The day was warm and the sun shone down like a new beginning on my life. I was waving goodbye to my son, the last one of my fledglings （刚会飞的鸟）to leave home and go to new woods, "University actually" . I felt so lighthearted after spending many years looking after my four children—cooking, washing, ironing, teaching them how to look after themselves and manage their finances—that I actually thought “At long last, freedom".
But, as I watched my last one leave, although it was a joyous occasion, I realized I had not really prepared for this day, I was too tied up with bringing up these adults of the future to realize that they would all leave the nest and lives independently.
At first I didn't know what "I" wanted to do. I tried a part time job, which ended in me running out in tears. I started a business making soft furnishings, but that didn't work either. I grew my own veggies and fruit, which lasted 3 years, until I was advised by my doctor that my feet couldn't take any more "tools” driven through them.
I began wondering if I had a future of my own. I cried for the life I was used to, and hadn't known or wanted anything different.
Then one day I saw an ad. for foster parents, I discussed it with my husband who was always behind everything I tried and with great disturbance , I rang up the number.
I now laugh and sing with my 14-year-old foster daughter, even when my cooker is a mess and my bathroom is a disaster area. I now know, 8 years later, what “I” was meant to be doing with all the spare hours, days, and weeks I had on my hands when my last fledgling flew the nest. The sun shines once again in my home.
小题1:How did the mother first feel when her last child went off to university?
A．Lonely.
B．Anxious.
C．Relieved.
D．Annoyed.小题2:The underlined phrase “was tied up with” in the second paragraph means “ ”.
A．was occupied in
B．was associated with
C．was tired of
D．was addicted to小题3:In the third paragraph, the poor mother did all the things just to .
A．live a greener and healthier life
B．earn more money for her kids’ education
C．shift her attention and ease her anxiety
D．start her own decorating business小题4:What did the empty-nested mother think of her husband?
A．Skilled
B．Supportive
C．Stubborn
D．Open-minded小题5:Thanks to the foster daughter, the author .
A．got rid of her busy work
B．forgot her other children
C．found a suitable job
D．knew what she really wanted
小题1:C
小题2:A
小题3:C
小题4:B
小题5:D
小题1:细节题。由第一段第三行I felt so lighthearted 说明‘我”宽慰了，如释重负。
小题2:A词义猜测题。
小题3:推理题。从第二，三段可知‘我”从一直忙碌中闲下来无所适从才找些事情做为转移注意力减轻焦虑。
小题4:从my husband who was always behind everything I及下文中提到我”收养女儿可知丈夫是支持的。
小题5:从I now know, 8 years later, what “I” was meant to be doing with all the spare hours, days, and weeks I had on my hands when my last fledgling flew the nest. The sun shines once again in my home.可知找“我”找到了自我。.
题目分析
点评：文章讲述了一位空巢母亲因为落寞而去找些事情做来消遣生活以平衡儿女离开自己后的失落，发现行不通后，收养了一个女儿，找到自己想要的生活。要注意把握心理状况进而进行逻辑推理。对于考生在上下文中理解字里行间的能力要求较高。