Every year on my birthday, from the time I turned twelve, a white gardenia was delivered to my house. No card or note came with it. 1 to the flower shop were always useless---it was a cash 2 . After a while I stopped trying to 3 who the sender was and just delighted in the beautiful and perfume of the white flower. But I never 4 imagining who the sender might be. Some of my 5 moments were spent daydreaming about it.
My mother asked me whether there was someone for whom I had done a(n) 6 kindness who might be showing 7 . Perhaps the neighbor I helped when she was 8 a car full of groceries. Or maybe it was the old man 9 the street whose mail I helped to get during the 10 so he wouldn’t have to venture down his icy step. As a teenager, 11 , I had more fun guessing that it might be a 12 who had noticed me 13 I didn’t know him.
One month before my high school graduation, my father died of a heart attack. He was 14 some of the most important events in my life. I became completely 15 in my upcoming graduation and the dance. When my father died, I 16 the dance and the dress for it. The day before the dance, I found a dress on the sofa. I didn’t 17 if I had a new dress or not, but my mother did.
She wanted her children to feel 18 and lovable, imaginative, believing that there was a 19 in the world and beauty in the face of hard times. Actually mother wanted her children to see themselves much like the gardenia-lovely, 20 and perfect. The gardenia stopped coming when my mother died.
1. A. Calls B. Quarrels C. Messages D. Letters
2. A. service B. deal C. bargain D. offer
3. A .recognize B. imagine C. wonder D. discover
4. A. failed B. stopped C. succeeded D. enjoyed
5. A. saddest B. painful C. happiest D. loneliest
6. A. special B. common C. valuable D. important
7. A. concern B. attitude C. interest D. appreciation
8. A. repairing B. washing C. unloading D. starting
9. A. across B. through C. from D. onto
10.A. spring B. summer C. autumn D. winter
11. A. though B. anyway C. therefore D. indeed
12. A. friend B. superman C. teacher D. boy
13. A .as if B. even though C. in case D. so that
14. A. considering B. expecting C. missing D. preparing
15. A. disappointed B. uninterested C. discouraged D. concentrated
16.A. forgot B. lost C. hated D. expected
17. A. wonder B. believe C. care D. know
18. A. contented B. respected C. thanked D. loved
19. A. trouble B. magic C. tragedy D. comedy
20. A. strong B. beautiful C. smelly D. lucky
