A
I've loved my mother's desk since I was just tall enough to sit above the top of it.Mother sat writing letters.Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be a 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 said again, “is for Elizabeth.”
I never saw her angry, never saw her cry.I knew she loved me; she showed in action.But as a young girl, I wanted to have hearttoheart 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 (表面)”．
As years passed and 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.
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.
But the present of her desk told me, 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 onepaper letter, folded and refolded many times.It was my letter.
“In any way you choose, Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.”
语篇解读：本文是一篇记叙文。文章讲述了作者和妈妈之间“行胜于言”的故事。本文以“母亲的写字台”为线索回忆母亲生前与自己的点点滴滴。托物思人，以表达自己对母亲的怀念之情。
1．The passage shows that .
A．Mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter
B．Mother was too serious about her daughter in words
C．Mother wrote to her daughter in careful words
D．Mother wrote to her daughter in careless words
解析：选A 推理判断题。由第三、四段内容以及倒数第二段的I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside — a photo of my father and a onepaper letter, folded and refolded many times.It was my letter.可以判断出，母亲表面上很冷漠，但母亲对女儿的爱是深藏在母亲内心深处的。故选A。
2．The underlined word “gulf” in the fourth paragraph means .
A．deep understanding between the old and the young
B．different ideas between mother and daughter
C．free talks between mother and daughter
D．part of the sea going far in land
解析：选B 词义猜测题。由第四段中画线词后的I was “too emotional(易动感情的)”．But she lived “on the surface (表面)”．可知，“我”注重感情，但她只停留在表面上。所以猜测gulf指的是母女之间的想法不同。故选B。
3．What did Mother do with her daughter's letter asking for forgiveness?
A．She had never received the letter.
B．For years, she often talked about the letter.
C．She didn't forgive her daughter at all in all her life.
D．She read the letter again and again before she died.
解析：选D 推理判断题。由倒数第二段中的I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside — a photo of my father and a onepaper letter, folded and refolded many times.It was my letter.可知，母亲去世后，“我”仔细地清理桌子时，发现里面有“我”给她写的信，折叠再折叠过好多次。所以判断出母亲在去世之前，一遍又一遍地读着女儿写给自己的请求原谅的信。故选D。
4．What's the best title for the passage?
A．My Letter to Mother
B．Mother and Children
C．My Mother's Desk
D．Talks between Mother and Me
解析：选C 标题归纳题。根据文章的开头I've loved my mother's desk以及文章倒数第二段的But the present of her desk told me ... that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work.可知，作者托物思人，以表达自己对母亲的怀念之情。结合全文内容可知，本文以“母亲的写字台”为线索回忆母亲生前的点点滴滴。故选C。
