It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification. It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. He didn’t hate the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects. Knowing this, one year I         to reach for something special just for Mike. The         came in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, attended a wrestling match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church shortly            Christmas. These youngsters’ sneakers were in         and the shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them         , compared to our boys’ gold uniforms and shoes. I was even shocked to find they had no helmets.
Mike, seated beside me,         his head sadly, “I wish just one of them could have won,” he said. “They have a lot of potential, but losing could take their dreams away.” That’s when the idea for his         came.
That afternoon, I went to a local sports store and bought some wrestling helmets and          and sent them anonymously（匿名地） to the inner-city          . On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note           telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year.
For each Christmas, I         the tradition. The envelope became the most exciting part of our Christmas. It was always the         thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their unwrapped (打开的) new toys, would stand with wide-eyed         as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to exhibit its         .
As the children grew, the toys            more practical presents, but the envelope         lost its temptation. The story doesn’t end there.
We lost Mike due to cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was in          . But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, three more         it. Each of our          , had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand further with our grandchildren standing around the tree          as their fathers take down the envelope with expectation. Mike’s spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

A．decided B．urged C．struggled D．declared

A．story B．Christmas C．inspiration D．affection

A．after B．before C．during D．on

A．ruins B．styles C．chains D．rags

A．apart B．forever C．together D．around

A．nodded B．shook C．waved D．turned

A．word B．note C．envelop D．present

A．shoes B．shoestrings C．gifts D．sports

A．house B．school C．church D．store

A．inside B．outside C．between D．nearby

A．refused B．imagined C．followed D．missed

A．best B．first C．worst D．last

A．comfort B．patience C．satisfaction D．expectation

A．concepts B．contents C．shadows D．shapes

A．gave way to B．keep up with C．get away with D．fit in with

A．once B．never C．ever D．seldom

A．anger B．shock C．sadness D．annoyance

A．attended B．entered C．placed D．joined

A．grandchildren B．children C．friends D．relatives

A．watching B．singing C．smiling D．crying