After 22 years of marriage, I have discovered the secret to keep love alive in my relationship with my wife, Peggy. I started dating another woman.

   One day Peggy said to me, “Life is too ___36____, you need to spend time with the people you love. You probably won't believe me, but I know you love her and I think that if the two of you spend more time together, it will make us __37______.'

    The “other” woman my wife was encouraging me to _____38____is my mother, a 72-year-old widow who has lived alone since my father ____39_____ 20 years ago. Right after his death, I ______40____ 2,500 miles away to California and started my own life and career. When I moved back near my hometown six years ago, I promised myself that I would spend more time with mom. But with the ______41_____of my job and three kids, I never got around to seeing her much ______42_____family get-togethers and holidays.

    Mom was _____43____ and suspicious when I called and suggested the two of us go out to dinner and a movie.

        We didn't go anywhere ____44____, just a neighborhood place where we could talk. .___45____ her eyes now see only large shapes and shadows, I had to read the menu for both of us.

     “I used to be the _____46____ when you were little,” she said.

     “Then it is time for you to relax and let me _____47____the favor,” I said.

     We had a nice talk ____48_____dinner, just catching up on each other's lives. We talked for so long that we ____49______ the movie.

     “___50____was your date?” my wife asked when I got home that evening.

     'Nice...nicer than I thought it would be,' I said.

     Mom and I get out for____51____a couple of times a month. Sometimes we take in a movie, but _____52____we talk. Through the talks ,I know what it was like for her to work in a factory during the Second World War. I know how she met my father there, and know how they ____53______the difficult times. I can't get enough of these stories. They are ___54____ to me, a part of my history.   

Peggy was right. Dating another woman has _____55____my marriage.

36. A. easy             B. difficult              C. short               D hard

37.A. closer             B. longer               C. happier              D. easier

38.A. date               B please         C. meet               D. consult

39.A.passe out          B. passed by             C. passed down        D . passed away

40.A. went             B drove                 C. moved              D. removed

41.A.pressure           B. development          C. demand             D. loss

42.A. beyond            B. with                 C. during              D. on

43.A. excited            B. annoyed             C. delighted            D. surprised

44.A. ordinary           B. fancy               C. plain                D. common

45.A. Since                B. When                  C. if                       D. unless

46.A. worker              B. waitress                C. reader            D. owner

47.A award                B. return                  C. turn              D. answer

48.A.over                 B. with                    C on                      D. across

49.A.forgot               B. refused                 C. missed                  D. abandoned

50. A. What              B. Who                   C. where                  D. How

51.A talk                 B. movie                  C walk              D dinner

52. A. finally              B. merely                  C mostly                   D. especially

53.A. went though      B. got  through          C. looked through       D. saw through

54.A friendly            B. kind                            C loyal                      D. important

55. A ruined             B damaged                        C. helped                  D . affected 

After 22 years of marriage, I have discovered the secret to keep love alive in my relationship with my wife, Peggy. I started dating another woman.

   One day Peggy said to me, “Life is too ___36___, you need to spend time with the people you love. You probably won't believe me, but I know you love her and I think that if the two of you spend more time together, it will make us __37___”

      The “other” woman my wife was encouraging me to ___38___ is my mother, a 72-year-old widow who has lived alone since my father ___39___ 20 years ago. Right after his death, I ___40___ 2,500 miles away to California and started my own life and career. When I moved back near my hometown six years ago, I promised myself that I would spend more time with mom. But with the ___41___ of my job and three kids, I never got around to seeing her much ___42___ family get-togethers and holidays.

    Mom was ___43___ and suspicious(怀疑)when I called and suggested the two of us go out to dinner and a movie. "What's wrong?" she asked. "I thought it would be nice to spend some time with you," I said. "Just the two of us". ''I would like that a lot," she said.

        We didn't go anywhere ___44___, just a neighborhood place where we could talk. ___45___ her eyes now see only large shapes and shadows, I had to read the menu for both of us.

      “I used to be the ___46___ when you were little,” she said.

      “Then it is time for you to relax and let me ___47___ the favor,” I said.

      We had a nice talk ___48___ dinner, just catching up on each other's lives. We talked for so long that we ___49___ the movie.

      “___50___ was your date?” my wife asked when I got home that evening.

      “Nice...nicer than I thought it would be.” I said.

      Mom and I get out for ___51___ a couple of times a month. Sometimes we take in a movie, but ___52___ we talk. Through the talks ,I know what it was like for her to work in a factory during the Second World War. I know how she met my father there, and know how they ___53___ the difficult times. I can't get enough of these stories. They are ___54___ to me, a part of my history.   

Peggy was right. Dating another woman has ___55___ my marriage.

36. A. easy           B. difficult              C. short              D. hard

37. A. closer          B. longer             C. nicer              D. fitter

38. A. date            B. please           C. meet              D. consult

39. A. passed out           B. passed by          C. passed down            D. passed away

40. A. went            B. drove              C. moved             D. removed

41. A. routine         B. development      C. demands                D. loss

42. A. beyond         B. with                 C. during             D. on

43. A. excited         B. annoyed           C. delighted          D. surprised

44. A. ordinary        B. fancy              C. plain               D. common

45. A. Since             B. When                C. If                      D. Unless

46. A. worker            B. waitress              C. reader                     D. owner

47. A award             B. return                 C. turn                        D. answer

48. A. over                    B. with                    C. on                     D. across

49. A. cancelled     B. refused               C. missed                     D. abandoned

50. A. What             B. Who                  C. Where                D. How

51. A. talk                     B. movie                 C. walk                   D. dinner

52. A. finally             B. merely                 C. mostly                 D. especially             

53. A. went though          B. pulled through           C. looked through           D. saw through

54. A. friendly         B. kind                  C. loyal                    D. important

55. A. ruined          B. damaged           C. helped                D. affected