A Leap（跳跃）to Honor
Leaping on a narrow balance beam（平衡木） is not easy. But Lola Walter, a 13-year-old gymnast, is an expert at it.
To perfect her skills, Lola 36 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, 37 she is legally blind, born with a rare condition that causes her eyes to shift constantly. She often sees double and can’t _38 how far away things are.
When she was little, her mom 39 that even though she couldn’t see 40 , she was fearless. So her mom signed her up for gymnastics when she was three. She loved the 41 right away and gymnastics became her favorite.
Though learning gymnastics has been more 42 for her than for some of her tournaments, she has never quit. She doesn’t let her _43 stop her from doing anything that she wants to.
She likes the determination it takes to do the sport. Her biggest 44_ 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 45_ your mind that it’ll take you where you want to go,” says Lola.
To be a top-level gymnast, one must be brave. The beam is probably the most 46 for anyone because it’s four inches wide. At the state competition, Lola didn’t fall 47 the beam. In fact, she got an 8.1 out of 10---- her highest score yet.
Lola doesn’t want to be 48 differently from the other girls on her team. At the competitions, the judges don’t know about her vision _49 _. She doesn’t tell them, because she doesn’t think they need to know. Her mom is amazed by her _50 attitude.
Lola never thinks about 51__. She is presently at level 7 while the highest is level 10 in gymnastics. Her 52 is to reach level 9. She says she wants to be a gymnastics coach to pass down what she’s learned to other kids 53 she grew up.
Lola is 54 of all her hard work and success. She says it’s helped her overcome problems in her life outside gymnastics, too. Her 55 for others is “just believe 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．unsatisfactory
A．talent B．quality C．nature D．condition
A．doubt B．advantage C．challenge D．program
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．caution
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
When sailors are allowed ashore after a long time at sea, they sometimes get drunk and cause trouble. For this reason, the navy ___1___ has its police in big ports. Whenever sailors cause trouble, the police come and ___2___ them.
One day, the police in a big seaport received a telephone call ___3___ a bar in the town. The barman said that a big sailor had got drunk and ___4___ the furniture in the bar. The officer in charge of the police guard that evening said that he would come immediately.
Now, officers who ___5___ and punish the sailors ___6___ drunk usually chose ___7___ policeman they could find to go with them. ___8___ this particular officer did not do this. ___9___, he chose the smallest and___10___ man he could find to go to the bar with him and ___11___ the sailor.
Another officer who___12___ there was surprised when he saw the officer of the guard chose such a small man. ___13___ he said to him, “Why ___14___ you take a big man with you? You have to fight the sailor who ___15___.”
“Yes, you are ___16___ right,” answered the officer of the guard. “That is exactly ___17___ I am taking this small man. If you see two policemen coming ___18___ you, and one is ___19___ the other, which one ___20___ you attack?”
1. A. always B. seldom C. forever D. sometimes
2. A. meet with B. deal with C. see D. judge
3. A. about B. from C. in D. of
4. A. was breaking B. was ordering C. was moving D. was dusting
5. A. would go B. might beat C. dared to fight D. had to go
6. A. slightlyB. not at all C. heavily D. much more
7. A. the biggest B. the youngest C. the bravest D. the experienced
8. A. In fact B. But C. So D. And
9. A. Instead B. Therefore C. Although D. Then
10. A. good-looking B. weakest-looking C. ugly-looking D. strongest-looking
11. A. seize B. kill C. get rid of D. catch up with
12. A. will go B. had come C. would start off D. happened to be
13. A. YetB. But C. So D. Then
14. A. don’t B. couldn’t C. can’t D. do
15. A. looks strong B. is drunk C. seems rude D. is dangerous
16. A. all B. very C. too D. quite
17. A. how B. what C. why D. that
18. A. up B. at C. before D. towards
19. A. not smaller than B. as big as C. as small as D. much smaller than
20. A. could B. willC. do D. can
On Thursday afternoon Mrs Clake locked the door and went to the women’s club as usual. It was a pleasant way of ___1___ time for an old woman who lived ___2___.
When she came home she ___3___ something unusual. Had someone got in? The back door and the windows were all locked and there was no ___4___ of forced entry(进入). Had anything been taken? She went from room to room, ___5___, and found her camera and spare watch missing.
The following Thursday she went out at her ___6___ time, but didn’t go to the club. Instead, she took a short walk in a park ___7___ and came home, letting herself in through the ___8___ door. She settled down to wait and see what would happen.
It was 4 o’clock when the front doorbell rang. Mrs Clarke was ___9___ tea at the time. The bell rang again, and the next moment she ___10___ her letter-box being pushed open. Picking up the kettle of boiling water, she moved ___11___ towards the letter-box. A piece of ___12___ appeared through the letter-box, and then a hand. The wire turned and caught around the knob(原形旋钮) on the door-lock. Mrs Clarke ___13___ the kettle and poured the water over the hand. A ___14___ cry was heard outside as the wire ___15___ to the floor and the hand was pulled ___16___, which was followed by the sound of ___17___ feet.
It wasn’t long ___18___the police caught the thief. And Mrs Clarke was greatly ___19___ at the club for her successful ___20___.
1. A. saving B. passing C. stealing D. finding
2. A. lonely B. alone C. sadly D. easily
3. A. learned B. found C. sensed D. hoped
4. A. sight B. exhibition C. note D. sign
5. A. watching B. searching C. looking D. checking
6. A. lateB. dinner C. usual D. own
7. A. faraway B. club C. nearby D. hurriedly
8. A. open B. back C. front D. broken
9. A. drinking B. making C. pouring D. planting
10. A. saw B. watched C. heard D. smelled
11. A. quietly B. loudly C. fast D. angrily
12. A. wood B. equipment C. chalk D. wire
13. A. discovered B. brought C. raised D. supported
14. A. soft B. gentle C. sharp D. loud
15. A. pushed B. put C. stuck D. fell
16. A. up B. forward C. back D. down
17. A. walking B. jumping C. running D. steady
18. A. after B. whenC. before D. until
19. A. admired B. encouraged C. instructed D. supported
20. A. self-satisfactionB. self-protection C. self-respect D. self-service
A funny story circulated recently about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Doyle clearly told of a time when he climbed into a 1 in Paris. Before he could 2 a word, the driver turned to him and asked, “Where can I 3 you, Mr. Doyle?”
Doyle was 4. He asked the driver if he had ever seen him before.
“No, sir,” the driver responded. “I have 5 seen you before.” Then he 6 : “This morning’s paper had a story about you being on 7 in Marseilles. This is the taxi stand where people who return from Marseilles always arrive. Your 8 color tells me you have been on vacation. The 9 spot on your right index finger suggests to me that you are a writer. Your clothing is very English, and not French. 10 up all those pieces of information, I 11 that you are Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.”
“This is truly amazing!” the writer 12 with excitement. “You are very like my 13 creation, Sherlock Holmes!”
“There’s one other thing,” the driver said.
“What’s that?”
“Your 14 is on the front of your suitcase.”
Perhaps the 15 was no master detective, but he was observant! He paid attention and paying attention is an important part of living 16.
Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of 17. A life lived to the full is lived from moment to moment, 18 from milestone to milestone. It is more of a series of days in which we truly pay attention, than a few 19 events along the way.
Pay attention to the things of life, to people, to events, to your senses, even to the ordinary. Your life will never 20 beauty. By making the most of the moments, you make the most of the years.
1. A. trainB. taxi C. bus D. plane
2. A. write B. hear C. say D. read
3. A. take B. meet C. wait D. leave
4. A. pleased B. scaredC. disappointed D. surprised
5. A. just B. never C. ever D. always
6. A. admitted B. started C. explained D. remembered
7. A. business B. duty C. holiday D. work
8. A. skin B. hair C. clothes D. shoes
9. A. blood B. dirt C. mud D. ink
10. A. Making B. Taking C. Putting D. Adding
11. A. concluded B. realized C. imagined D. expected
12. A. sighed B. screamed C. whispered D. roared
13. A. mental B. physical C. fictional D. psychological
13. A. license B. address C. resume D. name
15. A. driver B. writer C. detective D. waiter
16. A. well B. fully C. happily D. peacefully
17. A. stagesB. steps C. periods D. moments
18. A. more than B. less than C. rather than D. other than
19. A. small B. major C. personal D. social
20. A. lackB. create C. appreciate D. enjoy
Ted spent seven years as a prisoner of war. There he discovered the power of 1 . For more than half of that2 he was in isolation (隔绝). He lived for ten months in total 3 . Those ten months was the longest of his life. When they4with wooden boards the window of his little seven-by-seven foot cell, shutting out the light, he 5 if he was going to make it.
Ted spent hours a day exercising and thinking. But at times he felt he could do6but scream. Not wanting to give his 7 the satisfaction of knowing they’d 8 him, he placed clothing into his mouth to lessen the noise 9 he screamed at the top of his lungs.
One day Ted got down on the 10and crawled (爬) under his bed. He found a hole that 11 air from the outside. As he approached the hole, he saw a 12 ray of light. Ted put his eye next to the wall and discovered a small crack in the building. It allowed him to glimpse13 , though all he could see was a 14piece of grass. But when he saw this, he felt a surge of joy, excitement and 15 that he hadn’t had in years. “It represented life, growth and 16 ,” he later said. It was the small hope that helped Ted 17 this nearly unbearable experience.
The human spirit is 18 . It seems to run forever 19 nothing but a faint (微弱的) hope. Without it, you have nothing. With it, nothing else20 — even the worst conditions.
1. A. thought B. scream C. support D. hope
2. A. prison B. war C. timeD. month
3. A. happiness B. sadness C. darkness D. silence
4. A. strengthened B. fixed C. covered D. broke
5. A. reminded B. required C. wondered D. feared
6. A. something B. nothing C. everything D. anything
7. A. soldiers B. friends C. enemy D. army
8. A. wounded B. quitted C. satisfied D. broken
9. A. till B. since C. as D. after
10. A. window B. floor C. wall D. board
11. A. let in B. put out C. took inD. gave off
12. A. weak B. soft C. strong D. sharp
13. A. inside B. outside C. above D. below
14. A. very B. right C. specificD. single
15. A. gratefulness B. usefulness C. fulfillment D. establishment
16. A. courage B. perseverance C. choice D. freedom
17. A. by B. out C. over D. through
18. A. straight B. strong C. lucky D. interesting
19. A. against B. from C. on D. over
20. A. matters B. relates C. changesD. happens
Listening to your heart
Do you ever wish you had a road map for living? If only someone could 1 show us a way to go, a direction to take, we wouldn’t feel so 2 of which path to pursue. We think that, with only a little 3 , we’ll surely end up in the right place.
4 on a regular flight from Detroit to Tri-City Airport must have felt a little more than 5 during the flight attendant’s greeting as their flight started. She 6 the passengers and stated that the destination would be Midland. A few concerned passengers 7 her, so the flight attendant, obviously not familiar with the area, 8 herself by saying that they would be 9 in “Tri-City” and Bay City.
Chuckles rippled along the aisle as she 10tried again. This time she informed passengers that the destination would be Saginaw. Now 11 broke out.
At that point, an authoritative voice came over the intercom (对讲机) and 12 her. “I’m your pilot, folks,” he said. “Don’t 13 — I know where we’re going.”
It’s nice when someone knows the 14 . And there is wisdom in seeking help when necessary. Other people can be valuable. 15 we cannot always depend on others for the 16 answers for living our lives. In the end, nobody can point us to all the best 17 for life’s problems; nobody else can 18 us to the path that is just right for us. We find that way ourselves. We find the way by 19. Listening to our hearts — for the direction we need is almost always there, deep within.
So if you feel a bit lost, don’t worry. This may be a 20 time to listen. And remember — your pilot knows where you’re going.
1. A. irregularly B. occasionally C. practically D. basically
2. A. proud B. tired C. unsure D. ashamed
3. A. guidance B. encouragement C. comfort D. determination
4. A. Customers B. Pilots C. Attendants D. Passengers
5. A. happy B. lost C. nervous D. excited
6. A. thanked B. examined C. welcomed D. entertained
7. A. reminded B. informed C. warned D. threatened
8. A. relaxed B. behaved C. enjoyed D. corrected
9. A. stopping B. landing C. flying D. traveling
10. A. shyly B. impatiently C. bravely D. actively
11. A. protestB. complaint C. argument D. laughter
12. A. rescued B. blamed C. praised D. defended
13. A. fight B. worry C. quarrel D. concern
13. A. flight B. skill C. way D. problem
15. A. So B. AndC. Besides D. But
16. A. immediate B. important C. simple D. short
17. A. solutions B. reasonsC. explanations D. accounts
18. A. direct B. force C. forbid D. tempt
19. A. speaking B. following C. listening D. asking
20. A. hard B. spare C. necessary D. perfect