I loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it when mother sat doing letters. Looking at the ink bottle, pens and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the most wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final illness, mother kept different things for my sister and brother,“But the desk,”she said again,“is for Elizabeth. ”
I never saw her get angry, and never saw her cry. I knew she loved me, and she showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.
They never happened and a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional (易动感情的)”, but she lived“on the surface”.
As years went by and I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way that she did forgive (原谅) me.
I posted the letter and waited for her answer. It didn’t come.
It seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to her.
I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.
Now the present of her desk told me that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work, though she had never been able to. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside… a photo of my father and a one-paper letter. Folded (折叠) and refolded many times.
Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose. Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.
【小题1】The writer began to love her mother’s desk ______.

句型转换，按要求完成句子，每个空格只填一个单词。

1.You’ve got a wonderful collection. (一般疑问句)

__________  you ___       a wonderful collection?

2.I am interested in classical music. (同义句)

Classical music ___      ___  ___    a lot.

3.You need drink more water. (同义句)

                 for you                            more water.

4.My handbag is different from your handbag. (同义句)

My handbag isn’t __      ___ ___        __ as __          ___.

5.I feel like going out for a walk with my son after dinner. (同义句)

I __    _  _   __ _    __  _    __for a walk with my son after dinner.

Giving someone good news is easy, but what about bad news? Are there any good ways to give bad news without making people too upset? The following steps might help:
Say something positive. Try to start or end the conversation with some good news, so that it’s not all bad. For example, “ You did very well in the interview, but unfortunately we’ve given the job to somebody else.”
Prepare your listener for the news. Use phrases to introduce what you’re going to say, like “Unfortunately, …”, “ I’m really sorry , but…” or “ I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news.” This gives the listener time to prepare for what you’re going to say.
Try to give a reason. People like know why things go wrong. Try to explain the decision. If someone doesn’t get the job, can you explain why? If you have to cancel an appointment, try to give a reason.
Use a soft tone of voice. If you’re giving someone bad news, try to use a soft, calm voice to make your sound kind. Say things to show you understand, like “I’m really sorry.” Or “I know this must be disappointing.”
【小题1】 Which step isn’t mentioned in the passage?

There was a lovely vegetable patch (菜园). A large tree grew there. Both the patch and the tree gave the place a wonderful look, and they were the pride of the gardener. But no one knew that the vegetables and the tree couldn’t stand each other. The vegetables hated the tree’s shadow (阴影), because it left them only just enough light to live. The tree, on the other hand, hated the vegetables because they drank nearly all the water, leaving him just enough to live.
The situation became so serious that the vegetables decided to use up all the water in the ground so that the tree would die. The tree answered back by not protecting the vegetables from the hot sun, so they began to dry up. Soon the vegetables were really weak, and the tree was drying up.
The gardener wondered why and stopped watering them. When he did that, both the tree and the vegetables realized that it was better to help each other. They learned how to live in harmony with those around them. So they decided to work together, using both the shade and the water to grow well. After seeing how well they were doing, the gardener gave the best care to his vegetable patch, watering and fertilizing (施肥) it better than any other patch for miles around.
根据短文内容，选择最佳答案，并在答题卡上按要求作答。
【小题1】Why didn’t the vegetables and the tree get on well with each other?

根据短文内容和所给首字母,在空格内填入一个适当的词,使短文意思完整。所填单词必须在短文后的横线上完整写出。（本大题共10分）

Do you know the Yellow Mountain(黄山)? Have you ever been there? I want to tell you something about it. The Yellow Mountain is one of the most f 1. mountains in China. It is in the south of Anhui. Every day t 2. of Chinese and foreigners go there. It's not f 3. from here . It t 4. you about three hours to get there by bus . You can also go there by t 5. or by plane .While you are climbing the mountain ,you can e 6. the sea of clouds , wonderful pines and strange rocks a 7. you in the early morning when the sun rises(升起) ，the sky looks very b 8. . It's really a w 9. place to visit .Would you like to v 10.__ the Yellow Mountain?