How old was I? I can’t remember. Maybe I was only 10. It was the first 16 without my father because he was away for something. He left me to fill that sad place in my mother’s heart. It was the Christmas when I stopped being a 17 and tried to play Father Christmas myself. I really wanted to make it happy and bright again. It was the Christmas of the 18 . Mom first saw the coat at Tobias, a nice 19 shop in our town’s little shopping mall. It was dark green. And it was a 20 , heavy, wool dress coat. Mom pulled it out from the rack(架) and held it up. “Long enough,” she said in a low voice and 21 . “I need a new coat,” Mom smiled before the mirror. She looked good on any clothes, 22 this coat suited her much better. She looked at the 23 , then hung the coat back on the rack, standing there once more to 24 Eighty-seven dollars. But I decided to buy it for her. As we moved on 25 the mall, I found some excuse to return and asked one of the Tobias ladies to 26 the coat. I helped clean every yard(庭院) in our neighbourhood—some yards twice, and soon I got the coat. The store ladies helped me put it in their biggest 27 with bright blue paper and thick silver ribbon(丝带). I don’t remember 28 I got it home, but I can still feel the wonderful 29 and pride that filled me. I would imagine the big space which the box would take up under our tree. Here it was—joy, peace and 30 —all in the box, waiting for Mom’s surprise. 小题1: A．Easter B．Christmas C．Halloween D．Thanksgiving 小题2: A．child B．son C．student D．teacher 小题3: A．tree B．bag C．coat D．ribbon 小题4: A．children’s B．women’s C．girl’s D．men’s 小题5: A．big B．wide C．thin D．long 小题6: A．tried it on B．put it on C．kept it on D．turned it on 小题7: A．though B．or C．for D．and 小题8: A．price B．design C．color D．material 小题9: A．taste B．feel C．sound D．smell 小题10: A．through B．over C．past D．across 小题11: A．sell B．send C．keep D．wash 小题12: A．tank B．basket C．bag D．box 小题13: A．how B．why C．whether D．when 小题14: A．development B．excitement C．improvement D．advertisement 小题15: A．courage B．confidence C．love D．honesty