"Grandma, Grandma, tell us a story ! "Four darling children sat by my feet, looking up at me expectantly. Suddenly, we were interrupted clapping."Terrific, " the director said, stepping up the stage from the aisle ."Except, could you kids face the audience a bit more? " The kids shifted to face the empty seats, which would be filled in a few days for the church play."Perfect," the director said. "Now, Grandma, read to your grandchildren." hit me. If' only I could read to my real grandchild! I had a granddaughter, but I'd never met her. Sixteen years earlier my son was involved in a relationship that ended badly. But out of' it came a blessing: a baby girl named Lena. I hoped to be a grandmother to her-but shortly after the birth, the mother moved without any address left. Over the years, I asked around town to try and find my son's ex-wife ,but it seemed that she didn't want to be found. I'd just joined this new church a week earlier and was at once offered the part of Grandma in the play. At least now I could pretend to be a grandma. The rehearsals went well, and finally the day of' the show arrived. The performance was great. "You all looked so natural up there, "one of' my friends said. Afterward, we went to the church basement for refreshments .I walked over to one of the girls in the play. Rehearsals had been such a whirlwind that we never really got to talk. "How's my granddaughter? " I joked. "Fine !" she answered. Just then, someone else walked up and asked the girl her name. I wasn't sure I heard the girl's answer correctly. But it made me ask her another question."What's your mother's name? " She told me, I was still in shock."And what's your father's name? "I asked. She told me.It was my son. She'd only started going to that church a week before I did. Since that day of 'the play, we've stayed close. Not long ago, she even made me a great grandma. Why did the author feel "a pang of' sadness" at the words of' the director'? A) The director's words reminded her of 'her lost granddaughter. B) The director's words hurt her so badly. C) She wished that she had a real grandchild. D) The director wasn't content with her performance.
A
We thought we had it all---a beautiful house, three healthy children and one more on the way, two cars, a couple of four-wheelers for entertainment---and we loved it. Then, the market turned and my husband's job at a construction company was gone. The company was closing down for good.We both started looking for jobs right away, but there weren't any to be found. With each passing day we were getting increasingly worried and we continued to work together in order to pull our family through. _ I felt feelings of admiration for my husband that I hadn't felt in years. That's why it was so hard for me to watch him blame himself for our present situation. I continually asked him to stop, but he seemed to want to punish himself for not having a job. Finally, one afternoon I pulled him aside and said, "We have four healthy children and each other. That's what's important. That makes you a rich man." " But what if we lose the house? They'll hate me--you'll hate me," he replied. I smiled at him and put my hands on both sides of his face to make him look me in the eye. "No matter where we live I will be happy -as long as I have you." I smiled again. In all the struggling together I had found that deep love for him that I had on the day we said "I do". I could see his shoulders and neck relaxed. He held me close and we were able to talk and plan and dream together in a way that we hadn't for quite some time. It was a turning point for us as a couple and a family. We are still struggling for out better life, but I consider us well-off because we have something that money can't buy and no one can take away from us. The best title of the passage might be _ . A) We Have It All B) We Find It Again C) A Perfect Couple D) A Hard Time
A
Q: Redwood trees are the tallest plants on the earth,reaching heights of up to 100 meters.They are also known for their longevity,typically 500 to 1000 years,but sometimes more than 2000 years.A hundred million years ago,in the age of dinosaurs,redwoods were common in the forests of a much more moist and tropical North America.As the climate became drier and colder,they declined to a narrow strip along the Pacific coast of Northern Califomia. The trunk of redwood trees is very strong and usually forms a single straight column.It is covered with a soft bark.This bark can be pretty thick,well over two feet in the more mature trees.It gives the older trees a certain kind of protection from insects,but the main benefit is that it keeps the center of the tree harmless from moderate forest fires because of its thickness.This fire resistant quality explains why the giant redwood grows to live that long.While most other types of trees are destroyed by forest fires,the giant redwood actually prospers because of them. Moderate fires will clear the ground of competing plant life,and the rising heat dries and opens the ripe fruit of the redwood,releasing many thousands of seeds onto the ground below. New trees are often produced from shoots,little baby trees,which form at the base of the trunk.These shoots grow slowly,fed by the root system of the "mother'' tree.When the main tree dies,the shoots are then free to grow as full trees,forming a "fairy ring" of trees around the original tree.These trees,in turn,may give rise to more shoots,and the cycle continues. How does a "fairy ring'' form according to the passage? A) By killing an old tree. B) By connecting root systems. C) By inserting holes into old trees. D) By surrounding a mature tree.
A: D