山西省大同市第一中学新高考考前模拟英语试题及答案解析

山西省大同市第一中学新高考考前模拟英语试题考生须知：1．全卷分选择题和非选择题两部分，全部在答题纸上作答。选择题必须用2B铅笔填涂；非选择题的答案必须用黑色字迹的钢笔或答字笔写在“答题纸”相应位置上。2．请用黑色字迹的钢笔或答字笔在“答题纸”上先填写姓名和准考证号。3．保持卡面清洁，不要折叠，不要弄破、弄皱，在草稿纸、试题卷上答题无效。第一部分（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）1．Thedaysaregonephysicalstrengthwasallyouneededtomakealiving．A．that B．whenC．where D．which2．Whathelikedtodowastotakeanideaand______itbyfindingeverypossibleconsequence.A．squeeze B．wrestleC．switch D．shrink3．Ifyouwanttoleadahappylife,you’dbetterlearntoacceptlife______itis.A．as B．thatC．which D．where4．Wecanneverexpect____bluerskyunlesswecreate____lesspollutedworld.A．a;a B．a;theC．the;a D．the;the5．—Whynottalkwithyourparentsaboutyourwillingnesstoattend2017PekingUniversitySummerCamp?—Itried____togetthemtolistentome.A．intime B．invainC．inneed D．incase6．Thelittlegirl________aforeignlanguagefairlyquickly.A．pickedup B．gotup C．steppedup D．madeup7．Wefirmlybelievethat______thenewexaminationsystemcomesintoexistence,completelynewsituationswillarise.A．consideringB．supposedC．providingD．given8．Ifyousleeplessthansevenhours,youarethreetimesmoretocatchacold．A．possible B．certainly C．probable D．likely9．Videogamescanbeapoorinfluenceif________inthewronghands.A．toleave B．leaving C．leave D．left10．Heisconfident,________________inmyopinion,ismostimportantinsociety.A．how B．whichC．that D．what11．Mr.Zhanggavealltextbookstoallthepupils,except____________whohadalreadytakenthem.A．theseB．onesC．thoseD．theothers12．TheOxfordEnglishDictionaryisnecessaryforlearningEnglish,soyou'dbetterbuy___.A．this B．that C．it D．one13．Theinfrastructureprojecthasconsumedsomuchmoneythatwecan'tfindanyfinancialsupportandhaveto______.A．pullout B．pullthroughC．catchup D．catchon14．Mothertoldmeinaphonecallthatshehadwrittentomeaweekbefore,butIhaven’treceived__________.A．one B．it C．something D．anything15．---Iusuallygotherebytrain.---Whynot________byshipforachange?A．totrygoing B．tryingtogoC．totryandgo D．trygoing16．Asasurgeon,Icannotanymistakes;itwouldbedangerousforthepatient.A．appreciate B．removeC．offer D．afford17．Backwardsomewhattechnologically________weareforthemoment,wehaveconfidenceinourabilitytocatchupintime.A．althoughB．ifC．asD．once18．Itreallymatters_______hetreatedthelatestfailure,fortheexaminationisaroundthecorner.A．if B．thatC．why D．how19．Atthattime,mymindwasacomplete_______;Icouldn'tthinkofasingleanswer.A．blank B．bonusC．blow D．bottom20．________________theheavyrain，thecouplewenttothesupermarkettobuytheirsonagift.A．Inspiteof B．ExceptforC．Butfor D．Insteadof第二部分阅读理解（满分40分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。21．（6分）PengLiyuan,wifeofPresidentXiJinping,hasdrawnextensiveattentionfrompeoplebothathomeandabroadforhercharismaandgrace.Accompanyingherhusbandonhisfirstoverseastripafterbecomingpresident,PengLiyuanexhibitedgracefuldemeanor,apleasantpersonalityandwell-chosendress,promptingpeopletocointheterm“Liyuanstyle”.PengLiyuan,asoneofChina’sbest-knownsingers,waspopularamongChinesepeoplelongbeforeherhusbandbecamethepresident.Lovedbyherfans,shehasbeenintouchwiththepeopleforyears.“Liyuanstyle”isnotonlyrepresentativeofafashionidol,butalsooverpassculturalanddiplomaticbarriers.ThebeautifulhandbagsPenghascarried,andtheplainbutelegantanddelicatedressesshehaswornhavebecomepopular.Herchoiceofclothing,made-in-Chinainsteadofluxuriousforeignbrands,showsherbeliefindomesticdressdesigns.But“Liyuanstyle”isnotonlyaboutclothingandawoman’sparaphernalia.ItisalsoaboutdiplomacyandpromotingChina’ssoftpower.InMoscow,Pengvisitedaboardingschoolfororphansandchildrenestranged(疏远)fromtheirparents,encouragingthemtostriveforabetterlife,whichbroughtoutthematernalsideofhercharacter.InTanzania,shedonatedsewingmachinesandschoolbagstowomenandchildren.AndasaWorldHealthOrganizationambassadorinthefightagainstAIDS,Pengisdevotedtomanypubliccauses,includingthoserelatingtocharityandhealthcare.SomeobservershavealreadystartedsayingthatPeng*sactivitieshavebecomepartofpublicdiplomacyinChina.Also,“Liyuanstyle”hasboostedtheconfidenceoftheChinesepeople.Modembutnotflashy,elegantbutnotarrogant,PenghasallthevirtuesofaChinesewomanandcarriesthemtotheinternationalstage.Sincethe18thPartyCongressandtheannualsessionsoftheNPCandCPPCC,thecountry’snewleadershiphasvowedtoadoptadown-to-earthworkstyletoconnectwiththepeople.Peng’splainbutelegantstyleshowsthatthriftinessandanearthystyleneednotbedrabandboring.SoitcanbesaidthatPeng’sfirstappearanceontheinternationalstagehaskickedoffwell.1、Whatsthemeaningoftheunderlinedword“paraphernalia”?A．Herattitudestowardslife B．ThingsshecarriedwithC．Herdiplomaticmeasures D．Hersupporttoherhusband2、Thispassageismainlyabout.A．PresidentXi’swifeandhisfamilyB．PengLiyuan’scharmingcharacterC．theachievementsofPengoncharityandhealthcare.D．aculturalphenomenonnamedas“Liyuanstyle”3、WhichofthefollowingstatementsisTRUR?A．“Liyuanstyle”isonlyafashionidol.B．PengLiyuan,asthewifeofPresidentXi,admireslotsofluxuriousbrands.C．PengLiyuaniswillingtofightagainstAIDSandbecomeananambassadorofWHO.D．Pengfirstlyappearsinthepublicasthe“FirstLady”inMoscow.22．（8分）JOBSCallingModelsWorkingasasuccessfulfashionmodelisn'teasybutitisveryexcitingandcouldbeagreatopportunityOver16,girlsshouldhaveaminimumheightof172cmandboysshouldhaveaminimumheightof182cm.Ifyouareunder16anddonotyethavetherequiredheight,wewouldstillbeinterestedinmeetingyou,butyoumustbringa@top-model-agency.ukSupportWorkerAreyouagoodcommunicator?Doyouhavegoodlisteningskills?Canyouunderstandhowtheoldfeel?Canyouworkatweekends?IfyouhaveansweredYEStotheabove,wewouldliketohearfromyou:Startingrateof￡8.56perhourFreeuniformExcellenttrainingcareers@WorkforCOFFEEBEANSJoinBritain'snumberonecafeatCoffeeBeans,whereeverycafehasthesameaims:tocreatefamily-liketeamsandtogiveexcellentcustomerservice.Manydifferentkindsofpeoplecomeandworkwithus,sostartyourcareeratCoffeeBeanstoday:choosethehoursyouworkgetmanagementexperienceshareyourloveofcoffeeJoinusasaTeamMember,AssistantManagerorCafeManager,dependingonyourskillsand@coffeebeans.co.ukTraineeHairdresserFullTimePermanentBrightonCityCentreLearnfromsomeofthebesthairdressersintheworld!Youwillwork40hoursaweek,MondaytoFriday.Yourresponsibilitieswillinclude:welcomingclients,washinghair,bringingcoffeeandteatocustomers,andkeepingthesaloncleanandtidyatalltimes.Nopreviousworkexperienceisnecessary.PleaseapplyNow!cathy@362、Theapplicantsfor______havetobeabletoworkatweekends.A．modelsB．traineehairdressersC．supportworkersD．CoffeeBeanscafeworkers1、EmployeesatCoffeeBeans________.A．havefewmanagementopportunitiesB．needtoworkcloselywiththeirteamC．areofferedfreedrinkswhenatworkD．arepaidbasedontheirperformanceatwork2、WhichofthefollowingisTRUE?A．Themodelopportunityisonlymeantforadults.B．Supportworkerscanweartheirownclothesatwork.C．CoffeeBeansworkerscanchoosepreferredworkinghours.D．Traineehairdressersshouldhaveworkexperience.23．（8分）C‘Kangaroo

mothering’helps

boost

a

child’s

health

andintelligence“Kangaroo

mothering”,

the

practiceofcontinuousskin-to-skincontactwithanewborn

baby,resultsinhealthier,moreintelligentandsuccessfulchildren,anewstudyfinds.A

20-year

follow-up

researchfoundthatthose

broughtupinthekangaroo

methodscored

higher

in

IQ

tests

and

earned

53%

more.Theywerealsofoundtobelesslikelytohavebehaviorproblemsthan

babies

in

a

control

group.Followers

of

the

method

nest

theirkids

in

a

“kangaroo”

position

on

theirchestas

soon

as

possible

after

birth.

Both

mother

and

baby

aresupposedtogohomeasquicklyaspossible.The

technique

is

often

used

in

cases

ofprematurebirth(早产).Insuchcases,thetrainedmotheractsasthechild’smainsourceofstimulation(刺激)andfood,intheformof

breast

feeding.Between1993and1996,agroupofmorethan700prematurelybornbabiesinColumbiawere,onthebasisofrandomselection,placed

either

awayfrommother

orwere

raised

using

the

kangaroo

method.Twodecadeslater,afollow-upsurveyfundedbytheCanadianGovernmenthasshownthatthosewhowentthroughthelattermethodbenefitedbycomparison.Published

in

the

journal

Paediatrics,

the

research

shows

that

kangaroo

mothering

offeredsignificantprotectionagainstearlydeath,witha3.5%deathratecomparedtoa7.7%rateinthecontrolgroup.IQtestalsoshowedasmallbutsignificantadvantageof3.5%comparedtootherinfants.Lead

researcher

Dr

Nathalie

Charpak,

of

the

Kangaroo

Foundation

in

Bogota,saidthe

methodhas“significant,long-lastingsocialandbehavioralprotectiveeffects”.“Wefirmlybelievethatthisisapowerful,efficient,scientificallybasedhealthcareinterventionthatcanbeusedinallsettings,fromthosewithveryrestrictedtounrestrictedaccesstohealthcare.”Thestudyalsofoundthat,comparedwithbabiesinthecontrolgroup,thoseraisedinthekangaroomethodwentontodevelopbiggerbrains,withsignificantlylargervolumesofgraymatter.1、Accordingtothepassage,whatis“kangaroomothering”?A．Motherstryingtheirbesttoimprovetheirbabies’IQs.B．Mothersraisingtheirbabiesinbagslikekangaroos.C．Mothersstayingintouchwiththeirbabiesearlyandconstantly.D．Mothersbreastfeedingtheirbabiesinsteadofusingmilkpowder.2、Theunderlinedword“infants”inParagraph5probablymeans____.A．childrenB．kangaroosC．parentsD．researchers3、WhatisDrNathalieCharpak’sattitudetowardKangaroomothering?A．Sceptical.B．Neutral.C．Disapproving.D．Supportive.4、ThispassageshowsthatKangaroomotheringcan____.A．givechildrenbiggerheadsB．benefitchildren’sbraingrowthC．reducethenumberofprematurebirthsD．solveschoolchildren’sbehavioralproblems24．（8分）BritishMuseumLocatedinGreatRussellStreet,LondonWC1B3DG,theBritishMuseumhousesavastcollectionofworldartandartifactsandisfreetoallvisitors.TheBritishMuseum’sremarkablecollectionspansovertwomillionyearsofhumanhistoryandculture,andithasmorethan7millionobjects,soitwouldprobablytakeaweektoseeeverything.Over6millionvisitorseveryyearexperiencethecollection,includingworld-famousobjectssuchastheRosettaStoneandEgyptianmummies.AdmissionandopeningtimesFree,opendaily10:00to17:30.Openuntil20:30onFridays,exceptGoodFriday.Closedon24,25and26Decemberand1January.Largeluggage,suitcasesandcabinbaggageForeveryone’ssafety,allbags,packagesandpersonalitemsmaybesearchedbeforeentry.WheeledcasesandlargeitemsofluggagearenotallowedintheBritishMuseumforsafetyandsecurityreasons.Storageforluggageisavailableatmajorrailstations,includingEuston,King’sCrossandCharingCross.MembershipMembershipallowsyoutodiscover2millionyearsofhumanhistorywithfreeunlimitedentrytospecialexhibitions,anexclusivediscountofferonmagazinesubscriptionandmanymorebenefits.Individualmembership:￡74Under26membership:￡54Youngfriends(aged8---15):￡25ShopsThemuseumhasfourshopswhereyoucanbuybooks,souvenirs,andfamilygifts.1、WhencanyouvisittheBritishMuseum?A．At9:00onFriday. B．At12:00onMonday.C．OnChristmasDay. D．OnGoodFriday.2、Wherecanvisitorsstoretheirlargeluggage?A．Atmajortrainstations. B．Atsomecrossings.C．InthehalloftheMuseum. D．AttheentrancetotheMuseum.3、Iftwofriendsaged14and18applyformembershipoftheMuseum,howmuchshouldtheypay?A．￡25. B．￡79.C．￡50. D．￡148.25．（10分）Reducingplasticwasteisn'teasybecausethecheapmaterialisfoundinalmosteveryhouseholditem.Now,adeliciousandnutritioussolutionhascomeuptohelpreduceourdependenceonthisenvironmentalhazard.DavidChristian,theco-founderofEvoware,saystheideaofcreatingthebiodegradable(生物降解的)productscamefromconcernatthecountry'shighpollutionrate.Indonesiaishometofouroftheworld'sworstpollutedrivers.Sincesingle-usepackagingisalargecontributortotheproblem,Evowaredecidedtodealwiththatfirst.Afterinvestigatingvariousmaterials,thecompanysettledonseaweed.Unlikecorn,commonlyusedforbiodegradablecontainers,seaweeddoesnotrequireresourceslikewaterorlargeamountsofspace.SinceIndonesianfarmersalreadyharvestmoreseaweedthantheycansell,it'seasyforthecompanytofindthematerial.Thoughtheywillnotrevealtheirproductionprocess,Evowaresaystheseaweedpackagingcontainsnochemicalsandissafetoconsume.Thecompanyhasalsoinventedsingle-usecups,whichcanbreakdown30daysafterthey'rethrownaway.Whilereplacingplasticwiththeseaweedproductsmayseemappealingtomostofus,itisahard-sellinIndonesia.AccordingtoChristian,“Theawarenesstoreducesingle-useplasticisstillverylow.Thismakesourbioplasticunnecessary.”Alsoafactoristhecost,whichishigherthanusingplastic.Hopefully,EvowarewillsucceedinconvincingIndonesiansandpeopleworldwidethatswitchingtotheirproductswillbehelpfultoprotectingourbeautifulplanet.1、WhatproblemdidEvowaredecidetodealwithfirst?A．Waystocleanthefourworstpollutedrivers.B．Howtodealwithsingle-usepackaging.C．Meanstocontributetothecountry'seconomy.D．Whatnutritiousmaterialsforpeopletouse.2、WhydidEvowarechooseseaweed?A．Itcouldbefoundeverywhereinhiscountry.B．Itwasmostcommonlyusedforpackaging.C．Itdidn'trequiremuchspaceandwaseasytoget.D．Itgrewthicklyinmostofthepollutedrivers.3、WhatcanweinferfromChristian'swords?A．Sometimesit'shardtogetpeopletoreducetheuseofplastics.B．Theirseaweedproductshavewongovernmentsupport.C．Theirnewproductshavereceivedworldwidepopularity.D．Thecostofmakingseaweedproductswillbeloweredsoon.4、Whatdoestheunderlinedword“hard-sell”(inPara.5)referto?A．Somethinglastinglong. B．Somethingcommonlyseen.C．Somethingeasytoget. D．Somethinghardtoaccept.第三部分语言知识运用（共两节）第一节（每小题1.5分，满分30分）阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项．26．（30分）Myfatherwasahighlyeducated,intelligentgentleman.Hecoulddebateordiscussfor1onalmostanytopicandholdyourattentionintheprocess.Ithoughttherewas2hewasn'tabletodo.Afewdays3myyoungerbrother's7thbirthday,Dadplannedtoputtogetherashinynew4asaspecialbirthdaysurprise.Afternearlyanhourof5theinstructions,Dadwasstillunabletoputthenewbiketogether.Laterhefoldedupthepaperofinstructions,6histoolbox,anddecidedtotakethebikebacktothelocaltoystoreandpayextramoneytohaveit7assembled(组装)there.Then,a(n)8cametohim,ashecalledouttoLovett,thequietlittlemanwhomowedourgrassland."Lovett,haveyoueverassembledaboy'sbicycle?"AsLovettwalkedtowardsthebike,Dadhandedhimthepaperofinstructions.Lovetthandedit9tohim,saying,"No,thanks.Ican'tread.Whenyoucan'tread,youhaveto10."Lessthan15minuteslater,thenewbicyclewasfullyassembled,withnospareparts11.DadshookLovett'shand,pattedhimontheback,thankedhimandhidthebike.Onthenightaftermybrother12hissimlynewgift.Dadannouncedatthefamilydinnertable13hadhappenedseveraldaysearlier.Hetookgreatdelightintellingit14---heuseditasanexampleofthinking.Hedidnot15illiteracy(文盲),butstronglytaughtustouseour16.Thejokewasonmyfather,17hewasabletoturnitintoalearningtool,andIlikedhimeven18aftertheincident.IalsogainedarespectforLovett.Tomehehadalwaysbeentheoldyardmanwhodidn'tsaymuch,butafterthatday,heseemedtosmile19,evenwalktaller.It'samazingwhatarealnodof20candotoliftpeopleup.1、A．minutes B．seconds C．hours D．years2、A．nothing B．everything C．something D．onething3、A．after B．ago C．before D．during4、A．toy B．car C．vehicle D．bike5、A．writing B．reading C．hearing D．explaining6、A．tookup B．pickedup C．heldup D．gaveup7、A．simply B．deliberately C．evidently D．correctly8、A．plot B．scene C．idea D．story9、A．back B．in C．out D．down10、A．quit B．stop C．argue D．think11、A．remaining B．remained C．spotted D．losing12、A．designed B．bought C．decorated D．received13、A．what B．that C．which D．why14、A．onceinawhile B．innotime C．fromthenon D．againandagain15、A．referto B．applyto C．relyon D．spyon16、A．hands B．heads C．mouths D．feet17、A．or B．and C．but D．because18、A．less B．worse C．more D．much19、A．larger B．happier C．luckier D．broader20、A．approval B．achievement C．judgment D．comfort第二节（每小题1.5分，满分15分）阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。27．（15分）Wehighschoolstudentsdohavesomegrowingpains,butwecangetridofthemcorrectlyandwisely.1．,someofusareupset2．theirbodystylesandlooks.It’sunnecessaryandit’snotimportantatall.Weneedn’tcareaboutit.Itisone’sinnerbeauty3．matters.Second,wesometimesseemtobemisunderstood4．ourteachers,parentsandclassmates.5．(face)withthis,wecanfindapropertimetohaveaheart-to-hearttalkwiththem,tryingtoremovethe6．(understand).Someofushavefewerfriends.Ithinkbeingopen-minedandfriendlywilldoyougood.Third,wemayfallbehindothers,7．makesusstressed.Actuallywecanencourage8．toworkefficiently,fullof9．(determine).Atlast,someofusdon’thavemuchpocketmoney,sotheyfeelunhappy.Isn’titstrange?Solongaswehavesome,that’senough.Andwecanlearn10．tospendmoney.第四部分写作（共两节）第一节短文改错（满分10分）28．（10分）假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。作文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。注意：1、每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；2、只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。Smartphoneappscertainlymakeourlifeeasier、Andnow,itlooksliketheycouldevendoourhomeworkforus、Recentyearshaveseenthereleaseofavariousofstudyaidappsaimedatstudent、Mostoftheseappsallowuserstotakeaphotoofourschoolworkandthecorrectanswerswilljustappearontheirsmartphones、Convenienttheyare,theseappspresentproblemswithbothparentsandteachers、Moststudentsjustcopytheanswersfromtheapp,whileonlyafewusetheapptostudy、Betterstill,somestudentsevenusethestudyaidappsassocialnetworks、Therefore,thisisn’ttosaythatstudyaidappsshouldbecompletelyban、Parentsandteachersshouldgivenecessaryguidancetohelpstudentstotaketheadvantageofthestudyaidapps’strengthsandavoidingtheirweaknesses、第二节书面表达（满分25分）29．（25分）根据下列提示写一篇120词左右的文章，介绍美国政治活动家马丁·路德·金的生平。1929年出生。1951年就读于波士顿大学，认识了Scott，并相爱，第二年结婚。1954年大学毕业离开波士顿，成为牧师，开始领导黑人民权运动，经常演讲。1963年成千上万的黑人在华盛顿聆听了他著名的演讲《我有一个梦想》。1964年获得诺贝尔和平奖。1968年被杀害。______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

参考答案第一部分（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）1、B2、B3、A4、A5、B6、A7、C8、D9、D10、B11、C12、D13、A14、D15、D16、D17、C18、D19、A20、A第二部分阅读理解（满分40分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。21、Mymomonlyhadoneeye.Ihatedher...shewassuchanembarrassment.Mymomranasmallshopatafleamarket.Shecollectedlittleweedsandsuchtosell...anythingforthemoneyweneededshewassuchanembarrassment.Therewasthisonedayduringelementaryschool.Irememberthatitwasfieldday,andmymomcame.Iwassoembarrassed.Howcouldshedothistome?Ithrewherahatefullookandranout.Thenextdayatschool...“Yourmomonlyhasoneeye?!”andtheytauntedme.IwishedthatmymomwouldjustdisappearfromthisworldsoIsaidtomymom.“Whydon’tyoujustdie?”Mymomdidnotrespond.IguessIfeltalittlebad,butatthesametime,itfeltgoodtothinkthatIhadsaidwhatI’dwantedtosayallthistime.Maybeitwasbecausemymomhadn’tpunishedme,butIdidn’tthinkthatIhadhurtherfeelingsverybadly.Thatnight...Iwokeup,andwenttothekitchentogetaglassofwater.Mymomwascryingthere,soquietly,asifshewasafraidthatshemightwakeme.Ihatedmymotherwhowascryingoutofheroneeye.SoItoldmyselfthatIwouldgrowupandbecomesuccessful,becauseIhatedmyone-eyedmomandourdesperatepoverty.ThenIstudiedreallyhard.IleftmymotherandcametoSeoulandstudied,andgotacceptedintheSeoulUniversitywithalltheconfidenceIhad.Then,Igotmarried.Iboughtahouseofmyown.ThenIhadkids,too.NowI’mlivinghappilyasasuccessfulman.Ilikeitherebecauseit’saplacethatdoesn’tremindmeofmymom.Thishappinesswasgettingbiggerandbigger,whensomeoneunexpectedcametoseeme“What?!Who’sthis?!”Itwasmymother...Stillwitheroneeye.Itfeltasifthewholeskywasfallingapartonme.Mylittlegirlranaway,scaredofmymom’seye.AndIaskedher,“Whoareyou?Idon’tknowyou!!”asifItriedtomakethatreal.Iscreamedather“Howdareyoucometomyhouseandscaremydaughter!Getoutofherenow!!”Andtothis,mymotherquietlyanswered,“oh,I’msosorry.Imayhavegottenthewrongaddress,”andshedisappeared.Thankgoodness...shedoesn’trecognizeme.Iwasquiterelieved.ItoldmyselfthatIwasn’tgoingtocare,orthinkaboutthisfortherestofmylife.Thenawaveofreliefcameuponme...oneday,aletterregardingaschoolreunioncametomyhouse.IliedtomywifesayingthatIwasgoingonabusinesstrip.Afterthereunion,Iwentdowntotheoldshack,thatIusedtocallahouse,justoutofcuriositythere,Ifoundmymotherfallenonthecoldground.Shehadapieceofpaperinherhand.Itwasalettertome.Shewrote:Myson,Ithinkmylifehasbeenlongenoughnow.Foryou...I’msorrythatIonlyhaveoneeye,andIwasanembarrassmentforyou.Yousee,whenyouwereverylittle,you