Just finishing loading his car, my husband Jerry went back to the kitchen. “I guess filling my thermos(保温瓶) is all I have left to do, and then I’m off.” Down the drain went the hot water that had been warming his thermos.
With a nostalgic(怀旧的) look on his face, he softly said: “Anytime I fill my thermos I think of your mom.” The tone in his voice was so tender as he spoke of my mother, who is sadly no longer with us.
“Oh honey, I know she’s watching and listening right now with a big smile on her face, ”I responded, tears in my eyes.
One morning years ago when we were leaving, mother watched as Jerry was to fill his thermos. Mom then casually said, ‘Jerry, if you filled your thermos with hot water and let it sit a while, your coffee would stay hot for longer then.” With her simple suggestion, his face showed that he was shocked by his own lack of common sense, well, of course it would!
He poured out the small amount of coffee already in the thermos and refilled it with boiling hot water. Then he poured the water and refilled it with hot coffee. Mom smiled as Jerry did so.
Words of wisdom from a loving mother-in-law made an impact that will never be forgotten. She never dreamed her words would be a treasured and everlasting memory in the heart of her son-in-law.
The lasting memories don’t necessarily come from major moments in life. Memories are often made during those small, ordinary times Life is about small moments we share with friends and loved ones.
39. Which word best describes the author’s feeling in Paragraph 3 ____
A. Confused B. Concerned C. Touched D. Interested
40. The advice the mother gave Jerry was to ___.
A. fill the thermos with a little coffee first B. warm the thermos up before filling it with coffee
C. fill thermos with coffee before with warm water. D. think of her whenever filling the thermos with coffee.
41. The underlined part “don’t necessarily” is similar in meaning to ________.
A. possibly but uncertainly B. without any doubt
C. certainly and absolutely D. out of the question
42. The message that the story intends to convey is ______.
A. that lasting memories come from small things
B. how valuable a mother’s advice is to her children.
C. what a wise woman the mother is to her son-in-law
D. why we should respect our parents and listen to them.