I break off a piece of candy and take pleasure in its sweet outside and the bitter, dark chocolate inside, thinking of my own life. Being raised by a single parent was a bitter-sweet 36 , which gave me motivation and ambition.
There were several years that have left a(n) 37 bitter taste in my mouth —those when my mother married a man and moved my sister, Emily, and me several states away from our hometown. The first few months were 38 : baseball games, family trips to the mall, dinners and movies together. Then things changed. Baseball became too expensive, and trips to the mall were 39 by days Emily and I spent isolated (孤立的) in our rooms under our stepfather’s 40 . Moreover, screaming matches between him and our mother always 41 dinner. We spent five years living in a family that had 42 a war zone. Emily and I almost grew used to this situation . Then one evening, after another argument had erupted , we left home. I was 14, my sister 11, and we were 43 .A friend of my mother let us stay with her.
Instead of focusing on our economic instability, my mother selflessly pushed me to struggle for success. She wanted me to lead a more 44 life than hers. She worked long hours every night to pay her bills. 45 , she would find time to read and play with Emily and me. Mom taught me the 46 of perseverance (坚持不懈) and education. We finally settled in Texas. And now, writing this essay with my favorite candy close at hand, I realize my family and I are at the best points of our lives. I haven’t let the trying times stop me from making 47 , both academically and personally. I know that a bitter environment can provide good learning experiences, and that success, even more than candy, is the sweetest treat of all.
A．behavior B．habit C．activity D．experience
A．hardly B．extremely C．potentially D．Gently
A．sweet B．bitter C．boring D．terrible
A．concerned B．associated C．accompanied D．replaced
A．sympathy B．reminder C．orders D．requests
A．separated B．interrupted C．harmed D．Adjusted
A．turned into B．turned up C．turned down D．turned on
A．homeless B．lucky C．educated D．wealthy
A．interesting B．comfortable C．simple D．typical
A．Instead B．Otherwise C．Meanwhile D．Therefore
A．value B．cost C．price D．theme
A．emotions B．expectations C．fortunes D．achievements
David grew up poor. He started working in the 7th grade and by high school he was only going to school half days, at 11 am to go to work.
Lack of money meant lack of educational opportunities, but he had a to learn. In his spare time he read books that he thought would him succeed somewhere down the road.
He was a hard worker, and rose above(克服) his of higher education to provide for his family, factory life had a bad effect on him physically, emotionally and . It was, in his mind, killing him like a slow poison.
In 1995 he bought his first computer and a few months later discovered the Internet. He wanted to be a part of it, and worked 48 or hours a week in the factory, and worked another 40 or more hours a week himself computer skills. He worked harder than he 4 had in his life, surfing the Internet over 100 hours a week.
David began jobs in the Internet and computer fields. He was many times, but he never gave up. He had a goal and kept after it he didn’t feel like it because else seemed so hopeless. That kind of drive and perseverance almost always . David left the factory and took a job in the computing field.
This is a true story about , a story about believing in ; a story about finding what you love to do and your dreams.
My hope in writing this story is that, if you have a dream, you’ll be enough to see it through(进行到底). It’s up to you to it. Remember that even the farthest always starts with the first step.
A．starting B．leaving C．arriving D．studying
A．time B．hope C．hunger D．chance
A．let B．have C．see D．help
A．lack B．choice C．favor D．desire
A．and B．so C．but D．as
A．individually B．spiritually C．energetically D．evidently
A．more B．fewer C．smaller D．some
A．showing B．teaching C．improving D．acquiring
A．even B．never C．ever D．just
A．doing B．creating C．applying for D．taking up
A．turned off B．put down C．held up D．turned down
A．even when B．if only C．even the D．as if
A．anywhere B．somewhere C．anything D．something
A．pays back B．puts off C．gets in D．pays off
A．wealth B．determination C．hardship D．love
A．yourself B．himself C．herself D．itself
A．developing B．following C．continuing D．reaching
A．demanded B．expected C．inspired D．attracted
A．get B．make C．conduct D．perform
A．journey B．distance C．life D．future
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Childhood curiosity can last a lifetime and I learned this from my son, Bill. When he was very young, I often took him to the . He loved to read and often needed to the books he’d read in order to borrow more books. One unintended of his nonstop reading habits was that he even at the dinner table. His mother, Mary, and I did our best to him that, on certain social , reading while dining with others was not a good thing.
Every summer the teachers at his school give the students a reading list, and there was a contest to see who could read the most books. He was so , and he always wanted to win. And he often . But the main reason why he read so obsessively (着迷地) was that he was so . He didn’t just want to learn about things. He wanted to learn about everything.
We helped his curiosity in every way. an unfamiliar word came up in conversation, we’d turn to the , looking up the word, and reading the definition aloud. Thus my son came to realize that if you have a question, the exists somewhere. All you have to do is it.
Bill remains as much of a today as when he was a child, and he seems to everything he reads. He’s often to share what he’s learned with the next person he meets. He reads at the dinner table, though — which is a good thing because the books he’s attracted to now are increasingly unappetizing (引不起食欲的): The Eradication of Infectious Diseases, Mosquitoes, Malaria & Man, and Rats, Lice, and History.
A．school B．library C．office D．museum
A．pick B．store C．talk D．return
A．advantage B．explanation C．discovery D．consequence
A．play B．laugh C．read D．study
A．advise B．promise C．warn D．convince
A．issues B．occasions C．services D．duties
A．could B．should C．would D．might
A．sincere B．crazy C．competitive D．positive
A．went B．did C．failed D．proved
A．confident B．curious C．diligent D．excellent
A．simple B．past C．some D．any
A．develop B．protect C．examine D．follow
A．If B．Until C．Though D．Because
A．teacher B．newspaper C．dictionary D．partner
A．person B．answer C．book D．matter
A．use B．find C．tell D．ask
A．reader B．speaker C．maker D．user
A．imagine B．believe C．remember D．create
A．afraid B．eager C．careful D．sure
A．now and again B．at all time C．just now D．no longer
There was a little boy his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot（弹弓）to play with, out in the woods. He in the woods, but he could never hit the target. Getting a little ,he headed back to dinner. Then, he saw Grandma’s pet duck, so he let fly, hit the duck square in the head, and it. He was shocked and upset. In , he hid the dead duck in the woodpile, to see his sister watching. Sally had seen it all, _ she said nothing.
lunch that day grandma said,“Sally, let’s wash the dishes.”
But Sally said,“Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to in the kitchen today, didn’t you Johnny?”And then she to him,“Remember, the duck?”So Johnny did the dishes.
Later Grandpa asked if wanted to go fishing, and Grandma said,“I’m sorry but I need Sally to help make supper.”
But Sally and said,“Well, that’s because Johnny told me he wanted to help.” the duck, Johnny had to stay and Sally went fishing.
After several days of Johnny doing both his and Sally’s, he finally couldn’t it any longer. He came to Grandma and told her that he killed the duck. She down, gave him a hug（拥抱）,and said,“Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I the whole thing. But because I love you, I you. But I was just how long would you let Sally make a slave of you.”
A．helping B．visiting C．tending D．seeking
A．practised B．played C．worked D．hunted
A．anxious B．tired C．pleased D．discouraged
A．caught B．injured C．killed D．seized
A．surprise B．disappointment C．anger D．horror
A．only B．so as C．in order D．expecting
A．so B．and C．instead D．but
A．At B．After C．Before D．When
A．work B．stay C．help D．get
A．called B．whispered C．nodded D．signed
A．the children B．Sally C．Johnny D．Grandma
A．sighed B．agreed C．objected D．smiled
A．easy B．all right C．fine D．impossible
A．Searching B．Hiding C．Remembering D．Regretting
A．homework B．housework C．farm work D．cooking
A．stand B．change C．like D．cover
A．sat B．went C．lay D．knelt
A．know B．heard C．saw D．understand
A．missed B．forgave C．congratulated D．punished
A．wondering B．saying C．imaging D．considering
My 4-year-old son now enjoys posting letters. He has formed the of drawing pictures, writing his name on them, and then the artwork in an envelope. He then insists on his handwork to the neighbors, and a mail box he belongs to the elderly couple who live next door. To be , I didn’t think much of it, but I had to warn my neighbors of the drawings appearing in their letterboxes—I just didn’t have the to do so, because I was a little busy recently.
On Tuesday of last week, I was walking down to school to collect my son when I Mary, my elderly neighbor, at her mail box. She said, “Jodie, is it your little son that has been posting items in my letterbox to me?” I was at once , “Oh yes, Mary, it is. I’m sorry. I meant to tell you…” She cut me off, “Jodie, I just love his mail. I’ve 37 every item he has sent. You don’t know how much the letters has made my day. I just love them.” While I was walking down to school after our , many thoughts came to me. Mary doesn’t have a lot to fill her days, she was a mother to a number of children herself who receives fairly regular visitors. The small of getting some mail—pictures drawn by the hand of a young child—has brought to her days, just as my visit to my grandparents does.
I have decided that my son should this practice. He should also start sending some items to his grandparents in Perth as well. It will most make their day.
It’s doing the little, simple things that can often make a big in someone’s life.
A．habit B．attitude C．style D．form
A．hiding B．writing C．drawing D．putting
A．handing B．holding C．posting D．writing
A．opened B．set C．chose D．saw
A．kind B．surprised C．careful D．honest
A．meant B．asked C．hated D．refused
A．actually B．suddenly C．hardly D．partly
A．intelligence B．strength C．money D．time
A．met B．visited C．dated D．called
A．crying B．lying C．laughing D．standing
A．humorous B．embarrassed C．confused D．amused
A．copied B．bought C．kept D．examined
A．receiving B．writing C．painting D．exchanging
A．report B．expression C．talk D．discussion
A．unless B．but C．so D．although
A．charge B．offer C．act D．help
A．worth B．happiness C．value D．future
A．add B．stop C．continue D．judge
A．certainly B．unfortunately C．accidentally D．confidently
A．point B．difference C．sense D．living
When Dave was eighteen, he bought a secondhand car for 200 so that he could travel to and from work more ____ than by bus. It worked quite well for a few years, but then it got so old, and it was costing him so much in repairs that he decided that he had better ____ it.
He asked among his friends to see if anyone was particularly ____ to buy a cheap car, but they all knew that it was falling to pieces, so none of them had any desire to buy it. Dave's friend Sam saw that he was ____ when they met one evening, and said, “What's up, Dave?” Dave told him, and Sam answered, “Well, what about advertising it in the paper? You may ____ more for it that way than the cost of the advertisement!” Thinking that Sam's ____ was sensible(合理的), he put an advertisement in an evening paper, which read “For sale: small car, uses very little petrol, only two owners. Bargain at 50.”
For two days after the advertisement first appeared, there was no ____. But then on Saturday evening he had an enquiry. A man rang up and said he would like to ____ him about the car. “All right,” Dave said, feeling happy. He asked the man whether ten o'clock the next morning would be ____ or not. “Fine,” the man said, “and I'll ____ my wife. We intend to go for a ride in it to ____ it.”
The next morning, at a quarter to ten, Dave parked the car in the square outside his front door, ____ to wait there for the people who had ____ his advertisement. Even Dave had to ____ that the car really looked like a wreck(残骸). Then, soon after he had got the car as clean as it could be, a police car stopped just behind him and a policeman got out. He looked at Dave's car and then said, “Have you reported this ____ to us yet, sir?”
A．hopefully B．safely C．easily D．properly
A．keep B．sell C．repair D．throw
A．ashamed B．lucky C．anxious D．happy
A．upset B．delighted C．calm D．astonished
A．learn B．miss C．find D．get
A．advice B．message C．request D．description
A．doubt B．help C．reply D．trouble
A．tell B．agree C．see D．call
A．exact B．late C．early D．suitable
A．follow B．bring C．meet D．introduce
A．recognize B．test C．admire D．gain
A．happening B．turning C．meaning D．failing
A．answered B．inserted C．cared D．placed
A．admit B．show C．disagree D．forget
A．bargain B．sale C．result D．accident