My sister and I grew up in a little village in England. Our father was a struggling 16 , but I always knew he was 17 . He never criticized us, but used 18 to bring out our best. He’d say, “If you pour water on flowers, they flourish. If you don’t give them water, they die.” I 19 as a child I said something 20 about somebody, and my father said, “ 21 time you say something unpleasant about somebody else, it’s a reflection of you.” He explained that if I looked for the best 22 people, I would get the best 23 . From then on I’ve always tried to 24 the principle in my life and later in running my company.
Dad’s also always been very 25 . At 15, I started a magazine. It was 26 a great deal of my time, and the headmaster of my school gave me a 27 ：stay in school or leave to work on my magazine.
I decided to leave, and Dad tried to sway me from my decision, 28 any good father would. When he realized I had made up my mind, he said, “Richard, when I was 23, my dad 29 me to go into law. And I’ve 30 regretted it. I wanted to be a biologist, 31 I didn’t pursue my 32 . You know what you want. Go fulfill it.”
As 33 turned out, my little publication went on to become Student, a national 34 for young people in the U.K. My wife and I have two children, and I’d like to think we are bringing them up in the same way Dad 35 me.
A．biologist B．manager C．lawyer D．gardener
A．strict B．honest C．special D．learned
A．praise B．courage C．power D．warmth
A．think B．imagine C．remember D．guess
A．unnecessary B．unkind C．unimportant D．unusual
A．Another B．Some C．Any D．Other
A．on B．in C．at D．about
A．in case B．by turns C．by chance D．in return
A．revise B．set C．review D．follow
A．understanding B．experienced C．serious D．demanding
A．taking up B．making up C．picking up D．keeping up
A．suggestion B．decision C．notice D．choice
A．and B．as C．even if D．as if
A．helped B．allowed C．persuaded D．suggested
A．always B．never C．seldom D．almost
A．rather B．but C．for D．therefore
A．promise B．task C．belief D．dream
A．this B．he C．it D．that
A．newspaper B．magazine C．program D．project
A．controlled B．comforted C．reminded D．raise
I played a racquetball game against my cousin Ed last week. It was one of the most ___1___ and tiring games I’ve ever had. When Ed first phoned and ___2___ we play, I laughed quietly, figuring on an ___3___ victory. After all, Ed’s idea of ___4___ has always been nothing more ___5___ than lifting a fork to his mouth. ___6___ I can remember, Ed’s been the least physically fit member in the family, and ___7___ proud of himself. His big stomach has always ballooned out between his T-shirt and trousers. Although the family often ___8___ about that, Ed refused to buy a ___9___ T-shirt or to lose weight. So when Ed ___10___ for our game not only with the bottom of his shirt gathered inside his trousers but also with a stomach you could hardly ___11___, I was so surprised that I was ___12___. My cousin must have made an effort to get himself into shape. ___13___, at the point in our game when I’d have predicted(预计) the score to be about 9 to 1 in my favor, it was ___14___ 7 to 9 — and Ed was ___15___. The sudden realization was painful. We ___16___ to play like two mad men. When the score was 16 up, I was having serious ___17___ about staying alive until 21 years old, let alone ___18___ that many points. When the game finally ended, both of us were lying flat on our backs, too tired to ___19___. In a way, I think we both won: I the game, but cousin Ed my ___20___.
1. A. encouraging B. hopeless C. surprising D. regular
2. A. declared B. mentioned C. persuaded D. suggested
3. A. unforgettable B. unexpected C. easy D. early
4. A. exercise B. preparation C. joy D. fitness
5. A. time-saving B. comfortable C. suitable D. effort-making
6. A. As soon as B. As long as C. When D. Since
7. A. strangely B. personally C. reasonably D. eagerly
8. A. cared B. forgot C. quarreled D. joked
9. A. clean B. larger C. straight D. darker
10. A. set out B. got ready C. arrived D. returned
11. A. notice B. admire C. believe D. measure
12. A. nervous B. curious C. careless D. speechless
13. A. After all B. As a result C. Above all D. At last
14. A. mistakenly B. then C. instead D. naturally
15. A. leading B. coming C. waiting D. counting
16. A. pretended B. stopped C. continued D. decided
17. A. thoughts B. doubts C. situations D. problems
18. A. scoring B. completing C. receiving D. keeping
19. A. play B. start C. sleep D. move
20. A. friendship B. respect C. support D. favor
Andy was still traveling in Spain when he realized he had to confirm (确认) his flight home with the airline company (航空公司). He was visiting Spain in order to ___1___ his Spanish. When he was speaking to people ___2___ he had no ___3___ understanding what they said. ___4___, when he was speaking on the phone, he ___5___ had a problem. Andy ___6___ the airline. And the clerk confirmed that his plane was leaving at nine o’clock three days from that day. She ___7___ told Andy to be at the airport two hours ___8___ in order to check in his luggage and get a seat.
Since he was ___9___ in three days, Andy didn’t ___10___ any time. He visited as many places as he could. He thought that it would probably be a while before he had enough money again. He wished he could ___11___ and spend a year in Spain.
Too ___12___, the final day arrived. Andy left early for the airport to arrive two hours before take-off. He hated to ___13___. He went to the clerk to ___14___ his ticket. The clerk looked at the ticket with ___15___. “Why, sir, but your flight was at nine o’clock in the morning, and ___16___ it is eight in the evening.” “But I confirmed my flight,” ___17___ Andy. “Will I have to pay for another ticket?”
“No, sir. However, the next flight out will be three days from now.”
Andy’s ___18___ of shock turned to one of ___19___ as he realized that now he could continue his ___20___.
1. A. prepare B. improve C. enjoy D. learn
2. A. slowly B. in public C. in person D. carefully
3. A. difficulty B. idea C. mistake D. interest
4. A. Instead B. Therefore C. Meanwhile D. However
5. A. even B. just C. still D. seldom
6. A. called B. liked C. trusted D. asked
7. A. again B. also C. only D. once
8. A. before B. earlier C. later D. after
9. A. moving B. returning C. staying D. leaving
10. A. take B. have C. lose D. find
11. A. wait B. go home C. stop D. come back
12. A. shortly B. quickly C. badly D. early
13. A. speak B. go C. rush D. delay
14. A. buy B. present C. order D. provide
15. A. astonishment B. patience C. respect D. delight
16. A. maybe B. so C. here D. now
17. A. insisted B. apologized C. replied D. demanded
18. A. experience B. expression C. look D. face
19. A. pleasure B. comfort C. sadness D. hopelessness
20. A. plan B. flight C. journey D. vacation
You Did More Than Carry My books
Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with a baseball bat and several other things. Mark___1___ down and helped the boy pick up these articles. ___2___ they were going the same way, he helped to carry some of them for him. As they walked Mark ___3___ the boy’s name was Bill, that he ___4___ computer games, baseball and history, that he was having a lot of ___5___ with his other subjects and that he had just broken ___6___ with his girlfriend.
They arrived at Bill’s home first and Mark was ___7___ in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed ___8___ with a few laughs and some shared small talk, and then Mark went home. They ___9___ to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, and then both ended up from the same high school. Just three weeks before ___10___, Bill asked Mark if they ___11___ talk.
Bill ___12___ him of the day years ago when they had first met. “Do you ___13___ wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill. “You see, I ___14___ out my locker because I didn’t want to leave a mess(脏乱) ___15___ anyone else. I had planned to run away and I was going home to ___16___ my things. But after we spent some time together ___17___ and laughing, I realized that ___18___ I had done that, I would have ___19___ a new friend and missed all the fun we would have together. So you see, Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more. You ___20___ my life.”
1. A. fell B. sat C. lay D. knelt
2. A. Although B. Since C. After D. Until
3. A. discovered B. realized C. said D. decided
4. A. played B. loved C. tried D. made
5. A. questions B. ideas C. trouble D. doubt
6. A. up B. out C. off D. away
7. A. called B. helped C. invited D. allowed
8. A. peacefully B. willingly C. freely D. pleasantly
9. A. continued B. agreed C. forced D. offered
10. A. graduation B. movement C. separation D. vacation
11. A. would B. should C. could D. must
12. A. demanded B. reminded C. removed D. asked
13. A. ever B. usually C. even D. never
14. A. checked B. took C. cleaned D. put
15. A. over B. into C. with D. for
16. A. find B. pick C. pack D. hold
17. A. talking B. playing C. reading D. watching
18. A. before B. if C. while D. as
19. A. forgotten B. passed C. left D. lost
20. A. helped B. recovered C. improved D. changed
What is intelligence(智力) anyway? When I was in the army I ___1___ an intelligence test that all soldiers took, and, against ___2___ of 100, scored 160.
I had an auto-repair man once, who, on these intelligence tests, could not ___3___ have scored more than 80. ___4___, when anything went wrong with my car I hurried to him and he always ___5___ it.
Well, then, suppose my auto-repair man ___6___ questions for some intelligence tests. By every one of them I’d prove myself a ___7___. In a world where I have to work with my ___8___ I’d do poorly.
Consider my auto-repair man ___9___. He had a habit of telling ___10___. One time he said,
“Doc, a deaf-and-dumb (聋哑) man ___11___ some nails. Having entered a store, he put two fingers together on the counter and made ___12___ movements with the other hand. The clerk brought him a hammer. He ___13___ his head and pointed to the two fingers he was hammering. The clerk ___14___ him some nails. He picked out the right size and left. Well, Doc, the ___15___ man who came in was blind. He wanted scissors (剪刀). ___16___ do you suppose he asked for them?” I lifted my right hand and made scissoring movements with my first two fingers. He burst out laughing and said, “Why, you fool, he used his ___17___ and asked for them. I’ve been ___18___ that on all my customers today, but I knew ___19___ I’d catch you.” ”Why is that?” I asked. “Because you are so goddamned educated, Doc. I knew you couldn’t be very ___20___.”
And I have an uneasy feeling he had something there.
1. A. failed B. wrote C. received D. chose
2. A. an average B. a total C. an exam D. a number
3. A. always B. possibly C. certainly D. frequently
4. A. Then B. Thus C. Therefore D. Yet
5. A. fixed B. checked C. drove D. changed
6. A. answered B. practiced C. designed D. tried
7. A. teacher B. doctor C. winner D. fool
8. A. brains B. effort C. hands D. attention
9. A. again B. as usual C. too D. as well
10. A. lies B. jokes C. news D. tales
11. A. bought B. tested C. found D. needed
12. A. cutting B. hammering C. waving D. circling
13. A. nodded B. raised C. shook D. turned
14. A. brought B. packed C. sent D. sold
15. A. clever B. other C. right D. next
16. A. What B. How C. Who D. Which
17. A. imagination B. hand C. voice D. information
18. A. trying B. proving C. practicing D. examining
19. A. for sure B. at once C. in fact D. right now
20. A. clear B. silly C. slow D. smart
Tim Becker and his neighbors are doing something to make their neighborhood a trouble-free area.
When Tim Becker gets in his car to go shopping, he doesn’t ___1___ drive to a store and back home. He always looks ___2___ up and down the streets of his neighborhood. He looks for anything ___3___ such as strange cars, loud noises, ___4___ windows, or people gathering on street corners.
Tim ___5___ to a neighborhood watch group in Stoneville, Indians, USA. The neighborhood watch group ___6___ on the third Wednesday of every month. That’s ___7___ Tim gets together with about ten of his neighbors to discuss community ___8___. Members of the neighborhood watch group want to help the police ___9___ their homes, streets, and families safe.
Tina Stedman, president of ___10___ neighborhood watch group, agrees with Tim. “People seem to think that crime (犯罪) happens to other people but not ___11___ them. Well, it’s never happened to me.” She said, “But I don’t think anyone has the ___12___ to steal from other people or to make them feel ___13___ sitting in their own homes.”
Alex, a member of the group, said that all the neighbors ___14___ out for one another. “We ___15___ each other’s homes. We keep watch on the neighborhood at night and on weekends. Usually a ___16___ of four or five of us goes out together. If something doesn’t look right, then we call the ___17___. For example, if we notice a group of teenagers who seem to be looking for ___18___, or someone destroying property (财产), we report to the police.”
Alex feels the neighborhood watch groups ___19___ a lot in keeping crime down. Her husband Jim agrees, “Police are good people, but they can’t do ___20___.”
1. A. yet B. still C. just D. rather
2. A. carefully B. clearly C. nervously D. coldly
3. A familiar B. unusual C. expensive D. interesting
4. A. curtained B. open C. old D. broken
5. A. attends B. belongs C. goes D. turns
6. A. meets B. quarrels C. sings D. searches
7. A. where B. why C. when D. how
8. A. politics B. wealth C. health D. safety
9. A. keep B. hold C. let D. protect
10. A. its B. his C. their D. your
11. A. round B. on C. about D. to
12. A. right B. chance C. courage D. mind
13. A. unlucky B. unsafe C. disappointed D. discouraged
14. A. set B. let C. hold D. look
15. A. care B. enter C. watch D. manage
16. A. group B. set C. number D. crowd
17. A. judges B. police C. firemen D. doctors
18. A. work B. burden C. service D. trouble
19. A. produce B. find C. get D. help
20. A. anything B. everything C. harm D. wrong