It was a cold winter morning. Half asleep at the train station, I stared into the distance, 36 for the train to take me to my 37 in Boston. The word was quiet. The very few people on the street kept to themselves, 38 their steaming cups of coffee.
Reaching into my pocket as the 39 was approaching, my numb hand searched for the $ 20 bill to pay my fare. The pocket was 40 ! I searched through my bag and then I felt 41 . Unless the money dropped from the sky, I’d be 42 there.
“What’s the matter?” A short, elderly man stood before me.
“Oh, nothing…. Well, I 43 my money and now I can’t pay for the ticket. I’m going to 44 my match class, and the train is leaving.”
“Here, use this.”
The man held a $ 20 bill. I looked up, 45 . People just didn’t do that anymore. Everyone worried about their own 46 , rarely stopping to think about others, especially teenage strangers.
“Thank you, but no, I can’t.”
“ 47 it – go!” The man pushed me 48 the train. I bought a round – trip ticket, and he refused the change I 49 to give him back. I did not know what to say – a million thoughts raced through my mind, yet I stood 50 .
For the train ride I was silent. I began to see the world through 51 eyes. That man made a difference with such a simple 52 .
A week later I was at the train station again, with an extra $ 20 53 I saw the man. And there he was.
“excuse me, sir, I believe I owe you this.” I 54 the money into his hand.
Failing to refuse, he said, “Just remember to do the same for someone in your shoes someday.” I smiled, content.
The elderly man is my hero. For many, heroes are famous, but my hero is a 55 stranger who taught me a lesson in life. I will never forget his kindness.
A．watching B．looking C．reaching D．arranging
A．home B．class C．office D．factory
A．serving B．carrying C．minding D．making
A．chance B．crowd C．driver D．train
A．deep B．empty C．messy D．tight
A．hopeless B．useless C．relieved D．dissatisfied
A．blocked B．drawn C．stuck D．tied
A．wasted B．counted C．spent D．lost
A．miss B．skip C．fail D．stop
A．frightened B．disturbed C．surprised D．concerned
A．problems B．complaints C．positions D．challenges
A．Seize B．Get C．Catch D．Take
A．in B．beyond C．toward D．on
A．offered B．managed C．happened D．attempted
A．unconsciously B．silently C．seriously D．uncomfortably
A．curious B．changed C．bright D．widened
A．task B．act C．example D．performance
A．so that B．even if C．now that D．in case
A．dropped B．pushed C．pressed D．placed
A．giving B．encouraging C．promising D．respecting
Some people are afraid of starting a casual conversation with a stranger because of a fear of not having anything interesting to say. Fear of rejection (拒绝) is also afor keeping silent. Small talk in a conversation can as a way of warming up and getting to each other. Most people, no matter successful they are at work, will find the process of small talk uncomfortable, even pointless., you will have a pretty small world you refuse to let others in. Starting off with a casual comment or question will make others , and even just greeting them with a simple “hello” will often be enough.
Once you have made the first , there is no turning back. You need to keep things before you can gracefully say goodbye. Think about what you would like to with a new friend and that is what you can ask the other person about. Work, family, hobbies or interests are some points of discussion. To keep the ball rolling, you can show that you are really in what they are saying. Once you find common of interest, things will definitely off from there.
Small talk canout to be a pleasant experience. The conversation be brief and casual without turning into a long and boring discussion. Do not let yourself the conversation. Stop worrying about how big of a fool you may appear to be. You may find out later on that you have the “” of getting people to open up to you by engaging them in small talk.
A．right B．reason C．result D．sign
A．take B．use C．mean D．serve
A．know B．learn C．recognize D．help
A．what B．whether C．why D．how
A．giving B．leaving C．making D．forcing
A．So B．Instead C．However D．Besides
A．unless B．until C．if D．Though
A．comfortable B．upset C．nervous D．satisfied
A．try B．plan C．wish D．move
A．changing B．rising C．improving D．going
A．know B．share C．do D．show
A．private B．present C．important D．general
A．careful B．surprised C．interested D．encouraged
A．ideas B．experiences C．points D．senses
A．take B．put C．get D．set
A．come B．turn C．find D．figure
A．should B．can C．will D．may
A．start B．complete C．consider D．control
A．still B．even C．ever D．almost
A．right B．advantage C．talent D．habit
Many years ago ,l was working at my job at a community college when a homeless woman came in. She began as she lay on one of the sofas in the student rest room. , she wasn't well. Without thinking too much I went next door to the Student Affairs office where I knew I could find in the Lost and Found box. I up a set of clothing and went back to my office, I heard a colleague calling me. She told me that I should not this person, as it would only lead to her wanting more help. I refused her and went back to help the woman, my co-worker's warning .
Two weeks later, while I was working, a very cute elderly man entered my and asked to speak with me in private. Curiously, l gave him my full and he told me that he had happened to hear my with the co-worker about helping the woman. He wanted me to know that it was always okay to help people and that was why he wanted to give me a for $1,000. I burst into tears, because I needed the money at the time, but also because I had never been in such a way for helping someone!
We soon became good and 10 years later he called me up suddenly and told me he wanted to help me my first home! He giving me $120,000 as part payment for my dream house in my home town. I asked him why he wanted to give me such a large amount of money and he said it was because I was a " giver" and that I it ! To make a long story short, l was able to buy the perfect little home for myself, all because one day I did not to help a homeless woman.
A．smiling B．talking C．shouting D．coughing
A．Luckily B．Clearly C．Strangely D．Sadly
A．clothes B．books C．food D．medicine
A．gave B．turned C．gathered D．made
A．while B．when C．how D．why
A．ignore B．disturb C．value D．help
A．advice B．request C．plan D．offer
A．more than B．rather than C．regardless of D．apart from
A．home B．office C．classroom D．dormitory
A．energy B．love C．care D．attention
A．disagreement B．discussion C．fight D．quarrel
A．young B．old C．sick D．wealthy
A．support B．check C．tip D．promise
A．anxiously B．eagerly C．hardly D．really
A．recognized B．measured C．taught D．praised
A．colleagues B． competitors C．partners D．friends
A．build B．buy C．rent D．repair
A．came out B．ended up C．carried on D．resulted in
A．deserved B．wanted C．needed D．enjoyed
A．fear B．fail C．hesitate D．attempt
My wife was shouting at Sindu again．I threw the paper away and rushed to the scene．My daughter Sindu looked __．Her eyes were wet with tears．In front of her was a bowl ___with bitter melon．Sindu particularly hated bitter melon, but my wife believed __ in the “cooling effects” of bitter melon. I tried to __ Sindu to take a fewmouthfuls．She __ down a bit and wiped her tears．Then she said she would eat the __bowl of bitter melon on condition that I gave her whatever she asked for．I agreed．Slowly and__ , she finished the whole bowl．After that, Sindu came to me with her eyeswide with__. To our surprise, she wanted to have her head __. “Impossible!”shouted my wife．However, I knew that if I __ on my promise, Sindu would neverlearn to her own．So I decided to keep my promise．
On Monday morning, I _ her off at school．Just then，a boy shouted, “Sindu,wait for me!” struck me was his hairless head．I was about to leave when a ladycame to me and said, “Sir, your is great indeed!” I didn't __. She continued,“That boy is my son．He is __ from Leukemia（白血病）．He lost all his hair_ __the side effects of the chemotherapy（化疗）．He _ to come back to school because hewas afraid that the kids at school would make fun of him．Sindu visited him last week andpromised to help him, but I __ imagined that she would sacrifice her lovely hair for thesake of my son! Sir, you and your wife are blessed to have such a（n）_ soul for achild.”
I didn't know what to say．It was then that I knew what love really was．
A．excited B．frightened C．moved D．disappointed
A．provided B．covered C．filled D．equipped
A．firmly B．angrily C．heavily D．happily
A．permit B．forbid C．persuade D．order
A．went B．calmed C．came D．fought
A．sweet B．entire C．bitter D．little
A．angrily B．worriedly C．painfully D．sadly
A．expectation B．happiness C．satisfaction D．pride
A．nodded B．cut C．washed D．shaved
A．got off B．went back C．looked back D．gave off
A．honor B．remind C．share D．take
A．dropped B．sent C．took D．picked
A．It B．Something C．What D．That
A．wife B．daughter C．view D．life
A．insist B．request C．move D．understand
A．dying B．escaping C．suffering D．recovering
A．according to B．instead of C．thanks to D．because of
A．tended B．promised C．refused D．determined
A．nearly B．never C．ever D．seldom
A．abstract B．simple C．noble D．horrible
Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents．Every day they are very busy trying to earn money in order to pay the tuition fee for my brother and me．They don’t in‘the romantic ways that I read in books or I see on TV．My father has a bad temper，it’s easy for him to lose his temper．One day，my mother was sewing a quilt．I sat down beside her and looked at her．
“Is there any between you and Dad?”I asked her in a very low voice．
My mother stopped her work and raised her head with in her eyes．She didn’t answer immediately．Then she bowed her head and continued to sew the quilt．
at last I heard my mother say the following words．
"Susan，”’She said . “Look at this thread．Sometimes it appears，but most of it disappears in the quilt．The thread really makes the quilt strong and durable(耐用的)．If life is a ，then love should be a tead．It can be seen anywhere or anytime，but it’s really there．Love is ．”
I listened carefully but I couldn’t understand her until the next ．At that time，my father suddenly got sick seriously．My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month． After they were ，every day in the morning and dusk，my mother helped my father walk on the country road．My father had never been so ．Along the country road，there were many beautiful flowers，green grass and trees．The sun gently shone through the leaves．All of these the most beautiful picture in the world．The doctor had said my father would in two months．But after two months he still couldn’t walk alone．We were all worried．
“Dad，how are you feeling now?”I asked him one day．
“Susan，”he said gently，“To tell you the truth，I just like with your mom．I like this kind of life．” his eyes，I knew he loved my mother deeply．
Once I thought love meant flowers，girls and sweet kisses．But from this ，I understand that love is just a in the quilt of our life．Love is inside，making life strong and warm．
A．expensive B．low C．cheap D．high
A．play B．talk C．act D．perform
A．silently B．carefully C．certainly D．happily
A．money B．love C．time D．distance
A．surprise B．joy C．disappointment D．satisfaction
A．So B．But C．And D．For
A．sadly B．excitedly C．regretfully D．thoughtfully
A．trouble B．pleasure C．quilt D．cloth
A．hardly B．often C．always D．ever
A．valuable B．inside C．true D．priceless
A．winter B．autumn C．summer D．spring
A．free B．back C．fine D．ready
A．continuously B．worriedly C．constantly D．slowly
A．gentle B．perfect C．pleased D．thankful
A．put up B．took up C．made up D．set up
A．run B．recover C．stand D．work
A．walking B．1iving C．sitting D．chatting
A．Examining B．Seeing C．Noticing D．Reading
A．practice B．observation C．experience D．activity
A．thread B．thing C．jewel D．light
The letter was a great disappointment to me. It was from Holy Cross, the only school I really wanted to . I scanned the page, “…. We had a great applicant pool this year. …We can’t offer spaces to … and place you on our waiting list.”
“What does it say, honey?” my dad asked, his voice full of for me.
“I didn’t get in, but I’m on the waiting list.”
“Well, at least it isn’t ,” he said brightly.
“Yeah, but , I don’t want to be on the waiting list; I want to be . No one gets in off the waiting list. It’s a way of saying ‘Thanks for ’.”
“Then let’s go out there and tell them so.”
“That sounds lame（站不住脚的）, dad.” I said sadly, “It doesn’t ,.”
Upset and annoyed, I39 myself in my room. However，my father’s advice kept in my head. I thought about it for a few days, finally coming to the that he was right. And the next day I seated myself across from Mr. Luis Soto, my admissions officer.
“What can I do for you, Nacie?” he asked pleasantly.
“Well, sir, I am here to tell you that I love this school and would love a to be here. I just wanted to tell you how much going here would to me—it is my only dream college— and that I would use my time here to the best . I wanted to let you know that if you gave me a chance and reconsidered my application, you wouldn’t it.” The words had poured out I could stop them or check their desperate tone.
Mr. Soto looked me over for a minute before he smiled broadly.
“OK, that is the kind of thing we love to hear. Congratulations, you’re in.”
It was so and I asked, “I’m sorry?”
“We want people in the class who want to be here, who will the best of this education. I’m glad you came to talk to me. I’m happy to offer you a position in the Class of 2009.”
The whole experience taught me a lesson: if you truly want something, never, ever .
A．attend B．study C．admit D．visit
A．everyone B．anyone C．someone D．no one
A．trust B．pity C．anxiety D．curiosity
A．admission B．imagination C．restriction D．rejection
A．ever B．again C．also D．still
A．recognized B．received C．accepted D．permitted
A．writing B．trying C．replying D．waiting
A．work B．act C．need D．hope
A．enjoyed B．comforted C．stayed D．buried
A．saying B．ringing C．showing D．reminding
A．point B．conclusion C．agreement D．arrangement
A．chance B．motivation C．degree D．change
A．refer B．turn C．mean D．stick
A．contribution B．condition C．advantage D．result
A．suspect B．disappoint C．refuse D．regret
A．as B．when C．until D．before
A．unbelievable B．unforgettable C．unbearable D．favorable
A．take B．get C．make D．receive
A．patiently B．openly C．carefully D．calmly
A．get through B．give up C．keep on D．try out