Although I love my life, it hasn’t been a lot of fun as I’ve been ill for 28 years.
Music has always been a great love of mine and, in my 20s, when my ___36___ was more manageable, I ___37___ ten years as a professional singer in restaurants, playing and singing folk songs. ___38___ that was years ago and times have changed. ___39___ I live with my mother on a country farm.
Two years ago, I decided that I would need to have some kind of extra work to ___40___ my disability pension(残疾抚恤金). ___41___ I needed to sleep in the afternoons, I was limited in my ___42___. I decided that I would consider ___43___ to singing in restaurants.
My family are all musicians, so I was ___44___ when I went into our local music store. I explained that I wanted to sing again but using recorded karaoke music. I knew that discs were very expensive and I really didn’t have a lot of ___45___ to get started. And ___46___ you find only three to four songs out of ten on a disc that you can ___47___ use.
When I told the owner of the shop about my ___48___, he gave me a long, thoughtful ___49___. “This means a lot to you, doesn’t it?” he said. “Come with me.”
He led me ___50___ the crowded shop and to a bench with a large professional karaoke box on it. He placed his large hand ___51___ on his treasure and said, “I have 800 karaoke songs in here. You can take your ___52___ and I’ll record them for you. That should get you started.”
I ___53___. Thanking him, I made a time with him to listen to all the songs and choose ___54___ that I could sing. I have come full circle with his help.
His ___55___ still warms my heart and makes me do just that bit extra, when I have the chance.
A．sadness B．tiredness C．sickness D．loneliness
A．enjoyed B．kept C．shared D．set
A．Eventually B．Unfortunately C．Surprisingly D．Gladly
A．Then B．Sometime C．Meanwhile D．Now
A．make up for B．get rid of C．take advantage of D．add up to
A．As B．Though C．Before D．If
A．condition B．choices C．positions D．movement
A．living up B．getting on C．going back D．reaching out
A．interviewed B．found C．invited D．recognized
A．time B．energy C．knowledge D．money
A．once B．seldom C．often D．thus
A．hardly B．nearly C．formerly D．actually
A．family B．idea C．offer D．job
A．view B．look C．sight D．face
A．along B．towards C．through D．over
A．lovingly B．pitifully C．gratefully D．unhappily
A．turn B．role C．step D．pick
A．ought to cry B．should have cried C．could have cried D．had to cry
A．the ones B．few C．the rest D．more
A．devotion B．kindness C．trust D．courage
With the help of Gloria ,his wife ,Tom Peterson worked for many years to build a solid business selling television sets, stereo systems, and home appliances. Tom developed an excellent with their full satisfaction guarantee and friendly service. He was proud of his high percentage (百分率)of repeat .
About five years ago, Tom was by the owners of a competing company, Stereo Super Stores. They wanted him to them out. The price was very attractive. Everything looked good. Before making his final ,Tom asked Gloria what she thought about the purchase(购买). She told him that the numbers looked good, it didn't feel to her. However, Tom was so self-confident and so convinced that this was a rare , he went ahead and it. Within months he discovered that he had made a big . He had paid too much for a company. He tried as hard as he could to make it work out, but he couldn't turn things . He was forced into bankruptcy(破产). He was about to lose everything, including his business.
Tom was embarrassed, but he is a survivor. He looked at his situation. He decided to admit his mistake and, rather than getting stuck in lawsuits(诉讼), he would focus his on saving and rebuilding his original business. He saw also that he had made a mistake by not listening to his , and that he needed to learn from this .He dealt with the crisis(危机) in a way that delighted people, who in turn respect for him. Old customers poured into his store. He and Gloria _to changes in retailing(零售) and have built an even better business than before.
In the business world, it is natural to gain and lose, of Peterson’s experience is an example. Only those who regard their mistakes as gifts and learn from them attract endless profits.
A．produce B．fame C．cause D．home
A．customers B．assistants C．friends D．visitors
A．appointed B．approved C．approached D．appreciated
A．sell B．pay C．buy D．check
A．decision B．choice C．determination D．judgement
A．as though B．now that C．even though D．in case
A．terrible B．fair C．right D．attractive
A．possibility B．occasion C．event D．opportunity
A．protect B．made C．return D．exchange
A．difference B．discovery C．commitment D．mistake
A．dying B．controversial C．casual D．tiring
A．in B．around C．down D．up
A．original B．various C．special D．precious
A．quietly B．loudly C．openly D．secretly
A．beliefs B．spirits C．attempts D．energies
A．producer B．wife C．relative D．adviser
A．experience B．progress C．process D．history
A．won B．showed C．achieved D．earned
A．belonged B．adapted C．adopted D．appealed
A．them B．what C．that D．which
Things have been kind of tough lately for Shannon Baker and her little family. They have each other’s parents and young daughter and for that they are . But she and her husband are both currently . And their car is in great need of . And then there is the matter of their second child, who is soon. So things are a little tense for the Baker family these days.
When Shannon and her daughter were walking through a store lot recently, Shannon picked up an envelop from the ground that $4,000 in cash. There were a of different interpretations（理解） that could be considered. Was this a kind of good ? Could it be an attempt by the universe to balance everything? Could it be simply a gift from God? Shannon didn’t know. The only thing she knew was that the cash in that envelope to someone else.
Oh, and one other thing she knew: Her young daughter was . “My kid was standing right there I found it,” Shannon told WLS-TV in Chicago. “So basically I wanted to teach my daughter how to be . And for me that was enough.”
Never mind the bills that were , or the car that needed to be fixed, or the baby that would come soon. And forget that when she the money over to the police she was told that there was actually nothing illegal if she it.
The police were able to return the money to the person who it: an old woman. And one can imagine the and relief she felt when the police handed the lost envelop back to her. “She came to my house and she was almost in tears, me,” Shannon said. “She gave me a hug and an envelope with a small in it. But the amount, large or small, wasn’t . What was important was the opportunity to teach my daughter honesty.”
A．controlled B．upset C．sensitive D．grateful
A．unemployed B．appreciated C．disappointed D．removed
A．repair B．protection C．cash D．sale
A．sick B．serious C．due D．dull
A．gathering B．parking C．cleaning D．begging
A．included B．contained C．charged D．paid
A．number B．deal C．plenty D．flood
A．expense B．prize C．hope D．luck
A．pointed B．owned C．belonged D．possessed
A．demanding B．watching C．laughing D．affecting
A．before B．though C．because D．when
A．honest B．loyal C．ripe D．humorous
A．piling up B．giving away C．showing off D．passing by
A．watched B．turned C．got D．collected
A．kept B．made C．checked D．promoted
A．sent B．disliked C．lost D．generated
A．respect B．regret C．tension D．joy
A．comforting B．congratulating C．offending D．thanking
A．amount B．present C．envelope D．choice
A．enough B．acceptable C．important D．matter
One day a student was taking a walk with a professor. They were going along, when they saw a pair of old , which they thought to belong to a poor man working in a nearby field.
The student turned to the professor, saying: Let’s his shoes, and then we’ll place ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his perplexity（困惑）when he cannot find them.”
“My young friend,” answered the professor, “we should never amuse ourselves at the of the poor. But you’re rich, and may give yourself a much greater by means of the poor man. Put a coin into each shoe, and then we’ll hide ourselves and watch how the affects him.
The student did so, and they both hid somewhere nearby. The poor man soon his work, and came across the field to the where he’d left his coat and shoes. While putting on his , he put his foot into one of his shoes; but feeling something , he bent down to see it was, and found the coin. Astonishment and were seen on his face. He it up, turned it round, and looked it again and again. He then looked around saw nobody. He put the money into his , and went on to put on the other shoe, but his surprise was on finding the other coin. He was so touched that he fell upon his , and let out a loud , in which he spoke of his sick wife and his children and the importance of the money to them.
The student stood there, deeply affected, and said to the professor, “You’ve taught me a lesson I will never . I’ll always try my best to help those in .”
A．glasses B．socks C．shoes D．trousers
A．hide B．throw C．buy D．borrow
A．excuse B．expense C．amusement D．speed
A．pleasure B．surprise C．amazement D．excitement
A．creation B．invention C．discovery D．witness
A．started B．finished C．found D．offered
A．way B．house C．tree D．path
A．shoes B．cap C．coat D．trousers
A．soft B．hard C．cold D．warm
A．if B．which C．that D．what
A．wonder B．happiness C．sadness D．fright
A．picked B．broke C．sped D．took
A．or B．and C．but D．when
A．bag B．shoe C．coat D．pocket
A．seen B．found C．seen D．doubled
A．knees B．head C．face D．legs
A．voice B．thanksgiving C．word D．sound
A．lost B．naughty C．hungry D．lovely
A．remember B．understand C．know D．forget
A．danger B．need C．sick D．help
My son Joey was born with club feet (天生畸形脚）. The doctors assured us that with treatment he would be able to walk ，but would never run very well. The first three years of his life were in surgery. By the time he was eight, you wouldn't know he had a when you saw him walk.
The children in our neighborhood ran around as most children do during , and Joey would jump right in，run and play, too. We told him that he probably wouldn't be able to as well as the other children. So he didn't know.
In the seventh grade he to go out for the cross-country team. Every day he （8） with the team. He worked harder and ran than any of the others—perhaps he sensed that the that seemed to come naturally to so many others did not come naturally to him. the entire team runs, only the top seven runners have the potential to points for the school. We didn't tell him he probably would never make the team, so he didn't know.
He to run four to five miles a day, every day—even the day he had a high fever. I was ，so I went to look for him after school. I found him all alone. I asked him how he felt. “Okay,” he said. He had two more to go. The sweat ran down his face and his eyes were glassy from his fever. he looked straight ahead and kept running.
Two weeks later, the names of the team runners were . Joey was number six on the list. Joey had made the team. He was in the grade while the other six team members were all eighth-graders. We never told him he shouldn't to make the team. We never told him he couldn't do it...so he didn't know. He just did it.
A．quickly B．slowly C．normally D．comfortably
A．spent B．wasted C．suffered D．lost
A．pain B．problem C．treatment D．surgery
A．holidays B．day C．fun D．play
A．seldom B．never C．always D．once
A．study B．run C．walk D．behave
A．decided B．preferred C．refused D．agreed
A．gathered B．camped C．trained D．competed
A．more slowly B．less C．faster D．more
A．abilities B．strengths C．powers D．energies
A．Since B．Because C．After D．Although
A．increase B．score C．hold D．take
A．continued B．stopped C．liked D．hoped
A．sad B．surprised C．angry D．worried
A．running B．resting C．crying D．sleeping
A．tests B．miles C．lessons D．examinations
A．Otherwise B．So C．Yet D．Thus
A．included B．called C．shown D．found
A．sixth B．eighth C．seventh D．fifth
A．manage B．determine C．expect D．attempt
My son Joey was born with club feet (天生畸形脚）. The doctors assured us that with treatment he would be able to walk ，but would never run very well. The first three years of his life were in surgery. By the time he was eight, you wouldn't know he had a when you saw him walk.
The children in our neighborhood ran around as most children do during , and Joey would jump right in，run and play, too. We told him that he probably wouldn't be able to as well as the other children. So he didn't know.
In the seventh grade he to go out for the cross-country team. Every day he （8） with the team. He worked harder and ran than any of the others—perhaps he sensed that the that seemed to come naturally to so many others did not come naturally to him. the entire team runs, only the top seven runners have the potential to points for the school. We didn't tell him he probably would never make the team, so he didn't know.
He to run four to five miles a day, every day—even the day he had a high fever. I was ，so I went to look for him after school. I found him all alone. I asked him how he felt. “Okay,” he said. He had two more to go. The sweat ran down his face and his eyes were glassy from his fever. he looked straight ahead and kept running.
Two weeks later, the names of the team runners were . Joey was number six on the list. Joey had made the team. He was in the grade while the other six team members were all eighth-graders. We never told him he shouldn't to make the team. We never told him he couldn't do it...so he didn't know. He just did it.
A．quickly B．slowly C．normally D．comfortably
A．spent B．wasted C．suffered D．lost
A．pain B．problem C．treatment D．surgery
A．holidays B．day C．fun D．play
A．seldom B．never C．always D．once
A．study B．run C．walk D．behave
A．decided B．preferred C．refused D．agreed
A．gathered B．camped C．trained D．competed
A．more slowly B．less C．faster D．more
A．abilities B．strengths C．powers D．energies
A．Since B．Because C．After D．Although
A．increase B．score C．hold D．take
A．continued B．stopped C．liked D．hoped
A．sad B．surprised C．angry D．worried
A．running B．resting C．crying D．sleeping
A．tests B．miles C．lessons D．examinations
A．Otherwise B．So C．Yet D．Thus
A．included B．called C．shown D．found
A．sixth B．eighth C．seventh D．fifth
A．manage B．determine C．expect D．attempt