I’d been proud that I’d never lost my cellphone until my husband Jack got a call one evening.
We went to visit a friend in hospital last year. When Jack’s 36 rang, it was my mother calling from my 37 . She asked if I had 38 my mobile. I checked my purse. It was 39 !
I used Jack’s phone to call my number. Then a boy, whom I’ll call Rhys, 40 it. “I found your phone!” he said, excitedly. “I have been trying to find you, but 41 it was getting late, I decided to leave.” He gave me the address of a 42 near his home.
Later that evening, I went to 43 him there. I didn’t dare to go 44 , worrying this was some cheater. So Jack came along. After 45 10km, we got to the coffee shop which Rhys 46 .
My 47 were gone. Rhys was just a young boy. “How did you 48 my mum?” I asked. He 49 that when he found my mobile by the roadside, he started calling people in my list of contacts. But all they 50 was my mobile phone number—which didn’t 51 . He’d called many names, starting with the letter A. Finally he got Adam, one of my friends, who 52 my house.
I was 53 to get my phone back with all the contacts, messages and photos I could have lost for ever. I was so 54 to Rhys and offered him some money, but he 55 .
As we drove back, we praised Rhys for his honesty.
|
To celebrate the end of our exams, my friends and I went to a fast food restaurant. We ____ hamburgers and Coca Cola at the counter. When our ____ came, I started walking towards an empty table. By bad luck, my purse strap(带子) got ____ on a chair and the tray(托盘) that I was holding slipped ___ my hands and went flying in the air. The tray, and its contents, ____ on a man who was just about to ____ a bite of his sandwich. I stared, greatly ____， as the drinks soaked(浸湿) his white shirt.
Then I ____ my eyes and prepared myself for his burst of ____. Instead, he said “It's OK” to ____ me before he disappeared into the washroom.
Still shaky and unsure ____ to do next, my friends and I went to a table and sat there, trying our best to look ____. A moment later, the man came out of the washroom and ____ our table. My heart almost stopped ____. I thought he was going to ask for my father's ____ and call him.
To my surprise, he merely smiled at us, handed us some cash and said, “____ yourself new hamburgers.” He then walked ____ without even finishing his food.
He could have made what was already an uncomfortable situation worse, ____ he chose a different way and gave us a reason to believe that there is still ____ in this world. I'll never ____ his actions.
A．ordered B．made C．arranged D．demanded
A．food B．turn C．bill D．menu
A．fixed B．caught C．cut D．tied
A．by B．in C．from D．out
A．knocked B．fell C．stood D．hung
A．take B．taste C．swallow D．chew
A．discouraged B．disappointed C．shocked D．annoyed
A．rolled B．rubbed C．narrowed D．closed
A．bitterness B．anxiety C．anger D．sorrow
A．satisfy B．comfort C．encourage D．praise
A．how B．who C．what D．which
A．mild B．honest C．calm D．modest
A．pushed B．approached C．drew D．laid
A．beating B．breaking C．sinking D．trembling
A．help B．position C．number D．job
A．Prepare B．Buy C．Find D．Cook
A．on B．around C．up D．away
A．so B．since C．although D．but
A．kindness B．happiness C．politeness D．brightness
A．forget B．refuse C．oppose D．ignore
A Leap(跳跃) to Honor
Leaping on a narrow balance beam(平衡木) is not easy. But Lola Walter, a 13yearold gymnast, is an expert at it.
To perfect her skills, Lola ____ for four hours a day, five days a week. At the state championships in March, she finished seventh out of 16 girls.
That's especially impressive, ____ she is legally blind, born with a rare condition that causes her eyes to shift(移动) constantly. She often sees double and can't ____ how far away things are.
When she was little, her mom ____ that even though she couldn't see ____， she was fearless. So her mom signed her up for gymnastics when she was three. She loved the ____ right away and gymnastics became her favorite.
Though learning gymnastics has been more ____ for her than for some of her teammates, she has never quit. She doesn't let her ____ stop her from doing anything that she wants to.
She likes the determination it takes to do the sport. Her biggest ____ is the balance beam. Because she has double vision, she often sees two beams. She must use her sense of touch to help her during her routine. Sometimes she even closes her eyes. “You have to ____ your mind that it'll take you where you want to go，” says Lola.
To be a toplevel gymnast, one must be brave. The beam is probably the most ____ for anyone because it's four inches wide. At the state competition, Lola didn't fall ____ the beam. In fact, she got an 8.1 out of 10—her highest score yet.
Lola doesn't want to be ____ differently from the other girls on her team. At competitions, the judges don't know about her vision ____. She doesn't tell them, because she doesn't think they need to know. Her mom is amazed by her ____ attitude.
Lola never thinks about ___. She is presently at level 7 while the highest is level 10 in gymnastics. Her ____ is to reach level 9. She says she wants to be a gymnastics coach to pass down what she's learned to other kids ____ she grows up.
Lola is ____ of all her hard work and success. She says it's helped her overcome problems in her life outside gymnastics too. Her ____ for other is “just believe in yourself”．
A．runs B．teaches C．trains D．dances
A．since B．unless C．after D．though
A．tell B．guess C．assume D．predict
A．suspected B．remembered C．imagined D．noticed
A．deeply B．well C．ahead D．closely
A．task B．sport C．event D．show
A．boring B．enjoyable C．difficult D．satisfactory
A．talent B．quality C．nature D．condition
A．doubt B．advantage C．challenge D．progress
A．examine B．express C．open D．trust
A．fearful B．harmful C．unfair D．inconvenient
A．to B．on C．off D．against
A．greeted B．treated C．served D．paid
A．pains B．stresses C．injuries D．problems
A．positive B．friendly C．flexible D．cautious
A．defending B．quitting C．winning D．bargaining
A．standard B．range C．view D．goal
A．until B．as C．when D．before
A．proud B．tired C．ashamed D．confident
A．plan B．advice C．reward D．responsibility
I used to be a very selfcentered person, but in the past two years I have really changed.I have started to think about other people ____ I think about myself.I am happy that I am becoming a ____ person.
I think my ____ started when I was at Palomar College.At first, I just wanted to get my ____ and be left alone.I thought I was smarter than everyone else, so I hardly ever ____ to anyone in my classes.By the end of my first semester, I was really ____.It seemed as if everyone but me had made friends and was having fun.So I tried a(n) ____.I started asking people around me how they were doing, and if they were having trouble I ____ to help.That was really a big ____ for me.By the end of the year, I had several new friends, and two of ____ are still my best friends today.
A bigger cause of my new ____， however, came when I took a parttime job at Vista Nursing Home.One old lady there who had Alzheimer's disease became my ____.Every time I came into her room, she was so ____ because she thought I was her daughter.Her real daughter never ____ her, so I took her place.She let me ____ that making others feel good made me feel good too.When she died, I was ____， but I was also very grateful to her.
I think I am a much ____ person today than I used to be, and I hope I will not ____ these experiences.They have ____ me to care about other people more than about myself.I ____ who I am today, and I could not say that a few years ago.
A．since B．before C．or D．unless
A．famous B．simple C．different D．skilled
A．education B．career C．tour D．change
A．balance B．homework C．degree D．interest
A．talked B．wrote C．lied D．reported
A．careful B．lonely C．curious D．guilty
A．argument B．game C．experiment D．defence
A．dared B．offered C．hesitated D．happened
A．dream B．problem C．duty D．step
A．us B．which C．them D．whom
A．attitude B．hobby C．hope D．luck
A．friend B．partner C．guide D．guest
A．polite B．happy C．strange D．confident
A．bothered B．answered C．visited D．trusted
A．explain B．guess C．declare D．see
A．homeless B．heartbroken C．badtempered D．hopeless
A．quieter B．busier C．better D．richer
A．forget B．face C．improve D．analyze
A．forced B．preferred C．ordered D．taught
A．miss B．like C．wonder D．expect
It is a true story behind a wellknown piece of art.
In a village near Nuremberg lived a family with eighteen children. Merely to keep food on the table, the father worked eighteen hours a day. Despite their ___ condition, two of the children had a dream to seek their talent for ____ but they knew well their father would never be able to send ____ of them to Nuremberg to study at the Academy.
The two boys finally worked out an agreement. They would toss (扔) a coin. The ____ would work in the nearby mines to support his brother. Albrecht ____ the toss and went off to Nuremberg. Albert went into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, financed his brother, ____ work at the academy was almost a(n ) ____ success. Albecht's woodcut and oils were much ____ than those of his professors and he soon was earning considerable fees ____ his works.
When the young ____ returned home, the family held a festive dinner. Albrecht rose to toast to his beloved brother, “Now, Albert, it is your ____ to seek your dream and l will support you”．
All heads turned to the far end of the table, where Albert sat, tears streaming down his pale face, while he ____ and repeated, “No...no.” Finally, Albert rose and ____ the tears from his cheeks. He said softly, “I ____ go to Nuremberg, brother. It is too late for me. Look what four years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and I cannot even hold a glass to ____ your toast.”
Today, Albrecht's masterful works ____ in every great museum in the world, but chances are great ____ you, like most people, are familiar with only one of them. Albrecht drew his brother's abused hands with palms together and the ____ stretched skyward. He called it simply “Hands”， but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and ____ his tribute (敬意) of love “The Praying Hands”．
Next time you see that touching creation, take a second look. Let it be your reminder, if you still need one, that no one ever makes it ____！
A．hopeful B．lucky C．disappointed D．hopeless
A．music B．art C．mining D．farming
A．all B．both C．each D．either
A．painter B．loser C．winner D．failure
A．lost B．got C．won D．beat
A．who B．his C．whom D．whose
A．random B．immediate C．attractive D．ordinary
A．smaller B．worse C．faster D．better
A．for B．to C．in D．at
A．miner B．worker C．artist D．professor
A．luck B．turn C．move D．moment
A．sobbed B．nodded C．smiled D．laughed
A．recovered B．swept C．wiped D．handed
A．can't B．shouldn't C．can D．should
A．hold B．return C．move D．turn
A．hang B．represent C．present D．visit
A．when B．that C．which D．as
A．figures B．hands C．fingers D．arms
A．said B．loved C．renamed D．called
A．yet B．out C．alone D．before
My father and I disagreed about curfew (晚间在家的时间). He'd say I was to be in by 9：30 on weekdays, and 11：00 on weekends, no exceptions without my first asking. I told him it made me ____ like a juniorhigh kid. He explained that while a curfew ____ sound like a restriction, it's really about people looking out for one another.
The very next Friday after that pretty heated ___， my dad and I had tickets to see our town's professional football game. On that day he was ____ to a nearby city to meet with some major clients and ____ me that his getting home and our leaving for the game would be tight.
To make sure we could ____ off the moment he walked in, I got everything prepared. When a half hour had passed from the time he said he'd be home, I understood that he was a little ____. But then, nearly a whole hour passed. I was getting ____. We were going to miss the kickoff! And why hadn't he ____ me and let me know he was going to be really late? As I anxiously ____ the floor, another half hour passed. That's when I got really angry. How inconsiderate of my father! Now we were going to ____ the whole game! When yet another half hour passed, my anger turned to ____. What if something terrible had happened to my dad, like he had a heart attack or had been in an accident, or something? I began to really ____. I'd already called his cellphone about ten times, but no ____.
I was beside myself, assuming the worst had happened.
Finally, the phone rang, and my dad said ____， “Son, I'm so sorry about the game, but…there was a terrible accident…on the freeway coming home, and I ____ to help… and ended up going to the hospital. I ____ my cellphone in the car, so I couldn't call until now.”
I was so relieved to hear from my father and to ____ that he was safe that I actually cried. That was ____ I “got” the importance of a curfew: Checking in! It's about knowing that someone you love is ____. It was one more proof of my father's loving me as much as he does.
A．go B．feel C．turn D．grow
A．might B．must C．needed D．should
A．speech B．match C．description D．exchange
A．cycling B．driving C．flying D．walking
A．allowed B．advised C．informed D．ordered
A．pay B．hold C．cut D．move
A．late B．lazy C．forgetful D．careless
A．upset B．sorry C．rude D．puzzled
A．warned B．signalled C．phoned D．showed
A．hit B．paced C．cleared D．measured
A．play B．watch C．miss D．start
A．sadness B．surprise C．doubt D．fear
A．envy B．worry C．regret D．cry
A．excuse B．way C．time D．answer
A．strangely B．casually C．breathlessly D．angrily
A．stopped B．forgot C．failed D．refused
A．left B．lost C．saw D．got
A．wonder B．guess C．expect D．learn
A．what B．when C．whether D．why
A．confident B．great C．safe D．honest