The teacher told her Senior 3 students that it was important to ___________ time for relaxation under great pressure.

I remember vividly the call that changed my life. It was Tuesday, February 18, when the 31  rang in the kitchen of my Los Angeles home. On the  32  was Marty Bandera, a literary agent to whom I had sent a draft(草稿) of my novel three weeks earlier. “ I have a couple of 33 ,” Bandera said.

“First, how old are you?” “I’m 48,” I replied.

“Are you in good 34 ?” “Yes, excellent. What’s this about?”

“I’ve sold your novels 35 one and a half million dollars.”

I sat down in 36 . I had written over fourteen novels in twenty years, but each one had been 37 by the publishers. I suppose many people would have been 38 , but not me. Each time, I just 39 writing another one. My husband advised me to find something else to do, but I refused to 40 . Seeing this book 41 was the best thing that has ever happened to me. It’s a mystery story (like all the others) and it was on the best-seller 42 two weeks after publication!

I got my first lesson in story 43 from my grandmother. She used to read me stories. She was the one who gave me a 44 of words. She sparked(激发) my 45  and she has been a 46  influence on me. I always had stories running through my 47  and as soon as I could write I 48  them down on paper.

I married young and I have three children, but I never stopped writing, 49  novels between doing the diapers(婴儿的尿布) and dishes. I am writing another novel now. Yes, my 50 has changed my life。

England was one of the first countries to set aside a day to recognize mothers．In the eighteenth century,      many people worked as household servants for the     , "Mothering Sunday" was _     for them to return home to be with their mothers．Though this      stopped when the Industrial Revolution altered the working and living patterns of people, one     for mothers was established as a holiday in the twentieth century．

In the United States, Mother's Day did not become a（n）       holiday until 1915．Its establishment was      due to the perseverance and love of one      , Anna Jarvis．Anna's mother had provided strength and support as the family      their home in West Virginia and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania      her father served as a minister．

When Mrs Jarvis died on May 5, 1905, Anna was determined to       her．She asked a minister at the church in West Virginia to give a sermon（布道）      memory of her mother．

On the same Sunday in Philadelphia, ministers there honoured Mrs.Jarvis and all mothers with a (n)      Mother's Day service．Anna Jarvis began writing to congressmen, asking them to       a day to honour mothers. In 1910, the governor of West Virginia proclaimed(宣布) the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day and a year later every state       it．

On Mother' s Day morning some American children       the tradition of serving their mothers breakfast in bed．Other children will give their mothers      which they have made themselves or bought in      ．Adults give their mothers red carnations, the official Mother's Day flower．If their mothers     , they may bring white carnations to their grave（坟墓）sites．This is the busiest day of the year for American       ．On the special day, family members do not want Mom to cook dinner!

1.A．before         B．since             C．when              D．until

2.A．rich             B．poor                  C．living             D．injured

3.A．protected            B．reserved               C．changed         D．persuaded

4.A．form          B．custom            C．habit            D．plan

5.A．Monday                B．Wednesday            C．Sunday                  D．Friday

6.A．ordinary        B．common             C．regular          D．official

7.A．nearly         B．largely                 C．deeply           D．highly

8.A．mother         B．sister                  C．daughter         D．waitress

9.A．destroyed    B．found                 C．made            D．left

10.A．where      B.  when                     C．why           D．how

11.A．reward       B．honour                C．award                   D．inspire

12.A．on                 B．at                      C．in               D．for

13.A．special               B．expensive             C．simple           D．easy

14.A．put off               B．give up                C．take on        D．set aside

15.A．understood          B．received                C．celebrated              D．prevented

16.A．follow            B．refuse                C．accept           D．support

17.A．letters               B．gifts                    C．calls                    D．toys

18.A．schools               B．churches             C．stores           D．hospitals

19.A．went ahead     B．moved on                 C．stayed up        D．passed away    

20.A．restaurants            B．departments        C．offices           D．markets  

Vincent van Gogh was not always an artist. In fact, he wanted to be a(n) __21  and was even sent to the Belgian __22  community of Borinage. He discovered that the miners there __23  deplorable(悲惨的) working conditions and poverty-level wages. Their families  __24__  simply to survive. He felt concerned that the small amount of money he received from the church __25  him a moderate life-style, which, __26 , seemed to him unfair.

One cold February evening, while he watched the miners trudging(步履艰难)home, he __27  an old man staggering(蹒跚)toward him across the fields, __28 in a burlap sack for warmth. Van Gogh laid his own clothing out on the bed, __29 enough for one change, and decided to give__30 away. He gave the old man a suit of clothes and gave his overcoat to a pregnant woman whose __31 had been killed in a cave-in.

He lived on starvation rations and spent his money on __32  for the miners. When children in one family had fever, though __33  himself, he packed up his bed and took it to them.

A (an) __34  family in the community offered him free room and board. Van Gogh __35__ the offer, stating that it was the final temptation he must reject if he was to __36  serve his community of poor miners.

He believed that if he wanted them to __37  him, he must become one of them. And if they were to learn of love through him, he must love them enough to __38  with them.

He was aware of the wide chasm(鸿沟)between words and actions. He knew that our lives always __39  louder and clearer than words.

Others are “ __40 ” carefully to your actions. What are you saying to them?

You'd better ________ some time to take exercise.

A．set off     B．set up

C．set out    D．set aside