When I was young, I really doubted whether there was love between my parents．Every day they were busy earning money so that they could 36 the high tuition my brother and I needed．They didn’t 37 in the romantic ways that I read in books or saw on TV．
One day, Mom was sewing a quilt（被子）．I 38 sat down beside her．“Mom, I have a 39 here,” I said after a while．“Is there love between you and Dad?” I asked her in a very 40 voice．
Mom stopped her work and raised her head with 41 in her eyes．She didn’t answer immediately．She bent her head and continued to sew the quilt．I was 42 if I had hurt her．I was in great embarrassment and I was at a loss what to do．But at last she said, very 43 , “Susan, look at this 44 ．Sometimes it appears, but most of it disappears in the quilt．The thread really makes the quilt strong and lasting．If 45 is a quilt, then love should be a thread．It can hardly be seen, but it’s really there． 46 is inside．”
I listened carefully but I couldn’t understand her until years later．
One day, Dad accidentally got 47 while on duty．Ever since then he could no longer 48
properly．Every morning and dusk Mom would help Dad walk slowly on the country road．Along the country road, there were beautiful flowers, green grass and trees．The leaves were gently glistening 49 the sun shining upon them．All of these made up the most beautiful 50 in the world．
“Dad, how are you feeling now?”” I asked him one day． “Susan, don’t worry shout me,” he said gently． “I just like walking with your mom．I like this kind of life．” Looking into his eyes, I 51 what they meant．
The doctor had said Dad would 52 in two months．But that day never came．He 53 away in peace．
54 I thought love meant flowers, gifts and sweet kisses．But from this 55 , I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life, which makes life strong and warm…
A．afford B．cost C．spend D．offer
A．go B．live C．act D．walk
A．happily B．silently C．secretly D．nervously
A．request B．problem C．message D．question
A．loud B．light C．low D．clear
A．surprise B．anger C．stress D．horror
A．amazed B．confused C．shocked D．ashamed
A．quickly B．excitedly C．bitterly D．gently
A．quilt B．needle C．thread D．sewing
A．belief B．work C．experience D．life
A．Warmth B．Thread C．Cotton D．Love
A．tired B．drunk C．ill D．injured
A．talk B．walk C．work D．think
A．with B．as C．for D．by
A．signs B．symbols C．pictures D．reflections
A．read B．doubted C．translated D．recognized
A．retire B．recover C．regain D．remove
A．passed B．escaped C．faded D．turned
A．Again B．Once C．Then D．Later
A．lesson B．account C．experience D．accident
For many people today, reading is no longer relaxation. To keep up their work they must read letters, reports, trade publications, interoffice communications, not to mention newspapers and magazines—a never-ending flood of words. In a job or advancing in one, the ability to read and comprehend
can mean the difference between success and failure. Yet the unfortunate fact is that most of us, are
readers. Most of us develop poor reading
at an early age, and never get over them. The main deficiency
in the actual stuff of language itself—words. Taken individually, words have
meaning until they are strung together into phrases, sentences and paragraphs.
, however, the untrained reader does not read groups of words. He laboriously reads one word at a time, often regressing (退回) to
words or passages. Regression, the tendency to look back over
you have just read, is a common bad habit in reading. Another habit which
down the speed of reading is vocalization—sounding each word either orally or mentally as
reads.
To overcome these bad habits, some reading clinics use a device called an , which moves a bar (or curtain) down the page at a predetermined (预先确定的) speed. The bar is set at a slightly faster rate
the reader finds comfortable, in order to "stretch" him. The accelerator forces the reader to read fast,
word-by-word reading, regression and subvocalization (默读) practically impossible. At first
is sacrificed for speed. But when you learn to read ideas and concepts, you will not only read faster,
your comprehension will improve. Many people have found
reading skill drastically improved after some training.
Charles Au, a business manager, for instance, his reading rate was a reasonably good 72 words a minute
the training, now it is an excellent 128 words a minute. He is delighted that how he can
a lot more reading material in a short period of time.
A. applying B. doing C. offering D. getting
A. quickly B. easily C. roughly D. decidedly
A. good B. curious C. poor D. urgent
A. training B. habits C. situations D. custom
A. lies B. combines C. touches D. involves
A. some B. a lot C. little D. dull
A. Fortunately B. In fact C. Logically D. Unfortunately
A. reuse B. reread C. rewrite D. recite
A. what B. which C. that D. if
A. scalesB. cuts C. slows D. measures
A. some one B. one C the one D. reader
A. accelerator B. actor C. amplifier D. observer
A. then B. as C. beyond D. than
A. enabling B. leading C. making D. indicating
A. meaning B. comprehension C. gist D. regression
A. but B. nor C. or D. for
A. our B. your C. their D. such a
A. Look at B. Take C. Make D. Consider
A. for B. in C. after D. before
A. master B. go over C. present D. get through
Every morning, before dropping her son off at school, my friend would stop on the way to work to grab a quick breakfast. They tended to frequent the restaurant every morning grabbing an egg sandwich, juice, coffee for herself, milk for her son.
One day she an additional breakfast. When they had eaten and walked out of the door, she stopped and said good morning to a man who was sitting alone outside the restaurant and him the additional breakfast she had bought. He her, grinning, telling her it was the first meal he had in a great many days. She couldn't help but feel and was glad she finally took action.
She told her son that she had him every day that week outside the restaurant and that no one, herself included, had to offer him food, drink, comfort, etc. She further that homelessness can happen to anyone and the importance of service to others and acts of kindness were.
And so her kindness tradition... each day thereafter she and her son (12） to buy and supply the homeless gentleman with breakfast. The was going on until they several years later but the lesson was implanted (植入) in her son by then.
She as she told me that this kindness legacy to her son, who remembered this childhood tradition and lesson. Now a college graduate and employed, her son stops every day at Starbucks for his morning cup of coffee and purchases a for a homeless person nearby before commuting (上下班往返) to the .
What a great family legacy that he can pass along to his children as well...
A．small B．same C．crowded D．ordinary
A．received B．demanded C．expected D．ordered
A．strong B．kind C．homeless D．sick
A．handed B．bought C．supplied D．provided
A．remembered B．thanked C．respected D．paid
A．grateful B．sorry C．anxious D．good
A．helped B．seen C．disliked D．missed
A．agreed B．refused C．stopped D．appeared
A．shouted B．replied C．argued D．explained
A．what B．which C．how D．where
A．ended B．began C．met D．presented
A．hesitated B．hurried C．continued D．needed
A．moment B．life C．practice D．performance
A．moved away B．got around C．turned down D．broke up
A．hardly B．firmly C．happily D．slightly
A．smiled B．cheered C．sighed D．wondered
A．came B．occurred C．went D．belonged
A．regularly B．carefully C．entirely D．gainfully
A．chance B．tent C．shirt D．breakfast
A．city B．office C．house D．school
A businesswoman got into a taxi in midtown. As it was the rush hour and she was in a to catch a train, she a quick way to reach it. “I have been a taxi driver for 15 years!"the driver said . “You don't think I know the best way to go?”
The woman tried to explain that she hadn't to annoy him, but the driver kept . She finally realized that he was too annoyed to be , so she changed her . “You know, you are right，” she told him. “It must seem for me not to think you know the best way the city. ” ，the driver glanced at his in the rearview mirror, turned down the street she wanted and got her to the train on time. “He didn't say another word the rest of the ride，” she said, “ I got out and paid him. Then he thanked me. ”
When you find yourself with people like the taxi driver, you will always try to （14) your idea. It can lead to longer arguments, lose job chances or marriages. I have discovered one simple extremely unlikely method that can prevent the disagreement or other difficult situations from in a disaster.
The is to put yourself in the other person's shoes and look for the in what that person is saying. Find a way to ，and the result may surprise you.
A．hurry B．rush C．moment D．way
A．chose B．made C．found D．suggested
A．jokingly B．angrily C．anxiously D．curiously
A．supposed B．expected C．meant D．decided
A．apologizing B．driving C．asking D．shouting
A．reasonable B．thoughtful C．normal D．practical
A．road B．mind C．direction D．manner
A．strange B．wrong C．terrible D．stupid
A．across B．in C．through D．along
A．Surprised B．Worried C．Annoyed D．Disappointed
A．rider B．speaker C．helper D．comer
A．until B．after C．because D．since
A．satisfied B．concerned C．crowded D．faced
A．give up B．turn down C．stick to D．point out
A．combine B．destroy C．suffer D．divide
A．and B．that C．but D．though
A．lying B．resulting C．setting D．leading
A．problem B．importance C．key D．reply
A．fact B．meaning C．expression D．truth
A．agree B．argue C．explain D．escape
When I come across a good article while reading newspapers, I often want to cut and keep it. But just as I am about to do so, I find the article on the ________ side is more interesting. It may be a discussion of the way to ________ in good health, or ________ about how to behave and conduct oneself in society. If I cut the front article, the opposite one is likely to _______ damage, leaving out half of it or keeping the text ________ the title. Therefore, the scissors (剪刀) would ______ before they start, ________ halfway done when I find out the _______ result.
Sometimes two things are to be done at the same time, both worth your ________. You can only take up one of them; the other has to wait to be ________ up. But you know the future is unpredictable (不可预测的)-the changed situation may not allow you to do what is left ________. Thus you are ________ in a difficult position and feel sad. How come that nice chances and brilliant ________ should gather around all at once? It may happen that your life ________ greatly on your preference of one choice to the other.
In fact that is what ________ is like: we are often ________ with the two opposite sides of the thing which are both desirable like a newspaper cutting. It often occurs that our attention is drawn to one thing only ________ we get into another. The ________ may be more important than the latter and give rise to a divided mind. I ________ remember a philosopher’s remarks that “When one door shuts, another opens in life”. So a casual (随意的) ________ may not be a bad one.
A．front B．same C．either D．opposite
A．get B．keep C．form D．bring
A．advice B．news C．a theory D．a report
A．suffer B．reduce C．prevent D．cause
A．on B．for C．without D．off
A．use B．handle C．prepare D．stay
A．or B．but C．so D．for
A．satisfying B．regretful C．surprising D．impossible
A．courage B．strength C．attention D．patience
A．given B．held C．made D．picked
A．near B．alone C．about D．behind
A．filled B．attracted C．caught D．struck
A．knowledge B．ideas C．feelings D．beliefs
A．improves B．changes C．progresses D．goes
A．study B．society C．nature D．life
A．faced B．supplied C．connected D．fixed
A．before B．after C．until D．as
A．following B．next C．above D．former
A．still B．also C．once D．almost
A．treatment B．action C．choice D．remark
More than I had dreamed of
From the age of seven, I had dreamed of becoming a member of the Students Union. I had always my school leaders for taking responsibility for all of us. I dreamed of being a leader, too.
Years flew by, and soon I was able to participate in the elections, I would win. But the first time I stood, anyone voted for me. I decided that I had been stupid to think I had a chance. I wasn’t pretty. Girls across the school hardly knew me. I just did not have what it to win a school election. I was .
As I cried in my room that evening, I took a deep breath and decided I wouldn’t stop dreaming. I decided that I would for election again in my final year at school - and I would win.
I recognized that my had a lot of things in their favor. What were the that would work in my favor? I had good grades, and I was friendly and helpful. And my biggest was the faith I had in myself. I would not allow my appearance to hold me back from putting my best foot forward. That evening, I making my election plans a whole year in advance.
I realized that girls would have to get to know me and recognize that I had the ability to them. I loved making friends and I liked being helpful, I decided that perhaps I could use these qualities to my advantage. In order to learn how to give a great election , I also attended a course on effective public speaking.
The day after the election, the principal announced I had won the second highest number of votes. The students . The joy on the faces of all my friends showed me that my victory was also theirs.
Suddenly, I realized that I had much more than I had dreamed of. I had made many new friends and had helped people the way. I had won the and love of my schoolmates and they knew me as somebody who would stand by them. I was able to put a smile on their faces and their day.
A．admired B．remembered C．praised D．believed
A．planning B．praying C．deciding D．judging
A．almost B．still C．barely D．also
A．cost B．provided C．meant D．took
A．angry B．sad C．surprised D．confused
A．gradually B．immediately C．suddenly D．impatiently
A．pay B．stand C．speak D．wait
A．competitors B．companions C．enemies D．schoolmates
A．cases B．methods C．examples D．points
A．problem B．strength C．worry D．dream
A．young B．personal C．special D．plain
A．began B．suggested C．announced D．cancelled
A．recommend B．accompany C．represent D．support
A．but B．and C．so D．or
A．campaign B．speech C．ceremony D．promise
A．nodded B．gathered C．cheered D．cried
A．accomplished B．accumulated C．devoted D．developed
A．by B．to C．in D．along
A．appointment B．acceptance C．election D．reputation
A．made up B．picked up C．brighten up D．work up