I vividly remember walking back to my house after collecting the afternoon mails. I saw a credit card statement, another credit card statement and our bank statements. It was in that moment that I felt a deep tension.
I realized that even though I had married a man who I absolutely loved and adored, I really didn’t have a clear sense of how he handled money and how the two of us were going to combine our different approaches to handling money in our marriage. I was more organized and detailed, but he was more of a laid-back type. I knew that getting on the same financial page was a key factor in creating a successful marriage and financial future.
I asked my husband if he would be willing to set up a time each week to talk about our finances and develop a plan for getting rid of our credit card debt. My husband said he would be willing to do this. Admittedly, he was skeptical — but willing.
We came to refer to our weekly meetings as our Financial Dates. We didn’t really have a clue as to what we were doing. All we knew was that we needed to give our finances serious attention. Some Dates were filled with tense conversations. Other Dates were filled with laughter, joy and creativity. However, we kept showing up for our Dates and we never gave up. What started out as a means for survival became a powerful connecting thread in our relationship. Something shifted within us.
Instead of our finances becoming a source of divisive tension that pulled us apart, they became
the glue that held us together as we became a unified team.
I still recall the day that we excitedly crossed off our last credit card payment on the chart we had created. We had finally arrived. We were free. We had been given wings to fly.
Now, whenever I feel huge stress I ask myself, “How am I contributing to what is happening right now?” This gives me the ultimate power to take action. Even though my husband and I don’t have any guarantee against future challenges, I am left with something deep within that is unshakable and that can never be taken away — the memory of our past successes and the power to integrate (整合) these lessons in my day-to-day life.
Why did the author feel nervous when collecting the afternoon mails? _______

A．She was not sure about her marriage.

B．She didn’t know how to handle money.

C．She could feel the pressure of the huge debt.

D．She was reminded of the quarrels in the family.

Which word can replace the underlined word “laid-back” in the second paragraph?_____

A．relaxed.	B．skeptical.
C．lazy.	D．confident.

What can we learn from the Financial Dates? ______

A．They showed the couple clear direction at first.

B．They left the couple nothing but deep sadness.

C．They were once interrupted but quickly continued.

D．They strengthened the couple’s relationship at last.

We can infer that when faced with stress the author will _______.

A．try to change the situation

B．focus on what contributes to it

C．get power from the memory

D．feel free to do what she likes