I grew up poor – living with six brothers, my father and a wonderful mother．We had 26 money and few worldly goods, but plenty of love and attention．I was 27 and energetic．I understood that no matter how poor a person was, they could 28 afford a dream．
My dream was to be a 29 ．When I was sixteen, I could crush a baseball, throw a ninety – mile – per – hour fastball．I was also 30 : my high – school coach was Ollie Jarvis, who 31 me the difference between having a dream and showing strong belief．One particular 32 with him changed my life forever．
It was a summer and a friend recommended me for a summer 33 ．This meant a chance for my first income – cash for a new bike and new clothes, and the 34 of savings for a house for my mother．The opportunity was attracting, and I wanted to 35 at it．
Then I realized I would have to 36 summer baseball to handle the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell Coach Jarvis I wouldn’t be playing．I was 37 about this．
When I told Coach Jarvis, he was as 38 as I expected him to be．“You have your whole life to work,” he said．“Your 39 days are limited．You can’t afford to waste them．”
I stood before him with my head 40 , trying to think of how to explain to him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth 41 his disappointment in me．
“How much are you going to make at this job?” he demanded．
“$ 3．25 an hour,” I replied．
“Well, is $ 3．25 an hour the price of a 42 ?” he asked．
That 43 laid bare for me the difference between wanting something right now and having a goal．I devoted myself to 44 that summer, and within the year I was offered a $ 20,000 contract．I signed with the Denver Broncos in 1984 for $ 1．7 million, and bought my mother the 45 of my dreams．
A．some B．little C．no D．much
A．happy B．lovely C．angry D．noisy
A．only B．ever C．still D．almost
A．teacher B．coach C．doctor D．sportsman
A．lucky B．satisfied C．hopeful D．surprised
A．taught B．asked C．told D．trained
A．match B．story C．moment D．incident
A．job B．camp C．holiday D．course
A．cause B．start C．need D．amount
A．stand B．call C．look D．jump
A．take out B．cut off C．put on D．give up
A．excited B．curious C．anxious D．disappointed
A．mad B．puzzled C．regretful D．discouraged
A．working B．playing C．learning D．shining
A．shaking B．hanging C．holding D．nodding
A．feeling B．suffering C．facing D．expressing
A．dream B．game C．chance D．life
A．offer B．price C．question D．order
A．study B．sports C．homework D．business
A．clothes B．bike C．house D．goods
America’s Beauty Is in Its Diversity
America is built on the idea of freedom, and there is no exception for Muslim women. I the freedom of religion and speech. But mostly, I believe it’s OK to be , and to stand up for who and what you are. So I believe in wearing the hijab.
The hijab is a religious head covering, like a scarf. I am Muslim, and keeping my head covered is a of maturity（成熟）and respect toward my and to Allah’s will. , I also like to wear it to be different. I don’t usually like to do what everyone else is doing. I want to be a(n) , not just part of the crowd. But when I first wore it, I was also afraid of the that I’d get at school.
I on my own that sixth grade was the I should start wearing the hijab. I was about what the kids would say or even do to me. I thought they might make fun of me, or be scared of me and my headscarf. Kids at that age usually like to be all the same, and there’s little or no of differences.
On the first day of school, I put all those thoughts behind my back and walked in with my head held high. I was holding my breath a little, but I was also proud to be a Muslim, proud to be wearing the hijab, proud to be different.
I was about everything I had thought the kids would say or even do to me. I actually met a lot of people because of wearing my head covering. Most of the kids would come and ask me questions — — about the hijab and why I wore it.
I did hear some kids were making fun of me, there was one girl----she wasn’t even in my class, and we never really talked much---and she spoke me, and I wasn’t even there! I made a lot of new friends that year, friends that I still have until this very day, five years later.
Yes, I’m different, but everyone is different here, in one way or another. This is the of America.
A．believe in B．stick to C．carry out D．push for
A．dependent B．free C．different D．sensitive
A．signal B．sign C．reminder D．cause
A．religion B．country C．parents D．status
A．In a word B．In general C．To be brief D．To be honest
A．princess B．heroine C．individual D．adult
A．praise B．punishment C．reflection D．reaction
A．hoped B．expected C．realized D．decided
A．time B．chance C．case D．occasion
A．disappointed B．scared C．enthusiastic D．angry
A．still B．already C．even D．ever
A．show off B．pull off C．pick up D．put up
A．rejection B．ignorance C．knowledge D．acceptance
A．negative B．optimistic C．serious D．strange
A．often B．inside C．only D．outside
A．concerned B．particular C．wrong D．convinced
A．respectfully B．cautiously C．suspiciously D．critically
A．and B．so C．but D．or
A．in terms of B．in front of C．in charge of D．in favor of
A．significance B．beauty C．value D．power
She had been shopping with her Mom in Wal-Mart. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful brown haired, freckle (雀斑)-faced image of innocence. It was outside, the kind of rain that spilt over the top of gutters (檐槽), so much in a hurry to the Earth.
We all there inside the door of the Wal-Mart. We all waited, some patient, others , because nature messed up their hurried day. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running and splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome from the worries of my day.
Her voice was so sweet as it the depressing atmosphere. “Mom,let’s run through the rain,”she said.
“What?”Mom asked.
“Let’s run through the rain!”She repeated.
“No, honey. We’ll wait until it down a bit.”Mom replied.
The young child waited another minute and repeated: “Mom, let’s run through the rain.”
“We’ll get wet through if we do.”Mom said.“No, we won’t, Mom. That’s not what you said this morning.” The young girl said as she at her Mom’s arm, “Don’t you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, if God can get us through this, he can get us through !”
The entire crowd stopped dead .No one came or left in the next few minutes. Mom and thought for a while about what she would say.
Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation (肯定) in a young child’s life,a time when trust could be nurtured (培育) so that it would bloom into .“Honey, you are right.Let’s run through the rain. If we get wet, maybe we just need washing.”Mom said. Then off they ran.We all stood watching, smiling as they ran past the cars. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. Soon they were by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars. And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.
or people can take away your material possessions, your money, your health or sometimes your happiness. But no one can ever take away your memories. So don’t forget to take the opportunities to memories every day!
To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. I do hope you will the time to run through the rain.
A．howling B．freezing C．pouring D．cheering
A．hit B．mix C．slip D．bear
A．lay B．rested C．sat D．stood
A．excited B．relaxed C．annoyed D．astonished
A．running B．washing C．driving D．turning
A．reward B．relief C．remark D．refund
A．broke B．disturbed C．awoke D．extended
A．calms B．slows C．settles D．passes
A．pointed B．dragged C．stared D．pulled
A．anything B．something C．anybody D．everybody
A．silent B．content C．touched D．inspired
A．reasoned B．mourned C．paused D．converted
A．definite B．concrete C．apparent D．innocent
A．ambition B．faith C．assumption D．truth
A．absolutely B．loosely C．actually D．considerably
A．assessed B．reserved C．followed D．advocated
A．Procedures B．Circumstances C．Chances D．Occasions
A．private B．proper C．precious D．particular
A．build B．promote C．refresh D．make
A．take B．value C．occupy D．arrange
Once upon a time in a land far far away, there was a ________ old man who loved everything. Animals, spiders, insects...
One day ________ walking through the woods the nice old man found a cocoon (茧) of a butterfly. He ________it home.
A few days later, a small ________appeared; he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours _________it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to _______making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go______ farther.
Then the man decided to help the _______ , so he took a pair of scissors and _______the remaining bit of the cocoon.
The butterfly then came out ________.
_______it had a swollen (浮肿的) body and small, shriveled (枯萎的) wings. The man ________ to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would ________ to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! ______ , the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling (爬) around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.
It never able to ________ .
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting (限制的) _______and the struggle required for the butterfly to ________ the tiny opening were Nature's way of forcing fluid (液体) from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its________ from the cocoon.
Sometimes _______ are exactly what we need in our life. If we were allowed to go through our life without any challenges, it would weaken us. We would not be as ______as what we could have been.
And we could never fly.
A．cold B．kind C．polite D．tiresome
A．unless B．if C．while D．because
A．took B．moved C．circulated D．dashed
A．sign B．shadow C．shade D．opening
A．and B．until C．as D．then
A．stop B．prevent C．appeal D．adapt
A．any B．more C．no D．much
A．bug B．butterfly C．animal D．fly
A．take down B．take apart C．cut down D．cut open
A．greedily B．easily C．hardly D．quickly
A．Generally B．Even C．So D．But
A．sought B．lasted C．continued D．began
A．enlarge B．shorten C．tighten D．darken
A．In conclusion B．In time C．In fact D．In particular
A．walk B．fly C．flee D．run
A．wing B．tale C．subject D．cocoon
A．get out B．get through C．get away D．get down
A．freedom B．outcome C．balance D．reliability
A．struggles B．passions C．manners D．spirits
A．weak B．intelligent C．gifted D．strong
I do a lot of management training each year for the Circle K Corporation, a national chain of convenience stores. Among the topics in ourseminarsis theretention (留住)of quality . During these , I asked the participants, “What has you to stay long enough to become a manager?” Minutes later a new manager the question and slowly, with her voice almost breaking, said, “It was a $19 baseball glove.”
Cynthia told the group that she took a Circle K clerk job. On her second or third day behind the , she received a phone call from her nine-year-old son, Jessie. He a baseball glove for Little League. She that as a single mother, money was , and her first check would have to for paying bills. Perhaps she could buy his baseball glove with her second or third check.
When Cynthia for work the next morning, Patricia, the store manager, asked her to come to the office. Cynthia if she had done something wrong or left some part of her job from the day before. She was and confused.
Patricia her a box. “I overheard you talking to your son yesterday,” she said, “and I know that it is to explain things to kids. This is a baseball glove for Jessie. He may not understand how important he is, even though you have to pay bills you can buy gloves. You know we can’t pay good people like you as as we would like to; but we do , and I want you to know you are important to us.”
People more how much an employer cares than how much the employer pays. An important lesson for the price of a Little League baseball glove.
A．goods B．employers C．customers D．employees
A．discussions B．tests C．preparations D．trips
A．taught B．caused C．urged D．impressed
A．took B．raised C．replied D．applauded
A．officially B．particularly C．originally D．normally
A．counter B．store C．job D．shelves
A．asked B．needed C．changed D．purchased
A．explained B．argued C．disagreed D．decided
A．tight B．impossible C．troublesome D．vital
A．prepare B．spend C．use D．go
A．arrived B．left C．reached D．went
A．assumed B．wondered C．realized D．admitted
A．open B．finished C．incomplete D．alone
A．delighted B．ashamed C．worried D．disappointed
A．delivered B．handed C．brought D．served
A．convenient B．simple C．complex D．hard
A．after B．before C．because D．though
A．much B．great C．far D．many
A．appreciate B．value C．care D．count
A．believe B．remind C．understand D．Remember
I went deaf in my right ear and was left with 50% hearing in my left when I was a little boy. My doctors that I would be completely deaf by now, and today, my remaining hearing to 20%, so I think I’m doing pretty .
For my 18th birthday, my dad asked me to deejay at the restaurant he owned. I was . I e-mailed a well-known New York City DJ: “I know you like a challenge. How about teaching a deaf person to deejay?” He wrote back the next day: “Challenge .” He tutored me twice a week for two years, helping me develop proper skills. I practiced four hours a day. Now when I’m , muscle memory takes over.
I started, I wouldn’t tell the club managers I was deaf. I would just , introduce myself and start playing music. At the end of the night, someone would say, “Oh, here’s the check.” And I’d say, “What? Oh, I can’t hear.” They were always so . Sometimes I would bring doctor’s because they wouldn’t believe me. It was reassurance (安心) that they were giving me gigs (特约演奏) not out of , but because I was good. people started calling me “Deaf DJ”.
Music is not all about . For each show, I can hear some of the lower frequencies and feel the in my feet. I can feel the energy of the song and the goes crazy. The next time you go dancing your ears, and you’ll feel a little bit of I do it. You’ll start using your other senses. You’ll start seeing that you’re able to hear the music in a way.
Now, I play all sorts of get-togethers on various occasions. I also go to schools for the deaf and talk to the students about and believing in themselves. I tell their parents, “My to you is to let your kids chase their dreams. I’m a deaf DJ, so why not?”
A．agreed B．confirmed C．predicted D．admitted
A．increased B．stayed C．dropped D．kept
A．well B．much C．bad D．little
A．disappointed B．moved C．embarrassed D．hooked
A．refused B．accepted C．found D．obtained
A．singing B．watching C．performing D．listening
A．When B．While C．After D．Until
A．cheer up B．show up C．look up D．call up
A．satisfied B．frightened C．worried D．surprised
A．notes B．orders C．schedules D．letters
A．encouragement B．favor C．sympathy D．respect
A．Occasionally B．Eventually C．Regularly D．Immediately
A．sensing B．playing C．feeling D．hearing
A．beat B．noise C．clap D．wave
A．music B．song C．crowd D．manager
A．fold B．cover C．close D．touch
A．what B．that C．why D．how
A．funny B．traditional C．strange D．different
A．motivation B．talent C．ability D．qualification
A．chance B．advice C．idea D．motto