“Big boys don’t cry.” I heard those words a lot 36 up in America in the late sixties and early seventies. In those days men were expected to be 37 and rugged and never shed a tear no matter what. Our 38 were all stone faced cowboys who were too 39 to cry. Believing this then I tried my best 40 to cry at all during my teenage and early adult years.
All that changed, 41 , as I was driving home alone one night shortly after my Mom 42 . It was dark and raining outside. I was struggling to 43 the car on the road while at the same time 44 to hold the tears back in my eyes. I remember almost going off the road twice as I blinked back (眨眼控制) the salty water that was burning my 45 and blurring (使模糊) my vision. My hands shook, my heart 46 , and my soul felt dead. 47 I could do it no longer. I stopped, pulled over, lay my head on the steering wheel, and 48 . I cried until the tears couldn’t fall anymore. I cried until the pain that I was holding onto so 49 finally fled my heart.
After that night I 50 something. Big boys do cry. 51 , it is the biggest hearts that cry the most. I realized too that it is our 52 that can release us from our anger and our grief while 53 us to our love and our God. Tears help us to embrace this often bittersweet life. They help us to keep growing 54 to each other in love and joy instead of 55 ourselves up in dull, aching, and lonely hearts.
A．hurrying B．growing C．rising D．getting
A．tough B．cold C．independent D．active
A．leaders B．neighbors C．heroes D．fathers
A．strict B．strong C．stubborn D．eager
A．still B．always C．hardly D．never
A．otherwise B．therefore C．however D．instead
A．left B．died C．returned D．disappeared
A．keep B．hold C．fix D．move
A．hopping B．learning C．managing D．struggling
A．arms B．feet C．eyes D．hairs
A．hurt B．sank C．froze D．stopped
A．Actually B．Finally C．Naturally D．Immediately
A．faded B．slept C．rested D．cried
A．secretly B．carefully C．strongly D．firmly
A．realized B．picked C．gained D．lost
A．At least B．In fact C．In all D．As usual
A．love B．sweat C．tears D．relation
A．helping B．changing C．removing D．reconnecting
A．closer B．higher C．richer D．shorter
A．catching B．shutting C．picking D．wrapping
It was a cold winter. The day my husband fell to his death, it started to snow, just 31 any November day. His 32 , when I found it, was lightly covered with snow. It snowed almost every day for the next four months, while I sat on the couch and watched it 33 . One morning, I walked slowly 34 and was surprised to see a snow remover clearing my driveway and the bent back of a woman clearing my walk. I dropped to my knees and crawled back upstairs, 35 those good people would not see me. I was 36 . My first thought was, how would I ever 37 them? I didn’t have the 38 to brush my hair, 39 clear someone’s walk.
Before Jon’s death, I felt proud that I 40 asked for favors. I identified myself by my competence and 41 . So who was I if I was no longer capable? How could I 42 myself if I just sat on the couch every day and watched the snow fall?
Learning to receive the love and 43 from others wasn’t easy. Friends cooked for me and I cried. Finally, my friend Kathy said, “Mary, cooking for you isn’t a 44 for me; it makes me feel good to be able to do something for you.”
Over and over, I heard 45 words from the people who supported me during those 46 days. One wise man told me, “You aren’t doing nothing because being fully open to your 47 may be the hardest work you will ever do.”
I am not the person I 48 was, but in many ways I have changed for the 49 . I’ve been surprised to learn that there is incredible freedom coming form 50 one’s worst fear and walking away whole. I believe there is strength, for sure, in accepting a dark period of our life.
A．on B．in C．like D．for
A．body B．soul C．shoe D．footprint
A．sweep up B．drop off C．fall down D．pile up
A．upstairs B．downstairs C．indoors D．outdoors
A．so B．yet C．and D．for
A．delighted B．disappointed C．annoyed D．ashamed
A．pay B．award C．reward D．treat
A．courage B．strength C．spirit D．power
A．stand alone B．leave alone C．sit alone D．let alone
A．frequently B．gradually C．hardly D．uncertainly
A．intelligence B．independence C．excellence D．qualification
A．achieve B．praise C．respect D．promote
A．supply B．support C．contribution D．similar
A．burden B．job C．business D．sorrow
A．sensitive B．same C．considerate D．similar
A．blue B．rainy C．bright D．snowy
A．despair B．difficulty C．pain D．regret
A．still B．once C．even D．never
A．worse B．less C．more D．better
A．facing B．noticing C．managing D．expressing
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