For years I wanted a flower garden．I'd spend hours thinking of different things I could plant that would look nice together．
But then we had Matthew．And Marvin．And the twins, Alisa and Alan．And then Helen．Five children．I was too busy raising them to grow a garden．
Money was tight, as well as time．Often when my children were little, one of them would want something that cost too much, and I'd have to say,“Do you see a money tree outside?Money doesn't grow on trees, you know．”
Finally, all five got through high school and college and were off on their own．I started thinking again about having a garden．
I wasn't sure, though．I mean, gardens do cost money．Then, one spring morning, on Mother's Day, I was working in my kitchen when suddenly I looked out of the window and there was a new tree, planted right in my yard．I thought it must be a weeping willow, because I saw things blowing around on all its branches．Then I put my glasses on and I couldn't believe what I saw．There was a money tree in my yard!
I went outside to look．It was true!There were dollar bills, one hundred of them, taped all over that tree．Think of all the garden flowers I could buy with one hundred dollars!There was also a note attached：“IOU eight hours of digging time．Love, Marvin．”
Marvin kept his promise, too．He dug up a nice ten-by-fifteen foot bed(花坛)for me．And my other children bought me gardening tools and books．
That was three years ago．My garden's now very pretty, just like I wanted．When I go out and weed or tend my flowers, I don't seem to miss my children as much as I once did．It feels like they're right there with me．
I live up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where winters are long and cold, and summers are too short．But every year now, when winter sets in, I look out my window and think of the flowers I'll see next spring in my little garden．I think about what my children did for me, and I get tears in my eyes－every time．
I'm still not sure that money grows on trees．But I know love does!
(1)
The writer is a mother who ________．
[ ]
A．
wanted a money tree for many years
B．
is now living alone with a beautiful garden
C．
is too busy to grow a flower garden
D．
gave her children whatever they wanted
(2)
What is true about the flower garden?
[ ]
A．
She made the garden in her yard all by herself．
B．
She had some workers help her with the bed and flowers．
C．
Her children did a lot for the garden．
D．
Her family moved to a new house with a nice flower garden．
(3)
Who sent the money tree to the writer?
[ ]
A．
One of her children．
B．
Her husband．
C．
It is still unknown to her．
D．
Her best friend．
(4)
The note on the money tree means ________．
[ ]
A．
this is a gift card on Mother's Day．
B．
Marvin promised to work on a flower garden for his mother．
C．
Marvin returned the money tree he had borrowed from his mother．
D．
I Love You．
(5)
What does the money tree mean to the mother?
[ ]
A．
She can buy all the garden flowers she wants．
B．
She will be able to live on the money growing on the tree．
C．
The tree made her so sad that she missed her children very much．
Christmas was a quiet affair when I was growing up．There were just my parents and 1 ．I wished that someday I'd 2 and have six children and at 3 my house would be full of 4 and love．I found the 5 who shared my dream, but we had not 6 the possibility of infertility(不能生育)．So we asked for adoption(收养)and, within a year, he arrived．We called him our Christmas boy because he came to us during that season of joy, 7 he was just six days old．Then nature 8 us again．within two years we 9 two biological children to the family not as many as we had hoped for, 10 compared with 11 childhood, three made an entirely 12 crowd．
As our Christmas boy grew, he made it clear that only he had the special skill to select and decorate(装饰)the Christmas 13 each year．He started his Christmas gift list 14 before we'd finished the thanksgiving turkey(感恩节火鸡)．He encouraged us to sing songs, using our froglike 15 comparing with his musical gift of perfect voice．
Our friends thought that adopted children were not the same and they were 16 ．Our Christmas boy brought 17 into lives with his good cheer, his wit．He made us look and act better than we were．
Then on his 26th Christmas, he left us as 18 as he had come．He was killed in a car accident on an icy Denver street, on his way home to his young wife and daughter．But first he had 19 by our home to decorate our tree, as usual．His father and I sold our home, where memories clung to every room．We moved to California, leaving 20 our friends and church．
Christmas was a quiet affair when I was growing up．There were just my parents and 1 ．I wished that someday I'd 2 and have six children, and at 3 my house would be full of 4 and love．
I found the 5 who shared my dream, but we had not 6 the possibility of infertility(不能生育)．So we asked for adoption(收养)and, within a year, he arrived．We called him our Christmas boy because he came to us during that season of joy, 7 he was just six days old．Then nature 8 us again．Within two years we 9 two biological children to the family－not as many as we had hoped for, 10 compared with quiet childhood, three made an entirely satisfactory 11 ．
12 our Christmas boy grew, he made it clear that only he had the special skill to select and decorate(装饰)the Christmas 13 each year．He started his Christmas gift list 14 before we'd finished the Thanksgiving turkey．He encouraged us to sing songs, using our froglike 15 comparing with his musical gift of perfect voice．
Our friends thought that adopted children were not the same and they were right．Our Christmas boy brought 16 into our lives with his good cheer, his wit(智慧)．He made us 17 and act better than we were．
Then on his 26th Christmas, he left us as 18 as he had come．He was killed in a car accident on an icy Denver street, on his way home to his young wife and daughter．But first he had 19 by our home to decorate our tree, as usual．His father and I sold our home, where memories remained in every room．We moved to California, leaving 20 our friends and church．
