Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents. Every day they are very busy trying to earn money in order to pay the high tuition for my brother and me. They don’t act in the romantic ways that I read in books or I see on TV. In their opinion, “I love you” is too luxurious for them to say. Sending flowers to each other on Valentine’s Day is even more out of the question. Finally my father has a bad temper. When he’s very tired from the hard work, it is easy for him to lose his temper.　
　　One day, my mother was sewing a quilt. I silently sat down beside her and looked at her.　
　　“Mom, I have a question to ask you,” I said after a while.　
　　“What?” she replied, still doing her work.　
　　“Is there love between you and Dad?” I asked her in a very low voice.　
　　My mother stopped her work and raised her head with surprise in her eyes. She didn’t answer immediately. Then she bowed her head and continued to sew the quilt.　
　　I was very worried because I thought I had hurt her. I was in a great embarrassment and I didn't know what I should do. But at last I heard my mother say the following words:　
　　“Susan,” she said thoughtfully, “Look at this thread. Sometimes it appears, but most of it disappears in the quilt. The thread really makes the quilt strong and durable. If life is a quilt, then love should be a thread. It can hardly be seen anywhere or anytime, but it’s really there.”
　　I listened carefully but I couldn’t understand her until the next spring. At that time, my father suddenly got sick seriously. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month. When they returned from the hospital, they both looked very pale. It seemed both of them had had a serious illness.
　　After they were back, every day in the morning and dusk, my mother helped my father walk slowly on the country road. My father had never been so gentle. It seemed they were the most harmonious couple. Along the country road, there were many beautiful flowers, green grass and trees. The sun gently glistened through the leaves. All of these made up the most beautiful picture in the world.
　　Once I thought love meant flowers, gifts and sweet kisses. But from this experience, I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life, making life strong and warm.
　　thread: 线　　　 quilt: 被子
　　1. Why did the parents try to earn a lot of money?
　　A. To pay for the food.
　　B. To pay off the debt.
　　C. To pay for the hospital.
　　D. To pay the high tuition.

　　2. Which of the following is TRUE?
　　A. The parents sent flowers on Valentine’s day.
　　B. The parents liked to say “I love you.”
　　C. The father was too tired to have a good temper.
　　D. The mother had no job.

　　3. From the passage, we can know that _________.
　　A. the father made much money from his work
　　B. Susan couldn’t understand her mother
　　C. the parents always loved each other
　　D. the mother was worried about her husband

　　4. How did Susan feel towards her parents at last?
　　A. sad　　　　　 B. glad　　 　　C. worried　　　 D. easy

　　5. Which is the best title?
　　A. Love is inside.　　　　　　　　 B. Love is outside.
　　C. Love is seen everywhere.　　 　 D. Love is seen anytime.
　

At the gate Mrs. Clarke 4 with some bags. Her husband drove the car into the garage. Then he 5 the door and left.

But he saw his wife standing outside in 6 . He felt strange and asked, “Why not go in the room dear? It's cold here!”

“I can’t 7 the key to the door,” answered the woman.

“Didn’t you put it into your handbag?”

“Oh, I 8 it,” called out woman, “But where’s my handbag?”

“Didn’t you 9 it out of the car?”

“No, I didn’t. Go to get it, dear.”

“ 10  !” called out Mr. Clarke. “I’ve left the key to the garage in the car, too!”

1. A. blouse　　　　  B. coat　　　　 C. newspaper   D. fridge　　   

2. A. walked　　　　 B. ran　　　　  C. drove　　   D. studied　　  

3. A. cinema　　　　 B. library　　   C. museum　　 D. shop　　　　

4. A. got out　　　　  B. got on　　   C. fell behind   D. fell off　　  

5. A. closed　　　　  B. mended　　  C. locked　　  D. broke　　   

6. A. rain　　　　    B. sun　　　　 C. moon　　    D. snow　　    

7. A. find　　　　    B. look for　　  C. touch　　   D. produce　　  

8. A. forgot　　　　  B. remembered  C. thought　　 D. counted　　  

9. A. bring　　　　  B. throw　　    C. drop　　    D. pull　　　　 

10.A. With pleasure  B. Never mind   C. Good luck   D. Bad luck　　

Sometimes I really wonder whether there is love between my parents. Every day they are very busy making money. They don’t act in the romantic ways that I read about in books or I see on TV. In their opinion, “I love you” is too much to say.
One day, my mother was sewing a quilt (缝被子). I quietly sat down beside her and   【小题1】  her.
“Mom, I have a question for you,” I said, breaking the   【小题2】.
“What?” she asked, still doing her work.
“Is there love between you and Dad?” I asked her in a very   【小题3】  voice.
She stopped her work and raised her head with surprise in her eyes. But then she bowed her head and continued to sew the quilt. I was very   【小题4】  then because I thought I had hurt her.
It seemed like a very long time before my mother started to speak again. “Susan,” she said thoughtfully, “look at this thread (线). Sometimes it   【小题5】 , but most of it disappears (消失) in the quilt. The thread makes the quilt strong and durable. If life is a quilt, then love should be a thread. It can   【小题6】  be seen anywhere or anytime, but it’s really there. Love is inside (在里面).”
I listened carefully but I didn’t understand   【小题7】  the next spring. My father had a stroke (中风) and   【小题8】  walk by himself anymore. After that, my mother   【小题9】  my father walk outside every  day. Along the country road, there were many beautiful flowers and trees. The sun gently glistened through leaves. They two, hand in hand, walked slowly. To me, that was   【小题10】 picture in the world — that’s a picture of love.
They still don’t say “I love you” to each other. But I know they have deep love for each other. I used to think love meant flowers and sweet kisses. But actually, love is just a thread in the quilt.