My grandparents were married for over half a century, and played their own special game from the time they had met each other. The goal of their game was to write the word "shmily" in a 31 place for the other to find. They took turns leaving "shmily" around the house, and as soon as one of them 32 it, it was their turn to hide it once more.
There was no 33 to the places where "shmily" would appear. Sometimes, "Shmily" was written in the 34 left on the mirror after a hot shower, where it would reappear bath after bath. 35 , my grandmother even unrolled an entire roll of toilet paper to 36 "shmily" on the very last sheet.
It took me a long time before I was able to fully 37 my grandparents' game. It was 38 their funny little game; it was a way of life. Grandma and Grandpa held hands every chance they could. They 39 kisses as they ran into each other in their tiny kitchen. Before every meal they bowed their heads and gave their 40 : a wonderful family, good fortune, and 41 .
But there was a 42 cloud in my grandparents' life: my grandmother had breast cancer, which had first appeared ten years earlier. As always, Grandpa was with her every
43 of the way. He comforted her in their yellow room, painted that way 44____ she could always be surrounded by sunshine, even when she was too 45 to go outside. Then one day, what we all 46 finally happened. Grandma was gone.
"Shmily." It was written in yellow on the pink ribbons of my grandmother's funeral bouquet. As the crowd 47 and the last mourners (哀悼者) turned to leave, my aunts, uncles, cousins and other family members 48 and gathered around Grandma 49 . Grandpa stepped up to my grand-mother's casket and, 50 with sorrow, he began to sing to her. Through his tears and grief, the song came, a deep and throaty lullaby (摇篮曲).
SHMILY: See how much I love you.
A．exact B．surprising C．usual D．regular
A．discovered B．defeated C．folded D．announced
A．start B．point C．doubt D．end
A．steam B．water C．air D．dust
A．In an instant B．As a result C．At one point D．Once for all
A．link B．leave C．find D．attract
A．enjoy B．attend C．handle D．appreciate
A．similar to B．due to C．rather than D．more than
A．rejected B．lacked C．stole D．assessed
A．blessings B．orders C．guides D．treats
A．a peaceful world B．each other C．delicious food D．happy time
A．colorful B．dark C．strange D．splendid
A．step B．minute C．time D．moment
A．in case B．even if C．as well as D．so that
A．comfortable B．sick C．cautious D．thrilled
A．hoped B．dreamed C．feared D．loved
A．thinned B．increased C．swelled D．approached
A．came forward B．set off C．broke away D．sat down
A．over and over again B．for one thing C．one last time D．here and there
A．shaking B．smiling C．leaving D．praying
Tina and Thomas Sjogren were the fourth people to reach the earth's poles. Years ago, the couple were across the North Atlantic on their way to Europe. Tina looked out of her window and was
by the vast amount of space in Greenland. "The sky outside the window burst into different
and auroras(极光) flew all around us. I
what it would be like to step down there and start walking
，all alone in such a place," she thought， "If this is what Iceland and Greenland are like, how
then must the Arctic be?" She turned to her husband，
him awake and said， "Honey，let's go to the Poles!"
Tina's would not be their first adventure. They had already climbed Mount Qomolangma. The pair soon made a
to visit both the North and South Poles on skis, traveling
.
On February 2, 2002, they reached the South Pole. Their journey 2, 000 kilometers. After just 35 days of recovery and preparation, they
again. "You are so
after the long expedition to the South Pole, so you don't know if you could do
right away."
On May 29，after traveling for the whole morning, as the couple watched with weak the numbers on their GPS showed that their goal had
been achieved. They had made it.
Without the of dogs or supplies dropped from planes, it was only their strength and willpower that
them to ski and swim their way. They got valuable experience but that did not come without a
. If you go on an adventure, there's always the risk of something going wrong.
，you will learn from it.
A. flying B. exploring C. swimming D. sailing
A. frightened B. bored C. amazed D. amused
A. shapes B. colors C. sounds D. waves
A. remembered B. wondered C. enjoyed D. doubted
A. carefully B. quickly C. aimlessly D. freely
A. cold B. bright C. wonderful D. terrible
A. shook B. knocked C. kept D. beat
A. idea B. advice C. order D. offer
A. suggestion B. plan C. proposal D. change
A. non-stop B. unsupported C. unreturned D. unprepared
A. covered B. included C. lasted D. crossed
A. broke down B. settled down C. set out D. came back
A. excited B. disappointed C. confused D. tired
A. more B. another C. one D. others
A. torchlight B. sunlight C. breath D. eyesight
A. surprisingly B. luckily C. accidentally D. eventually
A. reward B. burden C. help D. company
A. attracted B. allowed C. taught D. forced
A. price B. success C. mistake D. change
A. Therefore B. Instead C. Otherwise D. However
The best time of my life
It was June 15，and in two days 1 would be turning thirty. I was about entering a new decade of ray life and feared that my best years were now
me.
My routine included going to the gym for a workout before going to work. Every morning I
see my friend Nicholas at the gym. He was seventy-nine years old and in terrific
. As I greeted Nicholas on this particular day， he noticed I wasn't full of my
vitality (生命力，生气)and asked if there was anything wrong. I told him I was feeling anxious about
thirty. I wondered how I would look
my life once I reached Nicholas's age， so I asked him， "What was the best time of your life?"
Without , Nicholas replied, "Well, Joe, this is my philosophical (哲学的)answer
your philosophical question ： When I was a child in Austria and
was taken care of for me and I was nurtured (养育，培养)by my
，that was the best time of my life.
When I was going to school and learning the things I know today，that was the time of my life.
When I got my first job and had responsibilities and got paid for my ，that was the best time of my life.
When I met my wife and in love， that was the best time of my life.
The Second World War , and my wife and I had to flee Austria to save our lives.
we were together and safe on a ship bound for North America, that was the best time of my life.
When I was a young father， my children grow up, that was the best time of my life.
And now, Joe, I am seventy-nine years old. I have my health，I feel good and I am in love with my wife I was when we first met.
is the best time of my life."
A. eager B. anxious C. happy D. satisfied
A. before B. beside C. besides D. behind
A. everyday B. every day's C. every day D. every day's
A. will B. would C. used to D. was used to
A. form B. type C. kind D. shape
A. common B. ordinary C. usual D. formal
A. turning B. becoming C. growing D. getting
A. forward to B. back on C. down upon D. out for
A. doubt B. question C. hesitation D. permission
A. for B. at C. in D. to
A. something B. anything C. everything D. nothing
A. teachers B. friends C. children D. parents
A. better B. best C. less D. least
A. efforts B. effects C. works D. gains
A. feel B. felt C. fell D. felled
A. broke in B. broke through C. broke up D. broke out
A. Whether B. When C. Although D. However
A. looking B. noticing C. watching D. realizing
A. just as B. just like C. just then D. just now
A. It B. This C. That D. Which
It was the night before the composition was due. As I looked at the list of topics(题目)， "The Art of Eating Spaghetti (意大利面条)"，caught my eye. The word "spaghetti" brought back the of an evening at Uncle Alien's in Belleville
all of us were seated around the table and Aunt Pat
spaghetti for supper. Spaghetti was an exotic (外来的)treat in
days. Never had I eaten spaghetti，and
of the grown-ups had enough experience to be
it. What laughing
we had about the
respectable method for moving spaghetti from plate to mouth.
，I wanted to write about that， but I wanted to
it down simply for my own
，not for Mr. Fleagle, my composition teacher.
，I would write something else. When I finished it the night was half gone and there was no
left to write a proper composition for Mr. Fleagle. There was no choice next morning but to
my work. Two days passed before Mr. Fleagle returned the
papers. He said, "Now, class, I want to read you a composition， ‘The Art of Eating Spaghetti’." My words ！ He was reading my words out
to the whole class.
laughed, and then the whole class was laughing with open-hearted enjoyment. I did my best not to show
, but what I was feeling was pure happiness,
my words had the power to make people
.
A. memory B. thought C. knowledge D. experience
A. when B. where C. since D. after
A. cooked B. served C. got D. made
A. their B. past C. last D. those
A. none B. one C. either D. neither
A. careful about B. good at C. fond of D. interested in
A. speeches B. lessons C. sayings D. arguments
A. nearly B. naturally C. officially D. socially
A. Especially B. Probably C. Suddenly D. Fortunately
A. settle B. put C. bite D. let
A. work B. story C. luck D. joy
A. However B. Therefore C. As for him D. Except for that
A. time B. excuse C. way D. idea
A. give up B. continue C. hand in D. delay
A. written B. graded C. collected D. used
A. loud B. fast C. publicly D. calmly
A. People B. Nobody C. Somebody D. I
A. shock B. wonder C. worry D. pleasure
A. if B. for C. while D. although
A. excited B. satisfied C. think D. laugh
“It was all his own idea,” says Pat, the wife of California high school football coach Bob Peters. Bob had ____ made a “motherhood contract(合同)”—declaring that for 70 days this summer he would ____ the care of their four children and all the housework. ____ he didn’t even know how to make coffee when he signed, he was very confident.
After 40 of the 70 days, he was ready to ____. “I was beaten down,” admits Bob. “Not only is motherhood a ____ task, it is an impossible job for any normal human being. ”
Bob and Pat were married in 2008. After they married, Pat ____ a secretary to help put him through university. ____ Bob has been the football coach while Pat raised the kids. ____ two years ago Pat went back to work. “I had been ____ children so much,” she ____, “I couldn’t talk to a grown-up.” She continued to run the household, ____ -- until Bob signed the contract.
Bob tried hard to learn cooking, but the meals he prepared were ____. For the last three weeks, the family ____ a lot--- sometimes having MacDonald’s hamburgers for lunch and dinner.
____ housekeeping, a home economics teacher had told Bob that a room always looks clean ___ the bed is made. “I found ____ –I shut the doors,” he says. Soon the kids were wearing their shirts inside out. “When we went to ____ Pat at work, I made them wear their shirts ____ side out so they would look clean.”
Now that Bob has publicly ____ he was wrong, he is ____ the child-raising and household tasks with Pat.
A．only B．just C．nearly D．ever
A．stick to B．set about C．think about D．take over
A．If B．As C．Since D．Although
A．carry on B．give up C．break down D．find out
A．strange B．pleasant C．difficult D．serious
A．sent B．employed C．learned from D．worked as
A．In time B．Before long C．Since then D．Later on
A．Then B．Thus C．So D．Still
A．near B．after C．about D．around
A．insists B．sighs C．jokes D．apologizes
A．besides B．therefore C．however D．otherwise
A．terrible B．tasty C．expensive D．special
A．starved B．traveled C．worked out D．ate out
A．Due to B．As for C．Along with D．Except for
A．until B．before C．if D．unless
A．an easier way B．a cheaper way C．a cleaner way D．a harder way
A．receive B．welcome C．greet D．fetch
A．good B．wrong C．right D．opposite
A．admitted B．suggested C．agreed D．explained
A．operating B．realizing C．sharing D．performing
The Man was very sad. He knew that the Cat's days were . The doctor had said there wasn’t anything more that could be done, and that he should take the Cat home and make him as as possible.
A rolled down the Man’s cheek and landed on the Cat’s forehead. The Cat gave him a slightly annoyed . “Why do you , Man?” the Cat asked, “Because you can’t bear the thought of me? Because you think you can never replace me?” The Man nodded, “Yes”.
“ up that piece of string from the floor-— there, my ‘toy’.”The Man reached over and picked up the string. It was about two feet long and the Cat had been able to himself for hours with it. “Now take end of the string in one hand.” the Cat ordered. The Man did so.
“The end in your left hand is my and the end in your right hand is my death. Now bring the two ends together.” the Cat said. The man did so. Then the Cat continued, “You have made a continuous . Does any point along the string appear to be different, worse or better than any other part of the string?” The Man inspected the string and then his head.
“Close your eyes.” the Cat said. “Now lick your hand.” The Man his eyes in surprise. “Just do it,”the Cat said. “Lick your hand, think of me in all my places, and think about all the pieces of string.”
Licking his hand, he discovered a cat must know — that licking a paw is very calming and allows one to think more . He continued licking and the corners of his mouth turned into the first smile he had shown in days. He waited for the Cat to tell him to , and when he didn’t, he opened his eyes. The Cat’s eyes were closed. The Man softly the warm, brown fur with his fingers , but the Cat was gone.
One day, not long after, there was a new cat on his lap. She was a lovely and white one. It is very different from his earlier Cat and very much the same.
A．gone B．numbered C．finished D．ended
A．soon B．lively C．long D．comfortable
A．tear B．rain C．sweat D．water
A．impression B．expression C．passion D．action
A．scream B．yell C．cry D．call
A．killing B．destroying C．lacking D．losing
A．Pick B．Put C．Pull D．Push
A．help B．learn C．entertain D．teach
A．each B．both C．neither D．any
A．life B．fate C．origin D．birth
A．string B．circle C．knot D．rope
A．nodded B．bowed C．shook D．bent
A．twinkled B．broadened C．widened D．closed
A．familiar B．similar C．junior D．superior
A．where B．what C．when D．that
A．cleanly B．clumsily C．clearly D．closely
A．upward B．downward C．inward D．outward
A．come B．go C．stop D．run
A．combed B．patted C．struck D．rubbed
A．friendly B．devoted C．lovely D．beloved