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It was at least tow months before Christmas, when nine-year-old Almie Rose told her father and me that she wanted a new bike. Her Barbi bike was just too old, and it needed repairing as well.
As Christmas came nearer, her dream for a bike seemed to disappear, so we thought, for she didn’t mention it again. We were busy buying some beautiful storybooks, a doll house, a holiday dress and toys. Then much to our surprise, on December 24, she said she really wanted a bike more than anything else.
Now we didn’t know what to do. It was just toot late. We were busy with Christmas dinner and packing children’s presents, parents’ presents, a brother’s present and friends’ presents till midnight.So there was no time to take to buy the “right bike” for our little girl. Thinking that we were parents who would make their children unhappy, we felt guilty and sad.
Suddenly my husband came up with an idea. “What if I make a little bike out of clay(泥土) and write a note(便条) that she could trade in(交换) the model bike for a real one?” So he spent the next five hours carefully working with the clay to make a small bike.
On Christmas morning, we were so excited for Almie Rose to open the little box with the beautiful red and white clay bike and the note. She opened and read the note loudly.
She looked at me and Ron and said, ”So does this mean I can trade in this bike for a real one?” Smiling, I said, “Yes.”
Almie Rose had tears in her eyes when she replied, “I would never trade in this beautiful bike that Daddy made me. I prefer to keep it rather than get a real bike.” At that moment, we would have moved the God to buy her every bike on the Earth.
【小题1】Rose’s wish was to____ on Christmas Day.

I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mother sat doing letters. Standing by her chair, 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’d said again, “it’s for Elizabeth.”
I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me; 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 passed 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 she chose that she did forgive me.
I posted the letter and waited for her answer. None came.
My hope turned to disappointment, then little interest and, finally, peace—it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to mother. 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, as she’d never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside--- a photo of my father and a one-page 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____________.

Christmas was coming and my ten-year-old Alice told her father and me that she wanted a new bike.  Her bike was too   1  , and it needed repairing as well.
As Christmas   2 ,  her dream for a bike seemed to disappear, we thought, for she didn't say it again. We were busy  3  some beautiful story books, a doll house, a holiday dress and toys. Then to our surprise, on December 24, she said she really wanted a bike more than   4 .
Now we didn't know   5  to do. It was just too late. We were busy with Christmas dinner and packing  6  presents, parents' presents, a brother's present and friends' presents till midnight. So there was   7  time to take to buy the "right hike" for our little girl. Thinking we were parents who would make their child unhappy, we felt sorry and   8 .
Suddenly my husband had an idea. "What about making a little bike with clay (黏土) and writing a note that she could trade in (交换) the model bike for a real one?" So he spent the next five hours carefully __9__ with clay to make a small bike.
  10  Christmas morning, we were so excited for Alice to open the little box with the beautiful red and white clay bike and the note. She opened and read the   11  loudly. She looked at me and said, "So, does this mean I can trade in this bike for a real  12 _?" Smiling, I said, "Yes!" Alice had tears in her eyes when she replied, "I would  13  trade in this beautiful bike Daddy made me. I __14 _ keep it than get a real bike. This is the best Christmas present   15  I have ever got in my life!"