I devote myself to music because of my grandmother. My mom and I lived with my grandparents from the time I was two __36__ I was eight. And even then, I was at their house before and after school every day while my mother was __37__.
Grandma loved music. It was she that first __38__ me to Elvis Presley (猫王) as a very young child, and once I heard his music, I was truly in __39__ with it. Most five-year-olds ask for __40__ for birthdays, but I wanted Elvis’ albums. I would play them non-stop and __41__ to the music in my grandma’s family room though my movements didn’t look good.
Grandma played the piano and __42__ me to sing “America the Beautiful” and “Somewhere over the Rainbow”. I __43__ started playing music on the piano, and soon Grandma was paying for me to __44__ piano lessons from a lady living in the __45__. I would come home from __46__ and walk three houses down for my lesson. I __47__ took about nine months of lessons, but it was enough to give me a foundation (基础) and __48__ me to continue to teach myself.
Last month when I came home to visit Grandma in the hospital, I __49__ my guitar with me. She was in a lot of pain, but the music seemed to __50__ her soul. She had me sing some songs and when I started to sing “Somewhere over the Rainbow”, her weakened voice __51__ in with mine for a few lines. That experience was one of the most __52__ of my lifetime and one I will certainly cherish forever. I told her of my music career and she was very __53__ and said, “That’s wonderful!” I __54__ to play for her throughout the week I was home.
My grandma passed away two days ago. In my opinion, part of her will live on through every __55__ I write or sing in my life.
A．unless B．until C．after D．when
A．at work B．in trouble C．on board D．in danger
A．sent B．left C．remembered D．introduced
A．debate B．love C．agreement D．doubt
A．music B．space C．gifts D．toys
A．wave B．sleep C．dance D．play
A．forced B．prepared C．enabled D．taught
A．generally B．eventually(最后) C．suddenly D．fortunately(幸运地)
A．observe B．make C．take D．enjoy
A．hotel B．apartment C．neighborhood D．countryside
A．school B．hospital C．street D．office
A．exactly B．only C．completely D．seldom
A．ask B．make C．let D．allow
A．gave up B．gave away C．brought along D．brought up
A．comfort B．blame C．attract D．find
A．joined B．poured C．moved D．fell
A．surprising B．touching C．puzzling D．tiring
A．sad B．calm C．bored D．pleased
A．refused B．expected C．continued D．pretended (假装)
A．project B．article C．book D．song
My teenage son Karl refused to communicate with others after his father died. As a parent, I tried to do my best to talk to him. But the more I tried, the more he pulled away. When his report card during his junior year, it said that he had been 95 times from classes and had six grades for the year. At this rate he never graduate. I sent him to the school adviser, and I even him. Nothing worked.
One night I felt so that I got down on my knees and prayed for help. “Please God, I can’t do anything for my son. I'm at the end of my rope. I'm giving the whole thing up to you.”
I was at work when I got a phone call. A man himself as the headmaster. “I want to talk to you about Karl’s absences.” he could say another word, I choked up and all my disappointment and sadness over Karl came out into the ears of this stranger. “I love my son but I just don’t know what to do. I’ve tried everything to get Karl to go back to school and nothing has . It’ s out of my hands.” For a moment there was on the other end of the line. The headmaster said, “Thank you for your time, ” and hung up.
Karl’s next report card showed a marked in his grades. Finally, he even made the honor roll. In his fourth year, I a parent-teacher meeting with Karl. I noticed that his teachers were at the way he had turned himself around. On our way home, he said, “Mum, remember that call from the headmaster last year?” I . “That was me. I thought I’d play a joke but when I heard what you said, it really me how much I was hurting you. That's I knew I had to make you proud.”
A．confident B．wise C．single D．busy
A．arrived B．finished C．returned D．proved
A．naughty B．troublesome C．absent D．present
A．failing B．satisfying C．disappointing D．surprising
A．must B．need C．would D．should
A．convinced B．forced C．persuaded D．begged
A．powerless B．useless C．homeless D．meaningless
A．better B．worse C．less D．more
A．described B．regarded C．introduced D．explained
A．Before B．When C．After D．While
A．speaking B．pouring C．running D．putting
A．continued B．operated C．affected D．worked
A．silence B．anger C．sadness D．surprise
A．painfully B．happily C．seriously D．jokingly
A．progress B．advance C．improvement D．encouragement
A．attended B．joined C．arranged D．organized
A．concerned B．disturbed C．embarrassed D．astonished
A．shook B．nodded C．smiled D．replied
A．beat B．hit C．frightened D．confused
A．when B．how C．why D．where
Music to My Ears
Robby was 10 for his first piano lesson in my class. Much as he tried, he ____ even the basic rhythm. However, he dutifully reviewed the pieces that I required.
Over the months he tried and tried while I ____ and encouraged him. At the end of each lesson he'd always say, "My mom's going to hear me play some day." ____ it seemed hopeless.
I only knew his mother from a ____as she waited in her aged car to pick him up. Then one day Robby stopped coming. I was secretly ____ that he stopped because of his lack of ability.
Weeks later I informed the students, including Robby, of the coming recital（独奏）. To my ____, Robby asked me if he could be included. I told him he really did not qualify because he had ____ out. He said his mom had been sick and unable to take him to lessons but he was still ____ .
“I've just got to play!" he ____. Something inside me let me allow him to.
Then came the recital night. The gym was ____ with parents. I put Robby up ____, thinking that I could save his poor performance through my “curtain closer（谢幕）.”
The recital went off smoothly. Then Robby came up on stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair was ____. "Why didn't his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night?" I thought.
Robby pulled out the piano bench and began. I was not ____ for what I heard next. His fingers were ____ on the keys. Never had I heard Mozart played so well by people of his age. After he ended, everyone was ____ their feet in wild applause.
In ____ I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby. "I've never heard you play like that, Robby! How did you ____ it?"
Robby explained, "Well, Miss Hondorf…remember I told you my mom was sick? …____ she had cancer and passed away yesterday. She was born deaf, so tonight she could hear me play in heaven. I wanted to make it special."
There wasn’t a ____ eye in the house. That night I felt he was the teacher and I was the pupil, for it was he who taught me the meaning of perseverance and ____.
A．had B．lacked C．showed D．got
A．learned B．checked C．listened D．played
A．And B．But C．So D．Or
A．conversation B．performance C．distance D．picture
A．guilty B．anxious C．glad D．sad
A．surprise B．relief C．pleasure D．satisfaction
A．stepped B．worn C．run D．dropped
A．acting B．practicing C．performing D．recording
A．insisted B．suggested C．complained D．threatened
A．packed B．lined C．piled D．covered
A．least B．most C．first D．last
A． cool B．messy C．neat D．dull
A．eager B．concerned C．prepared D．grateful
A．hesitating B．crawling C．touching D．dancing
A．over B．under C．in D．on
A．chaos B．return C．silence D．tears
A．find B．feel C．make D．like
A．Gradually B．Suddenly C．Frequently D．Actually
A．bright B．curious C．dry D．wet
A．love B．talent C．regret D．courage
When I was little, my mother sold flowers at Camden Market in London, She couldn't leave me at home on my own, so I had to go to the market with her. As I grew older, I began to give my mom a hand and I really enjoyed it.
Things changed when I was 14. My grandma gave me a book for Christmas, which was all about making candles . I loved it so much that I spent all my free time making candles of all shapes and sizes. I made hundreds of them.
One day, my mother was ill so I had to go to the market on my own. I decided to take some candles with me and see if I could sell them. To my surprise, they were sold out in 20 minutes! The next week, my mom gave me some money to buy some wax (蜡) to make more candles. They sold out really quickly, too.
Nine months later, we decided to stop selling flowers. My mom and I couldn't make enough candles during the week, so some of my school friends started to help us. I paid them one pound for every candle, and we used to sell them for three or four times that. It was fun. and my friends worked with me in the market.
When I was 22, my uncle lent me some money and I opened my first shop on Portobello Road. Since then, I've never looked back, even in difficult times. At the first store, we only sold candles, but now we sell everything from designing furniture to paintings.
The sentence "I began to give my mom a hand" means"".
A．I began to give my mom some gifts B．I began to help my mom sell flowers C．I began to wash my hands before working D．I began to get along better with my morn
A．She talked with her mother at the market. B．She played with her school friends at home. C．She read all kinds of books about Christmas D．She made candles of different shapes and sizes.
A．bdeac B．bedac C．adbec D．dbeac
A．buying her a shop B．teaching her basic skills C．lending her some money D．working together with her
A．spend all your free time on developing your interests B．have your own idea and work hard to make it succeed C．get as much support as you can from your family D．hold on to your dreams and never give up
To celebrate the end of our exams, my friends and I went to a fast food restaurant. We hamburgers and Coca Cola at the counter. When our came, I started walking towards an empty table. By bad luck, my bag strap(带子) got on a chair and the tray(托盘) that I was holding slipped(滑) my hands and went flying in the air. The tray, and its contents, on a man who was just about to a bite of his sandwich. I stared, greatly , as the drinks soaked(浸湿) his white shirt.
Then I my eyes and prepared myself for his burst of . Instead, he said "It’s OK" to me before he disappeared into the washroom.
Still shaky and unsure to do next, my friends and I went to a table and sat there, trying our best to look . A moment later, the man came out of the washroom, and our table. My heart almost stopped . I thought he was going to ask for my father's and call him.
To my surprise, he merely smiled at us, handed us some cash and said," yourself new hamburgers."
He then walked without even finishing his food.
He could have made what was already an uncomfortable situation worse, he chose a different way and gave us a reason to believe that there is still in this world. I'll never his actions.
A．ordered B．made C．arranged D．demanded
A．food B．turn C．bill D．menu
A．fixed B．caught C．cut D．tied
A．by B．in C．from D．out
A．knocked B．fell C．stood D．hung
A．take B．taste C．make D．catch
A．discouraged B．disappointed C．shocked D．amazed
A．rolled B．rubbed C．narrowed D．closed
A．bitterness B．anxiety C．anger D．sorrow
A．satisfy B．comfort C．encourage D．praise
A．how B．who C．what D．which
A．well B．honest C．calm D．polite
A．pushed B．approached C．drew D．laid
A．beating B．breaking C．sinking D．shaking
A．help B．position C．number D．job
A．Prepare B．Buy C．Find D．Cook
A．on B．around C．up D．away
A．so B．since C．although D．but
A．kindness B．happiness C．politeness D．brightness
A．forget B．refuse C．follow D．replace
I used to live selfishly, I should admit. But one moment changed me.
I was on my lunch break and had ___ the office to get something to eat. On the way，I __a busker(街头艺人)，with a hat in front of him. I had some ___ in my pocket，but I would not give them to him, thinking to myself he would __ use the money to feed his addiction to drugs or alcohol. He___ like that type— young and ragged. ___ what was I going to spend the money on? Only to feed my addiction to Coca-Cola or chocolate! I then ___ I had no right to place myself above ___ just because he was busking.
I ___ and dropped all the coins into his __，and he smiled at me. I watched for a while. As ___ as it sounds，I expected something more to come from that moment—a feeling of ___ or satisfaction, for example. But nothing happened. ___ ,I walked off. “It proved to be a waste of __ .”I thought.
On my way home at the end of the ___ , I saw the busker again and he was __ .I watched him pick up the hat and walk __ a cafe counter. There he poured the ___ contents into a tin collecting __ an earthquake fundraising(募捐) event. He was busking for charity!
Now I donate any ___ I have to charity tins and enjoy the feeling of giving.
A．left B．cleaned C．prepared D．searched
A．led B．chose C．saw D．fooled
A．chocolates B．coins C．tins D．drugs
A．almost B．only C．rather D．still
A．acted B．looked C．sounded D．smelt
A．Though B．For C．Therefore D．But
A．declared B．realized C．expected D．guessed
A．it B．all C．him D．them
A．waited B．followed C．stopped D．arrived
A．rag B．hat C．pocket D．counter
A．selfish B．awkward C．innocent D．special
A．happiness B．sadness C．love D．hate
A．Disappointedly B．Unfortunately C．Coincidentally D．Comfortably
A．words B．effort C．space D．money
A．moment B．day C．break D．event
A．walking around B．passing by C．packing up D．running off
A．around B．in C．behind D．to
A．chief B．basic C．actual D．total
A．by B．for C．on D．with
A．work B．time C．energy D．change