I truly hope that at the end of this short essay(短文) you will know how to learn English.
I was born in Somalia, and Italian is my mother tongue. 31 enough, soon after I arrived in London when I was 17, I was admitted to a sixth-form college. I found caring (体贴的) teachers there, who 32 taught me English. This, I think, was a(n) 33 factor(因素) that encouraged me to learn the language. The most important thing, 34, is to work hard. So those of you who don’t have such good teachers should not 35. When I was in London, I 36 myself to English learning as I 37 to go to university very much. Mastering the language was the only 38 to achieve my goal.
Now I have 39 my master’s degree from Oxford University. Looking back, I 40 I was quite innocent (天真的),for I never imagined learning English was going to be so much 41. The more fluent I become, the 42 the language became. One can master it only 43 years of tireless efforts(努力).
Some basic 44 which I would give to people who are interested in learning the language are:
1. Buy a good dictionary. 45 English learners use their dictionaries all the time.
2.46 English newspapers. Don’t forget to 47 the new words in your dictionary.
3. Listen to the radio 48 watching TV as listening to the radio helps you more.
4. Talk, talk and talk to 49 at anytime and anywhere.
And even though at times it may be embarrassing(尴尬的) to make 50，you will finally correct them and remember them. Soon you will start to become fluent.
A．Luckily B．Strangely C．Badly D．Honestly
A．excitedly B．unhappily C．patiently D．hurriedly
A．old B．important C．new D．wise
A．for example B．however C．therefore D．what’s more
A．fall behind B．show up C．go away D．lose heart
A．devoted B．introduced C．compared D．limited
A．refused B．pretended C．wanted D．entertained
A．reason B．problem C．advice D．way
A．missed B．completed C．shown D．learned
A．realize B．hope C．doubt D．lie
A．fear B．fun C．money D．work
A．smaller B．stranger C．harder D．nicer
A．before B．beside C．through D．without
A．tips B．aims C．things D．choices
A．Careless B．Funny C．Busy D．Successful
A．Remember B．Read C．Sell D．Create
A．replace B．combine C．look D．check
A．such as B．because of C．instead of D．as a result of
A．anyone B．nobody C．something D．anything
A．troubles B．mistakes C．jokes D．friends
I became lame（瘸的）in both legs in my childhood. I can’t stand 36 the support of two sticks. Only in my wheelchair can I “ 37”.
I still remember the first day at 38 . When I appeared at the door, 39 in the classroom stared（凝视）at me in 40 . My face turned 41 . I couldn’t help 42 back. It was the 43 and sympathy（同情）in their eyes that 44 me doing so. I went shyly towards an unoccupied (空的) seat.
Being lame, I didn’t dare (敢) to 45in front of my classmates. I was afraid that I might be 46 at. In those days I was very sad to see others walking 47 .
One day, a few students came up to me and asked me to go outside. I was really 48 . They encouraged me with a(n) 49 smile and 50 me in my wheelchair from place to place. I was 51 to them for giving me a chance to see the 52 of our lovely school with my own eyes.
After that we often read, played and talked together. My friends are always 53 to help me. It made me 54 I am handicapped (残疾的).
Once they asked me, “What is the most beautiful thing in our school?” Without hesitation (犹豫) I said, “It is the 55 . ”
A．with B．without C．under D．on
A．walk B．run C．sit D．stand
A．school B．wheelchair C．home D．hospital
A．he B．she C．everyone D．nobody
A．thought B．interest C．anger D．surprise
A．red B．brown C．white D．black
A．entering B．hiding C．coming D．turning
A．feeling B．kindness C．sorrow D．pain
A．made B．stopped C．kept D．let
A．walk B．study C．practice D．speak
A．laughed B．smiled C．stared D．looked
A．sadly B．slowly C．happily D．shyly
A．brave B．sad C．hurt D．excited
A．honest B．friendly C．luckily D．handsome
A．pushed B．placed C．drew D．pulled
A．satisfied B．sorry C．loyal D．thankful
A．signs B．sights C．labs D．students
A．ready B．smart C．wise D．unwilling
A．forget B．remember C．imagine D．think
A．teachers B．schoolyard C．classmates D．friendship
My First Job
Jay Leno is a very famous TV host in NBC．He started his talk show titled The Jay Lena Show in September 2009．It was a very popular TV programm in America．Here is the story of his first job．
I gained a very strong work concept from my parents, both of whom lived through a hard period of time-the Great Depression（大萧条）．They couldn't ___36___ people who didn't work regularly．I once told my mom that Sylvester Stallone was getting $12 million for ten weeks of work．"What's he going to do the rest of the _37__?" she asked．
I took my first job at Wilmington Ford near my homerown of Andover, Massachusetts, when I was 16．I worked until five or six o'clock on school days and __38____ 12-hour days during the summer as a prepper（擦洗汽车的小工）．This meant washing and polishing the new cars, and making sure the paper floor mats were in __39__．Another responsibility was taking off the hubcaps (车轮毂盖） at night, so they wouldn't get stolen, and 40 them the next day．This was 41 work because we had about seven acres of 42 One day, carrying an armful of hubcaps 43a corner, I almost __44__ our new general manager．Scared, I dropped them all．He __45 me on the spot．
I was too ashamed to tell my parents．Every day for about two weeks, I stayed __46 until evening．Then I would go home and say I had a ．__47___ day at work．
Trying to make a last 48 , I wrote a letter to Henry Ford II and told him what happened．I said that we were a reliable Ford family and that when I was old enough, I was going to buy a Mustang． __49__ the owner of the dealership(经营店） called．"I don't know who you know in Detroit．" he said．"but if you want your job back, you've 50 it.”
Later, during college, I wanted to work at a Roils-Royce dealership, but the owner said there were no openings．So 1 started washing cars there anyway．When the ___51__ noticed me, I said I was working until he _52__ me．He did．And the second day, I started to work there as a sales clerk．
It 53 persistence (坚持） to succeed．Attitude 54_ matters．I have never thought I was better than anyone else, but I have always believed I couldn't be _ 55 ．
A．see B．know C．understand D．love
A．day B．month C．week D．year
A．put in B．took up C．gave out D．stuck to
A．place B．need C．shape D．fashion
A．changing B．selling C．replacing D．cleaning
A．hard B．normal C．regular D．plain
A．mats B．cars C．areas D．floors
A．at B．in C．beyond D．around
A．broke into B．looked across C．crashed into D．came across
A．fired B．left C．punished D．forgot
A．calm B．busy C．still D．alone
A．stressful B．relaxing C．bad D．great
A．effort B．change C．dialogue D．decision
A．Gradually B．Eventually C．Temporarily D．Hopefully
A．reached B．passed C．got D．caught
A．prepper B．owner C．clerk D．customer
A．helped B．tired C．hired D．called
A．makes B．shows C．carries D．takes
A．also B．even C．never D．ever
A．followed B．scolded C．defeated D．interrupted
Even though it was only October, my students were already whispering about Christmas Plans. With each day passing, everyone became more __1___ waiting for the final school bell. Upon its ___2___ everyone would run for their coats and go home, everyone except David.
David was a small boy in ragged clothes. I had often ___3___ what kind of home life David had, and what kind of mother could send her son to school dressed so __4__ for the cold winter months, without a coat, boots, or gloves. But something made David __5___. I can still remember he was always _6__ a smile and willing to help. He always __7__ after school to straighten chairs and mop the floor. We never talked much. He ___8___ just simply smile and ask what else he could do, then thank me for letting him stay and slowly __9__ home.
Weeks passed and the __10__ over the coming Christmas grew into restlessness until the last day of __11__ before the holiday break. I smiled in __12__ as the last of them hurried out the door. Turning around I saw David __13__ standing by my desk.
“ I have something for you,” he said and __14__ from behind his back a small box __15__ it to me, he said anxiously, “open it.” I took the box from him, thanked him and slowly unwrapped it. I lifted the lid and to my __16__ saw nothing. I looked at David’s smiling face and back into the box and said, “The box is nice, David, but it’s __17__.”
“Oh no it isn’t,” said David. “It’s full of love. My mum told me before she died that love was something you couldn’t see or touch unless you know it’s there.”
Tears filled my eyes__18__ I looked at the proud dirty face that I had rarely given __19__ to. After that Christmas, David and I became good friends and I never forgot the meaning __20__ the little empty box set on my desk.
A．anxious B．courageous C．serious D．cautious
A．warning B．ringing C．calling D．yelling
A．scolded B．wondered C．realized D．learned
A．modestly B．naturally C．inaccurately D．inappropriately
A．popular B．upset C．special D．funny
A．expressing B．delivering C．wearing D．sharing
A．practiced B．wandered C．studied D．stayed
A．would B．should C．might D．could
A．aim at B．turn to C．put off D．head for
A．argument B．excitement C．movement D．judgment
A．school B．year C．education D．program
A．relief B．return C．vain D．control
A．weakly B．sadly C．quietly D．helplessly
A．searched B．found C．raised D．pulled
A．holding B．handing C．sending D．leaving
A．delight B．expectation C．appreciation D．surprise
A．cheap B．empty C．useless D．improper
A．as B．until C．because D．though
A．advice B．support C．attention D．command
A．from B．behind C．over D．towards
This is a part from US President Barack Obama’s speech on May 14 at Bamard College in New York.
… My last piece of advice – this is simple, but perhaps most important: 36. Nothing worthwhile is easy. No one of achievement has avoided failure – sometimes catastrophic failures. But they keep at it. They learn from mistakes. They don’t 37.
When I first arrived on this 38, I was with little money, fewer options. But it was here that I tried to find my place in this world. I knew I wanted to make a difference, but it was 39 how in fact I’d go about it. But I wanted to do my part to 40 a better world.
So even as I worked after graduation in a few 41 jobs here in New York, even as I went from motley (鱼龙混杂的)apartment to motley apartment, I 42.
… And I wish I could say that this perseverance came from some innate (天生的)toughness in me. But the truth is, it was 43. I got it from 44 the people who raised me. I grew up as the son of a single mom who struggled to put herself through 45 and make ends meet. She had a marriage that fell apart; 46 went on food stamps at one point to help us 47. But she didn’t quit. And she earned her degree, and made sure that 48 scholarships and hard work, my sister and I earned 49.
And 50, I met a woman who was assigned to advise me on my first summer job at a law firm. And she gave me such good advice that I married her. And Michelle and I gave everything we had to balance our careers and a 51 family. We made that marriage work.
… So 52 it’s starting a business, or running for office, or 53 an amazing family, remember that making your 54 on the world is hard. It takes patience. It takes commitment. It comes with plenty of 55 and it comes with plenty of failures.
A．compete B．persevere C．struggle D．preservation
A．rest B．decline C．quit D．regret
A．campus B．downtown C．farm D．country
A．confident B．uncertain C．ambitious D．proud
A．shape B．instruct C．organize D．lead
A．amazing B．disturbing C．meaningful D．unsatisfactory
A．reached out B．put out C．gave out D．made out
A．presented B．structured C．learned D．created
A．copying B．detecting C．persuading D．watching
A．life B．work C．school D．business
A．yet B．even C．still D．also
A．get by B．come by C．get along D．come along
A．during B．through C．across D．over
A．mine B．us C．ours D．hers
A．for the time being B．long before C．up to now D．later on
A．young B．poor C．weak D．strong
A．as if B．if C．whether D．unless
A．rising B．raising C．arousing D．arising
A．view B．stay C．remark D．mark
A．goals B．advantages C．shortcomings D．setbacks
After a long day at school, I walked home with my heavy schoolbag. Sleepy and 1 , I threw my things on the sofa and picked something from the 2 to eat. I passed by the living room and wished I could watch TV, but I knew my 3 would take me the whole night. I took my schoolbag and went 4 to my room. I tried to understand chemistry and 5 sleepiness at the same time. I tried to keep my eyes 6 and I wanted something to cheer me up.
Later, I 7 the sound of the front door opening. And I waited for it—the sound of my mom singing. Though she sang off-key(跑调), 8 made me excited that she was here. I ran down to 9 my mom. We hugged each other and talked for a while. I like it when my mom was happy. Her 10 seemed to flow down to me and I got the strength to 11 the stress (压力) again.
Sometimes, I wonder how my mom can still be 12 after coming back from work. Every weekday, she wakes up 13 in the morning to go to work and spends all hour on the bus before getting downtown. At a 14 factory, she works standing for the whole day and draws patterns(图案) for clothes over and over. After work, my mom at times gets stuck(被困) in 15 for two hours on her way back home. When I 16 my school life with her work life, I should not be the one to 17 . At least I have some interesting things to do at school, but one mistake at work can cost my mom her job. I 18 that my mom has a positive (积极的) attitude and lives her life with a joyous heart, which encourages me to do my work well, 19 there may be difficulties. Seeing her happy makes me feel 20 , too.
A．heavy B．busy C．hungry D．unlucky
A．classroom B．kitchen C．bedroom D．apartment
A．dream B．supper C．homework D．experience
A．downstairs B．outside C．upstairs D．inside
A．break B．put C．get D．fight
A．opening B．opened C．open D．closing
A．felt B．listened C．raised D．heard
A．which B．that C．it D．but
A．look B．greet C．said to D．help
A．need B．idea C．faith D．energy
A．face B．change C．accept D．1eave
A．creative B．sensitive C．competitive D．positive
A．early B．soon C．fast D．1ate
A．furniture B．shoe C．car D．clothing
A．chat B．traffic C．duty D．task
A．replace B．exchange C．decorate D．compare
A．complain B．decide C．study D．play
A．achieve B．notice C．admire D．improve
A．however B．though C．despite D．at least
A．good B．skillful C．successful D．important