instead of：代替；而不是；不是……（而是）
造____________________________
No amount of pleading or scolding her mother tried stopped.
no amount of：无数的
造____________________________
给母亲的一份惊喜 A Surprise to Mother
萨拉·A.里弗斯/Sarah A.Rivers
On Christmas Day, all the joys of close family relationships were seen and felt throughout our parents'home. The smells of roasted turkey, southern-baked ham and homemade bread hung in the air. Tables and chairs were set up everywhere to accommodate toddlers, teenagers, parents and grandparents. Every room was lavishly decorated. No family member had ever missed Christmas Day with our mother and father.