My mother is cool — much cooler than most people. I give her full credit for making me the person who I am today. To thank her, I'd like to share some of the things she taught me.
1. 16．
No matter how hard things got, my mom could always joke about them. It has taught me things are never, ever, end-of-the-world kind of bad. I'm sure this has made me a more relaxed person.
2. 17．
My mother made her own clothes she felt like wearing. Soon enough, people asked her to make clothes, and it turned into a full-time business. That shows me how you can set up your own business by expressing yourself truthfully.
3. 18．
As a creative, my mother always encouraged us to do imaginative things for enjoyment and discouraged TV. We dressed up in costumes, drew pictures, and sang at the top of our lungs. Today, I am a very fun person to be with.
4. 19．
My mom has always pushed me towards becoming independent. Not for her good, but for mine. I made my own decisions without her trying to manage me. Because of this, I grow up to be completely independent.
5. 20．
Growing up, I've made my fair share of mistakes. Instead of saying "I told you so", my mom always let me work things out myself. She was also there to help me pick up the pieces, if I ever needed help.
For all that you've done and everything that you are—thank you, mom!
Word Bank：
credit    功劳
costume    戏服
lung        肺
A．Imagination has no end.
B．Independence is important.
C．Self-expression leads to self-achievement.
D．Mistakes are OK as long as you learn from them.
E.Being hopeful is the key to turning things around.
这是一篇说明文，文章主要介绍作者母亲给她的建议和人生哲理。
16．E【解析】句意：充满希望是让事情回转的关键。根据“No matter how hard things got, my mom could always joke about them. It has taught me things are never, ever, end-of-the-world kind of bad”无论事情有多坏，我的妈妈总是能开玩笑对待它们，教会我事情不总是世界末日那样的糟糕。可知主要讲述的充满希望。E选项的“Being hopeful is the key to turning things around”符合。故选E。
17．C【解析】句意：自我表达导致自我成就。根据“That shows me how you can set up your own business by expressing yourself truthfully”可知自我表达与自我成就。C选项的“Self-expression leads to self-achievement”符合。故选C。
18．A【解析】句意：想象没有止境。根据“As a creative, my mother always encouraged us to do imaginative things for enjoyment and discouraged TV”可知讲述的是想象力和创造力，A选项的“Imagination has no end”符合。故选A。
19．B【解析】句意：自立很重要。根据“My mom has always pushed me towards becoming independent”及“Because of this, I grow up to be completely independent”可知讲述的是自立、独立。B选项的“Independence is important”符合。故选B。
20．D【解析】句意：犯错误没关系，只要你能从中吸取教训。根据“I've made my fair share of mistakes. Instead of saying ‘I told you so’, my mom always let me work things out myself”可知讲述的是犯错误以及从错误中吸取教训，D选项“Mistakes are OK as long as you learn from them”符合。故选D。