I was a single parent with my son. Two jobs allowed me an apartment, food, and child care payment. Little money was left over for clothes,   1   I kept us nicely dressed. Loving    2    , I bought for myself beautiful reds and oranges, and greens and pinks. And quite often I wore them in mixtures, which, against the usually correct way, brought   3    to the eyes of people who could not avoid    4     me.

I went to my son’s     5     frequently. And he would always come and greet me and my colorful clothes.    6    , when my son was six, he told me    7    that he had to talk to me.

“Mother, do you have any sweaters that    8    ?”

I said, “No, I don’t.”

 “Oh, I wish you did.     9    you could wear them to my school.” Then he continued, “Mother, could you please    10    come to school when they call you?” Then I realized that my dress was a(n)    11     to him.

I learned to be a little more careful to    12      causing him displeasure. As he grew older and more confident, I gradually    13     to my particular way of dressing. I was happier when I chose and created my own     14    .

I have lived in this body all my life and know it much    15    than any fashion designer. I think I know what looks good   16     me.

    17      is important to mention because many people are imprisoned by powerful principles on the    18    way of dressing. Those decisions made by    19     are not truly meant to make your life better. Seek the fashion which truly suits you. You will always be in fashion if you are    20     to yourself.

1. A. but                B. and             C. or                   D. because

2. A. shapes           B. styles          C. colors            D. tastes

3. A. envy            B. appreciation   C. disappointment      D. surprise 

4. A. recognizing       B. admiring      C. accepting         D. noticing

5. A. office             B. home          C. school             D. lab

6. A. However         B. Meanwhile     C. Otherwise         D. Therefore

7. A. proudly            B. jokingly         C. seriously            D. curiously

8. A. cost             B. work           C. fit              D. match

9. A. Even if             B. As if             C. So that             D. In case

10. A. only            B. still             C. once            D. ever

11. A. wonder          B. surprise        C. embarrassment    D. honor

12. A. practice           B. remember         C. mind              D. avoid

13. A. turned           B. returned        C. escaped          D. took

13. A. fashion            B. sweater           C. color             D. tradition

15. A. better            B. worse           C. more           D. less

16. A. in               B. on               C. with           D. of 

17. A. Dress           B. Money           C. Principles      D. Designers

18. A. experienced      B. proper           C. formal          D. simple

19. A. me             B. yourself          C. others          D. ones

20. A. true             B. serious          C. practical        D. responsible

I was a single parent with my son. Two jobs allowed me an apartment, food, and child care payment. Little money was left over for clothes, _36  I kept us nicely dressed. Loving _37  , I bought for myself beautiful reds and oranges, and greens and pinks. And quite often I wore them in mixtures, which, against the usually correct way, brought  38   to the eyes of people who could not avoid   39  me.

I went to my son’s  40  frequently. And he would always come and greet me and my colorful clothes.   41  , when my son was six, he told me  _42_ that he had to talk to me.

 “Mother, do you have any sweaters that  43  ?”

I said, “No, I don’t.”

 “Oh, I wish you did,   44   you could wear them to my school.” Then he continued, “Mother, could you please  45  come to school when they call you?” Then I realized that my dress was a(n)  46  to him.

I learned to be a little more careful to    47  causing him displeasure. As he grew older and more confident, I gradually  48  to my particular way of dressing. I was happier when I chose and created my own  49   .

I have lived in this body all my life and know it much  50  than any fashion designer, I think I know what looks good  51  me.

52  is important to mention because many people are imprisoned（禁锢）by powerful principles on the   53  way of dressing. Those decisions made by  54 are not truly meant to make your life better. Seek the fashion which truly suits you. You will always be in fashion if you are  55  to yourself.

Below is a page adapted from an English dictionary

stick  
verb (stuck, stuck )
push sth in
[+adv./prep.] to push sth, usually a sharp object, into sth; to be pushed into sth: [VN] The nurse stuck the needle into my arm. ◆ Don't stick your fingers through the bars of the cage. ◆ [V] I found a nail sticking in the tyre.
attach
[+adv./prep.] to fix sth to sth else, usually with a sticky substance; to become fixed to sth in this way: [VN] He stuck a stamp on the envelope. ◆ We used glue to stick the broken pieces together. ◆ I stuck the photos into an album. ◆ [V] Her wet clothes were sticking to her body. ◆ The glue's useless-the pieces just won't stick.
put
[VN +adv./prep.] (informal) to put sth in a place, especially quickly or carelessly: Stick your bags down there. ◆ He stuck his hands in his pockets and strolled off. ◆ Can you stick this on the noticeboard? ◆ Peter stuck his head around the door and said, 'Coffee, anyone?' ◆ (spoken) Stick 'em up! (= put your hands above your head-I have a gun)
become fixed
[V] ~ (in sth) to become fixed in one position and impossible to move: The key has stuck in the lock. ◆ This drawer keeps sticking.
difficult situation
(BrE, informal) (usually used in negative sentences and questions) to accept a difficult or unpleasant situation or person: [VN] I don't know how you stick that job. ◆ They're always arguing-I can't stick it any longer. ◆ The problem is, my mother can't stick my boyfriend. ◆ [V -ing] John can't stick living with his parents.
become accepted
[V] to become accepted: The police couldn't make the charges stick (= show them to be true). ◆ His friends called him Bart and the name has stuck (= has become the name that everyone calls him).
[V] to not take any more cards
Idioms: stick in your mind (of a memory, an image, etc.) to be remembered for a long time: One of his paintings in particular sticks in my mind.
stick in your throat / craw (informal)
(of words) to be difficult or impossible to say: She wanted to say how sorry she was but the words seemed to stick in her throat.
(of a situation) to be difficult or impossible to accept; to make you angry
stick your neck out (informal) to do or say sth when there is a risk that you may be wrong: I'll stick my neck out and say that Bill is definitely the best candidate for the job.
stick to your guns (informal) to refuse to change your mind about sth even when other people are trying to persuade you that you are wrong
Phrasal Verbs: stick around (informal) to stay in a place, waiting for sth to happen or for sb to arrive: Stick around; we'll need you to help us later.
stick at sth to work in a serious and determined way to achieve sth: If you want to play an instrument well, you've got to stick at it.
stick by sb [no passive] to be loyal to a person and support them, especially in a difficult situation: Her husband was charged with fraud but she stuck by him.
stick by sth [no passive] to do what you promised or planned to do: They stuck by their decision.
stick sth<->down (informal) to write sth somewhere: I think I'll stick my name down on the list.
stick out to be noticeable or easily seen: They wrote the notice in big red letters so that it would stick out.
stick sth<->out (of sth) to be further out than sth else or come through a hole; to push sth further out than sth else or through a hole: His ears stick out. ◆ She stuck her tongue out at me. ◆ Don't stick your arm out of the car window.
stick to sth
to continue doing sth in spite of difficulties: She finds it impossible to stick to a diet.
to continue doing or using sth and not want to change it: He promised to help us and he stuck to his word (= he did as he had promised). ◆ 'Shall we meet on Friday this week?' 'No, let's stick to Saturday.' ◆ She stuck to her story.
stick together (informal) (of people) to stay together and support each other: We were the only British people in the town so we tended to stick together.
stick up to point upwards or be above a surface: The branch was sticking up out of the water.
stick with sb/sth [no passive] (informal)
to stay close to sb so that they can help you: Stick with me and I'll make you a millionaire!
to continue with sth or continue doing sth: They decided to stick with their original plan.
noun
from tree
[C] a thin piece of wood that has fallen or been broken from a tree: We collected dry sticks to start a fire. ◆ The boys were throwing sticks and stones at the dog. ◆ Her arms and legs were like sticks (= very thin).
for walking
[C] (especially BrE) = WALKING STICK: The old lady leant on her stick as she talked.
in sport
[C] a long thin object that is used in some sports to hit or control the ball: a hockey stick
long thin piece
[C] (often in compounds) a long thin piece of sth: a stick of dynamite ◆ carrot sticks ◆ (AmE) a stick of butter
[C] (often in compounds) a thin piece of wood or plastic that you use for a particular purpose: pieces of pineapple on sticks ◆ The men were carrying spades and measuring sticks.
in plane / vehicle
[C] (informal, especially AmE) the control stick of a plane
[C] (informal, especially AmE) a handle used to change the GEARS of a vehicle
for orchestra
[C] a BATON, used by the person who CONDUCTS an orchestra
criticism
[U] (BrE, informal) criticism or harsh words: The referee got a lot of stick from the home fans.
country areas
(the sticks) [pl.] (informal) country areas, a long way from cities: We live out in the sticks.
person
[C] (old-fashioned, BrE, informal) a person: He's not such a bad old stick.

46. When Jimmy says: “Every morning, I have to take the crowded bus to school, which I really can’t stick.”, he may feel ________.

A. worried                      B. curious                            C. annoyed                   D. discouraged

47.  Due to her fashionable dress, the woman stuck out when she was walking in the street. “stuck out” in this sentence means “________”.

A. be noticeable              B. be followed                      C. be admired               D. be envied

48. When I was in trouble, Paul was the only one who _______ to help me.

A. stuck in his throat              B. stuck together                  C. stuck up                   D. stuck his neck out

49. Sally said to me: “Try a peaceful life out in the sticks, and you will experience something totally different.” She means ________.

A. I should go to the woods to enjoy a new life.

B. I should ignore the criticism and enjoy myself.

C. I should go to the remote areas to have a change.

D. I should go out by plane instead of by train to change my feelings.

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids but we made them worse. For my naughty boys, I’d know better. I’d really like for them to know about hand-me-down clothes and home-made ice cream and leftover meatloaf. I really would.
My cherished boys, I hope you learn humility (谦逊) by surviving failure and that you learn to be honest even when no one is looking. I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in. I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother. And it is all right to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl (爬) under the covers (被子) with you because he’s scared, I hope you’ll let him. And when you want to see a Disney movie and your kid brother wants to tag along, I hope you take him.
　　I hope you have to walk uphill with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely. I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books, and when you learn to use computers, you also learn how to add and subtract (减) in your head.
May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on the stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole (旗杆). I hope you get sick when someone blows smoke in your face. I don’t care if you try beer once, but I hope you won’t like it.
I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your grandpa or go fishing with your uncle.
I hope your father punishes you when you throw a baseball through a neighbor’s window, and that your mother hugs you and kisses you when you give her a plaster of pared mold (一个石膏模型) of your hand.
　 These things I wish for you—tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness.
【小题1】Who wrote the letter?

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids but we made them worse. For my naughty boys, I’d know better. I’d really like for them to know about hand-me-down clothes and home-made ice cream and leftover meatloaf. I really would.
My cherished boys, I hope you learn humility (谦逊) by surviving failure and that you learn to be honest even when no one is looking. I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in. I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother. And it is all right to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl (爬) under the covers (被子) with you because he’s scared, I hope you’ll let him. And when you want to see a Disney movie and your kid brother wants to tag along, I hope you take him.
　　I hope you have to walk uphill with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely. I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books, and when you learn to use computers, you also learn how to add and subtract (减) in your head.
May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on the stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole (旗杆). I hope you get sick when someone blows smoke in your face. I don’t care if you try beer once, but I hope you won’t like it.
I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your grandpa or go fishing with your uncle.
I hope your father punishes you when you throw a baseball through a neighbor’s window, and that your mother hugs you and kisses you when you give her a plaster of pared mold (一个石膏模型) of your hand.
　 These things I wish for you—tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness.
【小题1】Who wrote the letter?