An old man had been working for many years for a town. His job was to clear away natural waste from the pool water in the hills, which made up the lovely river flowing through the town nearby. Quietly and 36 , the old man guarded the hills, 37 the leaves and branches, and cleaned up the dirt that would have 38 and polluted the fresh flow of water . The town soon became a popular attraction for tourists. Elegant swans (天鹅) floated along the clear river and the view was so beautiful 39 words.
Years passed. One evening the town 40 met. As they reviewed the budget, one man’s 41____caught sight of the salary 42 being paid to the seldom seen keeper of the river. He asked , “Who is the old man? Why do we 43 to employ him? No one in town ever 44 him. For all we know, the strange keeper of the hills isn’t doing his job. His position isn’t 45 any longer.” Then they voted to 46 the man.
For several weeks, nothing changed….
By early autumn, the trees began to 47 their leaves. Small branches broke off and fell into the pools of the hills, 48 the flow of the shining water. One afternoon, someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown 49 in the river. A few days later, the water was much 50 . Within another week, an oily something covered some sections of the water along the banks, and a terrible 51 was soon sensed. Swans left and so did the 52 . The only thing that was now visiting the village was disease and sickness.
Quickly, the 53 town committee called a special meeting. Realizing their huge error in 54 , they rehired the old keeper of the river again, and within a few weeks, the river began to clear up. Swans and tourists came back again and new life returned to the small town in the Alps.
Never ignore the seeming smallness of a task, job or life. They may all make a 55 .
A．regularly B．suddenly C．naturally D．actually
A．cut B．burned C．removed D．selected
A．carried B．poured C．changed D．blocked
A．beyond B．with C．in D．after
A．office B．association C．department D．committee
A．eye B．care C．hand D．mind
A．list B．form C．figure D．account
A．promise B．continue C．stop D．tend
A．visits B．hires C．tells D．sees
A．powerful B．important C．necessary D．suitable
A．find B．fire C．support D．forgot
A．lose B．miss C．fall D．grow
A．pulling B．speeding C．slowing D．pushing
A．fish B．color C．flower D．leaf
A．deeper B．cooler C．warmer D．darker
A．sound B．smell C．wave D．taste
A．managers B．passengers C．villagers D．tourists
A．embarrassed B．annoyed C．discouraged D．diappointed
A．arrangement B．assignment C．judgement D．amusement
A．suggestion B．difference C．progress D．decision
Some years ago when I was in my first year in college, I heard Salome Bey sing for the first time. The moment was exciting. Salome’s filled the room and brought the theater to life. I was so that I decided to write an article about her.
I Salome Bey, telling her I was from Essence magazine, and that I wanted to meet her to talk about her career. She and told me to come to her studio next Tuesday. When I hung up, I was scared out of my mind. I I was lying. I was not a writer at all and hadn’t even written a grocery list.
I interviewed Salome Bey the next Tuesday. I sat there , taking notes and asking questions that all began with, “Can you tell me…” I soon realized that Salome Bey was one thing, but writing a story for a national magazine was just impossible. The was almost unbearable. I struggled for days with draft after draft. I put my manuscript (手稿) into a large envelope and dropped it into a mailbox.
It didn’t take long. My manuscript . How stupid of me! I thought. How could I in a world of professional writers? Knowing I couldn’t the rejection letter, I threw the unopened envelope into a drawer.
Five years later, I was moving to California. While my apartment, I came across the unopened envelope. This time I opened it and read the editor’s letter in :
Ms Profit,
Your story on Salome Bey is fantastic. Yet we need some materials. Please add those and return the article immediately. We would like to your story soon.
Shocked, it took me a long time to . Fear of rejection cost me dearly. I lost at least five hundred dollars and having my article appear in a major magazine. More importantly, I lost years of writing. Today, I have become a full--time writer. Looking back on this , I learned a very important lesson: You can’t to doubt yourself.
A．joy B．voice C．speech D．smile
A．proud B．active C．satisfied D．moved
A．visited B．emailed C．phoned D．interviewed
A．agreed B．refused C．hesitated D．paused
A．replied B．discovered C．explained D．knew
A．seriously B．patiently C．nervously D．quietly
A．blaming B．fooling C．inviting D．urging
A．pressure B．failure C．comment D．hardship
A．Finally B．Luckily C．Publicly D．Gradually
A．disappeared B．returned C．spread D．improved
A．compare B．struggle C．promote D．compete
A．ignore B．deliver C．face D．receive
A．decorating B．repairing C．cleaning D．leaving
A．disbelief B．anxiety C．horror D．trouble
A．secure B．related C．private D．reliable
A．broadcast B．create C．publish D．assess
A．recover B．prepare C．escape D．forget
A．energetic B．endless C．typical D．enjoyable
A．experience B．success C．benefit D．accident
A．attempt B．afford C．expect D．pretend
Steve, a lawyer, is my older brother. In the ____ of my father who died when I was six, Steve gave me important lessons in ____ that helped me grow into an adult. For example, Steve taught me to face the ____ of my behaviour. Once when I returned in ____ from a Saturday baseball game, it was Steve who ____ the time to ask me what happened. When I ___ that my baseball had flown through Mrs Holt's basement window, ___ the glass with a crash, Steve encouraged me to apologized to her. After all, I ___ not have played in the path between buildings. ___ my knees shocked as I explained, I __to pay for the window if she would return my ball.
I also learned from Steve that ___ property is a scared thing. After I found a silver pen in my fifthgrade classroom, I wanted to ___ it, but Steve explained that it might be important to ____ else in spite of the fact that it had little value. He reminded me of ____ I'd hate to lose the small dog my father gave me to someone else. I returned the pen to my teacher, Mrs. David.
Yet of all the ____ Steve gave me, his respect for ____ is the most vivid in my mind. When I was twelve I killed an old brown sparrow in the park with a BB gun. ____ with my accuracy, I screamed to Steve to come from the house to have a look. I shall never forget the ____ he stood for a long moment and stared at the bird. “Did it ____ you first, Mark？” he asked. I didn't know what to answer. I really felt terrible then, but that moment ___ out as the most important lesson my brother taught me.
A．charge B．absence C．respect D．presence
A．memories B．truth C．hopes D．honesty
A．advantages B．reasons C．realities D．results
A．surprise B．tears C．joy D．smiles
A．took B．spent C．cost D．paid
A．insisted B．introduced C．declared D．explained
A．injuring B．damaging C．destroying D．breaking
A．could B．must C．would D．should
A．Since B．Although C．Because D．But
A．refused B．offered C．afforded D．managed
A．personal B．valuable C．public D．whole
A．save B．keep C．pick D．return
A．no one B．everyone C．someone D．anyone
A．why B．when C．how D．what
A．information B．explanation C．opinions D．instructions
A．life B．people C．family D．things
A．Proud B．Encouraged C．Relaxed D．Excited
A．way B．time C．place D．scene
A．affect B．interrupt C．hurt D．fight
A．stands B．reaches C．turns D．holds
Late one night, a thief crept into a wealthy merchant’s house. He was a young thief, without experience. In fact, this was his first professional______. So he had______everything carefully.
All went quite well at first. He found, as he______, an unlatched window and got into the room easily. But, stepping his way through the______room, he stubbed (碰到) his ______against a table leg. Choking (抑制) back a cry of pain, terrified of waking the merchant, he hit_____on the forehead and called himself a fool. He had______to bring a light.
In the darkness,______, he was able to see an oil lamp on the table, and lit it, then he gave a______of relief. As he______the lamp, a small spider came out from under its______.
“Thank you for saving my life,” said the spider. “Before he went to bed, the merchant set this lamp down on top of me so I couldn’t escape. If you hadn’t come along, I wouldn’t have______the night; ______, I’d have such an uncomfortable situation for a long time.”
“You have saved a life and shown compassion (同情),” the spider went on, ______the impatient thief said he had not______to do so. “______yet, you have done so without the______thought or hope of reward. You have gained more merits (优点) than you could possibly imagine.”
“But you’re only a spider,” said the thief.
“And you’re only a man.” said the spider. “My dear thief, when you understand that______is life, whether on eight legs or_____, you will have understood much. Your deed, ______, has got rid of the bad things from your heart. Go from here with a fresh spirit. And good luck to you.”
The thief did so and never thought to steal again.
A．job B．mistake C．appearance D．finding
A．explained B．managed C．planned D．imagined
A．expected B．remembered C．reminded D．meant
A．dull B．dark C．sitting D．terrible
A．head B．shoulder C．hand D．toe
A．the merchant B．the spider C．the thief D．himself
A．remembered B．forgotten C．avoided D．happened
A．however B．when C．so that D．therefore
A．applause B．cry C．sigh D．laugh
A．woke up B．laid down C．picked up D．turned over
A．base B．cap C．cover D．foot
A．wasted B．lasted C．hated D．worried
A．in time B．however C．anyhow D．indeed
A．although B．so C．so that D．as if
A．said B．led C．cared D．meant
A．Better B．Worse C．Natural D．Lucky
A．hopeful B．least C．ordinary D．most
A．man B．spider C．life D．chance
A．three B．two C．a dozen D．a hundred
A．by no means B．at ease C．in any case D．without delay
A group of graduates got together to visit their old university professor．They talked about the topic-happiness．But soon their conversation turned into complaints about in work and life．
To offer his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and with a large pot of coffee and a variety of ---plastic, glass, metal, porcelain （陶瓷）, some plain-looking , some very ．The professor told his students to help themselves to hot coffee．
When all the students had a cup of coffee in ．the professor said"lf you have noticed, all the nice-looking cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones．While it is for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the of your problems and stress．The professor continued," Believe that the cup itself adds no to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases it even what we drink．What all of you wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went the best cups．Now this life is coffee, the jobs, money, and in society are the cups which are just tools to hold and life, and the different types of cups we have don't decide, nor the quality of life．lf we concentrate only on the cups, we will to enjoy the coffee in it．So don't let the cups you．．．enjoy the coffee instead．"
At these words, the graduates looked at each other in embarrassment．
A．hot B．sensitive C．famous D．easy
A．pay B．joy C．experience D．stress
A．cooked B．took C．returned D．met
A．cups B．gifts C．plates D．drinks
A．common B．special C．rare D．delicate
A．order B．time C．hand D．place
A．pretty B．different C．colorful D．expensive
A．necessary B．normal C．good D．possible
A．situation B．answer C．result D．source
A．quality B．energy C．weight D．color
A．makes B．gives C．hides D．includes
A．finally B．really C．especially D．nearly
A．for B．with C．off D．to
A．forget B．discuss C．consider D．try
A．position B．relation C．workmates D．friends
A．create B．support C．contain D．own
A．damage B．determine C．change D．increase
A．come B．stop C．have D．fail
A．drive B．hold C．take D．control
A．quiet B．speechless C．amazing D．Reasonable
A group of graduates got together to visit their old university professor．They talked about the topic-happiness．But soon their conversation turned into complaints about in work and life．
To offer his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and with a large pot of coffee and a variety of ---plastic, glass, metal, porcelain （陶瓷）, some plain-looking , some very ．The professor told his students to help themselves to hot coffee．
When all the students had a cup of coffee in ．the professor said"lf you have noticed, all the nice-looking cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones．While it is for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the of your problems and stress．The professor continued," Believe that the cup itself adds no to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases it even what we drink．What all of you wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went the best cups．Now this life is coffee, the jobs, money, and in society are the cups which are just tools to hold and life, and the different types of cups we have don't decide, nor the quality of life．lf we concentrate only on the cups, we will to enjoy the coffee in it．So don't let the cups you．．．enjoy the coffee instead．"
At these words, the graduates looked at each other in embarrassment．
A．hot B．sensitive C．famous D．easy
A．pay B．joy C．experience D．stress
A．cooked B．took C．returned D．met
A．cups B．gifts C．plates D．drinks
A．common B．special C．rare D．delicate
A．order B．time C．hand D．place
A．pretty B．different C．colorful D．expensive
A．necessary B．normal C．good D．possible
A．situation B．answer C．result D．source
A．quality B．energy C．weight D．color
A．makes B．gives C．hides D．includes
A．finally B．really C．especially D．nearly
A．for B．with C．off D．to
A．forget B．discuss C．consider D．try
A．position B．relation C．workmates D．friends
A．create B．support C．contain D．own
A．damage B．determine C．change D．increase
A．come B．stop C．have D．fail
A．drive B．hold C．take D．control
A．quiet B．speechless C．amazing D．Reasonable