My mother loves flowers. We live next door to each other, so she often spends much time planting flowers in my garden. In summer, she often makes colourful bouquets(花束) and puts them inside the houses-both hers and mine.

One year, shortly before Christmas, a local flower shop offered an activity for mothers in each month of the next year. It seemed to be a great way to thank her for all of the flowers she had given me through the years. I couldn't wait the new year so that I could give a bouquet to her!

After the Christmas, in early January, I drove her to the flower shop to pick up her first month's bouquet. But then we found the bouquet would hardly fill a small vase(花瓶).

I was so embarrassed(尴尬的). "Mum, I'm sorry," I told her. "I didn't know how skimpy that bouquet was." She looked at me and smiled. "It's okay," she said optimistically (乐观地). "It allows me to enjoy the beauty of each one better."

I was amazed at what she said. It helped me realize something more important —we often fail to enjoy the beauty of each thing when we have too many good things. I understood that less is sometimes more.

46. The mother often spends much time ________.

A. cleaning her child's house

B. making bouquets in a flower shop

C. planting flowers in her child's garden

D. planting flowers in her own garden

47. We can infer(推断) from the story that_________ .

A. the writer couldn't afford a big bouquet

B. the mother was unhappy when receiving the bouquet

C. the writer would pick up another bouquet the next month

D. the mother would send back the bouquet to the flower shop

48. The underlined word "skimpy" means" _______”.

A. beautiful　　　 B. small　　 C. cheap　　　　 D. colourful

49. What is the mother like?

A. She is a lazy woman.　　　　　　　　　 B. She is a strict mother.

C. Sometimes she isn't honest.　　　　　　 D. She is always optimistic.

50. What did the author learn from her mother?

A. How to buy flowers.　　　　　　　　　 B. How to enjoy flowers.

C. How to grow flowers in the garden.　　　 D. How to consider things in another way.