“I'm too old and it's too late,” these were the words which played over and over in my mind. I was 41 and exhausted after ending my marriage and my law career at the same time. 42 my ambition to become a writer, I 43 my ability to succeed as one. Had I wasted years going 44 the wrong goals?
I was at a low point 45 the voice on the radio began 46 the story of Grandma Moses. Ann Mary Moses left home at thirteen, bore ten children and worked hard to raise the five who 47 . Struggling to make a living on poor farms, she managed to 48 a bit of beauty for herself by embroidering (绣花) on cloth.
At seventy-eight, her fingers became 49 awkward to hold a needle. 50 give in to aging, she went out to an empty room and began to 51 . For the first two years, these paintings were either given away or sold 52 a little money. But at the age of seventy-nine, she was “discovered” by the 53 world—and the rest is 54 . She went on to produce more than two thousand paintings, 55 
her book illustrations (插图) for It was the Night before Christmas were completed in her one-hundredth year!
56 I listened to the radio, my mood(心情) 57 . If Grandma Moses 58 begin a new career and succeed after eighty, there was still 59 for my life after thirty. Before the program ended, I rushed to my computer to work on the novel I'd nearly 60 .
It was published eight months later.
A．depressed B．disappointed C．encouraged D．inspired
A．In spite of B．In need of C．In hope of D．In favor of
A．believed B．convinced C．regretted D．doubted
A．by B．after C．against D．over
A．unless B．because C．when D．while
A．telling B．reminding C．saying D．translating
A．succeeded B．commented C．survived D．entertained
A．notice B．offer C．direct D．provide
A．so B．too C．such D．that
A．Other than B．More than C．Rather than D．Less than
A．paint B．write C．think D．change
A．off B．at C．by D．for
A．artificial B．art C．advanced D．major
A．story B．fortune C．history D．fact
A．but B．and C．so D．therefore
A．With B．Until C．As D．Unless
A．changed B．cheered C．failed D．amused
A．should B．must C．might D．could
A．association B．consideration C．freedom D．hope
A．finished B．abandoned C．published D．misunderstood
Carly Zalenski’s eyes were filled with tears as the dusty bus ran down a dirt road in southern Vietnam. She and her parents had travelled to Ho Chi Minh City by plane from Canton, Ohio of the USA. As they became to the village, hundreds of cheering stood in lines at the to the Hoa Lac School, a two-story building that Carly had money for.
Carly started helping when she was eight. She often walked about to send Thanksgiving baskets at church to families in need. When she saw one girl very little in a snowy day and others didn’t have warm , she went door-to-door asking for coats, hats, gloves, and scarves, then handed them to the poor families with the baskets.
However, Carly wanted to do more—she wanted to “change these children’s with her efforts”. She remembered that her grandmother’s Rotary club had collected money to build a in Vietnam a few years ago. She wanted to build a school, .
She put together a short show on the people and culture of Vietnam to his audience. her new braces(脚支架) made it to make the speech, she was full of enthusiasm, “I want to give them a place to their lives better.”
That summer, Carly with her family across Ohio, visiting three or four Rotary clubs a week. “We travelled like people to all these meetings,” said her mother. In two years, Carly had raised $50,000. At the donation in Hoa Lac, the school principal was deeply by the little girl. “How wonderful it is,” he said, “that a girl at her age wants to do something for kids so far away.”
A．farther B．closer C．higher D．faster
A．adults B．farmers C．workers D．children
A．entrance B．centre C．top D．exit
A．collected B．borrow C．saved D．earned
A．another B．the others C．others D．the other
A．wearing B．putting on C．dressing D．taking off
A．houses B．beds C．clothes D．food
A．new B．beautiful C．used D．broken
A．out B．up C．back D．over
A．anything B．something C．everything D．nothing
A．moods B．works C．studies D．lives
A．church B．village C．library D．school
A．either B．also C．too D．neither
A．Because B．Unless C．Although D．When
A．hard B．funny C．easy D．happy
A．remain B．make C．turn D．allow
A．set off B．take off C．turn off D．pay off
A．sick B．disabled C．crazy D．friendly
A．ceremony B．tradition C．currency D．condition
A．surprised B．pleased C．excited D．touched
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 . Some stories are told they were true. Real people who live in a 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 . They are characters and creatures that are very different from us and do things that would be for us.
But there is more to books and writing than this. If we think about it, even realistic writing is only . How can we tell the difference between what is real and what is not real? For example, when we read about Harry Potter, we seem to learn something about the real world. And when Harry studies magic at Hogwarts, he also learns more about his real life than . Reading, like writing, is an action. It is a way of . When we read or write something, we do much more than simple look at words on a page. We use our -- 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) the imagination and the “magic” of reading and writing to make us think. When we read realistic, we have to imagine that the people we are reading about are just like us, even though we that we are real and they are . It sounds , but it works. When we read, we fill in missing information and about the causes and effects of what a character does. We help the writer by 52 that what we read is like real life. In a way, we are writing the book, too.
Most of us probably don’t think about what is going on in our when we are reading. We pick up a book and lose in a good story, eager to find out what will happen next. Knowing how we feel we read can help us become better readers, and it will help us discover more about the real magic of books.
A．possible B．easy C．new D．different
A．that B．what C．whether D．as if
A．usual B．normal C．certain D．common
A．realistic B．reasonable C．moral D．instructive
A．difficult B．impossible C．important D．necessary
A．thinkable B．designed C．imagined D．planned
A．do B．make C．have D．are
A．lessons B．dreams C．experience D．magic
A．working B．thinking C．living D．understanding
A．knowledge B．skill C．words D．grammar
A．make B．get C．use D．have
A．a newspaper B．something C．everything D．a story
A．find B．learn C．know D．hope
A．too B．not C．all D．so
A．dangerous B．serious C．strange D．terrible
A．talk B．learn C．read D．think
A．telling B．pretending C．promising D．guessing
A．mind B．life C．world D．society
A．heart B．time C．money D．ourselves
A．what B．how C．when D．why
When a rather dirty, poorly dressed person kneels at your feet and puts out his hands to beg a few coins, do you hurry on, not what to do, or do you feel sad and hurriedly some money? What should our attitude beggars be? There can be no question that the world is full of terribly sad stories. It be terrible to have no idea where our next meal is going to come from. It seems not to give some money to beggars.
, most of the world's great religions order us to be open-hearted and what we have withthose less lucky than ourselves. But has the world changed? Maybe what was morally right in the old days, one knew exactly who in the village had suffered misfortune and needed help, is no longer the bestidea. Quite a few people will not give to beggars. Let us look at their .
First, some believe that many city beggars dress up to look pitiable and actually make a good from begging. Giving to beggars only encourages this sort of evil.
, there is the worry thatthe money you give will be spent on beer, wine or drugs.
Thirdly, there is the opinion there is no real excuse for begging. One might be poor, but that is no reason for losing one's sense of andself-dependence.
There is an opinion that the problem should be handled by the government ordinarypeople. Some people think beggars should go to the local government department and help.
It is hard to come to any final conclusion: there are various and we must them differently. A few coins can save a life in some situations, and even if the money is wasted, that does not take away the moral goodness of the .
A．to B．with C．at D．for
A．knowing B．expecting C．demanding D．settling
A．put away B．hand over C．take in D．get out
A．at B．in C．over D．towards
A．must B．can C．need D．might
A．warm-hearted B．generous C．cruel D．considerate
A．Strangely B．Honestly C．Certainly D．Surprisingly
A．give B．donate C．share D．contribute
A．why B．when C．what D．how
A．arguments B．quarrels C．sayings D．talks
A．on show B．on purpose C．for fun D．by accident
A．money B．comfort C．living D．decision
A．Secondly B．Surely C．Possibly D．Then
A．what B．whether C．that D．which
A．goodness B．pride C．security D．responsibility
A．rather than B．or rather C．other than D．but also
A．produce B．receive C．earn D．offer
A．cases B．events C．conditions D．states
A．go with B．communicate with C．deal with D．meet with
A．giver B．receiver C．villager D．government
Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One time I arrived in the middle of the night for a pickup at a building that was except for a single light in a ground floor window. I walked to the door and knocked.
A small woman in her 80’s opened the door. I took her suitcase to the cab then returned to her into the cab. She thanked me for my kindness. When we got in the taxi, she gave me a(n) , then asked, “Could you drive through downtown ?”
“It’s not the way,” I answered.
“Oh, I don’t mind,” she said. “I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to a hospice (临终关怀医院).”
I looked in the rear view mirror. Her eyes were glistening.
“The doctor says I don’t have very long.”
I quietly reached over and the meter (计程器). “What would you like me to take?” I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived. Sometimes she’d ask me to in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the sun was , she suddenly said: “I’m tired. Let’s go now.”
We drove in to the address she had given me. There were people waiting for her and they put her in a wheelchair.
“How much do I have to pay you?” she asked, reaching into her purse.
“Nothing,” I said.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.
“You gave an old woman a little moment of ,” she said.
I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut.
I didn’t any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. We tend to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often 47 us unconsciously.
A．ancient B．dark C．dirty D．remote
A．invite B．watch C．help D．receive
A．address B．letter C．speech D．present
A．wrong B．funniest C．safest D．shortest
A．cut out B．showed off C．switched off D．turned on
A．direction B．order C．role D．route
A．break down B．get off C．speed up D．slow down
A．changing B．moving C．rising D．Setting
A．darkness B．noise C．silence D．sadness
A．joy B．interest C．trouble D．surprise
A．talk with B．call up C．pick up D．take away
A．catch B．drive C．improve D．puzzle
请阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36—55各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
Peer pressure can be a powerful force, and sometimes a positive one. For example, hanging out with active peers may lead kids to more, making a child’s social network a vehicle for promoting healthy habits and obesity unconsciously.
The scientists studied networks of a group of students aged 5 to 12 and how the youngsters’ made and dropped friends, and effect these changing relationships had on their physical activity level.
In fact, children their exercise level little by little to better those in their circle; children who with more active students were more to increase their physical activity levels, those who befriended more sedentary(久坐不动的) children became active. The children were mirroring, following or adjusting to be to their friends before they knew it.
The encouraging suggest a potentially effective way to change children’s behavior. relying only on organized exercise programs to get moving, perhaps introducing sedentary kids to more active ones — might help more kids the couch.
It’s believed that this is a possible novel approach to obesity . The social environment does carry more power than we have given it for, so we should make use of that intentionally to influence kids.
that children are increasingly connected to one another, through face-to-face interactions or virtual ones, their networks can clearly have a deep effect many aspects of their behavior-help kids in the long run by turning them into healthier adults.
A．sleep B．move C．exercise D．eat
A．developing B．increasing C．introducing D．reducing
A．tracked B．informed C．sorted D．concluded
A．whose B．what C．that D．which
A．adjusted B．insisted C．appealed D．devoted
A．equal B．compete C．match D．compare
A．left out B．hung out C．made out D．figured out
A．likely B．possible C．bound D．due
A．while B．though C．since D．because
A．more B．permanent C．less D．temporary
A．familiar B．similar C．popular D．regular
A．causes B．results C．reasons D．experiments
A．More than B．Less than C．Other than D．Rather than
A．get down B．get off C．get on D．get over
A．prevention B．introduction C．discussion D．information
A．honor B．approval C．agreement D．credit
A．Considered B．Given C．Realized D．Supposed
A．whatever B．if C．however D．whether
A．social B．natural C．mental D．physical
A．with B．for C．at D．on