Tears clouded my eyes as I stood in our washing room, holding Brett’s jeans and full of burn holes.
Tired and defeated, I 36 to the floor. The clothes were just one more thing Brett had 37 . He often got almost everything in the house out of 38 . Many windows in our house needed repair due to his breaking 39 to steal money when he chose to live on the street. Yet none of this could compare to the emotional 40 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 as 41 as possible, but inside I was shouting. “I don’t want him in my house another day, Lord! I just can’t 42 him!” Having wiped my tears, I continued 43 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 44 teens.
At the 45 ceremony, each graduate held a white rose to give to the person who had 46 the most to him or her. Brett spoke 47 to his parents and then spoke to me, “You did so much. You were always there, no matter 48 . My mom and dad, I was their kid. But you, 49 troubled enough by me, always 50 me such love. And I want you to know I love you for it.” 51 , I stood as Brett placed the white rose i
n my hand and hugged me 52 .
At that moment, tears 53 in my eyes again, this time not for disappointment but for 54 . Although I had struggled with silent 55 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．care
Last summer I was a volunteer at a shelter for the homeless, a place for homeless people to sleep at night. I wasn’t working that summer and was ____ only two classes in summer school, so I had some free time.
Three nights a week, I ____ in the kitchen of the shelter along with four other volunteers. We planned and ____ for 45 people hot meals with vegetables, chicken, fish and fruit. The homeless people____ this good food because many of them usually didn’t eat well.
I ____ this volunteer work, making ____ with the four volunteers in the kitchen. One was a very nice elderly housewife, one a movie actor, another a young teacher, and the other a college student, like me.
I talked to a lot of the homeless people at the shelter. Their life stories ____ me with sympathy. Some of them had ____ with alcohol or drugs while others only had bad ____. One woman worked for almost 30 years for a small company, and then she lost her job. She wanted to look for a ____ job, but couldn't find one, for she was too ____. She could do nothing but sell her furniture—sofas, chairs, and tables so that she could pay for her food. The woman ____ on job hunting, but she ____ couldn't find one. She had no money for her ____ and had to sleep in her car. Then she had to sell her car. Alone, ____， and homeless, she finally came to the shelter.
A．studying B．planning C．holding D．taking
A．helped B．raised C．appeared D．washed
A．ordered B．bought C．cooked D．accomplished
A．appealed B．required C．collected D．requested
A．wanted B．had C．owned D．enjoyed
A．decisions B．wishes C．friends D．amateurs（业余爱好者）
A．struck B．filled C．deposited(存放) D．provided
A．habits B．hardships C．difficulties D．problems
A．luck B．pain C．experience D．loss
A．challenging B．delicate（精致的） C．skilled D．new
A．old B．poor C．sick D．dishonest
A．went B．moved C．came D．worked
A．partly B．still C．almost D．extremely
A．block B．cottage C．building D．flat
A．afraid B．unbearable C．dull D．awkward
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
It was her giggling that drew my attention. Note taking really wasn't all that funny.
Walking over to the offender，I asked for the ____.Frozen，she refused to give it to me. I waited，all attention in the classroom on the quiet ____ between teacher and student. When she finally ____ it over she whispered，“Okay，but I didn't draw it.”
It was a handdrawn ____ of me，teeth blackened and the words “I'm stupid” coming out of my mouth.
I managed to fold it up calmly. My mind，____，was working angrily as I struggled not to ____.I figured I knew the two most likely candidates for drawing the picture. It would do them some ____ to teach them a lesson，and maybe it was high time that I did it!
Thankfully，I was able to keep myself ____.
When there were about six minutes remaining，I showed the class the picture. They were all silent as I told them how ____ this was for me. I told them there must be a reason ____ and now was their chance to write down anything they needed to tell me. Then I let them write silently while I sniffed in the back of the classroom.
As I ____ the notes later，many of them said something like，“I've got nothing ____ you.” or “I'm sorry you were hurt.”Some kids said，“We're afraid of you.”But two notes，from the girls who I ____ were behind the picture，had a list of issues. I was too ____，too strict...
Reading those notes，I realized that over the course of this year，instead of ____ my students，I had begun commanding them to ____.Where I thought I was driving them to success I was ____ driving them away.
I had some apology to do. But the next day in the classroom，one boy and one girl each handed me a card. The one ____ by all the boys expressed sincere regret for the ugly joke. The one from the girls asked for ____.
This was a lesson for both the kids and me. Forgiveness does not change the past，but it does enlarge the ____.
A．note B．advice C．reason D．help
A．battle B．competition C．argument D．conversation
A．took B．thought C．turned D．handed
A．statue B．graph C．picture D．poster
A．otherwise B．however C．therefore D．besides
A．leave B．cry C．explain D．argue
A．good B．harm C．favor D．punishment
A．amused B．controlled C．uninterested D．relaxed
A．meaningful B．forgetful C．regretful D．hurtful
A．aside B．above C．beneath D．behind
A．wrote B．finished C．read D．collected
A．beyond B．from C．against D．for
A．figured B．promised C．concluded D．confirmed
A．talkative B．mean C．clumsy D．considerate
A．forcing B．encouraging C．comforting D．teaching
A．appreciate B．apologize C．compromise D．achieve
A．actually B．normally C．immediately D．generally
A．decorated B．offered C．signed D．bought
A．thankfulness B．forgiveness C．compensation D．communication
A．friendship B．education C．knowledge D．future
Like many men at some point, I dream about opening a bar. I plan to call it Work Out. It will cater to married women in need of a little fun. On Friday nights, they will be able to come here and enjoy themselves.
See, I have a gift for business. I am, as my wife Zsa Zsa likes to note, “A man with a million ideas, none of them very good.” Speaking of Zsa Zsa, she is fed up with this plain little life I’ve made for us——too many kids, too many chores, mind – numbing debt. The other day, she said she thought we needed a new family car. “Sure. How about an 87 Lincoln?” I said, and saw my dear Zsa Zsa age about 20 years, and become her mother right before my eyes.
Yes, money is our madness. Last year, we thought we had found a little cushion when I published a book about the life here in suburban America. It sold 12 copies——six of them to my mother. Four other copies went to various aunts and uncles, who used them for martini coasters (杯垫), then sold them at yard sales. The two remaining copies went to perfect strangers. (I think I owe you dinner, whoever you are. Call me, OK? We’ll arrange something.)
When the book didn’t take off, I wrote a TV show. Then I penned a short novel based on the earlier TV idea that didn’t sell. Currently, I am at work on a set of encyclopedias(百科全书). In a month, I plan to sell them door-to-door.
Such is the life of a writer, sending off the most personal thoughts possible to his hard drive. I am a writer, but also the breadwinner in my family. I’m at the keyboard at 6 almost every morning, hoping to tap out one idea——just one——that will take us up the hill, to the mountain, to the top.
According to the passage, the author is leading a/an______ life.
A．enjoyable B．wealthy C．hard D．comfortable
A．promised it to his wife B．was showing off their fortune C．thought his wife would like it D．was just joking
A．It didn’t sell well at all B．He sold it door – to – door. C．He made a lot of money from it. D．It was really a cushion for his family.
A．Comfortable seat. B．Financial help. C．Unexpected success. D．Best-selling book.
A．He has a real gift for business. B．He isn’t serious enough about life. C．He is a hard – working writer. D．His wife is satisfied with their plain life.
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从1—15各题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
You join Facebook and "friend" your old classmates. You might not ever talk about anything serious with them but they are there.
A classmate from twenty years ago was one of my Facebook friends. A few random comments he _____ gave me the impression that something was _____ so I tried to make him call me. He did call and I found out that he, his wife and eight children had just moved into a(n) _____motel room. He had used the very last of their money to pay for a week's _____ there. He had no job and they had lost their _____.
I bought a few groceries and took them to the motel room. After the visit I ____to do something a bit extreme. I messaged all of our mutual Facebook friends from our graduating class. What happened next was just _____. Soon I was getting responses. Classmates, some of whom had _____ been barely friendly started calling me for information or sending donations for the family.
Someone told me they knew someone else in a nearby town with a(n) _____house. The home owners donated the house rent free, only asking them to ____ the fees of water and electricity and mow (修剪) the lawn when it was needed. Soon this family had volunteers from our class delivering furniture, groceries, toys, even job _____!
There are still many things we are _____ for this family. They have yet to get a vehicle for work and he hasn't found a job, but everyone is _____ smiles now. And, let me tell you, the hugs from his lovely children speak louder than any words ever could!
I became the _____ between this family's needs and people who could help them. It still amazes me how wonderfully it all _____, just because of me and my Facebook friends!
A．made B．took C．expressed D．wrote
A．awkward B．wrong C．horrible D．disgusting
A．expensive B．comfortable C．cheap D．worthless
A．sleep B．rest C．play D．stay
A．money B．food C．clothes D．home
A．agreed B．declared C．decided D．managed
A．unbelievable B．interesting C．funny D．ridiculous
A．previously B．occasionally C．frequently D．deliberately[来
A．big B．beautiful C．useless D．empty
A．cost B．spend C．buy D．pay
A．descriptions B．applications C．conditions D．newspapers
A．hoping B．asking C．looking D．answering
A．wearing B．having C．giving D．sending
A．relationship B．partner C．bridge D．witness
A．gave out B．picked out C．made out D．worked out
What a busy day! The three boys were fed, bathed and changed into their nightclothes. Mary had them a story and finally they were asleep. “Babysitting (照看) the three boys aged eight, six and four is extremely ,” she thought.
“Sleep,” she considered, “if only I could!” But she had difficult homework to complete. Leaning back, she her feet onto the sofa to get comfortable. Whoever said babysitting was a(n) way to make money obviously hadn’t met the three boys, she thought. The television was on, the room was warm, and the lights were dim. Mary’s felt heavier and heavier. I mustn’t sleep, she thought—which was what she did, of course.
Strangely enough, she soon that she was a world-famous chef（主厨）. She made a and wore diamonds and designer clothes. Most days she relaxed by the pool, meeting the rich and famous or —her favorite hobby. She took the leading role in her own TV show.
That is, until she became too . “I am definitely the best in the world,” she thought, as she prepared a tasty chicken dish. But seemed to go right. She spilt the flour, she dropped an egg and she cut her finger. Despite all the troubles, she to get the chicken into the stove. Soon, smoke blanted the room. The children was on fire. set in, but Mary could not run—she was to the spot. She tired hard to move, but could not, a sharp sound awoke her.
She got shocked and confused— was pouring from the kitchen. Rushing to investigate, she was met by three little faces and some very burnt bread. “Sorry, we were hungry and you were , so we tried to make some bread.” explained a boy. Relieved, Mary de them a snack and sent them back to bed. She them never to fall asleep on the job again!
A．given B．written C．told D．taught
A．successful B．helpful C．tiring D．surprising
A．shook B．put C．bent D．kept
A．difficult B．boring C．important D．easy
A．eyes B．mind C．heart D．legs
A．nicely B．exactly C．curiously D．carelessly
A．realized B．reminded C．learned D．dreamt
A．decision B．fortune C．business D．plan
A．sleeping B．reading C．running D．babysitting
A．just B．ever C．even D．only
A．selfish B．proud C．stubborn D．sensitive
A．everything B．something C．anything D．nothing
A．tired B．arranged C．managed D．prepared
A．Panic B．Pain C．Noise D．Stress
A．frozen B．dragged C．pushed D．brought
A．because B．until C．as D．unless
A．smoke B．light C．water D．fire
A．cheerful B．strange C．guilty D．confident
A．busy B．hungry C．worried D．asleep
A．promised B．allowed C．expected D．persuaded