Life is like potato salad; when it’s shared it becomes a picnic.
When my three children were young, my husband Roy and I were very . “Can we go on a picnic, Mom?” my six-year-old daughter, Becky . “Please.” I had said no so many times in months, and I decided the usual Saturday morning chores (日常工作) could . To her I agreed.
I prepared a few sandwiches and a cooler with ice and drinks and called Roy . My eleven-year-old twin sons loaded the cooler and the picnic basket in the trunk and off we went to spend some time together as a family.
About the time I got the lunch out on the table, Roy arrived on the . That was one of the happiest meals we ever shared together. The meal was filled with . We felt a closeness that had been hidden by work and school related responsibilities for so many months. Roy and the boys rocks into the lake. Becky fed the ducks and I sat quietly at the picnic table, God for blessing me with such a wonderful family.
That night as our children went to bed, I kissed their cheeks and what a wonderful life I had. As I walked out of the room it dawned on me that even the busiest could become a picnic when it’s shared with the ones you . Even though the kids have now grown up and from home, I can still remember how I felt that day while sitting at the picnic table.
Maybe today would be a good time to potato salad, call all of my kids, feed some hungry ducks and skip a few rocks into the lake. Since life is like potato salad, let’s make it a .
A．old B．poor C．busy D．patient
A．begged B．asked C．doubted D．wondered
A．coming B．recent C．following D．late
A．last B．wait C．relax D．approach
A．disappointment B．sadness C．embarrassment D．surprise
A．supplied B．provided C．compared D．filled
A．off work B．at home C．at work D．on business
A．unhappy B．quality C．quantity D．sad
A．spread B．taken C．made D．cooked
A．scene B．view C．sight D．scenery
A．communication B．expectation C．hope D．laughter
A．missed B．took C．skipped D．left
A．praying B．praising C．thanking D．trusting
A．expected B．realized C．imagined D．admitted
A．lifestyle B．time C．world D．occupation
A．enjoy B．own C．have D．love
A．left alone B．left behind C．ran away D．moved away
A．appreciate B．cook C．watch D．plant
A．grown B．little C．young D．handsome
A．salad B．life C．picnic D．purpose
My father was a self-taught mandolin player. He was one of the best string_______ players in our town. He could not______ music, but if he heard a tune a few times, he could play it.
Dad loved to play the mandolin for his ___ ___ for he knew we enjoyed singing, and hearing him play. He was always there, ___ ___ his time and efforts to see that his family had enough in their life. I had to grow into a man and have children of my own ________I realized how much he had sacrificed.
I joined the United States Air _ _ in January of 1962. Whenever I would come home ___ ___ , I would ask Dad to play the mandolin. He could ___ __ _your soul with the tones that came out of that old mandolin. He seemed to shine when he was playing. You could see his _ ___ in his ability to play so well for his family.
In 1950, our family moved to Maryland. While working at Todd Steel, he was _ ___ in an accident. On that particular day, Dad got the third index finger of his left hand ________ by the machine. He didn't lose enough of the finger ____ it would stop him picking up anything, but it did _ _ his ability to play the mandolin. After the accident, When I came home and asked him to play, Dad would make ______ for why he couldn't play. For the family it didn't make any ___ ___ that Dad couldn't play as well.
In August of 1993, my father was discovered with lung cancer. He chose not to receive treatments so that he could live out the rest of his life ____ dignity. About a week before his death, we asked Dad if he would play the mandolin for us. He made excuses but said "okay". He knew it would probably be the _ ___ time he would play for us. He tuned up the old mandolin and played a few _ __ . When I looked around, there was not a _ _ eye in the family. We saw before us a quiet man with an inner strength. Dad would never play the mandolin for us again. Dad was doing something he had done all his life, _ ______. As sick as he was, he was still pleasing others. Dad sure could play that Mandolin!
A．equipment B．instrument C．musical D．musician
A．read B．see C．look at D．copy
A．audience B．employer C．family D．friends
A．employing B．devoting C．spending D．wasting
A．since B．when C．after D．before
A．Power B．Energy C．Force D．Strength
A．on duty B．on holiday C．on vacation D．on leave
A．feel B．touch C．contact D．keep
A．proud B．pride C．please D．praise
A．involved B．participated C．took part D．joined
A．cut in B．cut up C．cut off D．cut out
A．which B．that C．what D．where
A．destroy B．affect C．effect D．injure
A．uses B．preparations C．excuses D．impressions
A．difference B．sense C．comment D．decision
A．at B．on C．off D．in
A．first B．latest C．last D．longest
A．notes B．bills C．symbols D．signs
A．wet B．dry C．cried D．crying
A．sponsoring B．taking C．distributing D．giving
A little boy invited his mother to attend his school's first teacher-parent meeting. To the little boy's ____, she said she would go. This ____ be the first time that his classmates and teacher ____ his mother and he felt ____ of her appearance. Although she was a beautiful woman, there was a severe scar (疤痕) that ____ nearly the entire right side of her face. The boy never wanted to ____ why or how she got the scar.
At the meeting, the people were ___ by the kindness and natural beauty of his mother ____ the scar, but the little boy was still embarrassed (尴尬) and ____ himself from everyone. He did, however, get within ____ of a conversation between his mother and his teacher.
The teacher asked ____, "How did you get the scar on your face?"
The mother replied, "____ my son was a baby, he was in a room that caught fire. Everyone was ___ afraid to go in because the fire was ____，so I went in. As I was running toward his bed, I saw a long piece of wood coming down and I placed myself over him trying to protect him. I was knocked ____ but fortunately, a fireman came in and saved both of us." She ____ the burned side of her face. "This scar will be ____, but to this day, I have never ____ what I did."
At this point, the little boy came out running toward his mother with tears in his eyes. He held her in his arms and felt a great ____ of the sacrifice (牺牲) that his mother had made for him. He held her hand ____ for the rest of the day.
A．enjoyment B．disappointment C．surprise D．excitement
A．would B．could C．should D．must
A．noticed B．greeted C．accepted D．met
A．sick B．ashamed C．afraid D．tired
A．included B．passed C．covered D．shaded
A．talk about B．think about C．care about D．hear about
A．impressed B．surprised C．excited D．comforted
A．in sight of B．by means of C．by way of D．in spite of
A．hid B．protected C．separated D．escaped
A．understanding B．reminding C．hearing D．learning
A．carefully B．seriously C．nervously D．anxiously
A．As B．When C．Since D．While
A．so B．much C．quite D．too
A．out of control B．under control C．in control D．over control
A．helpless B．hopeless C．senseless D．useless
A．pointed B．showed C．wiped D．touched
A．ugly B．lasting C．serious D．frightening
A．forgot B．recognized C．considered D．regretted
A．honor B．sense C．happiness D．pride
A．quietly B．slightly C．tightly D．suddenly
My neighbor Jennifer is blind, but you’d never know it. She makes such good use of her other , including her "sixth sense", that she hardly gives the impression that she has anything. Jennifer looks after her children much like the rest of us, that she doesn’t push too hard on them, really benefit a lot from her relaxed attitude. She knows when to clean the house, and she moves around so fast that often don't realize she's blind.
I this the first time after my six-year-old daughter, Kayla, went to play there. When Kayla came home, she was very about her day. She told me they had baked cookies, played games and done art projects. But she was excited about her finger-painting project.
“Mom, guess what?” said Kayla, all smiles. “I learned how to colors today! Blue and red make purple, and yellow and blue make green! And Jennifer with us”. To my great , my child had learnt about color from a blind friend! Then Kayla continued, “Jennifer told me my showed joy, pride and a sense of accomplishment（成就感）. She really _ what I was doing!” Kayla said she had never known how good finger paints felt Jennifer showed her how to paint without looking at her paper.
I realized Kayla didn't know that Jennifer was blind. It had just never in conversation. When I told my daughter that Jennifer was blind, she was for a moment. At first, she didn't believe me. “But Mommy, Jennifer knew exactly what was in my picture!” Kayla . And I knew my child was because Jennifer had listened to Kayla describe her art work. Jennifer had also heard Kayla's in her work.
We were silent for a minute. Then Kayla said slowly, “You know, Mommy, Jennifer really did ‘see’ my picture. She just used my .”
Indeed, she uses a special type of “vision” that all mothers have.
A．senses B．means C．methods D．ways
A．enjoyed B．found C．missed D．got
A．instead B．except C．since D．but
A．which B．it C．she D．who
A．children B．family C．guests D．friends
A．witnessed B．heard C．recognized D．realized
A．sad B．satisfied C．excited D．sorry
A．not at all B．not so C．a little D．especially
A．mix B．draw C．write D．paint
A．stayed B．painted C．talked D．studied
A．surprise B．encouragement C．delight D．excitement
A．attitude B．picture C．homework D．paper
A．understood B．found C．saw D．touched
A．after B．unless C．until D．when
A．talked about B．turned out C．referred to D．come up
A．curious B．quiet C．puzzled D．worried
A．cried B．insisted C．required D．informed
A．uncertain B．wrong C．worried D．right
A．shortcomings B．difficulties C．pride D．description
A．eyes B．pens C．hands D．paper
A large cat arrived at a farm where many mice lived. None of them dared go outside for fear of being ____by the cat.
The mice decided to hold a ____ to find a way of stopping themselves from being in____.One day，when the cat was out，mice of all ages____into the meeting room.
“Let’s build a big trap，”one mouse____.When this idea was____，another said，“What about poisoning(毒死)her？”But ____knew where to buy the poison. One young mouse，whose mother had become the cat’s food，____said，“Let’s cut her teeth，so she can do no more harm.” But the meeting did not accept his____.
At last，one mouse，____than the rest，jumped onto a table. Waving a bell，he called for____，“Be quiet！We’ll tie this bell to the cat’s tail，so we’ll always know___ she is！We’ll have____ to escape，and the slower and weaker mice will hear her coming and be able to____！”Hearing the words，everyone got____ and they congratulated him on his good idea.“We’ll tie it so tightly(紧紧地)that it will never___！”
“She’ll never be able to walk____ again！Why，the other day，she suddenly appeared right in front of me！Just imagine...”
However，the wise mouse said，“We must____who is going to tie it on her tail.” There was not a sound in the room. Nobody was___ enough to put the plan into action. The meeting ended without any decision being made.
It’s often very____to have bright ideas，but putting them into practice is a more difficult matter.
A．trained B．taught C．caught D．invited
A．party B．test C．game D．meeting
A．return B．danger C．fact D．need
A．rushed B．swam C．flew D．stepped
A．questioned B．explained C．suggested D．answered
A．supported B．discussed C．accepted D．refused
A．everybody B．nobody C．somebody D．anybody
A．angrily B．happily C．carefully D．slowly
A．present B．reason C．idea D．excuse
A．younger B．longer C．stronger D．wiser
A．pleasure B．silence C．help D．information
A．where B．what C．how D．who
A．experience B．power C．time D．space
A．shout B．watch C．stay D．hide
A．worried B．excited C．surprised D．tired
A．drop off B．turn up C．get up D．put off
A．gladly B．quickly C．quietly D．directly
A．believe B．learn C．imagine D．decide
A．honest B．brave C．rich D．old
A．easy B．difficult C．strange D．important
Lunch hour is crazy at SAME Cafe, the 40-seat restaurant my husband and I run in Denver．
A woman in a（n）_ suit stepped in． "Hi, Libby．" she said．Wow, what a ! The first time she came to the cafe two years ago, she had no money to pay． many customers, she volunteered to wash dishes and ．' Look at her now: confident and hopeful．Wasn't this what we'd hoped for?
In 2003, we'd this crazy dream: start a restaurant with a donation box instead of a cash register（收款台）． Right away we hit hurdles（阻碍）． "There is no such thing as a lunch," one potential landlord （房东） sniffed． I met brokers, bankers and suppliers, only to watch them ， shaking their heads． No bank would lend us the money to open a restaurant with no ．The only fund we could get was our individual retirement account． we rented space from a landlord on Colfax Street．We put flyers（传单） around the neighborhood, asked friends to the word, and held our breath．
Word traveled fast, stories in the papers and on TV． Soon we had more than 50customers a day．A few ate without paying or an hour of work．But most gave what they could, it was just a doilar．Those with money gave, and then more．One of our customers left a for 500 dollars．Another bought 1000 dollars in gift certificates． another donated a truck so we could transport from suppliers．
People came here partly for what our cafe —SAME: So A11 May Eat, We treat everyone with ．We hoped to develop a sense of community- so that we might one another．The woman in business suit was one of them．Our to open the cafe was worth it,
A．dinner B．evening C．business D．summer
A．change B．beauty C．fool D．coincidence
A．With B．Like C．Besides D．Towards
A．wait B．sing C．perform D．sweep
A．lived B．hatched C．ignored D．achieved
A．packed B．delicious C．free D．delivered
A．crowd together B．flood in C．walk away D．turn up
A．staff support B．regular customers C．lunch boxes D．cash register
A．Unfortunately B．Finally C．Interestingly D．Illegally
A．analyze B．read C．spread D．approve
A．thanks to B．apart from C．ahead of D．according to
A．regretting B．gaining C．donating D．balancing
A．only when B．and forever C．so that D．even if
A．reward B．check C．bill D．list
A．Still B．Instead C．Otherwise D．Thus
A．lunch B．customers C．dishes D．produce
A．stood for B．applied for C．benefited from D．depended on
A．patience B．generosity C．confidence D．dignity
A．protect B．trust C．help D．treasure
A．dream B．struggle C．management D．style