear，I repeatedly told Mum that I loved her．At first，all I could hear from the other （36）B was"Hmmmm"-but then，like a miracle（奇迹），with a deep sigh she said，"Love you，…love you，darling．"It was the last thing she said．She never spoke again before drifting into unconsciousness．My mother died at 4o'clock the next morning．
Of course，losing a parent is so （37）C an experience that I could never really recover，but receiving those lovely last words made it much more bearable．I had closure in the best possible way．
| 23．A．seldom | B．never | C．ever | D．usually |
| 24．A．spirits | B．appearance | C．experience | D．feelings |
| 25．A．spent | B．wasted | C．survived | D．aged |
| 26．A．emotions | B．attitude | C．opinions | D．courage |
| 27．A．Besides | B．Instead | C．Otherwise | D．Still |
| 28．A．amazed | B．frightened | C．relaxed | D．hurt |
| 29．A．admitted | B．invited | C．showed | D．introduced |
| 30．A．visit | B．ring | C．ask | D．explain |
| 31．A．shown | B．seen | C．confirmed | D．announced |
| 32．A．expression | B．life | C．condition | D．sense |
| 33．A．awake | B．alive | C．peaceful | D．active |
| 34．A．Anytime | B．Sometime | C．Anywhere | D．Anyway |
| 35．A．Once | B．Though | C．Unless | D．Because |
| 36．A．part | B．end | C．way | D．aspect |
| 37．A．disappointing | B．personal | C．painful | D．unfair |