问答题 It's a typical Snoopy card: cheerful message, bright colors, though a little yellow and faded now. Though I've received fancier, more expensive card over the years, this is the only one I've saved. One summer, it spoke volumes to me.
I received it during the first June I faced as a widow to raise two teenage daughters alone. In all the emotional confusion of this sudden single parenthood. I was overwhelmed with, of all things, the simplest housework: leaky taps, oil changes, even barbeques (烧烤). Those had always been my husband's jobs. I was embarrassed every time I hit my thumb with a hammer or couldn't get the lawnmower (割草机) started.
My uncertain attempts only fueled the fear inside me: How could I be both a father and mother to my girls? Clearly, I lacked the tools and skills.
On this particular morning, my girls pushed me into the living room to see something. (I prayed it wasn't another repair job. ) The "something" turned out to be an envelope and several wrapped bundles on the carpet. My puzzlement must have been plain as I gazed from the colorful packages to my daughters' bright faces.
"Go ahead! Open them! "They urged. As I unwrapped the packages, I discovered a small barbecue grill(烧烤架) and all the necessary objects including a green kitchen glove with a frog pattern on it.
"But why? " I asked.
"Happy Father's Day! " they shouted together.
"Moms don't get presents on Father's Day. " I protested.
"You forgot to open the card. " Jane reminded. I pulled it from the envelope. There sat Snoopy, on top of his dog house, merrily wishing me a Happy Father's Day. "Because," the girls said, "you've been a father and mother to us. Why shouldn't you be remembered on Father' s Day?"
As I fought back tears, I realized they were right, I wanted to be a "professional" dad, who had the latest tools and knew all the tricks of the trade. The girls only wanted a parent they could count on to be there, day after day, performing repeatedly the maintenance tasks of basic care and love.
The girls are grown now, and they still send me Father's Day cards, but none of those cards means as: much to me as that first one. Its simple message told me being a great parent didn't require any special tools at all -just a willing worker.

【正确答案】这是一张典型的史努比卡片：带着愉悦的文字和明亮的颜色，如今已有点发黄褪色。尽管过去几年，我都会收到一些既精美又昂贵的卡片，但是这张卡片却是我保存下来的唯一的一张。我在一个夏天收到它，它对我有着不寻常的意义。
我是在变成寡妇的第一年的六月收到这张卡片的，当时我需要独自抚养两个十几岁的女儿。突然变成单身母亲，我无可逃避地需要处理许多问题，即使是最简单的家务：水龙头漏水、换煤气、甚至是烧烤。这些一直都是我丈夫的事情。每当我的拇指被锤头碰伤或者不能开动割草机的时候，我就会感到很困窘。我那靠不住的行为引起了我内心的恐惧：对我的孩子们来说，我怎么可能承担起既当父亲又当母亲的责任呢?很明显，我缺乏必要的工具和技能。
那是一个特别的早上，我的女儿们把我推到了卧室看点东西。(我祈祷着别又是修理工作)。那个“东西”是地毯上的一个包装好的一个信封。我看看那多彩的包装，又盯向女儿们红润的脸颊，一脸的茫然。
“去把它打开。”他们催促我。在我把包装打开之后，我发现一个小烧烤架以及其它一些必备的东西和一副印有青蛙图案的绿色厨房手套。
“怎么回事呢?”我迷惑了。
“父亲节快乐!”他们喊道。
“妈妈在父亲节不收礼物的。”我抗议道。
“您忘了打开卡片。”简提醒我说。我把卡片从信封里拉出来，上面画着一个坐在狗舍上面的史努比，高兴地说祝我父亲节快乐。“因为，”女孩们说道，“您对我们来说既是妈妈又是爸爸，在父亲节我们怎么可能想不起您来呢?”
我忍住即将流下的泪水，意识到他们说的是对的。我想要成为一名“专业”爸爸，哪有人有最新的工具和职业中的所有窍门呢?孩子们想要的是一个能够依靠的家长，并能够从中日复一日地得到最基本的照顾和爱心。
现在孩子们长大了，她们仍然送我父亲节卡片。但是没有一个卡片对我来说像第一张有意义。上面简单的信息告诉了我，做一个伟大的家长根本就不需要特殊的工具，只要心甘情愿就好。
【答案解析】1．Though I've received fancier，more expensive card over the years，this is the only one I've saved．
本名的主句是“this is the only one I've saved．”，其中“I've saved”是省略了关联词that的定语从句，修饰先行词one。连词though引导的是让步状语从句。
尽管过去几年，我都会收到一些既精美又昂贵的卡片，但是这张卡片却是我保存下来的唯一的一张。
2．My puzzlement must have been plain as I gazed from the colorful packages to my daughters’bright faces．
本句的主句是“My puzzlement must have been plain”，as引导的是时间状语从句。plain意为“清楚的，平易的”，如：The meaning of the sentence is very plain．这个句子的意思十分清楚。
我看看那多彩的包装，又盯向女儿们欢快的面容，一脸的茫然。
3．The girls only wanted a parent they could count on to be there，day after day，performing repeatedly the maintenance tasks of basic care and love．
本句的主干是“The girls only wanted a parent”．“they could count on to be there”是限制性定语从句，修饰先行词“a parent”，该从句省略了关联词that或whom。现在分词短语“performing repeatedly the maintenance…”作后置定语，修饰“a parent”。
孩子们想要的是一个能够依靠的家长，并能够从中日复一日地得到最基本的照顾和爱心。