Question

You may never know how valuable something is when it can not be fixed. And it could be a lovely moment you lose forever.

I grew up with very practical parents. My mother washed aluminum foil (鋁箔紙) after she cooked in it, then reused it. She was the recycle queen, before they had a name for it.

My father was happier getting old shoes fixed than buying new ones. Their marriage was good. Their dreams focused. Their best friends lived so near. I can see them now, Dad in trousers, T-shirt and a hat and Mum in a house dress, lawn mower (割草機(jī)) in one hand, dishtowel in the other.

It was the time for fixing things — a curtain rod (桿), the kitchen radio, the oven door, the hem (褶邊) in a dress — things we kept.

It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste somewhat meant affluence (富裕). Throwing things away meant you knew there would always be more.

But then my mother died, and on that clear summer’s night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn’t any more.

Sometimes what we care about most gets all used up and goes away… never to return. So, while we have it, it’s best we love it, care for it, fix it when it’s broken, and heal it when it’s sick.

This is true for marriage, old cars and children with bad report cards, dogs with bad hips, aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.

1.The writer really wanted to tell us .

A. her mum was the recycle queen.

B. her dad liked fixing old shoes.

C. throwing things meant there would be more

D. we should cherish (珍惜) what we care about while we have it

2.What does the underlined word “struck” mean?

A. knocked B. touched C. stuck D. caught

3.Which of the following is NOT mentioned according to the passage?

A. Fixing things is a way of life.

B. Waste somewhat meant affluence.

C. The writer’s family was very poor.

D. The writer’s parents were practical.

Answer 1