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[2020·Î«·»Êи߿¼Ä£Äâ]Mom and I were putting the finishing touches to dinner, and my little niece Jessica came in to set the table. Instead of going to the dish cabinet, she went to the pantry where there was a stack of old, mismatched dinner plates on the bottom shelf.

When she had set all six plates, she stood back and sighed, “Oh, Grandma, your plates are so beautiful.  Ours are all alike£¡” We had a good laugh about her innocent remark, but as I think back to all those years ago, I believe she was right. Those plates were beautiful.

Mom worked for the local Council on Aging as a housekeeper. She did many of the little things that allowed elderly people to stay in­their own homes.  Most of her clients got Meals on Wheels, a service in the 1970s. They received a hot lunch and a cold snack to have later in the evening. This is really not very much food.  Every evening Mom would make to­go meals on these mismatched plates covered with aluminum foil, and then deliver them to the people who she knew didn't get enough to eat.

It was about ten years before microwave ovens became common, so it was important that the food be on a plate that could be reheated in a regular oven. Instead of a cold sandwich and macaroni salad, Mom's clients dined on Beef Manhattans, pan­fried chicken or meatloaf, along with veggies and a piece of pie or cake.  Mom and Dad did this even after Mom left her job, and Mom continued after Dad's death until all her former clients had either passed away or moved out.

When I was cleaning out Mom's house after her death, I kept one as a souvenir(¼ÍÄîÆ·).  That plate is a sweet reminder of the lessons of generosity and caring for one's neighbors that were modeled for me by my parents.

1£®Why did the author think those plates beautiful?

A£®They were not all alike.

B£®They were little Jessica's pride.

C£®They were collected from different places.

D£®They were symbols of the parents' kindness.

2£®What did the author's mother do to earn a living in the 1970s?

A£®Be a housewife.  B£®Run Meals on Wheels.

C£®Deliver food to houses.  D£®Do housework for the old.

3£®Why did the author's mother make to­go meals?

 A£®It was her job.

 B£®She was good at cooking.

 C£®She wanted to help beyond her duty.

 D£®Her family didn't have enough to eat.

4£®What is the best title for the text?

 A£®Plates of Sympathy  B£®A Precious Souvenir

 C£®Services for the Senior  D£®A Kind­hearted Mother