As Christmas is coming, there are presents to be bought, cards to be sent, and rooms to be cleaned. Parents are ___36___ with difficult jobs of hiding presents from curious young children. If the gifts are large, this is sometimes a real ___37___. On Christmas Eve, young children find the excitement almost unbearable. They are torn between the wish to go to bed early so that Father Christmas will bring their presents quickly and the wish to ___38___ up late so that they will not ___39____ the fun. The wish for gifts usually proves stronger. But though children go to bed early, they often lie ___40___ for a long time, hoping to get a short ___41___ at Father Christmas.
Last Christmas, my wife and I ___42___ hid a few large presents in the storeroom. I ___43___ the moment when my son, Jimmy, would ___44___ me where that new bike had come from, but ___45___ he did not see it.
On Christmas Eve, ___46___ took the children hours to go to sleep. It must have been nearly___47___ when my wife and I went quietly into their room and began ___48___ stockings. Then I pushed in the ___49____ I bought for Jimmy and left it beside the Christmas tree. We knew we would not get much sleep that night, for the children were ___50___ to get up early. At about five o’clock the next morning, we were ___51___ by loud sounds coming from the children’s room — they were shouting excitedly! ___52_____ I had time to get out of bed, young Jimmy came riding into the room on his new bike, and his sister, Mary, followed close behind pushing her new baby carriage. ____53_____ the baby arrived. He moved ___54____ the hands and knees into the room dragging a large balloon behind him. Suddenly it burst. That woke us up ___55___. The day had really begun with a band(巨响) !
A．faced B．met C．filled D．pleased
A．question B．matter C．Problem D．business
A．get B．stay C．stand D．wake
A．lose B．break C．miss D．leave
A．awake B．wake C．asleep D．sleep
A．look B．stare C．glare D．watch
A．hopefully B．busily C．gladly D．successfully
A．liked B．feared C．surprised D．hated
A．answer B．tell C．ask D．search
A．sadly B．unluckily C．possibly D．fortunately
A．it B．they C．I D．we
A．morning B．midnight C．evening D．daybreak
A．filling B．sewing C．mending D．preparing
A．present B．stocking C．bike D．tree
A．going B．sure C．glad D．excited
A．troubled B．frightened C．woken D．shocked
A．Before B．After C．Until D．Since
A．Even B．And C．Soon D．Then
A．with B．on C．over D．by
A．all B．nearly C．happily D．completely
Buenos Aires in Argentina is the second biggest city in South America, with about 13 million people. To the city at night requires over 125,000 streetlamps. As you can imagine, that uses a lot of and costs a lot of money. But the city has decided to deal with this problem in a way that can save energy and reduce pollution and make the city at night.
After a public bidding(竞标) , Philips has been selected to replace the majority of the city’s streetlamps with new LED ones. These LED streetlamps are expected to energy use by 50% for the city, which means a significant reduction in CO2 emissions (排放), and they offer a that is 5 times longer than traditional lighting.
That’s just one city. It’s that if cities around the world made a switch to LED streetlamps like Buenos Aires, would add up to $180 billion in reduced energy costs each year.
A．put up B．light up C．cheer up D．take up
A．money B．equipment C．energy D．space
A．quieter B．prettier C．cleaner D．safer
A．process B．task C．moment D．suggestion
A．produce B．reduce C．multiply D．strengthen
A．method B．length C．plan D．lifetime
A．said B．reported C．estimated D．known
A．savings B．prices C．expenses D．users
I was 14 when Mr. Ingram hired me as a farmhand. It was the first time I was actually for work. One day Mr. Ingram found an old truck that was in the soft, sandy soil of our field. It was full of melons that someone had tried to38 from our farm before his truck got caught in the mud.
Mr. Ingram explained that the truck’s owner would be soon, and he wanted me to watch and learn. It wasn’t long a local guy with a terrible reputation for fighting and stealing showed up with his two fully-grown sons. They looked really .
Calmly Mr. Ingram said, “Well, I see you want to some watermelons from us.”
There was a long before the man answered, “Yeah, I guess so. What are you for them?”
“Twenty-five cents each.”
“Well, I suppose that would be enough if you help me get my truck out of here,” the man said.
It turned out to be our biggest sale of the summer, and an awful, perhaps violent incident had been . After they left, Mr. Ingram smiled and said to me, “Son, if you don’t forgive your , you’re going to run out of friends.”
A．trusted B．ready C．paid D．offered
A．stuck B．broken C．deserted D．lost
A．remove B．steal C．sell D．hide
A．purchasing B．bargaining C．returning D．searching
A．till B．before C．that D．since
A．astonished B．anxious C．familiar D．angry
A．borrow B．buy C．steal D．carry
A．break B．discussion C．watching D．silence
A．getting B．offering C．paying D．finding
A．necessary B．helpful C．easy D．fair
A．stopped B．avoided C．handled D．taught
A．mistakes B．neighbors C．enemies D．Melons
We, Patty and I, had been best friends since Grade Four. Just about everywhere we went, people we were best friends. We secrets about popcorn（爆米花）and soda year after year. The best part about having a best friend was taking sleeping over on Friday nights.
Then in Grade Eight everything changed. Suddenly, my interest in make-up and clothes my mom. I believe Patty started the first day of school the same pigtails（辫子）she had worn forever. What was happening? Other girls seemed more than Patty.
I started avoiding her and making excuses. , during the middle of the year, as we were sitting in the backyard, the broke out. I said, “Go home, Patty, and don’t come back.” Then I ran into the house crying. Mom sat me down and I told her . I’ll never forget her words. She said, “ will come and go in and out of your life forever. You are and it’s okay for both of you to make new friends. is happening is hard but perfectly .”
Time healed（治愈）a lot of the , and over the next few years we clearly walked along paths. Still, when I saw her in the halls of high school, I 5 a strange sadness. I thought if I went back and “fixed” everything between us, we could somehow start all over friends. But that was a fantasy（幻想）. Our differences were too great, and I could only she understood.
I’ll always remember the years when Patty and I were best friend, but Mom was right. can change, and we have to let them go when it’s time.
A．realized B．believed C．knew D．understood
A．shared B．spared C．kept D．remembered
A．beds B．places C．turns D．sides
A．surprised B．scared C．frightened D．satisfied
A．wouldn’t B．shouldn’t C．couldn’t D．needn’t
A．wearing B．dressing C．keeping D．staying
A．boring B．interesting C．pleased D．exciting
A．Finally B．Naturally C．Generally D．Especially
A．tears B．words C．anger D．hate
A．matter B．everything C．trouble D．nothing
A．Interests B．Friends C．Sadness D．Childhood
A．changing B．studying C．quarreling D．imagining
A．What B．Which C．Why D．When
A．common B．ordinary C．regular D．normal
A．unhappiness B．loneliness C．memory D．emotion
A．different B．same C．hard D．separate
A．remembered B．thought C．felt D．lost
A．like B．as C．with D．on
A．suppose B．believe C．hope D．suggest
A．Environments B．Opinions C．Friendships D．Attitudes
Nine years ago, after Leo had died, people said to me, “I never knew he was your stepfather.” You see, I never called him . At first, he was no one special in my life. Then he became my friend. , I felt he was also my father.
Leo married my mother when I was eleven. Two years later we moved into a house in a new suburban development, where we put down roots. At first our lawn was just a mud with wild grass, but Leo saw bright . “We’ll plant trees there to give us as well as some flowers,” he said. And just these little touches made our house from all the others. More importantly, a real family was . Leo was becoming a full-time parent, and I was learning what it to have a father.
Weekday mornings when the weather was bad, Leo often drove me to school. Having a father
you off may have been something my classmates took for granted, I always thought it was wonderful. mornings, we went to the hardware shop, then stepped into the five-and-ten, buying a sports magazine or something else. Some people might think that doing shopping together is nothing , but I, who had ever before spent my childhood other families do their everyday activities, experienced them now with delight. , I realized that Leo gave me what I needed most—the of doing ordinary things together as a family.
A．it B．that C．so D．one
A．In time B．At the time C．First time D．On time
A．necessities B．possibilities C．recognition D．decoration
A．vegetables B．grass C．shadow D．shade
A．beautiful B．similar C．same D．different
A．forming B．developing C．growing D．becoming
A．became B．meant C．followed D．got
A．cut B．help C．drop D．drive
A．so B．and C．but D．since
A．Monday B．Weekday C．Friday D．Saturday
A．special B．usual C．especial D．different
A．noticing B．recognizing C．understanding D．watching
A．modest B．extreme C．deep D．high
A．Looking back B．Coming back C．Looking forward D．Going back on
A．achievement B．recognition C．experience D．procedure
It was a Christmas break from school almost 40 years ago. I had spent most of the morning like any boy would, outside in the snow and enjoying the sunlight on the day of the year. I liked stepping through the snow, making snowballs to the trees, and watching the smoky breath float (飘) out of my . After a while, though, the got to be too much and I went .
It was warm in the house. I my wet coat and put on my favorite blue sweater. Then I walked into the . My mom and grandma had just baking two loaves of Italian bread. Mom looked up, smiled at me and asked me what I wanted for . I smiled back and pointed to the delicious bread. Mom laughed, a slice off the bread, and buttered it for me. Then she told me to go sit the stove (炉子) in the living room. Taking my slice with me I sat in my favorite chair, and felt the gentle heat (热) from the stove my little body. It was a moment of pure . I felt so good and so loved that I it to this day.
Our daily and love are all we need in this life. They are all we need to . Anything else is just an extra blessing to be used to make this world a place for us all.
Be thankful for the daily bread that fills your and for daily love that fills your soul. Then go out and with great joy your bread, your blessings, and your love with the world.
A．talking B．driving C．playing D．singing
A．hottest B．shortest C．quickest D．biggest
A．pick up B．look for C．care about D．throw at
A．pool B．mouth C．box D．room
A．illness B．waste C．cold D．smoke
A．away B．fast C．alone D．inside
A．took off B．put aside C．gave away D．found out
A．classroom B．station C．kitchen D．office
A．finished B．suggested C．allowed D．begun
A．rest B．lunch C．support D．pleasure
A．beat B．pulled C．ate D．cut
A．around B．by C．under D．with
A．warm B．touch C．help D．protect
A．friendship B．freedom C．peace D．luck
A．remember B．write C．respect D．follow
A．chance B．advice C．news D．bread
A．change B．live C．travel D．think
A．cleaner B．closer C．better D．cooler
A．memory B．house C．hand D．stomach
A．save B．share C．take D．make