When the one-year anniversary of my mother’s ...

When the one-year anniversary of my mother’s passing came around, I found myself in the kitchen preparing some of her favorite dishes.

As I poured myself into cooking, some of the deep sadness I was experiencing at this one-year mark moved through me. I loved my mom's turkey soup. I remembered the time she made some especially for me. It was summer then and I had a terrible head cold. She arrived unexpectedly one afternoon at my work place with a huge jar of her turkey noodle soup. At the thought, I began to feel a little more relieved in the pain of losing her.

It was then that I realized I was reconnecting with my mother through food. I laughed a bit at myself when I reflected on all the dishes I had cooked that week. Without knowing it, I had created a beautiful ceremony to honor my mother and to comfort myself at this vulnerable(脆弱的) time. I suddenly felt my mother at hand and was filled with her presence. I was so uplifted and excited that I began talking to her, imagining she was there.

“What else should we make?” I asked of us both, wanting to keep the ceremony from ending.

“Irish Potato Pancakes,” was the reply.

I hesitated. The thought of these brought up another loss. The last time I made potato pancakes was two and a half years ago. I had taken off my engagement (订婚) ring and never found it again. Since then, I resisted using that recipe even though I really liked those pancakes as if it were partly to blame.

My mom should know better than to suggest these, I thought. She knew how upset I was about losing my ring. But despite these hesitations, I found myself caught up in the joy and celebration of the moment, and I reached for the cookbook without another thought of the ring. My mom did love Irish things. I opened the cookbook and turned to the pancake recipe. At once, something at the bottom of the page caught my eye... It was shining! Amazingly, there, pressed into the pages of this book, was my diamond ring!

That day, I made potato pancakes in the shape of hearts.

1.At the one-year anniversary, the writer ______.

A. cooked some dishes in memory of her mother

B. felt more painful at the thought of the turkey noodle soup

C. was so excited as to see her mother home

D. didn’t give a thought of the lost ring

2.The writer hesitated to cook potato pancakes probably because ______.

A. she felt too sad to make them

B. she didn’t like such pancakes

C. her mother was to blame for the loss of her ring

D. they reminded her of the loss of her ring

3.It can be inferred from the passage that her mother ______.

A. was connected with the writer through food

B. taught the writer how to cook pancakes

C. actually still lived with the writer

D. found the ring for her daughter

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

A. Heart-shaped Pancakes B. Lost and Found Ring

C. Favorite Dishes　 D. Sad One-year Anniversary

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

“Get yourself up and make something of yourself，buddy！”Though my mother has passed away，her words are as clear in my head today as when I was a boy．

“Christ！”I said，“I have made something of myself. I want to sleep late as I like．”

“If there’s one thing I can’t stand，it’s a quitter．”Her voice in my head is more powerful than my will to refuse，so I pull myself from bed．

　　　 Before I was out of primary school，mother could see I lacked the gifts for either making millions or winning the love of crowds．So she began pushing me toward working with words．Words ran in her family．There seemed to be a word gene that passed down from her mother’s grandfather·

The greatest proof was my mother’s first cousin Edwin．He was the managing editor of the New York Times and had gained a name in his career．

In 1947 1 graduated from Johns Hopkins and applied for a job with the Baltimore Sun as a police reporter．It paid＄30 a week ．When I complained the wage was shameful for a learned man，mother refused to sympathize．“If you work hard at this job，”she said，“maybe you can make something of it．”

After a while，I was asked to cover diplomats（外交官）at various African embassies. Then，

seven years later I was arranged by the Sun to cover the White House，a task that was as close to heaven as a journalist could get．However，whatever achievement of mine only seemed insignificant in her eyes．Uncle Edwin’s success was really annoying during my early years as a reporter．What a thrill，I thought．

Then，out of my wildest childhood fantasy，the Times came knocking．It was sad that Uncle Edwin had passed away by this time．In 1979 I won the Pulitzer Prize．Unfortunately，my mother’s brain and health broke down the year before，leaving her in a nursing home，out of touch with life forevermore ．She never knew of my Pulitzer．

　　　 I can probably guess how she’d have responded．“ That’s nice，buddy．It shows if you work hand，you’11 be able to make something of yourself one day，”

1.The first three paragraphs are intended to＿＿＿＿＿＿

A．draw readers’attention to the author’s success

B．remind readers that the road to success is rough

C．serve as an introduction to the author’s mother

D．explain why the author’s mother kept blaming him

2.The underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 probably means that tier families＿＿＿＿

A. were gifted at language　 B．never broke their promise

C. were fond of reading 　 D. stuck to their family belief

3.What can we learn about the author

A．He got a good salary working as a police reporter．

B．He lived a rich life with his mother in his childhood．

C．It was proud of her mother to see his winning the Pulitzer Prize．

D．It was beyond his wildest dream that he could work for the Times．

4.The author regards Uncle Edwin’s success as a thrill because＿＿＿＿＿＿．

A．he himself was less smart than Uncle Edwin

B．his mother’s family thought Uncle Edwin to be a good reporter

C．few reporters can become the managing editor of the New York Times

D．Uncle Edwin spared no effort to get the Pulitzer Prize at the cost of his life

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When Charles Barkley's mother passed away, Barkley's hometown came to the funeral. But a(n) __ guest also came. He wasn't a basketball player or from Barkley's hometown. More ___, he was my dad-a scientist.

My dad said he ___ about Barkley long before he met him. Whenever we ___ dinner parties, he would talk about Barkley. Basketball has never been my thing. I ___some key words into a search engine to____something about Barkley. He seemed pretty famous and ___not like anyone who would be friends with my dad.

But the friendship was real.

My dad ____ made a slide of photos of him and Barkley together for our community's Chinese New Year party- totally irrelevant to the ____. I asked him what made them become friends.

"As an Asian in the U.S., we had a good ___," he said. "We agree on many views."

They believed the color of their skin didn't ___ .

But on a Sunday afternoon my dad passed away. Everyone was ______ as Barkley attended the funeral. "It gives me great ___and joy to know I was a friend of his," Barkley said. "Just hearing about him at the ______ -what he had achieved and what he was trying to help others ___, touched me I ___he would be known to many people."

At the funeral, people ___ memories of my dad. I realize that even after he passed away, I would continue to _______things about him.

The story of his friendship with Barkley was not just a ____with a famous person-it threw light on the ___ of this world.

1.A. frequent B. unexpected C. average D. unwelcome

2.A. specifically B. importantly C. carefully D. strictly

3.A. cared B. worried C. thought D. knew

4.A. held B. organized C. attended D. arranged

5.A. read B. forgot C. sent D. typed

6.A. find out B. apply for C. talk about D. pick up

7.A. potentially B. accidentally C. deliberately D. certainly

8.A. still B. also C. even D. already

9.A. experience B. holiday C. player D. friendship

10.A. chance B. conversation C. argument D. choice

11.A. bum B. differ C. matter D. shine

12.A. astonished B. thrilled C. annoyed D. disappointed

13.A. moments B. memories C. relief D. comfort

14.A. meeting B. hometown C. party D. funeral

15.A. accomplish B. contribute C. develop D. gain

16.A. wished B. declared C. suspected D. confirmed

17.A. improved B. refreshed C. shared D. lost

18.A. spread B. learn C. obtain D. mourn

19.A. connection B. coincidence C. phenomenon D. relationship

20.A. benefits B. responsibilities C. possibilities D. varieties

高三英语完形填空困难题查看答案及解析

I could not ________ my tears when I saw the picture of the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

A.bring in

B.turn up

C.take off

D.hold back

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

When e-mail first came into general use about twenty years ago, there was a lot of talk about the arrival of the paperless office. However, it seems that e-mail has yet to revolutionize office communication. According to communications analyst Richard Metcalf, some offices have actually seen an increase in paper as a result of e-mail. “Information in the form of e-mail messages now floods our computer screens. These messages can be sent so quickly that memos tend to be distributed in the hundreds. For those secretaries whose bosses ask them to print out all their e-mails and leave them in their in-trays, this means using up a great deal of paper every month,” Metcalf says.

Metcalf has found that because some e-mails get lost in cyberspace, important documents are increasingly likely to be asked by clients and colleagues to send all important documents both by e-mail and by fax. This highlights a further potential problem with e-mail in today’s offices ─ it is taking up time rather than saving it. “With e-mail, communication is much easier, but there is also more room for misunderstandings,” says psychologist Dr David Lewis. Generally, much less care is taken with e-mails than with letters or faxes and the sender will probably print the document and reread it before putting it in an envelope or sending it by fax.

More worrying is still the increasing misuse of e-mail for sending “flame-mail” ─inappropriate e-mail messages. Recent research in several companies suggests that aggressive communications like this are on the increase. E-mail has become the perfect medium for conveying workplace dissatisfaction because it is so instant.

E-mail can also be a problem in other ways. Staffs all too often make the mistake of thinking that the contents of the e-mail, like things said over the phone, are private and not permanent. But it is not only possible for an employer to read all your e-mails, it is also perfectly legal. E-mail messages can be traced back to their origin for a period of at least two years, so you might want to rethink e-mailing your dissatisfaction about your boss to your friends. The advice is to keep personal e-mails out of the office.

(Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN 12 WORDS)

1.The promise of paperless office has not come true in many offices mainly because many　 secretaries are asked to _____________.

2.Why has e-mailing taken up time rather than saved it?

3.There is an increasing concern that e-mails are misused by some employees to express　 _____________.

4.It is advised that employees should not use company e-mails as a way of ___________.

高三英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析

I was 20 years old when my mother passed away.It was the first real blow that life had dealt me，and I thought I would never recover.Then，by the time the following spring came，the pain was almost bearable and again I could find pleasure in the miraculous reward of nature.

At first，I went to the cemetery with trepidation.But then，amazingly，by tending her grave and decorating it with flowers，I was ridding myself of the painful memories.

The years passed.I moved from Kaposvar，Hungary，the town where I had been born and had spent my youth.So did my siblings.We only came together on feast days，especially on All Souls’ Day in the cemetery.

Father lived with me for many years，to a ripe old age.Now that he，too，rests beneath the white marble stone，I go even more eagerly to the cemetery.While I tend my parents’ grave site，again I am with them in thought.

One day I noticed a modest grave site behind my parents’ plot.It lay among the magnificent granite and marble markers of the other graves，its very simplicity calling attention to itself.Ivy(常春藤) had covered the site and its only decoration was a simple wooden cross on which was written in copper letters a name，and that she lived 22 years.Whenever I went by，the plot and its surroundings looked cared for and neat，and each time I felt curious about this mysterious woman who had lived all of 22 years.

Once I saw an elderly man leaving from there.I concluded that perhaps he had come to visit his wife.In 1996 I was preparing for All Souls’ Day in the cemetery when again I caught sight of him，tending the grave.Tall，somewhat bent，he was well passed middle age.We nodded to each other and continued our work.Occasionally I stole a glance at my neighbor.When I noticed that he hadn’t got the tools for a proper cleanup，I offered him mine，which he gratefully accepted.After this，it seemed only natural to engage him in conversation.I asked him whose grave it was.This was his answer：

“My mother’s.She died young，in 1912 when I was only a year­and­a half old.I really never knew her.I made her that cross and the copper letters.”

Then he went on：“No one comes to visit this grave but me because I was her only child.She died of pneumonia.My father remarried and my stepmother only cared for her own children.So then I always came here to my mother，whether in sadness or in joy.Later，life took me far afield，but I never forgot this grave.For me it was the same as the family home is for others.I always came home here.”

“With the years passing，it is getting more difficult for me to come，but as long as my legs will carry me，at least twice a year I visit my mother.I’m in my 80s，so who knows how long I can still make it.”

In stunned silence I listened.Tears clouded my eyes as I realized that I had never seen such boundless love.How much easier is my lot，I thought，for at any moment I can reach into my storehouse of memories and draw out the joyful or sad vignettes(小插图) that bind me to my parents with a thousand threads.What memories might this kindly old gentleman harbor？Perhaps a face from an ancient faded photograph of his mother.

What a great attachment throughout his long life must have led him back again and again to the resting place of that young woman whose motherly love he could never truly savor(尝到)，only forever feels its enormous lack.

We said good­bye.I was deeply moved because I knew that I had been given a great gift.I had been allowed a glimpse of the royal and long­lasting affection that bound a simple and noble­hearted man to his mother.I decided I would tend the grave together with that of my parents，where，finally，the aged child will have met his youthful mother.

1.All Souls’ Day is a feast day 　　　　　 .

A. to visit the cemetery and memorize the dead

B. for families to get together in the cemetery

C. to give gifts to family members

D. for daughters and sons to memorize their parents

2.From the passage，we know 　　　　　 .

A. the author’s mother died young and her father，too

B. the author’s mother was dead while her father enjoyed a long life

C. the man’s mother died very young before he was born

D. the author’s father lived long while the man’s mother died very young

3.The underlined words “calling attention to itself” in the 5th paragraph mean 　　　　　 .

A. desiring to be paid attention to

B. making it easily noticed

C. too modest to be noticed

D. calling itself to draw others’ attention

4.The author stole a glance at her neighbor because 　　　　　 .

A. they were living in the same neighborhood

B. the man was tall and straight，well passed middle age

C. she was wondering about the dead young lady’s story

D. she knew the dead in the grave was the man’s mother

5.From Paragraph 10 we can conclude that 　　　　　 .

A. the author lived near the cemetery and can visit her parents at any time

B. the poor gentleman had hardly any memory of his dear mother’s love

C. the author is bound to her parents with threads

D. the gentleman comes back “home” whenever he wants to

6.What message is conveyed in the passage?

A. Love is a length of thread to bind mother and children together.

B. Mother needs love from her children even if she is dead.

C. Parents’ love is always royal and long­lasting to children.

D. Mother’s love can be a boundless gift to their children.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

I was 20 years old when my mother passed away. It was the first real blow that life had dealt me, and I thought I would never recover. Then, by the time the following spring came, the pain was almost bearable and again I could find pleasure in the miraculous reward of nature.

At first, I went to the cemetery with trepidation. But then, amazingly, by tending her grave and decorating it with flowers, I was ridding myself of the painful memories.

The years passed. I moved from Kaposvar, Hungary, the town where I had been born and had spent my youth. So did my siblings. We only came together on feast days, especially on All Souls’ Day in the cemetery.

Father lived with me for many years, to a ripe old age. Now that he, too, rests beneath the white marble stone, I go even more eagerly to the cemetery. While I tend my parents’ grave site, again I am with them in thought.

One day I noticed a modest grave site behind my parents’ plot. It lay among the magnificent granite and marble markers of the other graves, its very simplicity calling attention to itself. Ivy(长春藤) had covered the site and its only decoration was a simple wooden cross on which was written in copper letters a name, and that she lived 22 years. Whenever I went by, the plot and its surroundings looked cared for and neat, and each time I felt curious about this mysterious woman who had lived all of 22 years.

Once I saw an elderly man leaving from there. I concluded that perhaps he had come to visit his wife. In 1996 I was preparing for All Souls’ Day in the cemetery when again I caught sight of him, tending the grave. Tall, somewhat bent, he was well passed middle age. We nodded to each other and continued our work. Occasionally I stole a glance at my neighbor. When I noticed that he hadn’t got the tools for a proper cleanup, I offered him mine, which he gratefully accepted. After this, it seemed only natural to engage him in conversation. I asked him whose grave it was. This was his answer:

“My mother’s. She died young, in 1912 when I was only a year-and-a half old. I really never knew her. I made her that cross and the copper letters.”

Then he went on:“No one comes to visit this grave but me because I was her only child. She died of pneumonia. My father remarried and my stepmother only cared for her own children. So then I always came here to my mother, whether in sadness or in joy. Later, life took me far afield, but I never forgot this grave. For me it was the same as the family home is for others. I always came home here.”

“With the years passing, it is getting more difficult for me to come, but as long as my legs will carry me, at least twice a year I visit my mother. I’m in my 80s. so who knows how long I can still make it.“

In stunned silence I listened. Tears clouded my eyes as I realized that I had never seen such boundless love. How much easier is my lot, I thought, for at any moment I can reach into my storehouse of memories and draw out the joyful or sad vignettes(小插图) that bind me to my parents with a thousand threads. What memories might this kindly old gentleman harbor? Perhaps a face from an ancient faded photograph of his mother.

What a great attachment throughout his long life must have led him back again and again to the resting place of that young woman whose motherly love he could never truly savor(尝到), only forever feels its enormous lack.

We said good-bye. I was deeply moved because I knew that I had been given a great gift. I had been allowed a glimpse of the royal and long-lasting affection that bound a simple and noble-hearted man to his mother. I decided I would tend the grave together with that of my parents, where, finally, the aged child will have met his youthful mother.

1.All Souls’ Day is a feast day ________.

A. to visit the cemetery and memorize the dead

B. for families to get together in the cemetery

C. to give gifts to family members

D. for daughters and sons to memorize their parents

2.From the passage, we know ________.

A. the author’s mother died young and her father, too

B. the author’s mother is dead while her father enjoys a long life

C. the man’s mother died very young before he was born

D. the author’s father lived long while the man’s mother died very young

3.The underlined words “calling attention to itself” in the 5th paragraph means ________.

A. desiring to be paid attention to

B. making it easily noticed

C. too modest to be noticed

D. calling itself to draw others’ attention

4.The author stole a glance at her neighbor because ________.

A. they were living in the same neighborhood

B. the man was tall and straight, well passed middle age

C. she was wondering about the dead young lady’s story

D. she knew the dead in the grave was the man’s mother

5.From Paragraph 10 we can conclude that ________.

A. the author lived near the cemetery and can visit her parents at any time

B. the poor gentleman had hardly any memory of his dear mother’s love

C. the author is bound to her parents with threads

D. the gentleman comes back “home” whenever he wants to

6.What message is conveyed in the passage?

A. Love is a length of thread to bind mother and children together.

B. Mother needs love from her children even if she is dead.

C. Parents’ love is always royal and long-lasting to children.

D. Mother’s love can be a boundless gift to their children.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When doing my homework,________.

A.I heard the doorbell ring    B.the doorbell rang

C.my mother came in            D.my mother was cooking

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Last month my mother moved into a nursing home. This came after years of witnessing the worsening of her cognitive abilities and changes in her personality, all thanks to life-sucking frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

My mom is going to lose her ability to speak, have trouble forming complete thoughts and sentences, and eventually forget how to do things she loved, like cook and read.

But despite all of her inabilities, when I walked in on her having dinner with the rest of the women that make up the dementia floor of the nursing home, I didn’t think she belonged.

It wasn’t until I spent three days there bonding with those women that I realized what scared me the most-she did fit in.

If you were an outsider looking at these women, you’d pity them. You’d think it was cruel that our bodies could turn on us in this way. You’d think it was sad that their families have put the burden of taking care of them on someone else. You’d want to intervene.

You’d want to give the lady eating mashed potatoes with her hands a spoon, you’d want to peel the orange for the lady who’s eating it like an apple, you’d want to scold the lady who forgets to flush the toilet and wash her hands after using the bathroom.

I did all those things to my mother. But when I see her in an environment that lets her be herself, it somehow seems okay.

Learn to love them unconditionally. It’s easier said than done, but if she loved me after giving her hell for making me come home by 10 p. m. on Fridays, I can love her even if she forgets my name.

1.What frightened the author most?

A. Her mother adapted to the nursing home.

B. She had to look after her mother.

C. Her mother suffered from FTD.

D. She lived with those women at the nursing home.

2.Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “intervene”？

A. Amaze.　　 B. Interrupt.

C. Permit.　　 D. Explore.

3.What was the final decision of the author?

A. She let her mother alone.

B. She took care of her mother at home.

C. She sent her mother to hospital.

D. She let her mother stay at the nursing home.

4.What’s the author’s attitude towards her mother?

A. Mean.　　 B. Selfish.

C. Grateful.　　 D. Honest.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

My mother was a giver. The occasion never ______ – Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries or no occasion at all.

She was always thinking about who might ______ what. Creativity and ______ went into the gifts she gave, and she ______ a thank you note. Once she sent out a note to her own children and grandchildren who had not acknowledged gifts, ______ that they were now on her “Fecal Roster(黑名单)” and would not be removed

____ she had received a proper thank you.

Even if you didn’t　 ______ a thank you, she’d give you another gift the next ______ she had. She figured

____ manners were your problem, not hers.

Every time Mom and Dad ______ to visit, all of us would gather in the driveway as they unloaded luggage. There was always something for the kids, ______ a couple of little toys or a big ______ of homemade cookies. They weren’t gifts for particular occasion. They were ______ “Isn’t life great?” gifts.

One spring when they came to visit, she handed me a ______ bag. Inside was a painting that ______ : “A Special Daughter. You’ve ______ laughter and joy to our lives and so much love to our hearts. The most precious things we can ______ for you are the things you have given us… ______ and Love.”

Mom was a ______ gift giver, but the best gifts we will always remember her for were her lover for______and her love for us.

1.A. mattered　　 B. occurred　　 C. varied　　 D. arose

2.A. wonder　　 B. praise　　 C. enjoy　　 D. approve

3.A. thoughtfulness　　 B. sympathy　　 C. justice　　 D. authority

4.A. ignored　　 B. appreciated　　 C. promised　　 D. resisted

5.A. assuming　　 B. abusing　　 C. stating　　 D. correcting

6.A. once　　 B. after　　 C. when　　 D. until

7.A. send　　 B. purchase　　 C. conduct　　 D. obtain

8.A. time　　 B. chance　　 C. festival　　 D. holiday

9.A. mistaken　　 B. bad　　 C. silly　　 D. ridiculous

10.A. walked by　　 B. wandered around　　 C. drove over　　 D. rode away

11.A. often　　 B. always　　 C. never　　 D. seldom

12.A. tank　　 B. cage　　 C. container　　 D. holder

13.A. fairly　　 B. apparently　　 C. especially　　 D. simply

14.A. cookie　　 B. toy　　 C. hand　　 D. gift

15.A. read　　 B. told　　 C. wrote　　 D. appeared

16.A. showed　　 B. awarded　　 C. devoted　　 D. brought

17.A. apply　　 B. wish　　 C. recommend　　 D. ask

18.A. Assistance　　 B. Privilege　　 C. Happiness　　 D. Satisfaction

19.A. extreme　　 B. serious　　 C. grand　　 D. great

20.A. life　　 B. kids　　 C. families　　 D. gifts

高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析