The end of my sophomore year was approaching．Mom called me at the dorm one evening during the last week of May．My summer break would be spent with grandma and grandpa, helping out around their farm．The arrangement made good sense to all the family．I wasn’t fully convinced of that myself but guessed it was just one summer．Next year would be my little brother’s turn．

I arrived late that afternoon．Grandma had fixed more food than the three of us could possibly eat．She loved me entirely too much．The next morning, Grandpa fixed breakfast for the two of us． He told me Grandma had tired herself out yesterday and was going to rest in bed a little longer．I made a mental note to myself to not ask her to do things for me while I was there．I was there to help, not be a burden．

       Weeks passed．I gradually settled into a routine of daily work with Grandpa．In the evenings I usually read or talked with Grandma．She never grew tired of hearing about college or anything I was involved in．She told me stories about her childhood, family and the early years after she and Grandpa had married．

       The last Saturday in June, Grandpa suggested going fishing．We hadn’t expected what we saw when we got to the pond that morning: One of the swans was dead．Grandpa had given the pair of swans to Grandma on their 50th anniversary．“Why don’t we see about buying another one,” I suggested, hoping the situation could somehow be righted．Grandpa thought for a few moments before answering．

       He finally said, “no．．．it’s not that easy, Bruce．You see, swans mate for life．” He raised his finger to point, holding the fishing pole in his other hand．“There’s nothing we can do for the one that’s left．He has to work it out for himself．”

A few days later, we drove by the pond while doing our morning check on the cows．We found the other swan lying near the same spot we had found the first one．It, too, was dead．

       The month of July started with me and Grandpa putting up a new stretch of fence．Then July 12 came．That was the day Grandma passed away．Grandma had died suddenly that morning of a stroke．By the afternoon, my parents were there．The old house was soon crowded with relatives and Grandpa’s friends．

       The funeral was held the next day．Grandpa had insisted on having it as soon as possible．On the second day after the funeral, Grandpa announced at the breakfast table, “This is a working farm． We have a lot of things to do．The rest of you should get back to your own lives．” Most of the family had already left, but this was Grandpa’s way of telling the rest it was time for them to go home．My parents were the last to leave after lunch．

       Grandpa was not a man who could outwardly express his grief around others, and we all worried about him．The rest of the summer flowed by．We stayed busy working．I thought there was something different about Grandpa but couldn’t quite put my finger on it．

       September was nearing, and part of me did not want to leave．I thought of skipping the fall semester and staying around a few more months．When I mentioned it, grandpa quickly told me that my place was back at college．

The day finally came for me to pack my car and leave. I shock his hand and chanced a hug. As Idrove down the driveway, I saw him in the rearview mirror．He waved to me and then walked to the pasture gate to start the morning livestock check．

       Mom called me at school on a stormy October day to tell me Grandpa had died．A neighbor had stopped by that morning for coffee and found him in the kitchen．He died of a stroke, the same as Grandma．At that moment, I understood what he’d clumsily tried to explain to me about the swan on that morning we fished together by the pond．

55．We can learn from Paragraph 1 that            ．

       A．Bruce regarded working on the farm as a rare chance

       B．Bruce longed to enjoy himself freely on the farm

       C．the brothers took turns to attend their grandparents

       D．Bruce was not happy with his parents’ arrangement

56．What did the writer think at the sight of the first dead swan?

       A．Another swan should be bought in place of the dead one．

       B．The other was bound to die since swans mate for life．

       C．Grandma would be in deep sorrow over its death．

       D．The living can do nothing for the dead．

57．Grandpa quickly dismissed the family after the funeral because            ．

       A．he wanted to carry on with his farm work

       B．he tended to deal with grief in life by himself

       C．he didn’t want his normal life disturbed

       D．he took for granted the matter of life and death

58．By “I couldn’t put my fingers on it”, the writer means that            ．

       A．I could do nothing to help him out of grief

       B．I was so busy that I couldn’t give a hand to Grandpa

       C．I couldn’t tell exactly what was different about my Grandpa

       D．I stayed busy working and couldn’t keep Grandpa’s company

59．Which of the following best describes Grandpa’s character?

       A．Outgoing, clumsy and considerate．             B．Loyal, considerate and independent．

       C．Talkative, clumsy and independent．            D．Romantic, outgoing and loyal．

60．Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

       A．Mate For Life         B．Unforgettable Summer Break

       C．Death of Swans      D．Everlasting Love Story

“Mom, I have cancer.” These four words catapulted my son and me on a journey that lasted two years. On that day I felt a wave of paralyzing fear.

Scott was the oldest of my four children. He was 33 years old and a successful assistant principal at SamRayburn Hifht School in Pasadena, Texas. He and his wife Carolyn were busy raising four active children. Scott was 6’2’’, weighed 200 pounds and had never been sick a day in his life.

A few month earlier a mole（痣）on his neck had changed color. “Dr.Warner called,” Scott said that spring morning. “It’s melanoma.（黑素瘤）” I tried to comfort him, naming all the people I knew who had survived skin cancer. Yet, I felt small tentacles of fear begin to wrap around my chest.

Our next stop was MDAnderson, the famous cancer hospital in Houston. Scott had surgery at the end of May and was scheduled for radiation treatments over the summer recess. “There is an 80 percent chance it won’t reoccur,” the doctors said. At the end of summer, all his tests came back negative and Scott was back at school in the fall. However, in December, Scott discovered a lump on his neck. It was examined and the result came back “malignant.（恶性的）” We now realized that Scott fell into the 20 percent category. I could feel the tentacles tightening around my chest. He entered the hospital for an aggressive treatment, a combination of interferon and interleukin.

After five months of treatment, he had radical surgery on his neck. The test results were encouraging, only three of the 33 lymph nodes（淋巴结） removed were malignant. We were very hopeful.

For the next six months, Scott’s follow-up visits went well. Then in October, X-ray revealed a spot on his lung. The spot was removed during surgery and the doctors tried to be optimistic. It was a daily battle to control the fear and panic each setback brought.

In January, he was diagnosed as having had a “disease explosion.” The cancer had spread to his lungs, spine and liver and he was given three to six months to live. There were times during this period when I felt like I was having a heart attack. The bands constricting my chest made breathing difficult.

When you watch your child battle cancer, you experience a roller coaster of emotions. There are moments of hope and optimism but a bad test result or even an unusual pain can bring on dread and panic.

Scott was readmitted to the hospital for one last try with chemotherapy. He died, quite suddenly, just six weeks after his last diagnosis. I was completely destroyed. I had counted on those last few months.

The next morning I was busy notifying people and making funeral arrangements. I remember having this nagging feeling that something was physically wrong with me. It took a moment to realize that the crushing sensation in my chest was gone. The thing every parent fears the most had happened. My son was gone. Of course, the fear had been replaced by unbearable sorrow.

After you lose a child, it is so difficult to go on. The most minimal tasks, combing your hair or taking a shower, becoming monumental. For months I just sat and stared into space. That spring, the trees began to bloom; flowers began to pop up in my garden. Friendswood was coming back to life but I was dead inside.

During those last weeks, Scott and I often spoke about life and death. Fragments of those conversations kept playing over and over in my mind.

“Don’t let this ruin your life, Mom.”

“Make sure Dad re models his workshop.”

“Please, take care of my family.”

I remember wishing I could have just one more conversation with him. I knew what I would say, but what would Scott say? “I know how much you love me, Mom. So just sit on the couch and cry.” No, I knew him better than that. Scott loved life and knew how precious it is. I could almost hear his voice saying, “Get up Mom, Get on with your life. It’s too valuable to waste.”

That was the day I began to move forward. I signed up for a cake decorating class. Soon I was making cakes for holidays and birthdays. My daughter-in-law told me about a writing class in Houston. I hadn’t written in years, but since I was retired I decided it be time to start again. The local college advertised a Life Story Writing class that I joined. There I met women who had also lost their children. The Poet Laureate of Texas was scheduled to speak at our local Barnes and Noble. I attended and joined our local poetry society. I never dreamed that writing essays and poems about Scott could be so therapeutic. Several of those poems have ever been published. In addition, each group brought more and more people into my life..

I don’t believe you ever recover from the loss of a child. Scott is in my heart and mind every day. However, I do believe you can survive.

Scott fought so bravery to live and he never gave up. He taught me that life is a gift that should be cherished, not wasted. It has taken years to become the person I am today. The journey has been a difficult, painful process but certainly worth the effort and I know that my son would be proud.

1.How old was Scott probably when he died?

A．33               B．35                 C．37           D．40

2.What does the underlined sentence “ The bands constricting my chest made breathing difficult” probably imply?

A．It implies that Scott’s mother was likely to have a heart attack.

B．It implies that there was something wrong with Scott’s mother’s chest.

C．It implies that Scott’s mother was very upset and panic because of Scott’s severe illness.

D．It implies that the cancer had spread to her chest just like her son.

3.Which of the following statements best shows the author’s feeling about Scott’s death?

A．It was a daily battle to control the fear and panic each setback brought.

B．She felt a wave of fear.

C．She felt a feeling of fear begin to wrap around her chest.

D．The fear had been replaced by unbearable sorrow.

4.From Scott and his mother’s conversation, we can know that Scott is ________.

A．considerable      B．humorous         C．determined      D．sensitive

5.The author intends to tell us that___________.

A．it takes a long time to make a person recover from the shock of losing a child

B．Scott is proud of his mother

C．life is full of happiness and sorrow.

D．We’d better make our life count instead of counting your days.

6.What might be the best title of the passage ?

A．Life is valuable                         B．Grieving and Recovery

C．Love and sorrow                        D．Alive or dead

“Mom, I have cancer.” These four words catapulted my son and me on a journey that lasted two years. On that day I felt a wave of paralyzing fear.
Scott was the oldest of my four children. He was 33 years old and a successful assistant principal at SamRayburn Hifht School in Pasadena, Texas. He and his wife Carolyn were busy raising four active children. Scott was 6’2’’, weighed 200 pounds and had never been sick a day in his life.
A few month earlier a mole（痣）on his neck had changed color. “Dr.Warner called,” Scott said that spring morning. “It’s melanoma.（黑素瘤）” I tried to comfort him, naming all the people I knew who had survived skin cancer. Yet, I felt small tentacles of fear begin to wrap around my chest.
Our next stop was MDAnderson, the famous cancer hospital in Houston. Scott had surgery at the end of May and was scheduled for radiation treatments over the summer recess. “There is an 80 percent chance it won’t reoccur,” the doctors said. At the end of summer, all his tests came back negative and Scott was back at school in the fall. However, in December, Scott discovered a lump on his neck. It was examined and the result came back “malignant.（恶性的）” We now realized that Scott fell into the 20 percent category. I could feel the tentacles tightening around my chest. He entered the hospital for an aggressive treatment, a combination of interferon and interleukin.
After five months of treatment, he had radical surgery on his neck. The test results were encouraging, only three of the 33 lymph nodes（淋巴结） removed were malignant. We were very hopeful.
For the next six months, Scott’s follow-up visits went well. Then in October, X-ray revealed a spot on his lung. The spot was removed during surgery and the doctors tried to be optimistic. It was a daily battle to control the fear and panic each setback brought.
In January, he was diagnosed as having had a “disease explosion.” The cancer had spread to his lungs, spine and liver and he was given three to six months to live. There were times during this period when I felt like I was having a heart attack. The bands constricting my chest made breathing difficult.
When you watch your child battle cancer, you experience a roller coaster of emotions. There are moments of hope and optimism but a bad test result or even an unusual pain can bring on dread and panic.
Scott was readmitted to the hospital for one last try with chemotherapy. He died, quite suddenly, just six weeks after his last diagnosis. I was completely destroyed. I had counted on those last few months.
The next morning I was busy notifying people and making funeral arrangements. I remember having this nagging feeling that something was physically wrong with me. It took a moment to realize that the crushing sensation in my chest was gone. The thing every parent fears the most had happened. My son was gone. Of course, the fear had been replaced by unbearable sorrow.
After you lose a child, it is so difficult to go on. The most minimal tasks, combing your hair or taking a shower, becoming monumental. For months I just sat and stared into space. That spring, the trees began to bloom; flowers began to pop up in my garden. Friendswood was coming back to life but I was dead inside.
During those last weeks, Scott and I often spoke about life and death. Fragments of those conversations kept playing over and over in my mind.
“Don’t let this ruin your life, Mom.”
“Make sure Dad re models his workshop.”
“Please, take care of my family.”
I remember wishing I could have just one more conversation with him. I knew what I would say, but what would Scott say? “I know how much you love me, Mom. So just sit on the couch and cry.” No, I knew him better than that. Scott loved life and knew how precious it is. I could almost hear his voice saying, “Get up Mom, Get on with your life. It’s too valuable to waste.”
That was the day I began to move forward. I signed up for a cake decorating class. Soon I was making cakes for holidays and birthdays. My daughter-in-law told me about a writing class in Houston. I hadn’t written in years, but since I was retired I decided it be time to start again. The local college advertised a Life Story Writing class that I joined. There I met women who had also lost their children. The Poet Laureate of Texas was scheduled to speak at our local Barnes and Noble. I attended and joined our local poetry society. I never dreamed that writing essays and poems about Scott could be so therapeutic. Several of those poems have ever been published. In addition, each group brought more and more people into my life..
I don’t believe you ever recover from the loss of a child. Scott is in my heart and mind every day. However, I do believe you can survive.
Scott fought so bravery to live and he never gave up. He taught me that life is a gift that should be cherished, not wasted. It has taken years to become the person I am today. The journey has been a difficult, painful process but certainly worth the effort and I know that my son would be proud

1. 1.

   How old was Scott probably when he died?

   1. A.
      33
   2. B.
      35
   3. C.
      37
   4. D.
      40
2. 2.

   What does the underlined sentence “ The bands constricting my chest made breathing difficult” probably imply?

   1. A.
      It implies that Scott’s mother was likely to have a heart attack
   2. B.
      It implies that there was something wrong with Scott’s mother’s chest
   3. C.
      It implies that Scott’s mother was very upset and panic because of Scott’s severe illness
   4. D.
      It implies that the cancer had spread to her chest just like her son
3. 3.

   Which of the following statements best shows the author’s feeling about Scott’s death?

   1. A.
      It was a daily battle to control the fear and panic each setback brought
   2. B.
      She felt a wave of fear
   3. C.
      She felt a feeling of fear begin to wrap around her chest
   4. D.
      The fear had been replaced by unbearable sorrow
4. 4.

   From Scott and his mother’s conversation, we can know that Scott is ________

   1. A.
      considerable
   2. B.
      humorous
   3. C.
      determined
   4. D.
      sensitive
5. 5.

   The author intends to tell us that___________

   1. A.
      it takes a long time to make a person recover from the shock of losing a child
   2. B.
      Scott is proud of his mother
   3. C.
      life is full of happiness and sorrow
   4. D.
      We’d better make our life count instead of counting your days
6. 6.

   What might be the best title of the passage ?

   1. A.
      Life is valuable
   2. B.
      Grieving and Recovery
   3. C.
      Love and sorrow
   4. D.
      Alive or dead