My husband Sid and I were never able to have children. I had always wanted a family and that feeling 36 after his death. He was all I had. When he 37 , I felt like I had lost my entire family. I never 38 I would finally get the family I had always wished for. A few years later I met Tom. When we married, I 39 got four grown children and eight grandchildren.
I was 40 about my first meeting with his children. My worries melted away when I realized that they 41 me and were more than willing to bring me into their family. And when his daughters 42 me if their children could call me “Mimi,” I was excited, Tom was divorced, and 43 I was also concerned about the 44 that the children already had two grandmothers. Would the little ones understand 45 I fit into the family？
At our first extended family gathering, I 46 our six-year-old grandson Jim staring at me with a 47 look. He seemed to be thinking about something serious. 48 sporting a big grin(咧嘴笑)，he jumped and said, “I know who you are! You are our 49 grandma!” At that moment, I know it was time to just relax and enjoy my new 50 .
People say when a door close, God opens a window. Now I know what that 51 . I lost so much joy when Sid died, 52 now I have a new happy life. I am enjoying so many things I 53 got to experience before like reading bedtime stories. My refrigerator is covered with drawings, and my walls are 54 with photos of the kids. I may be an instant “extra” grandma in Jim’s eyes, but I am just as 55 any other “regular” grandma I know.
A．disappeared B．deepened C．improved D．worsened
A．died B．returned C．recovered D．divorced
A．dreamed B．found C．forgot D．regretted
A．unwillingly B．merely C．naturally D．surely
A．excited B．crazy C．curious D．anxious
A．doubted B．praised C．liked D．changed
A．challenged B．asked C．promised D．tested
A．as a result B．in other words C．from then on D．in the end
A．trouble B．behavior C．choice D．fact
A．when B．where C．what D．why
A．allowed B．noticed C．ignored D．hated
A．frightened B．sad C．happy D．confused
A．Generally B．Eventually C．Gradually D．Suddenly
A．new B．extra C．distant D．great
A．cause B．partner C．role D．job
A．contains B．determines C．means D．matters
A．and B．but C．or D．so
A．ever B．still C．once D．never
A．decorated B．replaced C．covered D．filled
A．proud B．busy C．careful D．healthy
It was a sunny day. A city man was driving along a country road with a new wagon（马车）and a beautiful pair of horses. He didn’t pay a lot of to where he was going. Pretty soon he that he was lost, but he todrive, expectingtore-findhiswayorto someone who could tell him how to get back to the .
It was a long road. For many hours he kept ondriving. When itwasalmost ，hesaw in a a tall farmer ploughing（犁地） the land. He stopped his team of horses near the fence and called out，“Hello，farmer.”
“Hello，yourself，”thefarmerreplied， ploughing.
“Where does the horse ？”he asked without knowing his language mistakes.
“I haven’t seen it go anywhere. It stays right where it is，”said the farmer， stopping his work.
“How far is it to the next town？” said the city man，speaking a little .
“Don’t know. I never it,” replied the farmer. By this time the city man was getting .“What do you know？You’re thebiggest foolI saw.”
stopping, the farmer turned and looked for a long time at the city man. Then he said，“Maybe I don’t know much. I am a fool. But at least I’m not lost！”
A．signs B．orders C．attention D．direction
A．realized B．recognized C．accepted D．received
A．stopped B．used C．wanted D．continued
A．miss B．meet C．look D．lose
A．town B．country C．capital D．village
A．lonely B．busy C．dirty D．crowded
A．at noon B．at night C．raining D．dark
A．truck B．pile C．field D．store
A．strong B．tired C．weak D．tiring
A．but B．went on C．stopped D．still
A．go B．lead up C．get D．show
A．always B．often C．sometimes D．seldom
A．began B．still C．without D．already
A．clearly B．lower C．more loudly D．more politely
A．judged B．measured C．saw D．studied
A．sad B．lovely C．friendly D．angry
A．ever B．often C．even D．never
A．Still B．Not C．With D．Finally
A．gladly B．immediately C．in silence D．excitedly
A．Really B．Perhaps C．Certainly D．Fortunately
My grandfather went to high school in the 1920s. While in school, he became in the drama program, acting in various productions. He in touch with his drama teacher.
My father went to high school in the 1960s. Like his before him, he acted in high school. He, too,stayed in touch with his drama teacher for the rest of the teacher's I graduated in 1997. When Hoover, my drama teacher, was in Alaska, I didn't want her to feel like she was ending her life , so I sent her many packages, including Drama Club yearbook photos from each year she there in order that she could see the students whose lives she forever .
Her nickname for our group of Drama Club was "the Throwaway Kids". , no? She described us as that we were nonconformists (不墨守成规者) that other teachers didn't know what to do with. She simply us for who we are, and that was exactly what we needed.
We have all become members of society: reporters, lawyers, and singers, soldiers, doctors and, you guessed it, teachers. Every member of my family is a teacher. This year the 73rd year we have taught in Alaska altogether.
me, teaching the course is only one important part of the job. As I returned to my classroom just before the final bell on the last day of school in May, I thought how the most emotional part of the experience will not be seeing the recent return to say "hello" at Christmas. That was how the of keeping in touch with our teachers our whole life long began in my family. Honestly, learning a lifetime.
A．famous B．active C．anxious D．attractive
A．lost B．provided C．kept D．shared
A．teacher B．classmate C．mother D．father
A．life B．job C．space D．season
A．dying B．singing C．acting D．playing
A．Poor B．angry C．anxious D．alone
A．taught B．constructed C．ordered D．demanded
A．protected B．developed C．scolded D．affected
A．Interesting B．Exciting C．Shocking D．Encouraging
A．because B．if C．But D．although
A．purely B．exactly C．obviously D．basically
A．entertained B．accepted C．disliked D．noticed
A．consuming B．contributing C．confirming D．connecting
A．fills . B．marks C．covers D．deals
A．After B．With C．To D．By
A．natural B．simple C．entire D．casual
A．fel1 B．rang C．broke D．rolled
A．classmates B．soldiers C．adults D．graduates
A．tradition B．culture C．custom D．behavior
A．wastes B．puts C．takes D．pulls
Istopped ata grocerystore the other day because I wasabout to go on a long driveand I wanted to buy my favorite for the trip.It wasn’t the store I go to, just one I passed along the way.
As I walked up to the entrance, I aman and aboy who was about 10 or 12 years old at the front of the store. The man handed half-sheets of white paper as customers walked past.Iwalked up to them with , wondering what cause they . As I got closer, I saw that they had two carts (购物车) starting to fillwith .
I said hello and the man greeted me and meone ofthe piecesof paper, that they were collecting donations for the homeless.Onthe paperwas a simple of food items: peanut butter, noodles, pasta sauce, cannedfruits and vegetables.It alsoincludeda shortstory about the boy and his to collect food donations since the age of 8.
I was really that someone so young would be so interested in helping others.I told him it was a(n) idea and that he should be proud of himself.He smiled.
Then, I went inside to get my drink. , the store didn’t have it. , I wasn’t upset, because by thenI felt I had another mission.I went through the store, things from the list, then brought them back out to the boy and put them in the cart.They thanked me and offered me a(n) (candy, I think).
As I walked back to my car, the boy’s well-intentioned spirit with me. How inspiring to a young boy with a resolve to do good deeds, and the courage to act on it.
A．cigar B．beer C．drink D．snack
A．hardly B．normally C．intentionally D．consciously
A．noticed B．watched C．felt D．recognized
A．sitting B．lying C．hiding D．standing
A．customers B．salesmen C．children D．drivers
A．astonishment B．curiosity C．concern D．anxiety
A．presented B．devoted C．disapproved D．represented
A．money B．clothes C．groceries D．vegetables
A．sold B．showed C．brought D．handed
A．whispering B．explaining C．advising D．analyzing
A．advertisement B．poster C．menu D．list
A．efforts B．attempts C．plans D．puzzles
A．convinced B．touched C．discouraged D．reminded
A．specific B．flexible C．awesome D．imaginable
A．Surprisingly B．Eventually C．Thankfully D．Unfortunately
A．then B．Therefore C．Still D．However
A．picking B．packing C．gathering D．holding
A．inspiration B．treat C．praise D．award
A．struck B．agreed C．stuck D．arose
A．come across B．bring up C．see through D．care for
A group of class friends, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon into complaints about stress in work and life.
Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the and returned with a large pot of coffee and a couple of — porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some looking, some expensive, some delicate — telling them to themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in , the professor said: “If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is for you to choose only the best for yourselves, that is the of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went the best cups. And then you began each other’s cups. Now consider this: Life is the ; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life, and the type of cup we have does not define nor the quality of life we . Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we to enjoy the coffee God has for us. God brews the coffee, not the cups…Enjoy your coffee!”
The happiest people don’t have the best of everything. They just the best of everything.
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the to God.
A．devoted B．exchanged C．thought D．turned
A．sitting-room B．living-room C．bedroom D．kitchen
A．cups B．pans C．bowls D．aprons
A．plain B．clean C．ugly D．fine
A．devote B．help C．take D．pick
A．stomach B．hand C．eye D．mouth
A．running B．leaving C．hiding D．piling
A．wise B．important C．normal D．necessary
A．reason B．energy C．resource D．source
A．likes B．reduces C．adds D．relies
A．As B．What C．That D．Which
A．for B．into C．by D．on
A．looking B．guiding C．eyeing D．exchanging
A．tea B．water C．wine D．coffee
A．worsen B．beat C．change D．rise
A．dislike B．live C．make D．use
A．fail B．succeed C．wish D．try
A．sold B．gave C．bought D．provided
A．keep B．say C．make D．do
A．cups B．argument C．rest D．thinking
“A” for Attitude
English was always my favorite subject. In my freshman year of high school, I could write a killer composition. In my second year, my teacher me to give spelling tests to the class. I had a time of my junior year. Mrs Alexander me to sit at her desk and take over the class when she had to leave the room. Only my senior English class was , as we had a teacher right out of college who expected work. Every student received a "C" or "D" grade the first quarter. But English was still my favorite subject.
I graduated from high school, early and had children. about my English, I often helped my kids with their English homework. And I wrote long articles and beautiful poetry as a columnist for a newspaper. Fifteen years later, I went to college, and because I had been an "A" student, I remained an "A" student. I up to my own expectations.
Yesterday, I my high school report cards when I was reading old papers. That bundle of report cards back the old days. I remembered sitting in my advisor's office, explaining that I had always be at English, and recommending that I did not deserve a '"D" from that inexperienced teacher of my senior year. The advisor was but unable to change a（an） . Reading through my old report cards revealed something else too. I wanted to them or hide them. I was not an "A" student in high school English! Somehow, I had myself of this, when the grades clearly reflected an average student with an "A" or "B" but mostly "C” S.
Had I lived up to those grades and myself according to those letters, I would have never confidently sought my writing career. Had I my early grades instead of myself, I would have allowed my fear of failure to enthusiasm and damage my creativity. Instead, I my younger self as an "A" English student, except for that undeserved "D".
A．scolded B．allowed C．ordered D．reminded
A．bad B．complex C．terrible D．wonderful
A．approved B．appointed C．expected D．urged
A．flexible B．creative C．disappointing D．controversial
A．college-level B．based C．difficult D．easy
A．married B．worked C．succeeded D．progressed
A．Sad B．Confident C．Anxious D．Curious
A．added B．lived C．grew D．went
A．counted B．remembered C．approached D．discovered
A．brought B．turned C．held D．kept
A．nervous B．excelled C．poor D．terrible
A．impolite B．impatient C．inexperienced D．sympathetic
A．grade B．figure C．paper D．entry
A．tear B．fire C．cry D．escape
A．warned B．reminded C．informed D．convinced
A．average B．enthusiastic C．outstanding D．occasional
A．considered B．defined C．reflected D．described
A．abandoned B．given C．believed in D．doubted
A．change B．risk C．defeat D．reminded
A．looked B．viewed C．sang D．criticized