Tears clouded my eyes as I stood in our washing room, holding Brett’s jeans and full of burn holes.
Tired and defeated, I 31 to the floor. The clothes were just one more thing Brett had 32 . He often got almost everything in the house out of 33 . Many windows in our house needed repair due to his breaking 34 to steal money when he chose to live on the street. Yet none of this could compare to the emotional 35 Brett had done to our once quiet home.
Brett came to live with us when he was 12 years old. During the next few years I had dealt with Brett a 36 as possible, but inside I was shouting. “I don’t want him in my house another day, Lord! I just can’t 37 him!” Having wiped my tears, I continued 38 him as before.
When Brett was nearly 18, he landed again in Juvenile Hall(少管所). After that, my husband and I had to send Brett to a boarding school for helping 39 teens.
At the 40 ceremony, each graduate held a white rose to give to the person who had 41 the most to him or her. Brett spoke 42 to his parents and then spoke to me, “You did so much. You were always there, no matter 43 . My mom and dad, I was their kid. But you, 44 troubled enough by me, always 45 me such love. And I want you to know I love you for it.”
46 , I stood as Brett placed the white rose in my hand and hugged me 47 .
At that moment, tears 48 in my eyes again, this time not for disappointment but for 49 . Although I had struggled with silent 50 toward my stepson, Brett had seen only my actions. Love is action. We may not always have positive feelings about certain people in our lives, but we can love them.
A．sat B．sank C．bent D．dropped
A．ruined B．lost C．torn D．broken
A．danger B．place C．trouble D．order
A．off B．in C．up D．away
A．pain B．injury C．damage D．harm
A．patiently B．willingly C．strictly D．rudely
A．forgive B．educate C．stand D．control
A．parenting B．pardoning C．comforting D．feeding
A．lazy B．troublesome C．disappointing D．careless
A．opening B．official C．victory D．graduation
A．afforded B．meant C．supplied D．owed
A．lovingly B．sadly C．proudly D．nervously
A．where B．how C．what D．who
A．unless B．although C．because D．when
A．cost B．lent C．taught D．showed
A．Astonished B．Puzzled C．Encouraged D．Interested
A．surely B．roughly C．tightly D．fiercely
A．fell B．flowed C．moved D．gathered
A．pity B．happiness C．luck D．success
A．love B．anxiety C．anger D．car
School was over and I was both mentally and physically tired, I sat at the very front of the bus because of 1 to get home．Sitting at the front makes you 2 out like a shiny coin in a pile of dull pennies． Janie, the driver, tries to break the uncomfortable atmosphere by striking the match of 3 ．
I try to mind my manners and 4 listen, but usually I am too busy thinking about my day．On this day, however, her conversation was worth listening to．
"My father’s sick," she said to no one in 5 ．I could see the anxiety and fear in her eyes．With a sudden change of attitude and interest, I asked, "What’s wrong with him?"
With her eyes wet and her voice tight from 6 the tears, she responded, "Heart trouble．" Her eyes 7 as she continued．"I’ve already lost my mum, so I don’t think I can 8 losing him．”
I couldn’t respond．I was 9 ．My heart ached for her．I sat on the old, smelly seat thinking of the great 10 my own mother was thrown into when my father died．
I saw how hard it was, and still is, for her．I wouldn’t like anyone to go through that．Suddenly I realized Janie wasn’t only a bus driver．That was just her job．She had a whole world of family and concerns too．I had never thought of her as anything but a 11 ．I suddenly felt very 12 ．I realized I had only thought of people as 13 as what their purposes were in my life．I paid no attention to Janie because she was a bus driver．1 had judged her by her job and regarded her as unimportant．
For all I know, I’m just another person in someone else’s world, and may not even be important．I should not have been so selfish and self-centered．Everyone 14 a place to go to, people to see and appointments to 15 ．Understanding people is an art．
A．determination B．decision C．attempt D．anxiety
A．make B．stand C．think D．find
A．topic B．message C．discussion D．conversation
A．devotedly B．carelessly C．truly D．sincerely
A．common B．silence C．particular D．surprise
A．avoiding B．clearing C．keeping D．fighting
A．glanced B．closed C．lowered D．saddened
A．mind B．regret C．bear D．miss
A．angry B．interested C．curious D．shocked
A．pain B．pity C．disappointment D．mercy
A．daughter B．worker C．driver D．passenger
A．selfish B．confused C．worried D．sad
A．long B．often C．far D．well
A．takes B．has C．finds D．needs
A．stay B．remain C．keep D．put
I know I should have told the headmaster at the time. That was my real 21 .
He had gone out of the study for some 22 , leaving me alone. In his absence I looked to see what was on his 23 . In the 24 was a small piece of paper on which were written the 25 “English Writing Prize 1949. History Is a Serious of Biographies (人物传记)”.
A(n) 26 boy would have avoided looking at the title as soon as he saw the 27 . I did not. The subject of the English Writing Prize was kept a 28 until the start of the exam so I could not 29 reading it.
When the headmaster 30 , I was looking out of the window.
I should have told him what had 31 then. It would have been so 32 to say: “I’m sorry, but I 33 the title for the English Writing Prize on your desk. You’ll have to 34 it.”
The chance passed and I did not take it. I sat for the exam the next day and I won. I didn’t mean to cheat, but it was still 35 anyhow.
That was thirty-eight years ago when I was fifteen. I have never told anyone about it before, nor have I tried to explain to myself why not.
A．plan B．fault C．grade D．luck
A．reason B．course C．example D．vacation
A．book B．head C．clothes D．desk
A．drawer B．book C．middle D．box
A．names B．words C．ideas D．messages
A．honest B．handsome C．friendly D．active
A．desk B．paper C．book D．drawer
A．question B．key C．note D．secret
A．help B．consider C．practise D．forget
A．disappeared B．stayed C．returned D．went
A．existed B．remained C．happened D．continued
A．tiring B．easy C．important D．difficult
A．saw B．gave C．set D．made
A．repeat B．defend C．correct D．change
A．cheating B．having C．staying D．finding
Education from My Father
My memories of my father are slim because he was so sick in the last years of his life. But there are 32 that I am often reminded of and which may have had some bearing on my love of 33 .
When I was small I was somewhat 34 of lightning and thunder. My father explained it. The explanation was in 35 that a child could understand but was basically correct. I gained a better 36 later, but I didn’t have to unlearn anything.
What he said was that there was electricity in the clouds 37 it traveled to the ground like a spark. When it traveled 38 the air it made the air so hot that it 39 . Then there was nothing where the air had been and the air all around rushed in to 40 the space. He clapped his hands together very loud, 41 to be the air rushing in, and said that makes the thunder. When I hear thunder, I can still hear that 42 .
He explained why if it was cloudy in the winter the night was warmer than if it was 43 . It was one of those nights when the sky was full of stars: no moon, no town lights. But there were more stars than you could 44 and they had color too. He said that if there were no clouds, we had no blankets and were 45 to the universe. Our warmth was going to 46 the whole universe. When there were clouds, they were like blankets and we were not exposed to the universe. I 47 feel on the edge of space on a very clear night.
I am sure there were many other lessons that I 48 but no longer remember. What I did 49 , in general, was that there were explanations and that the more I understood them, the more comfortable the world was to live in. I was not taught that there were 50 but that there was understanding if you looked for it. This may be why I have always been 51 in science.
A．others B．few C．some D．all
A．science B．nature C．weather D．universe
A．sure B．fond C．tired D．afraid
A．depth B．words C．gestures D．data
A．understanding B．knowledge C．command D．confidence
A．but B．and C．for D．or
A．above B．to C．along D．through
A．shone B．burned C．expanded D．broke
A．fill B．make C．avoid D．break
A．trying B．proving C．hoping D．pretending
A．clap B．remark C．voice D．crash
A．cold B．bright C．clear D．foggy
A．explore B．foresee C．imagine D．identify
A．committed B．exposed C．related D．led
A．heat B．protect C．extend D．light
A．ever B．also C．even D．still
A．selected B．arranged C．absorbed D．delivered
A．consider B．promise C．explain D．learn
A．memories B．blankets C．mysteries D．thunders
A．engaged B．interested C．successful D．skillful
“Good night, Yammine.”
“Good night, Chief，” I reply.
The cell door __36__ and I hear Chief's keys clinking as other doors clang shut further down the row. I step into my little cell and sit down. I glance up at the window, covered in mesh(铁网)，and think to myself, “This isn't a life, it's just a(n) __37__．”
Being __38__ makes me feel as though I'm being buried alive. I am a puppet(木偶) with people __39__ strings so that I eat, sleep and wake when they want me to.
I lie on my bed as night __40__ and think the same thoughts __41__. I think about how it all went so wrong, and imagine how I will __42__ for all the time I've lost.
Every day I live the same routine and nothing changes except the people. Prisoners depart for other prisons, or get __43__. Others __44__ from different prisons, or fresh from custody. It's a __45__ revolving(旋转) door.
When I committed my __46__， I was a lost young boy, but now I am __47__. Walking around the yard, I would notice my fellow prisoners reading books and writing letters to friends and family, which upset me as my __48__ at school was limited.
I longed for the day when I'd be able to sit in the sun, enjoying a cup of coffee and reading a newspaper or book __49__ my choice. I also longed to write letters to my friends and family, sharing my thoughts and feelings.
I decided not to waste my time inside and, __50__， make the most of all the resources available to me. I started to learn and was __51__ to realize my dream.
Now, after five years' persistence, heartache and hard work, I have __52__ my goal. Having __53__ a course as a reading adviser, I can now help others to read and write. And I have even started a creative writing workshop at Junee Correctional Centre. Learning to read and write at a highter level has given me the inner strength to present myself in a more __54__ manner.
And the day I've dreamed about has come true: I now enjoy my cup of coffee with a book in my other hand. Learning to read and write has changed my life and this article is my first piece of “proper” writing, and it won't be my __55__．
A．opens B．closes C．breaks D．sticks
A．existence B．appearance C．offence D．holiday
A．at school B．at home C．in hospital D．in prison
A．pulling B．shaking C．winding D．casting
A．becomes B．drops C．feels D．falls
A．once and for all B．over and over again C．once again D．for good
A．do up B．make up C．fix up D．mend up
A．revealed B．sentenced C．punished D．released
A．reach B．get C．arrive D．go
A．continually B．occasionally C．accidentally D．rarely
A．mistake B．crime C．error D．fault
A．caught B．home C．found D．trapped
A．attendance B．absence C．allowance D．assistance
A．in B．of C．over D．by
A．however B．instead C．thus D．nevertheless
A．devoted B．dedicated C．determined D．decided
A．gained B．recognized C．arrived D．achieved
A．attended B．completed C．started D．organized
A．positive B．negative C．sensitive D．passive
A．best B．worst C．latest D．last
Mary will ever forget the first time she saw him. He suddenly appeared in class one day ,1(wear) sun glasses . He walked in as if he2(buy) the school ,And the word quickly got around that he was from New York City.
For some reason he sat beside Mary. Mary felt3(please), because there were many empty seats in the room .But she quickly realized that it wasn't her, it was probably the fact that she sat in4last row.
5he thought he could escape attention by sitting at the back, he was wrong. It might have made it a little6(hard) for everybody because it meant they had to turn around, but that didn't stop the kids in the class. Of course whenever they turn to look at him, they had to look at Mary ,7made her feel like a star .
"Do you need those glasses for medical reasons ?" the teacher asked .The new boy shook his head ."Then I'd appreciate it if you didn't wear them in class .I like to look at your eyes when I'm speaking to you." The new boy looked at the teacher8a few seconds and all the other students wondered9the boy would do .Then he took10off , gave a big smile and said "That is cool."