Education from My Father
My memories of my father are slim because he was so sick in the last years of his life. But there are 32 that I am often reminded of and which may have had some bearing on my love of 33 .
When I was small I was somewhat 34 of lightning and thunder. My father explained it. The explanation was in 35 that a child could understand but was basically correct. I gained a better 36 later, but I didn’t have to unlearn anything.
What he said was that there was electricity in the clouds 37 it traveled to the ground like a spark. When it traveled 38 the air it made the air so hot that it 39 . Then there was nothing where the air had been and the air all around rushed in to 40 the space. He clapped his hands together very loud, 41 to be the air rushing in, and said that makes the thunder. When I hear thunder, I can still hear that 42 .
He explained why if it was cloudy in the winter the night was warmer than if it was 43 . It was one of those nights when the sky was full of stars: no moon, no town lights. But there were more stars than you could 44 and they had color too. He said that if there were no clouds, we had no blankets and were 45 to the universe. Our warmth was going to 46 the whole universe. When there were clouds, they were like blankets and we were not exposed to the universe. I 47 feel on the edge of space on a very clear night.
I am sure there were many other lessons that I 48 but no longer remember. What I did 49 , in general, was that there were explanations and that the more I understood them, the more comfortable the world was to live in. I was not taught that there were 50 but that there was understanding if you looked for it. This may be why I have always been 51 in science.
A．others B．few C．some D．all
A．science B．nature C．weather D．universe
A．sure B．fond C．tired D．afraid
A．depth B．words C．gestures D．data
A．understanding B．knowledge C．command D．confidence
A．but B．and C．for D．or
A．above B．to C．along D．through
A．shone B．burned C．expanded D．broke
A．fill B．make C．avoid D．break
A．trying B．proving C．hoping D．pretending
A．clap B．remark C．voice D．crash
A．cold B．bright C．clear D．foggy
A．explore B．foresee C．imagine D．identify
A．committed B．exposed C．related D．led
A．heat B．protect C．extend D．light
A．ever B．also C．even D．still
A．selected B．arranged C．absorbed D．delivered
A．consider B．promise C．explain D．learn
A．memories B．blankets C．mysteries D．thunders
A．engaged B．interested C．successful D．skillful
I really love my job because I enjoy working with small children and like the challenges and awards from the job. I also think my work is important. There was a time when I thought I would never have that sort of 36 .
I wasn’t an excellent student because I didn’t do much schoolwork. In my final term I started thinking 37 I might do and found I didn’t have much to 38 . I just accepted that I wasn’t the type to have a career. I then found myself a job, looking after two little girls. It wasn’t too bad at first, but the 39 began when I agreed to 40 , so that I would be there if my 41 had to go out for business in the evening. We 42 that if I had to work extra hours one week, she’d give me off the next. But 43 , it didn’t often work out. I was getting extremely 44and fed up, because I had too many 45 nights and early mornings with the children.
46 Sunday, I was in the park with the children, and met Megan who used to go to school with me. I told her about my 47 . She suggested that I should take a (n) 48 and get a qualification if I wanted to work with children. I did not think I would be 49 because I didn’t take many exams in school. She 50 me to phone the local college and they were really helpful. My experience 51 for a lot and I got a part-time course. I had to 52 my job with the family, and got work helping out at a kindergarten. Now I’ve got a full-time job there, I shall always be 53 to Megan. I wish I had known 54 that you could have a career, 55 you aren’t top of the class at school.
A．challenge B．career C．course D．award
A．when B．how C．what D．why
A．learn B．teach C．share D．offer
A．problems B．questions C．work D．career
A．stay up B．play with C．look after D．live in
A．friend B．boss C．classmate D．parent
A．agreed B．thought C．hoped D．believed
A．particularly B．clearly C．unfortunately D．specially
A．excited B．tired C．surprised D．disappointed
A．early B．late C．long D．hard
A．Another B．That C．This D．One
A．condition B．work C．children D．situation
A．course B．exam C．college D．duty
A．hired B．recognized C．accepted D．known
A．promised B．persuaded C．allowed D．made
A．explained B．showed C．counted D．meant
A．take B．get C．lay D．leave
A．warm B．kind C．thankful D．friendly
A．later B．earlier C．more D．less
A．even if B．only if C．since D．as
When I met him, I had a lot of anger inside of me．I never had a father, though in my neighborhood that's not 31 ．I know some kids just like me．You have to 32 yourself．
There are fights and killings all the time．I have friends who ended up in jail or pregnant．1 could have ended up that way, too, but Mr. Clark and my mom33 let that happen.
Mr. Clark worked long hours, making sure I did my work．My grades rose．In fact, I did so well that in sixth grade, I entered the 34 class, and Mr．Clark was the teacher．I felt so 35 to have him for a second year!
He took our class to see The Phantom of the Opera．Before the show, he36 us to dinner at a restaurant and taught us not to talk with our mouths full．We didn't want to let him37 , so we listened to him attentively.
38 of us were surprised when Mr．Clark was selected as Disney's 2000 Teacher of the Year．When he learned he'd won, he said he would39 three names out of a hat; he would go to Los Angeles to get the40 with those students．But41 it came time to draw names, Mr．Clark said, "You're all going."
He got42 to fly all 37 of us out to Disneyland in California and put us up at the Hilton．People were43 , but Mr．Clark really cared about us．There's no way I can44 most teachers doing that．No way．But he saw something in us that nobody else saw.
On graduation day, there were a lot of tears．We didn't want his class to45 ．In my new school year, we were all happy when Mr．Clark 46in our class once again．He's been a 47 in our lives.
In 2003, Mr．Clark took some of us on a trip to South Africa to48 school supplies and visit orphanages．It was the most amazing49 of my life．It's now my50 to one day start a group of women's clubs, helping people from all backgrounds.
A．common B．normal C．real D．unusual
A．comfort B．encourage C．watch D．tolerate
A．couldn’t B．wouldn’t C．shouldn’t D．mustn’t
A．local B．general C．gifted D．scared
A．sudden B．lucky C．annoyed D．anxious
A．treated B．directed C．showed D．swapped
A．off B．out C．up D．down
A．Some B．Any C．None D．Many
A．give B．enter C．draw D．register
A．reward B．bonus C．diploma D．award
A．after B．when C．before D．since
A．donations B．suggestions C．requests D．messages
A．excited B．satisfied C．ashamed D．amazed
A．suggest B．advocate C．imagine D．complain
A．end B．start C．continue D．last
A．picked up B．showed up C．rang up D．packed up
A．colleague B．sponsor C．success D．constant
A．deliver B．collect C．display D．recommend
A．adventure B．experience C．vacation D．interview
A．dream B．conclusion C．turn D．demand
I take the train to work every morning from a train station near my house. I can get to the station quite _36__ because there’s a short cut（捷径）to the station. But in the summer, it can get quite smelly because of all the 37. So I always try to 38 through it. Today I was trying to do so as usual __39__ something made me stop for a moment. I saw the most beautiful __40__ by an old woman walking in front of me with the help of a white __41__.
She was short and 42 and had white hair. She was walking __43__ as each step took some effort. I hadn’t specially noticed her 44 , until she stopped near a rubbish bin（垃圾箱）.
She slowly placed her walking stick ___45__ the rubbish bin. Then she leaned （斜倚着） on it with her right hand. She bent down and _46__ the rubbish. She clearly found it _47___ and it took her a while. She _48__ some rubbish with her left hand and slowly straightened herself up again. All the while she used the rubbish bin to __49 herself. She threw the rubbish inside the bin and then 50 walking. It all took her great effort.
There’s no much rubbish and no one ever does ___51__ about it. I was moved to _52__ this old woman make such a great effort to keep even a small part of it __53__! I haven’t been able to __54__ thinking about that all day.
I want to follow her example. I’ve decided to pick up rubbish of the __55__ if I meet from now on. I hope people will do the same as I do.
A．hard B．early C．easily D．late
A．rubbish B．boxes C．bottles D．paper
A．walk B．pass C．go D．rush
A．so B．therefore C．when D．because
A．back B．act C．mark D．color
A．bike B．stick C．dog D．umbrella
A．weak B．rich C．clever D．sad
A．quickly B．happily C．angrily D．slowly
A．at midnight B．at dusk C．at last D．at first
A．in B．around C．against D．under
A．searched for B．threw away C．reached for D．looked for
A．unable B．difficult C．different D．impossible
A．picked up B．dropped down C．put in D．lifted up
A．warm B．help C．support D．hide
A．continued B．started C．enjoyed D．remembered
A．something B．anything C．everything D．nothing
A．feel B．see C．have D．let
A．busy B．beautiful C．dirty D．clean
A．keep B．stop C．mind D．regret
A．wall B．desk C．ground D．classroom
By my third day in the hospital, I realized Tom didn’t visit. I couldn’t understand 36 my best friend wouldn’t come to see me. Struggling against the 37 , I phoned his __38 . His mother answered, and when I asked for Tom, she got 39 . “He’s not here right now,” she said. I thought it was 40 that she didn’t tell me where he was or 41 to have him call me. But I was so weak, I just let it 42 . I found out later that Tom’s mother called my parents right after we rang 43 . My phone call really made her 44 , and she 45 they talk to me. Later that night, my mom 46 . Did I remember drinking? Did I remember in a car？I had 47 what she was talking about, so she finally told me the news: I’d hit a tree. Tom, in the 48 seat, was thrown from the car and killed instantly. The only reason I’d lived was because of my 49 .
My first 50 was of shock. I’d been drink-driving? Hit a tree? Killed Tom? I felt like the 51 person in the world. Even after I was able to 52 several weeks later, I didn’t want to eat, I didn’t want to talk. I just 53 at the wall in my 54 and cried. The only person I wanted to see was Tom. I didn’t feel like 55 with any of my old friends.
A．if B．whether C．how D．why
A．pain B．doctor C．nurse D．wound
A．company B．office C．school D．house
A．sad B．quiet C．calm D．excited
A．unfair B．wrong C．strange D．unnecessary
A．offer B．allow C．permit D．refuse
A．down B．alone C．be D．go
A．off B．up C．out D．back
A．disappointed B．shocked C．anxious D．excited
A．hoped B．wished C．insisted D．ordered
A．went by B．came by C．called back D．passed by
A．understood B．believed C．no idea D．wondered
A．passenger B．drive C．front D．spare
A．doctor B．friend C．luck D．seat-belt
A．view B．reaction C．action D．idea
A．luckiest B．happiest C．worst D．most lonely
A．stand up B．get on C．go home D．eat out
A．looked B．stared C．glanced D．glared
A．sickroom B．office C．dormitory D．bedroom
A．drying out B．taking out C．setting out D．hanging out
The other day, I happened to meet someone I hadn’t seen for many years. I couldn’t believe the change in him. In fact, he didn’t even seem like the 36 person.
When I first knew Bill , back in 37 , he was one of the most carefree（无忧无虑）people I had ever 38 . He was always ready to have a party. He thought 39 of going out for beer at three o’clock in the morning or driving 15 miles to see an old 40 he really liked. Bill and I were in the same class in college, and 41 was never dull when he was 42 . With him there was one wild 43 after another. Sometimes I wonder how we 44 to study for our exams.
Last week I was in Houston on business and I ran into Bill in the bar at the hotel. 45 , I wasn’t even sure it was 46 . Was this short-haired businessman really the same person? I wasn’t really sure until I came near him but it indeed was Bill. Now he works for a bank. He 47 most of the evening about his job, his new car and his house. How he had changed! Back when we were in college, the 48 thing Bill cared about were possessions(财富). Now they seemed to be his main 49 . Although I have changed quite a bit myself, somehow I never 50 Bill changing so much. My image of him 51 the one I had formed 52 the time when we were college students together.
I suppose it’s 53 to expect people to remain the same, especially 54 I have changed so much myself. But I must say that I enjoyed the old Bill much more than the new Bill. Maybe he 55 the same way about me.
A．proper B．usual C．same D．right
A．childhood B．the army C．his thirties D．college
A．considered B．met C．supposed D．expected
A．most B．much C．nothing D．none
A．movie B．hospital C．man D．country
A．learning B．life C．work D．fun
A．in B．out C．around D．away
A．joke B．mistake C．chance D．adventure
A．managed B．continued C．decided D．hoped
A．First of all B．At first C．Now and then D．All the time
A．that B．he C．there D．us
A．thought B．spent C．argued D．talked
A．first B．next C．last D．only
A．interest B．event C．subject D．problem
A．forgot B．minded C．imagined D．liked
A．remained B．reminded C．suggested D．became
A．since B．from C．at D．till
A．unnecessary B．foolish C．common D．unusually
A．because B．that C．how D．when
A．discovered B．acted C．looked D．felt