It was the summer of my freshman year of college. Instead of heading home for a nice long 1 , my friends and I had decided to 2 and take some extra courses. We had 3 the top floor of an old house to live in. My bed was 4 into a stuffy (愁闷的)former laundry room and each night was a new 5 in humidity. Still, it felt 6 to be in my own place for the first time. After the first few weeks, 7 , the thrill faded and 8 set in. I found myself sitting alone each night 9 my home and my parents.
My summer holidays had always been a 10 time. I spent hours playing basketball and swimming. I talked to my Mom while she tended her flowers. I 11 helping my Dad drag firewood for the winter. And every night I sat at a dinner table full of delicious food 12 with love while my family filled the room with the sound of sweet 13 . Now I found myself missing them 14 than ever.
Finally when my 15 were at their lowest, I heard a 16 at the door. I opened it and was 17 to see my parents standing there with big smiles to fill my 18 heart and a box full of food to feed my hungry friends. We spent the afternoon eating 19 , and just being together. It felt so good, and I felt so loved.
Victor Hugo wrote that, “The supreme happiness of life is the 20 that one is loved; loved for oneself, or better yet, loved despite oneself.” It was that gift of happiness that my parents gave me that afternoon and every day of my life.
A．journey B．term C．break D．way
A．leave B．stay C．relax D．travel
A．rented B．bought C．painted D．repaired
A．made B．changed C．jammed D．hidden
A．wish B．pleasure C．experiment D．adventure
A．exciting B．boring C．astonishing D．moving
A．anyway B．though C．therefore D．instead
A．headache B．loneliness C．satisfaction D．homesickness
A．forgetting about B．relying on C．thinking of D．referring to
A．special B．terrible C．specific D．difficult
A．gave up B．had trouble in C．put off D．took pride in
A．frozen B．prepared C．tasted D．kept
A．laughter B．scream C．whistle D．sigh
A．less B．more C．worse D．better
A．minds B．dreams C．spirits D．thoughts
A．kick B．hit C．crash D．knock
A．disappointed B．surprised C．puzzled D．encouraged
A．hungry B．open C．sick D．gentle
A．making up B．getting up C．catching up D．taking up
A．sign B．chance C．secret D．belief
I do a lot of management training each year for the Circle K Corporation, a national chain of convenience stores. Among the topics in ourseminarsis theretention (留住)of quality . During these , I asked the participants, “What has you to stay long enough to become a manager?” Minutes later a new manager the question and slowly, with her voice almost breaking, said, “It was a $19 baseball glove.”
Cynthia told the group that she took a Circle K clerk job. On her second or third day behind the , she received a phone call from her nine-year-old son, Jessie. He a baseball glove for Little League. She that as a single mother, money was , and her first check would have to for paying bills. Perhaps she could buy his baseball glove with her second or third check.
When Cynthia for work the next morning, Patricia, the store manager, asked her to come to the office. Cynthia if she had done something wrong or left some part of her job from the day before. She was and confused.
Patricia her a box. “I overheard you talking to your son yesterday,” she said, “and I know that it is to explain things to kids. This is a baseball glove for Jessie. He may not understand how important he is, even though you have to pay bills you can buy gloves. You know we can’t pay good people like you as as we would like to; but we do , and I want you to know you are important to us.”
People more how much an employer cares than how much the employer pays. An important lesson for the price of a Little League baseball glove.
A．goods B．employers C．customers D．employees
A．discussions B．tests C．preparations D．trips
A．taught B．caused C．urged D．impressed
A．took B．raised C．replied D．applauded
A．officially B．particularly C．originally D．normally
A．counter B．store C．job D．shelves
A．asked B．needed C．changed D．purchased
A．explained B．argued C．disagreed D．decided
A．tight B．impossible C．troublesome D．vital
A．prepare B．spend C．use D．go
A．arrived B．left C．reached D．went
A．assumed B．wondered C．realized D．admitted
A．open B．finished C．incomplete D．alone
A．delighted B．ashamed C．worried D．disappointed
A．delivered B．handed C．brought D．served
A．convenient B．simple C．complex D．hard
A．after B．before C．because D．though
A．much B．great C．far D．many
A．appreciate B．value C．care D．count
A．believe B．remind C．understand D．Remember
I went deaf in my right ear and was left with 50% hearing in my left when I was a little boy. My doctors that I would be completely deaf by now, and today, my remaining hearing to 20%, so I think I’m doing pretty .
For my 18th birthday, my dad asked me to deejay at the restaurant he owned. I was . I e-mailed a well-known New York City DJ: “I know you like a challenge. How about teaching a deaf person to deejay?” He wrote back the next day: “Challenge .” He tutored me twice a week for two years, helping me develop proper skills. I practiced four hours a day. Now when I’m , muscle memory takes over.
I started, I wouldn’t tell the club managers I was deaf. I would just , introduce myself and start playing music. At the end of the night, someone would say, “Oh, here’s the check.” And I’d say, “What? Oh, I can’t hear.” They were always so . Sometimes I would bring doctor’s because they wouldn’t believe me. It was reassurance (安心) that they were giving me gigs (特约演奏) not out of , but because I was good. people started calling me “Deaf DJ”.
Music is not all about . For each show, I can hear some of the lower frequencies and feel the in my feet. I can feel the energy of the song and the goes crazy. The next time you go dancing your ears, and you’ll feel a little bit of I do it. You’ll start using your other senses. You’ll start seeing that you’re able to hear the music in a way.
Now, I play all sorts of get-togethers on various occasions. I also go to schools for the deaf and talk to the students about and believing in themselves. I tell their parents, “My to you is to let your kids chase their dreams. I’m a deaf DJ, so why not?”
A．agreed B．confirmed C．predicted D．admitted
A．increased B．stayed C．dropped D．kept
A．well B．much C．bad D．little
A．disappointed B．moved C．embarrassed D．hooked
A．refused B．accepted C．found D．obtained
A．singing B．watching C．performing D．listening
A．When B．While C．After D．Until
A．cheer up B．show up C．look up D．call up
A．satisfied B．frightened C．worried D．surprised
A．notes B．orders C．schedules D．letters
A．encouragement B．favor C．sympathy D．respect
A．Occasionally B．Eventually C．Regularly D．Immediately
A．sensing B．playing C．feeling D．hearing
A．beat B．noise C．clap D．wave
A．music B．song C．crowd D．manager
A．fold B．cover C．close D．touch
A．what B．that C．why D．how
A．funny B．traditional C．strange D．different
A．motivation B．talent C．ability D．qualification
A．chance B．advice C．idea D．motto
On a weekday evening, Jane was at home as usual. As her ____swung between what she was going to do with her life and their dinner plans for the evening, she was unexpectedly ___by an urgent call from her sister “Get over here! Turn on NBC and check these guys out. They are just like you…..” One facebook message and a phone interview later, Jane ____herself on a bus with 8 strangers in the middle of the sweltering (令人发昏的)desert heat of Utah, picking up trash and _____ awareness(意识)about zero-waste and climate change.
With a deep ____ of the environment and a desire to make a ____, Jane, Davey, and a group of self ____ “environmental pick-up artists” went on a coast to coast road side trash pick-up. As they walked, sometimes only ____0.9 miles in an entire day, they ____ and steadily made their way across the United States for three years, picking up a total of 201,678 pounds of trash.
Jane and Davey ___ with us wonderful stories of hope and inspiration that fueled their ____to continue their journey. After spending weeks silently ____how she would have enough ____ to fly home for their two-week spring break, Jane found a blank, unidentified envelope ____with $850 cash in the desert. Just enough to get her home and back. After their bus ____ outside of Denver, they unexpectedly got ____and arrived in Yosemite National Park three weeks later, just in time for the “Yosemite Facelift” where ___from all over the state came together with a ____of cleaning up trash all over the park.
Being at the right place at the right time became almost normal, and they realized that much of what they ____was more than just a coincidence. Together, their team learned to simply ____ themselves to their task, and surrender to the journey.
A．hands B．thoughts C．balance D．position
A．blamed B．frightened C．moved D．interrupted
A．found B．cheered C．dropped D．taught
A．abandoning B．raising C．shaking D．hiding
A．pride B．trust C．love D．fear
A．plan B．promise C．mistake D．difference
A．described B．corrected C．repeated D．discovered
A．driving B．covering C．riding D．fixing
A．slowly B．secretly C．helplessly D．frequently
A．heard B．read C．wrote D．shared
A．problems B．costs C．efforts D．choices
A．depending on B．replying to C．worrying about D．meeting with
A．time B．money C．food D．room
A．filled B．supplied C．decorated D．equipped
A．set off B．held on C．headed for D．broke down
A．rest B．practice C．help D．understanding
A．volunteers B．members C．tourists D．reporters
A．question B．purpose C．decision D．lesson
A．introduced B．expected C．examined D．experienced
A．turn B．limit C．devote D．compare
It’s a small gas station that has snacks, drinks, cigarettes, and candies. The young man behind the counter knows his by name and what they normally want to buy. He treats children and adults with equal . He reads science fiction behind the counter when business is .
One day, three people rushed in and grabbed food off the shelves as fast as they could, not intending to pay for it. He hit the “panic button”, then went over the counter and the front door. It was obvious that they were homeless, and equally obvious that they couldn’t go with their illgotten gains. They the food and simply crowded together in panic—knowing the police were the way.
Imagine what they must have felt like when they were told they didn't have to steal even if they were that . “We have food in the back, expired (到期) but still to eat. If you need food, you have some.”
They were told to what they had dropped and put it back, and then asked to straighten out the mess. They were doing just that the police arrived. The officers were told the situation was under control and the police were no longer .
This wasn't what they had . They were being treated as human beings who could right the wrong they'd done. Shocked, they quickly followed orders to take turns and use the restroom to clean up.
Soon three people walked out with all the their arms could hold. They were that if they needed to come back again they were to ask and not just grab.
And then the young man went back to read until the next customer came in. He would be the person in the
world to claim he was a hero. But he gave the three people something they were in desperate need of—a small amount of selfrespect and a little bit of .
A．friends B．neighbors C．customers D．passengers
A．respect B．pride C．wisdom D．privilege
A．slow B．busy C．heavy D．swift
A．bravely B．reasonably C．hardly D．obviously
A．opened B．locked C．closed D．broke
A．nowhere B．somewhere C．anywhere D．everywhere
A．hid B．lifted C．swallowed D．dropped
A．in B．on C．off D．by
A．anxious B．cautious C．courageous D．hungry
A．safe B．easy C．sweet D．unique
A．must B．can C．should D．need
A．hold up B．hand out C．picks up D．hand in
A．when B．after C．before D．since
A．popular B．necessary C．reliable D．important
A．wanted B．desired C．expected D．admired
A．dirtier B．cleaner C．cleverer D．quicker
A．money B．cigarettes C．drinks D．food
A．reminded B．warned C．ordered D．persuaded
A．first B．last C．best D．worst
A．worry B．advice C．hope D．education
The Town of Pressure and the Town of Pleasure were neighbors but had nothing in common. People built walls to influence from the other town.
In Pressure, tried to be the very best. When women gave birth, they would compete（竞争） to have the baby with the cry. There was competition in every side of life. Because was the index (指数) of success, people were busy making money, with for relaxation. Some young people couldn’t stand it and resorted to drink or drugs to escape.
, over in Pleasure, the motto was “As long as you like it, do it.” People grew up without and do anything they liked. Children played computer games day and night. At school, teachers didn’t whether students appear or not. Workers might sit around the office drinking coffee and doing nothing. rules, nobody worried about losing their jobs. It was that is of great importance. No one had the thought of moving , either for themselves or for the town. The computers they used were models from Pressure.
Some of the young take drugs because of the of their lives. Then, people in the two towns began asking themselves, “What is for?” But, just before life in the two towns completely , there came a saint – Mr. Reason. He went from door to door, talking with people and giving advice. People in Pressure learnt to be with what they had, while people in Pleasure began to make plans. They the walls between them and built a road to connect the two. The towns’ people came to realize the truth—there is no distant space between Pressure and Pleasure if they don’t go to extremes(极端).
A．connect B．keep C．keep out D．protect
A．everyone B．anyone C．nobody D．somebody
A．saddest B．easiest C．loudest D．poorest
A．health B．joy C．children D．wealth
A．rarely B．always C．hardly D．sometimes
A．much time B．no reason C．many reasons D．no time
A．Meanwhile B．Otherwise C．Unfortunately D．Similarly
A．pleasure B．pressure C．work D．happiness
A．must B．need C．could D．should
A．know B．find C．recognize D．care
A．in the morning B．in the evening C．all day long D．in the afternoon
A．Without B．With C．Referring to D．According to
A．money B．time C．pleasure D．pressure
A．backward B．forward C．about D．away
A．the old B．the new C．the best D．the same
A．anxiousness B．homelessness C．happiness D．meaninglessness
A．pressure B．life C．pleasure D．money
A．improved B．failed C．succeeded D．lived
A．satisfied B．surprised C．patient D．angry
A．put up B．put down C．pulled down D．set up