Once upon a time a king, in the company of his ministers, went to the imperial garden for a walk. When he was walking around a pond, a strange idea 26 upon him and he asked, “How many buckets(桶) of water are there in the pond?” The ministers looked at each other, 27 to give an answer.
Rather 28 , the king ordered, “You have three days’ grace. Any one who offers an answer will be handsomely awarded. Those who fail will be 29 .”
The time limit was due in the twinkling（闪烁）of an eye, yet the ministers were still at their wit’s end. At this time a child appeared who declared that he knew the answer. The king told his 30 ministers to go with the child for the measurement. To their 31 , the child refused the suggestion with a smile, “It is very easy. No 32 to go to the pond.” This made the king laugh 33 , “Alright, let us know what it is.” The child winked (眨眼) and said, “That 34 on the size of the bucket. If it is as big as the pond, there is one bucket of water; if it is half as big, two buckets; if one third as big, three buckets; if...”“Stop! That’s it. You’ve got the 35 .” The king was satisfied and the child was duly rewarded.
Why did the ministers feel it so different to settle the problem? Because they fell in a pitfall (陷阱), following a wrong way of thinking. People’s thinking often goes a habitual way — the beaten track of straightforwardness. 36 is a static (静态的) way presupposing every object definite and certain, i.e. the size of the pond and the bucket should be clearly 37 . If one of them is unknown, it will be difficult to do the measurement, let alone 38 . Why not change your mode of thought — from static to dynamic（动态的）, from concrete to 39 ? If you adopt an indirect way and try to find out the proportional relation between the pond and the bucket, you’ll get an answer — flexible yet 40 to solve the problem.
Sometimes to get out of the difficulty one must change one’s way of thinking, or simply change one’s approach towards a problem.
A．fixed B．focused C．came D．looked
A．struggling B．thinking C．falling D．failing
A．disappointed B．excited C．pleased D．contented
A．killed B．punished C．blamed D．scolded
A．exciting B．amazing C．surprising D．trembling
A．doubt B．surprise C．envy D．delight
A．good B．use C．need D．wonder
A．wonderfully B．joyfully C．cheerfully D．doubtfully
A．decides B．depends C．calls D．looks
A．award B．reward C．answer D．number
A．This B．That C．It D．Such
A．marked B．measured C．signed D．known
A．another B．other C．one D．both
A．detailed B．easy C．simple D．abstract
A．acceptable B．available C．adequate D．proper
The young couple had another quarrel. They were sitting silently when the landlady(女房东) came in and asked, “You don’t 36 the house any more?” He kept silent and she 37 shook her head.
The landlady began 38 the house. After looking around, the landlady screamed, “See how you have 39 my house? The walls are full of nails(铁钉)! How could I rent it to others?”
She began looking around her 40 room. Four years ago on the wedding night, he felt deeply 41 to her, saying, “I feel so sorry to you for 42 you live in this small room. In the future I will buy our own big house.”
This tiny room has two nails on the wall next to the door, one for her bag and the other 43 . At that time, she threw all her stuff(填充物)such as her bag and umbrella on the 44 once she entered the room, staring at the whole 45 and feeling terribly upset. Then he began 46 more nails into the wall. There were three nails on the left, on which 47 his clothes yesterday and four on the right used to 48 their wedding photo frame.
The landlady started to pull the nails out with a tool. After the nails were 49 , the walls were left with countless holes. Suddenly, she felt heartbroken as if she were 50 nonstop through these holes.
She 51 to her feet and exclaimed, “Stop removing the nails! We will rent the house 52 we buy our own!” He gazed at her surprised, and then turned round, tears over his cheek.
She 53 realized that marriage was like a wall and that all 54 and “cold wars” were like the nails on the wall. 55 , when they were removed, only a wall with holes would remain. But if all the nails were still in their own places, the wall was still complete and reliable.
A．like B．clean C．rent D．keep
A．simply B．barely C．coldly D．proudly
A．observing B．examining C．watching D．spotting
A．shared B．ruined C．kept D．decorated
A．familiar B．dirty C．empty D．bright
A．devoted B．attached C．optimistic D．guilty
A．leaving B．having C．asking D．getting
A．clothes B．pictures C．umbrellas D．hats
A．floor B．wall C．ceiling D．door
A．trouble B．mess C．confusion D．order
A．putting B．striking C．driving D．beating
A．hung B．fastened C．dropped D．swung
A．connect B．fix C．hang D．put
A．replaced B．separated C．unfastened D．removed
A．crying B．aching C．bleeding D．disturbing
A．jumped B．held C．stuck D．got
A．if B．unless C．as D．until
A．especially B．eventually C．fortunately D．sadly
A．chaos(混乱) B．troubles C．quarrels D．challenges
A．Therefore B．Besides C．Thus D．However
When we read books we seem to enter a new world. This new world can be similar to the one we are living in, or it can be very__50__. Some stories are toldas ifthey were true. Real people who live in a __51__world do real things; in other words, the stories are about people just like us doing what we do. Other stories, such as the Harry Potter books, are not__52__. They are characters and creatures that are very different from us and do things that would beimpossiblefor us.
But there is more to books and writing than this. If we think about it, even realistic writing is only__53__. How can we tell the difference between what is real and what is not real? For example, when we read about Harry Potter, wedo seem to learn something about the real world. And when Harry studies magic at Hogwarts, he also learns more about his real life than__54__. Reading, like writing, is an action. It is a way ofthinking. When we read or write something, we do much more than simple look at words on a page. We use our__55__, which is real, and our imagination, which is real in a different way, to make the words come to life in our minds.
Both realism and fantasy (幻想)usethe imagination and the “magic” of reading and writing to make us think. When we readsomethingrealistic, we have to __56__ that the people we are reading about are just like us, even though we__57__that we are real and they arenot. It sounds__58__, but it works. When we read, we fill in missing information and__59__the causes and effects of what a character does. We help the writer by__60__that what we read is like real life. __61__, we are writing the book, too.
Most of us probably don’t think about what is going on in our__62__ when we are reading. We pick up a book and loseourselvesin a good story, eager to find out what will __63__ next. Knowing how we feelwhenwe read can help us become better __64__, and it will help us discover more about the real magic of books.
A．different B．possible C．important D．necessary
A．common B．usual C．normal D．certain
A．instructive B．realistic C．reasonable D．moral
A．planned B．thinkable C．designed D．imagined
A．magic B．lessons C．dreams D．experience
A．grammar B．knowledge C．skill D．words
A．recall B．ensure C．imagine D．understand
A．hope B．find C．learn D．know
A．terrible B．dangerous C．serious D．strange
A．think about B．talk of C．learn from D．forget about
A．guessing B．telling C．pretending D．promising
A．In a way B．As usual C．On the contrary D．By the way
A．society B．minds C．life D．world
A．appear B．argue C．happen D．develop
A．writers B．fans C．professionals D．readers
One of Mark Twain’s classic novels is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It is 36in a small American town in the 19th century. The people in this town are very traditional and 37a quiet life.The story is about a boy called Tom Sawyer, who lives with his aunt Polly. He is often in 38 with his aunt. Aunt Polly is very kind, 39 Tom thinks she is always trying to control him.
Tom is different from 40 children in the town. He loves adventure. He does a lot of bad things, but he never really 41 anyone. He tries very hard not to go to school, and often jumps 42 his bedroom window at night to meet his friends. He is very clever. One day, Aunt Polly asks him to do some painting, and he 43 to get all the boys in the town to do the work for him by inventing a new 44 game. It is these little stories 45 make readers want to keep reading the novel, but it is the adventures that 46 the most important part of the book.
Tom’s best friend is Huck Finn, a boy who has no home. In one adventure, they spend the night outside, and they see a man kill another man 47 . Later in the book, Tom, Huck and another boy decide to leave the town 48 they think that life there is too boring. They __49__ to an island in the middle of a river. They 50 fires, catch fish and sleep under the stars. They also make a 51 to travel up and down the river. 52 seeing the boys for days, the people in the town think that they have died. One day, when Tom cones back to his aunt’s house to leave a letter 53 that he is not dead, he hears his aunt talking about his funeral（葬礼）. 54 Tom has an idea. On the morning of their funeral, the boys run back into town and 55 their own funeral before telling everyone that they are still alive.
A．made B．set C．taken D．written
A．have B．pass C．live D．own
A．trouble B．silence C．peace D．war
A．and B．but C．still D．as
A．another B．others C．the others D．the other
A．damages B．destroys C．ruins D．hurts
A．out of B．into C．onto D．in front of
A．tries B．fails C．manages D．struggles
A．fighting B．painting C．touring D．sailing
A．which B．that C．what D．where
A．is B．was C．are D．were
A．in charge B．in advance C．in the long term D．in the dark
A．because B．while C．even though D．if
A．run into B．run away C．run across D．run out of
A．catch B．set C．make D．put
A．bike B．boat C．camel D．cage
A．By B．Upon C．At D．Without
A．writing B．telling C．saying D．meaning
A．Then B．Besides C．Also D．Lastly
A．join B．present C．participate D．attend
I always long for romantic moments, like a little girl longing for candies．However, my husband is my complete 1 . His inability to bring romantic moments into our life has made me get tired of our 2 . One day, I finally told him that I wanted a divorce.
“Why?” he asked, 3 .
“I am tired; there are no 4 for everything in the world!” I answered.
He kept 5 , seeming to be in deep thought, with a lighted cigarette in his hands. Finally he asked, “What can I do to change your 6 ?”
Looking deep into his eyes I slowly answered, “Let’s say, I want a flower on a mountain cliff and picking the flower will cause your 7 . Will you do it for me?”
He answered, “I will give you my answer tomorrow.”
I 8 the next morning, finding a piece of paper on the dining table, which read: “My dear, I would not pick that flower for you, but please allow me to 9 .”
My feeling of disappointment only 10 , but I continued reading:
“You always leave the 11 keys behind, so I have to save my legs to 12 home to open the door for you. You always like to stay indoors and I 13 that you will feel too lonely, so I have to save my mouth to tell you jokes and stories. You always stare 14 the computer and that will do nothing 15 for your eyes, so I have to save my eyes so that when we grow 16 , I can help to clip your nails. Thus, my dear, 17 I am sure that there is someone who loves you more than I do, I could not pick that flower yet, and die.”
My tears fell on the 18 and I continued reading:
“Now that you have finished reading my answer, if you are 19 , please open the front door for I am standing outside 20 your favorite bread and fresh milk.”
Love, not words, wins arguments.
A．supporter B．opposite C．follower D．advocate
A．marriage B．connection C．career D．future
A．annoyed B．shocked C．frightened D．amused
A．results B．signs C．causes D．reasons
A．easy B．normal C．silent D．calm
A．habit B．feeling C．attitude D．mind
A．death B．injury C．happiness D．trouble
A．hurried up B．looked up C．woke up D．went up
A．love B．explain C．stay D．change
A．arose B．disappeared C．reduced D．increased
A．car B．office C．bicycle D．house
A．leave B．walk C．rush D．get
A．worry B．think C．believe D．remind
A．at B．to C．on D．in
A．bad B．good C．terrible D．important
A．weak B．ill C．old D．close
A．unless B．if C．since D．because
A．photos B．flowers C．floor D．letter
A．hungry B．thirsty C．satisfied D．regretted
A．buying B．bringing C．heating D．catching
Each spring brings a new blossom of wildflowers in the ditches (沟渠)along the highway. I travel daily to work. There is one particular 26 flower that has 27 caught my eyes. I’ve noticed it blooms only in the morning hours; the 28 sun is too warm for it. Every day for about two weeks. I see those beautiful 29 .
This spring I 30 a wildflower garden in our yard. “I can look out of the31 window while doing the dishes and see the flowers. I’ve often thought those lovely blue flowers from the32 would look great in that bed alongside other wildflowers. Everyday I 33 past the flowers thinking, I’ll stop on my way home and 34 them.” “gee (哎呀), I don’t want to get my good clothes dirty…” whatever the reason, I 35 stopped to dig them.
One day on my way home from work in my car, I was 36 to see the highway department had moved the ditches and the pretty blue flowers were 37 . I thought to myself, “You 38 too long. You should have done it when you first saw them39 this spring. ”
A week ago, we were shocked and saddened to learn my older sister-in-law had a terminal brain tumor (肿块). She is 10 years 40 than my husband and unfortunately, because of age and distance. We haven’t been as 41 as we all would have liked. I couldn’t help but see the 42 between the pretty blue flowers and the relationship between my husband’s 43 and us. I do believe god has given us some time left to 44 some wonderful memories that will bloom every year for us.
And yes, if I see the blue flowers again, I’ll 45 and transplant them to my wildflower garden.
A．red B．yellow C．blue D．white
A．sometimes B．never C．seldom D．always
A．morning B．afternoon C．noon D．evening
A．trees B．flowers C．woods D．gardens
A．started B．cleared C．built D．deserted
A．bedroom B．dinning-room C．sitting-room D．kitchen
A．highway B．garden C．ditch D．park
A．rode B．walked C．drove D．ran
A．pick B．sell C．water D．dig
A．always B．often C．never D．ever
A．surprised B．excited C．delighted D．saddened
A．found B．gone C．discovered D．1eft
A．waited B．wanted C．kept D．protected
A．growing B．blooming C．seeding D．fading
A．younger B．older C．earlier D．former
A．good B．wealthy C．close D．strong
A．change B．result C．value D．connection
A．sister B．brother C．mother D．father
A．slip B．jog C．refresh D．collect
A．buy B．stop C．mow D．collect