Today I felt very u
ncomfortable studying English as usual．My eyes were 36 and my mind was confused．I buried my head deep in the great pile of books．Many vocabulary words 37 my mind．As more and more entered，I 38 focus，and my 39 became crazy．The clock hands were pointing at twelve. I always 40 the time when I study．Without any fruitful results，I felt more 41 and tired．I 42 up and walked to the living room just to take a little break． 43 that would make me feel better．The street lamps looked like stars outside the window．A few scattered(分散的)branches 44 shadows on the French window．Something seemed more 45 and quiet than before．I walked to the 46 slowly，and let my face press against it， 47 very carefully
…oh my God!!…It’s snow! It was very bright and covered up the whole 48 while I was studying English painfully, so white and so quiet．At this moment, I was so 49 that I felt like I might burst into tears．The snow was like a spring 50 into my heart，and my eyes were shining with it．All my pain and tiredness 51 at this moment，as the snow dropped into my heart．
I quickly became calm again as the excitement went away．I sat on the bed silently，and drew the 52 to one side to let the white house and white tree stay just beside my bed．I thought this must be a(n) 53 from God，because I liked snow so much． 54 I was weakest and most helpless in this world，nothing could inspire me but 55 ．I should inspire myself from such a beautiful scene．
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Once upon a time there were two brothers who lived near each other. One day, they had a ___36___ because of some small things. And neither was willing to ___37___ each other.
One morning, there was a knock at door of the elder brother. He 38 _ it and found a man standing beside the door. “I’m a carpenter(木匠). I’m 39__ a few days’ work. Perhaps you would have a few small jobs I could help with.”
“Yes,” said the elder brother. “I do have a job for you. ___40___ at that farm across the small river. It is my younger brother’s. We had a quarrel, so I won’t like to see his place or his __41___ any more. I want you to build me a 8-foot ___42___.”
The man said, “I think I understand the situation. Don’t worry. I’ll be able to do a job that makes you __43__.” So the elder brother was very glad and left for the town nearby.
In the evening, the carpenter had just ___44___ his job when the elder brother returned. But he was __45___ to find, instead of a fence, before him, stood a __46____, which went from one side of the river ___47__ the other! On the other __48____ of bridge, was his younger brother.
“Do you know the name of the bridge?” The carpenter asked.
“No,” the elder brother was __49___.
“OK, I can tell you. Its name is understanding and __50___,” the carpenter smiled.
Suddenly they began to understand ___51___. Surely, between two brothers there should be a bridge rather than a _52____. Standing on the bridge, they _53___ each other’s hands with ____54__ in their eyes.
“Could you stay another few days? I’ve a lot of other work for you,” said the elder brother. “I’d love to ___55___ on,” the carpenter said. “But I have many more bridges to build.”
A．meeting B．question C．decision D．quarrel
A．forgive B．like C．speak D．believe
A．got B．opened C．shut D．left
A．looking for B．looking at C．looking on D．looking up
A．See B．Watch C．Observe D．Look
A．house B．face C．farm D．eyes
A．wall B．fence C．road D．bridge
A．excited B．pleased C．moved D．surprised
A．begun B．done C．finished D．continued
A．surprised B．happy C．anxious D．sad
A．house B．bridge C．fence D．river
A．to B．between C．across D．till
A．end B．side C．field D．stage
A．disappointed B．puzzled C．amazed D．worried
A．love B．hate C．joy D．anger
A．everything B．nothing C．anything D．something
A．river B．fence C．farm D．wall
A．brought B．took C．held D．clapped
A．smiles B．tears C．anger D．sadness
A．leave B．get C．stay D．work
Once an Arab was traveling in the desert. When the sun went down in the west, he stopped and _36_ his tent then, made a fire and have a _37_ meal. When night fell, he_38_ down to sleep.
He had_39_ fallen asleep when he felt a soft _40_ on his elbow(手肘). He woke up to find that his camel had put his head inside the tent. The camel said: “Would you please let me keep my head in the tent to get warm? It is so cold outside. I will not take up too much 41 .”
The Arab was a 42 man, “All right, do as you 43 .” he said. Then he turned on his_44_ and went back to sleep.
It wasn’t long 45 he felt a push on his shoulder. It was the camel again. “Dear master,” the camel said, “my head is quite warm now, but my neck is still cold. Do you mind 46 I keep it inside the tent, too?”
“ _47_ .” the man said. But this time he felt a bit 48 , as camel had such a long neck.
No sooner had he shut his eyes 49 he got a harder push in his side. This time the camel said, “will you please allow me to bring my front legs inside and warm then a little?”
The Arab_ 50_ over to one side of the tent. He made _51_ as small as he could. It was not _52_ comfortable, and sleep was now out of 53 .Soon after that the camel gave his a rough push and said, “The tent is too small for the two of us. 54 , my two hind legs are still left in the cold. It is only_55_ that you should leave the tent wholly to me.” And with that, the camel kicked the poor man out.
A．built B．made C．put up D．set
A．simple B．rich C．excellent D．ordinary
A．laid B．lay C．lied D．went
A．seldom B．not C．almost D．hardly
A．touch B．beat C．kick D．bite
A．place B．tent C．room D．blanket
A．hard-hearted B．kind-hearted C．absent-mined D．careless
A．please B．willing C．are like D．want
A．light B．head C．arm D．side
A．after B．before C．since D．then
A．whether B．as C．that D．if
A．Yes, of course B．No, not at all C．Don’t, please D．No, you can
A．crowded B．comfortable C．warmer D．narrower
A．than B．then C．when D．after
A．went B．walked C．climbed D．moved
A．the tent. B．himself C．room D．ground
A．very B．much C．a bit D．a little
A．question B．the question C．quite possible D．possibility
A．Except B．Besides C．After all D．But
A．fair B．wrong C．satisfied D．right
Growing roots
When l was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn't look like any doctor I'd 36 known. When Dr. Gibbs wasn't 37 lives, he was planting trees.
The good doctor had some interesting theories 38 planting trees. He believed in "No pains，no gains". He never 39 his new trees，which was 40 many people. Once I 41 why. He answered that watering plants spoiled them, and that if you water them, each following tree generation will grow 42 . So you have to make things 43 for them. He talked about how watering trees 44 shallow roots，and how trees that weren't watered had to grow deep roots in 45 of water. I took him to mean that deep roots were to be 46 . I planted a couple of trees a few years back and I took good care of them. Two years of devotion has 47 trees that expect to be waited on hand and foot. Whenever a cold wind blows, they 48 and tremble their branches. Funny things about those trees of Dr. Gibbs'. The lack of water seemed to 49 them in ways comfort and ease never 50 .
I used to pray for my sons that their lives will be 51 . But lately I've been thinking that it's time to change my 52 . I know my children are going to meet 53 ，and I'm praying they will be strong. The prayer for comfort is 54 met. What we need to do is to pray for deep roots，so when the winds blow, we won't be 55 away.
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At the age of seven, I went to see my grandma in Warwick and spent the summer with her. One day I went to a general store with a 34 full of what Grandma needed.
“Excuse me, I need to 35 these,” I said .
“So ? I’m not your 36 ! You should get yourself a basket and start filling,” Miss Bee, the owner of the store, said 37 without smiling. “If you’re 38 you’ll be home by sunset.” Sunset was five hours away. 39 , the store was a puzzle, and I wasn’t sure if I would make it.
I visited Miss Bee several times a week that 40 . One afternoon when I watched her adding 35 cents instead of 29 for a can of beans, I 41 her immediately. Though being caught overcharging , she didn’t seem 42 , and she just fixed the price.
All summer long I was always tricked by Miss Bee. No sooner had I memorized the soda’s location on the shelf than she rearranged the shelves and made me 43 it all over again. But by summer’s end the 44 trip that had once taken me an hour was done in 15 minutes.
The morning I was to return to Brooklyn, I stepped in to get a bottle of water.
“What did you 45 this summer?” she said.
“That you’re so mean!” I whispered.
To my 46 , Miss Bee laughed. “When you get older, you’ll be glad our paths crossed!”
Glad I met Miss Bee ? No!
Until one day my daughter came to me with homework 47 . “It’s too hard,” she said. “Could you finish it for me?”
“If I do it for you, how will you ever learn to do it yourself?” Suddenly, I was 48 at that general store where Miss Bee had really taught me something all those years ago.
A．bag B．bottle C．list D．can
A．buy B．read C．borrow D．sell
A．daughter B．servant C．master D．teacher
A．honestly B．quietly C．coldly D．quietly
A．busy B．stupid C．lucky D．popular
A．However B．Besides C．Therefore D．Also
A．year B．summer C．autumn D．term
A．supported B．attracted C．corrected D．remembered
A．excited B．unfriendly C．moved D．uncomfortable
A．hunt for B．step onto C．learn about D．care for
A．school B．shopping C．business D．sightseeing
A．eat B．earn C．forget D．learn
A．shame B．delight C．surprise D．regret
A．signs B．troubles C．scores D．rules
A．out B．ahead C．around D．back
Beware of those who use the truth to deceive. When someone tells you something that is 36 , but leaves out important information that should be 37 , he can create a false impression.
For example, someone might say, “I just 38a hundred dollars on the lottery. It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and 39 it in for one hundred dollars!”
This guy’s a winner, 40 ? Maybe, maybe not. We then discover that he bought two hundred 41 , and only one was a winner. He’s really a big 42 !
He didn’t say anything that was 43 , but he deliberately left out some important44 . That’s called a half-truth. Half-truths are not technically 45 , but they are just as not 46 .
Untrustworthy candidates in 47 campaigns often use this tactic（策略，手段）. Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term, her state lost one million jobs and48 three million jobs. Then she 49 another term. One of her opponents runs an ad 50 , “During Governor Smith’s term, the state lost one million jobs!” That’s true. 51 , an honest statement would have been, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of 52 million jobs.”
Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths. It’s 53 the law to make false claims so they try to mislead you with the 54 . An ad might boast, “Nine out of ten doctors recommend Yucky Pills to cure nose pimples.” It 55 to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Corporation.
This kind of deception happens too often. It’s a sad fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well.
A．false B．true C．interesting D．boring
A．included B．contained C．involved D．referred
A．lost B．found C．donated D．won
A．changed B．took C．turned D．made
A．right B．well C．really D．though
A．books B．papers C．tickets D．balls
A．winner B．loser C．fighter D．thinker
A．true B．real C．doubtful D．false
A．details B．information C．mistakes D．errors
A．stories B．truth C．facts D．lies
A．pleasant B．exciting C．honest D．clever
A．political B．commercial C．personal D．public
A．stopped B．found C．avoided D．gained
A．seeks B．gets C．achieves D．searches
A．writing B．reading C．saying D．speaking
A．Otherwise B．However C．In fact D．This way
A．one B．two C．three D．four
A．for B．to C．against D．in
A．words B．facts C．data D．truth
A．fails B．tries C．manages D．plans