My uncle has a very beautiful umbrella. He has had it 16 and as he is very 17 it, it still looks as good as new.
“That umbrella must have 18 you a great deal of money, Uncle.” I said to him one day.
“No,” he replied, “ 19 ”
“Was it a present?” I asked again.
“No,” said he.
“Then how did you get it?” I asked.
“Well,” he answered, “it is a strange true story. About ten years ago, I was walking along a quiet London street one evening 20 it suddenly rained. I had no raincoat and no umbrella. No buses ran through that street and there were no 21 in sight. As I was on my way to a party, I didn't want to get 22 . So I stood at a doorway and waited for the rain to stop. By and by it grew quite 23 .There wasn't a person around, and 24 it rained and rained. 25 a young man came to the place where I was standing, 26 a large umbrella over his head. 27 I hoped he would 28 me to walk to the next corner with him in order that I could get a taxi, I stepped 29 the dark doorway where I had been standing, and said: “ 30 , where are you going with that umbrella?”
31 by my sudden appearance, the young man 32 the umbrella, which, I'm afraid, he had just stolen, ran away, and 33 into the darkness. I picked up the umbrella and continued my walk. I knew it would be 34 in this big city to try and discover the owner and so I've kept it 35 .”
A．for months B．for years C．since childhood D．for a few days
A．satisfied with B．afraid of C．proud of D．careful with
A．given B．cost C．saved D．made
A．very little B．I don't know C．not a penny D．quite a lot
A．when B．though C．because D．after
A．bicycles B．policemen C．friends D．taxis
A．tired B．back C．wet D．away
A．dark B．fine C．dirty D．dangerous
A．naturally B．suddenly C．always D．still
A．At once B．At last C．As usual D．As well
A．selling B．carrying C．moving D．showing
A．As B．Although C．While D．If
A．order B．persuade C．allow D．promise
A．into B．out of C．towards D．along
A．By the way B．Help C．Excuse me D．Stop
A．Punished B．Discouraged C．Warned D．Frightened
A．raised B．took C．dropped D．forgot
A．disappeared B．lost C．pulled D．turned
A．endless B．interesting C．exciting D．hopeless
A．ever since B．for a while C．for you D．forever
My first job was at a local restaurant, where I worked for seven years and learned so many lessons, especially from a fellow 36 .
Helen was in her 30s and had extraordinary（非凡的） self-confidence, something I was really 37 . I looked up to Helen 38 she was doing what she loved— 39 people better. She always made everyone, customers and co-workers（同事） 40 and feel good.
Being a waitress changed my life. One of my 41 customers was Fred Hasbrook. He always ate an omelet, and when I saw him _42 , I tried to have it on his table as soon as he sat down.
Thanks to the new found confidence I 43 __from Helen, I dreamed of having my own __44 . But when I called my parents to ask for a loan（贷款）, they said, “We just don’t have the money.”
The next day, Fred saw me and asked, “What’s 45 ? You’re not smiling today.” I 46__my dream with him and said, “Fred, I know I can do more if somebody 47 just have faith in(信任）me.”
Before long he handed me checks 48 __$50,000—along with a note that I have to this day. It reads, “The only collateral（抵押品）on this loan is my trust in your 49 as a person. Good people with a dream should have 50 __to make that dream come true.”
I took the checks to Merrill Lynch, where the money was provided for me. I 51 working at the restaurant, making 52 for the restaurant I would open. My plans soured（破灭）, and I lost the 53 .
Later I decided to apply for a job at Merill Lynch. Even though I had no experience, I was__54 and ended up becoming a pretty good agent. 55 ，I paid back Fred the $50,000, plus 14-percent annual interest. Five years later, I was able to open my own firm.
A．friend B．waitress C．citizen D．customer
A．losing B．earning C．sharing D．lacking
A．while B．though C．because D．unless
A．helping B．respecting C．serving D．praising
A．work B．eat C．smile D．speak
A．regular B．favorite C．respected D．fresh
A．eating B．greeting C．smiling D．coming
A．found out B．picked up C．got back D．took away
A．restaurant B．work C．house D．money
A．ahead B．that C．there D．up
A．exchanged B．discussed C．shared D．explained
A．should B．would C．might D．must
A．counting B．totaling C．adding D．valuing
A．ability B．honesty C．responsibility D．identity（身份证）
A．patience B．confidence C．choice D．chance
A．loved B．practiced C．continued D．enjoyed
A．tables B．preparation C．decisions D．suggestions
A．faith B．honesty C．money D．friend
A．hired B．rejected C．encouraged D．determined
A．fortunately B．excitedly C．personally D．eventually
What’s the secret of success? Is it having loads of money? Good luck? Great
teeth?
Sure, cash, luck, and a nice 36 can’t hurt. But many social scientists agree that what successful people have in common is this: They were 37.
There’s George Washington, the top general of America’s troops in the Revolutionary War, who lost two huge 38 and was nearly fired. 39 Steve Jobs, who developed a lot of failed products---and even got fired from Apple---before 40 to change the world with the iPod, iPhone, and iPad.
The 41 goes on: From Katy and Hall of Fame （名人堂）basketball legend Michael Jordan to Glee(欢乐合唱团 ) star Chris Colfer, the majority of today’s most successful people were 42 losers. They were dropped from record labels, 43_from basketball teams, or bullied in school. They felt humiliated, lost and 44.
But they eventually figured out how to move forward. And that is the key skill: the 45 to dust yourself off and try again. And again. Experts call this resilience(复原力 )---being able to 46 from setbacks. This is what turns losers into winners. Experts say that in terms of future success, resilience is more important than brains or talent. So 47 you fail a test or strike out at bat or sing off-key, don’t give up.
A．gift B．smile C．health D．habit
A．successes B．failures C．talented D．disabled
A．battles B．selections C．quarrels D．arguments
A．He’s B．It’s C．There’s D．They’re
A．doing B．leading C．applying D．returning
A．story B．paper C．research D．list
A．at a time B．at one time C．at times D．at which time
A．cut B．put C．thrown D．taken
A．promising B．happy C．hopeless D．hopeful
A．disability B．ability C．force D．desire
A．come B．resign C．recover D．keep
A．by the time B．next time C．before D．until
On the way to school, a little boy found a cocoon(茧) of a butterfly and watched it everyday. One day, it started to break through a small hole in the cocoon, but it 26 greatly. Finally, it seemed it couldn’t succeed.
The boy felt 27 for the butterfly because he knew it was going to die if it didn’t get out. So he ran into the house and got a pair of 28 and cut the cocoon a little. The butterfly came out and was free.
The only strange thing was that the butterfly has a swollen(肿胀的) body and dry 29 . The boy kept waiting for the swelling to go down and for the wings to grow, but 30 didn’t. The butterfly crawled（爬）around and unable to 31 and then it died an early death.
Therefore, he learnt that the butterfly was supposed to struggle to get out of the cocoon. In fact, the struggle to get out of the cocoon 32 the fluid(液) out of the body and it its wings. 33 the struggle, the butterfly couldn’t grow, and would 34 fly. By trying to help the butterfly, the boy 35 hurt it.
A．shouted B．struggled C．changed D．waved
A．ashamed B．satisfied C．happy D．sad
A．knives B．trousers C．scissors D．shoes
A．wings B．feather C．stomach D．legs
A．it B．you C．they D．he
A．walk B．fly C．move D．run
A．pulled B．dropped C．pushed D．flowed
A．without B．by C．with D．for
A．seldom B．hardly C．ever D．never
A．actually B．gradually C．slowly D．generally
Cure for Sorrow
There is an old story telling about a woman whose only son died in an accident. In her 31 , she went to the wise man that is always 32 for his wisdom in her town and said, “What advice or what 33 ways do you have to bring my son back to life? I will 34 you with all I have if you can.”
Instead of sending her away or 35 with her, he said to her, “Fetch me a mustard(芥末) seed from a home that has never 36 sorrow. We will use it to drive the sorrow out of your life.” The woman went off at once in 37 of that magical mustard seed.
She came first to a splendid apartment, 38 at the door, and said in a 39 voice, “I am looking for a home that has never known sorrow. Is this such a(n) 40 that I want? It is very important to me.”
41 , she didn’t get what she wanted, even without a single word of 42 . They told her that she had come to the wrong place. And they began to 43 all the tragic things that recently had happened to them.
The woman said to herself, “Who is better able to help these poor, 44 people than I, though I also have had misfortune of my own?” She 45 to comfort them till they 46 . Then she went on searching for a home that had never known sorrow. But 47 she turned up, in small cottages or in other places, she found one 48 after another of sadness and misfortune. She became so 49in helping other people out of their sorrow that finally she forgot about her quest for the special mustard seed, in fact, never 50 that it had driven the sorrow out of her life.
A．joy B．danger C．belief D．sorrow
A．envied B．considered C．respected D．treated
A．strange B．magical C．valuable D．important
A．reward B．supply C．provide D．award
A．quarreling B．discussing C．reasoning D．arguing
A．suffered B．known C．obtained D．forgotten
A．honor B．favor C．need D．search
A．knocked B．broke C．stood D．pointed
A．excited B．confident C．sad D．urgent
A．place B．answer C．apartment D．person
A．Luckily B．Immediately C．Gradually D．Unfortunately
A．praise B．Respect C．comfort D．encouragement
A．exchange B．describe C．simplify D．decorate
A．unfortunate B．unfriendly C．unimportant D．unfamiliar
A．planned B．managed C．continued D．stayed
A．settle down B．break down C．calm down D．get down
A．wherever B．whatever C．however D．whenever
A．excuse B．tale C．lie D．reason
A．curious B．puzzled C．worried D．involved
A．recognizing B．realizing C．remembering D．wondering
I believe being honest is one of the greatest gifts. I know they call it a lot of fancy names these days，like 36 and straightforward. And it’s still what 37a man a good citizen. This is my code(准则)，and I try to live by.
I’ve been in the taxi business for thirty-five years， 38 there is a lot about it that is not so good. Taxi drivers have to be rough and tumble(乱作一团) fellows to be able to take it in New York. You've got to be 39 to fight the New York traffic eight hours a day.
Because taxi drivers are tough，people get the 40 impression that they are bad. Taxi drivers are just like other people. Most of them will act as 41 fellows. Almost every week you read in the papers where a taxi driver 42 money or jewels or like that people leave in their 43 . If they weren't honest，you wouldn't be reading those stories in the papers. One time，I found an emerald（翡翠的）ring in my car. I remembered helping a lady with a lot of suitcases that day，so I went back to where I had 44 her off. It took me almost two days to wait for her in order to return her 45 to her. I didn't get as much as “thank you.” 46 ，I felt good because I had done what was right. I think I felt better than she 47 .
I was born and brought up in Ireland until I was nineteen years old. I came to this country in 1913 where I 48 several jobs to earn a few dollars before joining the army in World War I. After being discharged(退伍)，I bought my own car and have owned one ever since. It hasn’t been too easy 49 ，but my wife takes care of our money and we have a good bit 50 for a rainy day(一时之需). In all my years of driving a taxi，I have never had___51__ with the public，not even with drunks. Even if they get a little headstrong(顽固的) once in a while，I just agree with them and then they behave themselves.
People ask me about tips. As far as I know， 52 everyone will give you something，because most Americans are 53 generous. I always try to be nice to everyone，whether they 54 or not. I believe in God and try to be a good member of my parish（教区）. I try to act toward others like I think God wants me to act. I have been trying this for a long time，and the 55 I try，the easier it gets.
A．honored B．selfishness C．upright D．faithful
A．takes B．becomes C．makes D．haves
A．distinguishing B．recognizing C．thinking D．knowing
A．generous B．tough C．devoted D．educated
A．cruel B．proper C．bad D．wrong
A．rude B．honest C．good D．tough
A．turns up B．turns down C．turns out D．turns in
A．houses B．cars C．pockets D．rooms
A．saw B．dropped C．set D．pushed
A．ring B．suitcase C．car D．emerald
A．So B．Still C．However D．Though
A．was B．did C．has D．is
A．made B．shared C．held D．took
A．at one time B．sometime C．in no time D．at times
A．set up B．set off C．set down D．set aside
A．trouble B．suffering C．word D．violence
A．especially B．specially C．particularly D．practically
A．frequently B．rarely C．absolutely D．fairly
A．tip B．request C．command D．swap
A．longer B．harder C．better D．shorter