While Christmas shopping in a jewelry store, I discovered a table of golden ornaments (饰品) on sale. So beautiful in 41 ,each had a personality of its own. I looked through hundreds of pieces, 42 a few and took them home.
I was afraid that they would disappear among other 43 gifts of a Christmas tree, 44 I used them to decorate wreaths (花环). When I stood back to 45 my work, a thought crossed my mind: Wouldn’t some of our family and friends like these, too?
I raced back to the jewelry store to discover that the piles of ornaments had been 46 even further. This time I bought dozens, as I 47 the many people who might enjoy one for the holidays.
I 48 began my creative project. While I tied lovely bows and glued golden ornaments, my mind 49 to Christmases past, how special each had been. I thought about others perhaps not so 50 . Some people in our community 51 had a family to share the joy of Christmas. Some didn’t 52 with holiday decorations.
I nodded my head in determined 53 . They would be at the top of my list to receive a little wreath. 54 the plan my husband showed great enthusiasm (热情) and we set out together to put it into 55 .
We visited the aged, the widowed (寡居的) and the lonely. Each one was 56 at our cheerful stop and 57 hung our small gifts — often the 58 signs of celebration in their homes.
After several days, I realized we had made and given almost two hundred wreaths. Decorated with 59 and delivered with delight, they filled many homes and hearts with the joy of Christmas. We were glad that our 60 did make sense and we found our Christmas spirit in doing and giving.
A.design B.concept C.condition D.form
A.checked B.selected C.transformed D.charged
A.huge B.fancy C.expensive D.valueless
A.however B.therefore C.otherwise D.still
A.envy B.polish C.admire D.undertake
A.reduced B.emptied C.sorted D.cleared
A.worried about B.thought of C.cared for D.watch over
A.bitterly B.naturally C.eagerly D.curiously
A.appealed B.opened C.crossed D.wandered
A.fortunate B.wealthy C.energetic D.comfortable
A.sometimes B.ever C.often D.never
A.bother B.serve C.compare D.play
A.surprise B.disappointment C.satisfaction D.shame
A.In B.At C.On D.About
A.effect B.action C.reality D.consideration
A.shocked B.scared C.embarrassed D.excited
A.without delay B.as usual C.on purpose D.in turn
A.common B.universal C.only D.standard
A.hope B.pardon C.luck D.love
A.devotion B.courage C.kindness D.support
Childish Voice
When I was a young child, my parents often told me that it was time that taught a man everything. I didn’t understand and wondered why ______had such a big influence ______a person. I thought I could grow up quickly to find it out as a result. But now, _____i come to knock at the door of adulthood, I feel _____to express my own _____on this saying. I know that I’m just a high school student with very _____experience. There are still many things ______me in the future, yet I would like to express myself in a childish voice.
I once read this sentence, “To make this world a happy place to live, you’d better ______yourself and your heart, instead of the whole world.” I was shocked. It made me think about life ______. There are so many things around us that ______our will. We can’t force life ______our wishes. The earth won’t stop turning no matter whether we ______it or not. What we can do is just to make ourselves ______the world. I think we should learn to accept _____life gives us, no matter whether it’s the spring sunlight or the winter snowfall, and try to be happy.
Deeply moved by the pop song grandmother, I always try to ______every pleasant thing in life, but now I see I don’t catch most of the pleasant moments. It is more ______ that they slip by and leave you feeling ______. I realized that I’m not just living _____myself and that there are the others around me I should think of. They all pay attention to my growing up, even if it’s just little progress.
Everyone has his or her own attitude towards life, positive or ______. It doesn’t matter, I think. There is one _____ that should be obeyed and that’s to make this world better.
A.man B.time C.thing D.parent
A.about B.with C.on D.in
A.before B.after C.as D.when
A.anxious B.worried C.tired D.glad
A.beliefs B.opinions C.confidences D.expressions
A.a few B.little C.few D.a little
A.waiting for B.sticking with C.dealing with D.doing with
A.ask B.change C.exchange D.force
A.myself B.itself C.oneself D.themselves
A.go with B.go along C.go ahead D.go against
A.being followed B.to be followed C.to be following D.to follow
A.receive B.accept C.refuse D.approve
A.fit B.suit C.beat D.match
A.what B.whatever C.which D.why
A.miss B.catch C.escape D.lose
A.probably B.likely C.possibly D.unlikely
A.regretful B.awful C.successful D.terrible
A.for B.by C.on D.with
A.wrong B.false C.negative D.true
A.point B.rule C.thing D.word
Predictions of many robots in industry have yet come true. For ten years or more, manufacturers of big robots have explained how their machines can make industry more competitive and productive. The maker for ______ robots is oversupplied now, and the driving force of the robotics revolution is __
__ to be with maker of machines that handle a few kilos at most.
“ Heavy-robot manufacturers are in some difficulty ______ finding customers. They are offering big ___
___ just to get in the door. There has been a ___
___ growth everywhere in the numbers of robots, so we admit we are either deceiving ___
___or that the market is slowly growing,” said John Reekie, chairman of Colen Robotics. “The following things must happen ___
__ the robotics revolution to occur. We must achieve widespread robot literacy. ___
___ there has been a computer ___
__program, there must be a robot literacy program. __
___, some kind of artificial intelligence needs to be ___
___.
Colen makes educational robots and machine tools. It is small _____ with companies like ASEA or Fujitsu Fanuc. But Colen with others in departments in universities such as Sirrey, Manchester, and Durham possesses an advantage ___
__ the giants. The big companies sell very expensive ___
__to nosiness with expert knowledge of automation. The ___
__companies make robots for teaching people, and now they have realized that there is a need for small, ___
__robots that they can meet.
The little companies either bring their educational machines ______ an industrial standard or design from the start. One technique that they all adopt is to choose ___
__ components when possible. The major cost making ___
___their models is the electronics, which will fall in price. There is __
___scope for reductions in mechanical costs. The use of standard parts, which are easily placed, should give these robots a mechanical life of something in the order of five years.
A. small B. educational C. big D. business
A. claimed B. called C. thought D. told
A. to B. with C. over D. in
A. money B. discounts C. prices D. costs
A. exciting B. encouragingC. satisfying D. disappointing
A. ourselves B. customers C. companies D. us
A. to B. for C. in D. with
A. As if B. Even though C. Just as D. Although
A. custom B. literacy C. poem D. tradition
A. However B. Finally C. Whereas D. Because
A. capable B. possible C. probable D. available
A. compared B. comparing C. contrasted D. contrasting
A. than B. above C. over D. from
A. tools B. robots C. machines D. electronics
A. other B. big C. little D. robot
A. expensive B. artificial C. educational D. low-cost
A. up-to B. onC. inD. about
A. mechanical B. standard C. cheap D. small
A. much B. manyC. both D. some
A. more B. less C. no D. least
Evelyn Glennie was the first lady of solo percussion in Scotland. In an interview, she recalled howshe became a percussion soloist(打击乐器独奏演员)in spite of her disability.
“Early on I decided not to allow the of others to stop me from becoming a misician. I grew up on a farm in the northeast Scotland and began
piano lessons when I was eight. The older I got, the more my passion for music grew. But also began to gradually lose my
. Doctors concluded that the nerve damage was the
and by age twelve, I was completely deaf. But my love for music never
me.”
“My was to become a percussion soloist, even though there were none at that time. To perform, I
to ‘hear’ music differently from others. I play in my stocking feet and can
the pitch of note by the vibrations I feel through my body and through my
. My entire sound world exists by making use of almost every
that I have.
“I was to be assessed as a musician, not as a deaf musician, and I applied to the famous Royal Academy of music in London. No other deaf student had
this before and some teachers
my admission. Based on my performance, I was
admitted and went on to
with the Academy’s hignest honours.”
“After that, I established myself as the first fulltime solo percussionist. I and arranged a lot of musical compositions since
had been written specially for solo percussionist.”
“I have been a soloist for over ten years. the doctor thought I was totally deaf, it didn’t
that my passion couldn’t be realized. I would encourage people not to allow themselves to be
by others. Follow your passion; follow your heart. They will lead you to the place you want to go.”
A. conditions B. opinions C. actions D. recommendations
A. enjoying B. choosing C. taking D. giving
A. sight B. hearing C. touch D. taste
A. evidence B. result C. excuseD. cause
A. left B. excited C. accompanied D. disappointed
A. purpose B. decision C. promise D. goal
A. turned B. learned C. usedD. ought
A. tell B. seeC. hearD. smell
A. carefulness B. movement C. imagination D. experience
A. sence B. effort C. feeling D. idea
A. dissatisfiedB. astonished C. determined D. discouraged
A. done B. accepted C. advised D. admitted
A. supported B. followed C. required D. opposed
A. usually B. finally C. possibly D. hopefully
A. study B. research C. graduate D. progress
A. wroteB. translatedC. copiedD. read
A. enough B. someC. many D. few
A. However B. Although C. When D. Since
A. mean B. seem C. conclude D. say
A. directed B. guidedC. taught D. limited
The concept of solitude(独处)in the digital world is almost non-existent. In the world of digital technology, e-mail, social networking and online video games, information is meant to be . Solitude can be hard to discover it has been given up. In this respect, new technologies have our culture.
The desire to be connected has brought solitude to a(n) as we’ve known it. People have become so in the world of networks and connections that one can often be contacted they’d rather not be. Today we can talk, text, e-mail, chat and blog, not only from our
, but from our mobile phones as well.
Most developed nations have become on digital technology simply because they’ve grown accustomed to it, and at this point not
it would make them an outsider. , many jobs and careers require people to be . from this point of view, technology has changed the culture of work. Being reachable might feel like a to those who may not want to be able to be contacted at all times.
I suppose the positive side is that solitude is still possible for anyone who wants it. Computers can be shut and mobile phones can be turned off. The ability to be “connected” and “on” has many , on mountains, and mobile phones have saved countless lives. They can also make people feel and forced to answer unwanted calls or to unwanted texts.
Attitudes towards our connectedness as a society across generations. Some find today’s technology a gift. Others consider it a curse. Regardless of anyone’s view on the subject, it’s hard to imagine what life would be like daily advancements in technology.
A.updated B.received C.shared D.collected
A.though B.until C.once D.before
A.respected B.shaped C.ignored D.preserved
A.edge B.stage C.end D.balance
A.sensitive B.intelligent C.considerate D.reachable
A.even if B.only if C.as if D.if only
A.media B.computers C.databases D.monitors
A.bent B.hard C.keen D.dependent
A.finding B.using C.protecting D.changing
A.Also B.Instead C.Otherwise D.Somehow
A.connected B.trained C.recommended D.interested
A.pleasure B.benefit C.burden D.disappointment
A.slightly B.hardly C.merely D.really
A.out B.down C.up D.in
A.aspects B.weaknesses C.advantages D.exceptions
A.hidden B.lost C.relaxed D.deserted
A.trapped B.excited C.confused D.amused
A.turn B.submit C.object D.reply
A.vary B.arise C.spread D.exist
A.beyond B.within C.despite D.without
We all know that some things are obviously right. For example, it is right to be to other people. It is also right to look after the environment. Some things are wrong, too. For instance, we should not hurt or bully(欺负)others, nor should we litter. Rules often tell us what is right or wrong.
Rules can help the public make the right , and remain safe. Car drivers have to obey traffic regulations that tell them the right things to do on the road to avoid crashes. Cyclists who give signals before turning or stopping help prevent .
If people follow rules without taking other matters into consideration, it will be for them to form what is sometimes called a “black and white” view. For example, they may believe that people should always tell the truth, and that lying is acceptable. Such people always stick to their views, even if it means that they may get into .
Sometimes it may not be so easy to know what is right or wrong. Some people choose not to eat meat because they believe that it is
to eat animals, but others argue that they can eat meat and
be kind to animals; some insist that stealing is always wrong, but others think that one does not need to feel so when stealing some food to eat, if he lives in a really poor area and he is .
Rules help us live together in harmony, because they show us the right way to (13) others. However, some people argue that rules may be
, having observed that rules change all the time, and that some schools have some regulations and others have different ones—so who is to what is right?
A.kind B.sensitive C.fair D.generous
A.equally B.slightly C.clearly D.increasingly
A.suggestions B.conclusions C.turns D.choices
A.accidents B.mistakes C.falls D.deaths
A.interesting B.vital C.easy D.valuable
A.seldom B.rarely C.merely D.never
A.trouble B.power C.prison D.control
A.roughly B.eventually C.deliberately D.exactly
A.awful B.cruel C.unhealthy D.unnecessary
A.kind B.sensitive C.fair D.generous
A.nervous B.anxious C.afraid D.guilty
A.begging B.starving C.growing D.wandering
A.follow B.instruct C.treat D.protect
A.disgusting B.confusing C.unsafe D.unimportant
A.predict B.explain C.decide D.consider