Although I love my life, it hasn’t been a lot of fun as I’ve been ill for 28 years.
Music has always been a great love of mine and, in my 20s, when my 16 was more manageable , I 17 ten years as a professional singer in restaurants, playing and singing folk songs. 18 that was years ago and times have changed. 19 I live with mother on a country farm.
Two years ago, I decided that I would need to have some kind of extra work to 20 my disability pension (残疾抚恤金). 21 I needed to sleep in the afternoons, I was limited in my 22 . I decided that I would consider 23 to singing in restaurants.
My family are all musicians, so I was 24 when I went into our local music store. I explained that I wanted to sing again but using recorded karaoke music. I knew that discs were very expensive and I really didn’t have a lot of 25 to get started. And 26 you find only three to four songs out of ten on a disc that you can 27 use.
When I told the owner of the shop about my 28 ; he gave me a long thoughtful 29 . “This means a lot to you, doesn’t it?” he said. “Come with me.”
He led me 30 the crowded shop and to a bench with a large professional karaoke box on it. He placed his large hand 31 on his treasure and said, “I have 800 karaoke songs in here. You can take your 32 and I’ll record them for you. That should get you started.”
I 33 . Thanking him, I made a time with him to listen to all the songs and choose 34 that I could sing. I have come full circle with his help.
His 35 still warms my heart and makes me do just that bit extra, when I have the chance.
A．loneliness B．sadness C．tiredness D．sickness
A．set B．enjoyed C．kept D．shared
A．Gladly B．Eventually C．Unfortunately D．Surprisingly
A．Now B．Then C．Sometime D．Meanwhile
A．add up to B．make up for C．get rid of D．take advantage of
A．If B．As C．Though D．Before
A．movement B．condition C．choices D．positions
A．reaching out B．living up C．getting on D．going back
A．recognized B．interviewed C．found D．invited
A．money B．time C．energy D．knowledge
A．thus B．once C．seldom D．often
A．actually B．hardly C．nearly D．formerly
A．job B．family C．idea D．offer
A．face B．view C．look D．sight
A．over B．along C．towards D．through
A．unhappily B．lovingly C．pitifully D．gratefully
A．pick B．turn C．role D．step
A．had to cry B．ought to cry C．should have cried D．could have cried
A．more B．the ones C．few D．the rest
A．courage B．devotion C．kindness D．trust
For John and Amy, birthdays have always been a big deal—a welcome excuse to celebrate life．When their son, Alex, three in 2005, they invited 20 friends to a nearby park．Not long after that the were brainstorming ways to teach Alex about giving to ．“We wanted to do something that would have a（n） on our community（社区）, and that our young child could in．We started wondering what fortunate kids do on their birthdays．The next day, we called a local shelter, and learnt that children typically didn’t do to celebrate at all．No cake．No gifts．No party．” The couple said．
Several weeks later, threw a party at the for the children who had birthdays that month．They decorated, served cake, and danced with 50 kids．Alex helped presents．
that first party, the couple have turned their simple idea Birthday Blessings, a non-profit that hosts monthly parties at 10 shelters．
To date, Birthday Blessings （birthday blessings．org．） has thrown more than 500 at different shelters and handed out 22,000 party to nearly 4,000 homeless children in and around their community．
Birthday Blessings is entirely by volunteers．The charity（慈善）will take almost anything — toys, clothing, candy, baby items— it’s not used．“These kids never get anything new．” John said, “It makes a big to them psychologically．”
Being “part of this labor love” is making an impression on their son Alex．On his seventh birthday, his grandparents sent a check． it, the first thing he said was that he wanted to give half to the birthday kids．
A．turned B．grew C．came D．got
A．shelters B．neighbors C．friends D．couple
A．the other B．another C．others D．each other
A．impression B．influence C．permission D．limitation
A．participate B．take C．bring D．move
A．fairly B．less C．rather D．more
A．penniless B．jobless C．homeless D．hopeless
A．nothing B．anything C．everything D．something
A．Alex B．John C．Amy D．the family
A．shelter B．church C．school D．community
A．make out B．pass out C．show out D．leave out
A．Before B．Until C．After D．Since
A．into B．down C．out D．off
A．birthdays B．parties C．presents D．donations
A．cakes B．honors C．favors D．surprises
A．continued B．undertaken C．operated D．performed
A．as far as B．as soon as C．as simple as D．as long as
A．difference B．surprise C．benefit D．advantage
A．never B．always C．hardly D．already
A．Realizing B．Saving C．Opening D．Folding
A teacher teaching Maths to seven-year-old Laiq asked him, “If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?”
Within a few seconds, Laiq confidently, “Four!”
The confused teacher was expecting a(n) correct answer, three. She was disappointed. “Maybe the child did not listen .” she thought. She , “Laiq, listen carefully. If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?”
Laiq had seen the on his teacher’s face. He again on his fingers. But within him he was also the answer that would make the teacher happy. This time hesitatingly he replied, “Four.”
The disappointment stayed on the teacher’s face. Suddenly she that Laiq like strawberries. She thought maybe he didn’t like apples and that was why he couldn’t answer the question. This time with an excitement in her she asked, “If I give you one strawberry and one strawberry and one strawberry, then how many you will have?”
Seeing the teacher , young Laiq calculate on his fingers again. There was no pressure on him, but a little on the teacher. She wanted her new to succeed. a hesitating smile young Laiq replied, “Three?”
The teacher now had a smile. Her approach had succeeded. She wanted to herself. But one last thing remained. she asked him, “Now if I give you one apple and one apple and one more apple how many will you have?”
Confidently Laiq answered, “Four!” The teacher was . “How Laiq, How?” she demanded in a little annoyed voice.
In a voice that was and hesitating young Laiq replied, “Because I already have one in my bag.”
The story tells us: someone gives you an answer that is from what you expect, don’t think they are wrong. There shall be an angle that you may not have thought about yet.
A．replied B．added C．told D．wrote
A．careless B．effortless C．worthless D．selfless
A．Possibly B．actively C．strictly D．properly
A．repeated B．ordered C．whispered D．complained
A．satisfaction B．disappointment C．punishment D．determination
A．recognized B．discovered C．calculated D．insisted
A．searching for B．waiting for C．arguing about D．talking about
A．decided B．noticed C．expressed D．remembered
A．mouth B．hands C．eyes D．nose
A．sad B．happy C．pitiful D．lovely
A．invention B．system C．reform D．approach
A．On B．In C．With D．By
A．victorious B．precious C．lasting D．appealing
A．thank B．congratulate C．help D．enjoy
A．Above all B．In vain C．On purpose D．Once again
A．astonished B．concerned C．amused D．relaxed
A．high B．clear C．easy D．low
A．strawberry B．apple C．coin D．box
A．Before B．After C．Until D．When
A．free B．absent C．different D．safe
A long time ago, there was an emperor(皇帝). One day he told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and as much land area as he liked, he would give him the area of land he had covered. enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could. He riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. Even when he was or tired, he did not stop he wanted to cover as much area as possible. When he at last covered a large amount of land, he was exhausted and was . Then he asked himself, “Why did I myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only a very small area to myself.”
The above story is to the journey of our . We push ourselves very hard every day to make more , to gain power or recognition. We neglect(疏忽，忘记) our , time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding and the things we love to do. One day we look back, we will that we don’t really need that much, then we cannot turn back time for what we have .
Life is not about making money. Life is definitely(肯定地) not about work! Work is only to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauty and pleasures of life.
A．use B．get C．work D．cover
A．Sure B．Strange C． Good D．Interesting
A．rode B．ran C．expanded D．struggled
A．gave up B．asked for C．kept on D．succeeded in
A．sad B．hungry C．confused D．excited
A．because B．so C．but D．if
A．dying B．arguing C．sleeping D．smiling
A．make B．push C．destroy D．prove
A．find B．have C．need D．show
A．live B．support C．bury D．sleep
A．useful B．certain C．special D．similar
A．future B．past C．history D．life
A．money B．progress C．discoveries D．friends
A．freedom B．career C．honor D．health
A．things B．condition C．beauty D．people
A．before B．when C．unless D．since
A．regret B．realize C．apologize D．explain
A．but B．until C．however D．or
A．saved B．won C．reduced D．missed
A．possible B．probable C．necessary D．suitable
Tears were streaming down Ruth Ann Kittelson's face as she hung up the phone. Her daughter, Lora, wanted to ____ her husband and move back home with her new baby. For the first time Ruth Ann ____ if she had the strength to keep Lora from getting her own way. As Lora grew up, Ruth Ann would do anything for her. "If Lora wanted something I would be ____ that she got it," she recalled.
Lora's father had left the ____ when Lora was 15. A year later Ruth Ann married a Christian man named Wayne.
When Lora was 20 years old, she ____ Scott Mesker, and the early years of their married life were plainful and exhausting. As college students, Scott had three jobs and Lora worked on campus. ____ the birth of their son. Josh, the pressures became overwhelming. Scott and Lora became ____ in the same household.
Coming from a divorced home, Lora knew her choices. ____ she had been a Christian since childhood, some of her best friends advised, "____ will forgive you if you get a divorce."
Lora knew that her mom ____ let her come home with the baby. ____, her mom would do anything for her.
Ruth Ann knew Lora's marriage was in ____, and had discussed the situation with Wayne and he ____ that Ruth Ann should not come to Lora's rescue. Lora needed to make a commitment to her marriage.
Ruth Ann had not always ____ to Wayne when Lora was a teenager, but she would now. She could not ____ Lora taking her young son through the ____ of divorce.
As she talked with Lora on the phone, she sensed that God was telling her not to ____ to Lora's request to move home. So she reluctantly said, "I just can't ____ you come home. You love Scott. You have to take a stand and make this work!"
Lora was in ____. "How could Mom do this to me?" she wondered. What she didn't see was Ruth Ann's body ____ from uncontrollable weeping.
A．keep B．leave C．quit D．stop
A．wondered B．minded C．cared' D．considered
A．sure B．necessary C．likely D．possible
A．work B．task C．job D．family
A．met B．recognized C．knew D．married
A．With B．For C．As D．In
A．workers B．students C．parents D．strangers
A．If B．When C．While D．Although
A．Mother B．God C．Husband D．Child
A．should B．will C．would D．need
A．In all B．After all C．All in all D．At all
A．danger B．time C．trouble D．state
A．announced B．declared C．decided D．advised
A．seen B．listened C．pointed D．referred
A．think B．meet C．imagine D．receive
A．feeling B．excitement C．pain D．pleasure
A．want B．expect C．agree D．approve
A．ask B．let C．make D．force
A．comfort B．horror C．surprise D．disbelief
A．crying B．shaking C．standing D．falling
Here in Alaska, the wolf almost disappeared a few years ago, because hunters were killing hundreds of them for ____. However, laws were passed to protect the wolves ____ the sportsmen and also the people who ____ the animals for fur. So the wolf quantity has greatly ____.Now there are so ____ wolves that they are destroying their own ____ supply.
A wolf naturally preys (捕食) on animals in the ____ family. People in the wilderness （荒野) also hunt deer for food. Many of the animals have been destroyed by the very ____ recently and by changes in the wilderness ____ life. When the deer can't find ____ food, they die.
If the wolves ____ to kill large numbers of deer, their prey will ____ some day. And the wolves will, too. So we must ____ the cycle of life in the wilderness to ____ the ecology(生态). If we killed more wolves, we would ____ them and their prey from extinction(绝种). We'd also save some ____ animals.
In another northern state, wolves attacked chickens for ____. ____ want the United States government to send a team of ____ to study the problem. They believe it is necessary to kill wolves in some areas and to protect them in places where there is a ____ wolf quantity.
A．fun B．food C．sports D．interest
A．for B．of C．from D．about
A．take B．catch C．find D．play
A．increased B．reduced C．developed D．advanced
A．many B．few C．much D．little
A．animal B．plant C．food D．water
A．cat B．dog C．deer D．cows
A．hot summers B．warm springs C．cool autumns D．cold winters
A．animal B．plant C．food D．cold
A．good B．much C．more D．enough
A．start B．stop C．decide D．continue
A．disappear B．reduce C．increase D．appear
A．keep B．change C．renew D．form
A．change B．remain C．balance D．keep
A．wild B．farm C．useful D．field
A．fur B．sport C．food D．fun
A．Farmers B．Scientists C．Biologists D．Fishermen
A．officials B．doctors C．teachers D．biologists
A．small B．large C．increasing D．natural