I used to believe in the American Dream, which meant a job, a mortgage (按揭), credit cards, success. I wanted it and worked toward it like everyone else, all of us chasing the same thing.
One year, through a series of unhappy events, it all fell . I found myself homeless and alone. I had my truck and $56. I the countryside for some place I could rent for the possible amount. I came upon a shabby house four miles up a winding mountain road the Potomac River in West Virginia. It was , full of broken glass and rubbish. I found the owner ,rented it, and a corner to camp in.
The locals knew nothing about me, slowly, they started teaching me the of being a neighbor. They dropped off blankets, candles, and tools, and began to chat. They started to teach me a belief in a American Dream—not the one of individual achievement but of .
What I had believed in, all those things I thought were for a civilized life, were nonexistent in this place. on the mountain, my most valuable possessions were my with my neighbors.
Four years later, I moved back into . I saw many people were having a really hard time, their jobs and homes. I managed to rent a big enough house to a handful of people .There are four of us now in the house, but over time I’ve had nine people come in and move on to other places. We’d all be in if we hadn’t banded together.（团结起来）
The American Dream I believe in now is a shared one. It’s not so much about what I can get for myself; it’s about we can all get by together.
A．equally B．separately C．violently D．naturally
A．off B． over C．apart D．out
A．searched B．left C．toured D．crossed
A．cheapest B．largest C．fairest D．fullest
A．at B．through C．over D．round
A．occupied B．abandoned C．emptied D．robbed
A．turned B．approached C．cut D．cleared
A．but B．although C．otherwise D．for
A．benefit B．lesson C．nature D．art
A．looking B．staying C．swinging D．turning
A．wild B．real C．different D．remote
A．neighborliness B．happiness C．friendliness D．kindness
A．unique B．expensive C．rare D．necessary
A．Down B．Up C．Deep D．Along
A．cooperation B．relationships C．satisfaction D．appointments
A．reality B．society C．town D．life
A．creating B．losing C．quitting D．offering
A．put in B．turn in C．take in D．get in
A．yards B．shelters C．camps D．cottages
A．when B．what C．whether D．how
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
My job was to make classroom observations and encourage a training program that would enable students to feel good about themselves and take charge of their lives. Donna was one of the volunteer teachers who participated in this 36 .
One day, I entered Donna’s classroom, took a seat in the back of the room and 37 . All the students were working 38a task. The student next to me was filling her page with “I Can’ts.” “I can’t kick the soccer ball.” “I can’t get Debbie to like me.” Her page was half full and she showed no 39 of stopping. I walked down the row and found 40 was writing sentences, describing things they couldn’t do.
By this time the activity aroused my 41 , so I decided to check with the teacher to see what was going on 42 I noticed she too was busy writing. “I can’t get John’s mother to come for a parents’ meeting.” …… I felt it best not to 43 .
After another ten minutes, the students were 44 to fold the papers in half and bring them to the front. They placed their “I Can’t” statements into an empty shoe box. Then Donna
45 hers. She put the lid on the box, tucked it under her arm and headed out the door. Students followed the teacher. I followed the students. Halfway down the hallway Donna got a shovel from the tool house, and then marched the students to the farthest corner of the playground. There they began to 46 . The box of “I Can’ts” was placed at the 47 of the hole and then quickly covered with dirt. At this point Donna announced, “Boys and girls, please join hands and 48 your heads.” They quickly formed a circle around the grave.
Donna delivered the eulogy (悼词). “Friends, we gathered here today to 49 the memory of ‘I Can’t.’ He is 50 by his brothers and sisters ‘I Can’ and ‘I Will’. May ‘I Can’t’ rest in 51 . Amen!”
She turned the students 52 and marched them back into the classroom. They celebrated the 53 of “I Can’t”. Donna cut a large tombstone from paper. She wrote the words “I Can’t” at the top and the date at the bottom, then hung it in the classroom. On those rare occasions when a student 54 and said, “I Can’t,” Donna 55 pointed to the paper tombstone. The student then remembered that “I Can’t” was dead and chose other statement.
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Carolyn Stradley is the founder of C&S Paving Ine.(铺路公司)in Atlanta,USA.In the following account,she recalls the job that challenged her 36 and skill but left her flying high.
“When the Atlanta Airport was under 37in 1979,we were a new company struggling to make it.National Car Rental wanted to have 2500 square meters of dirt paved 38 the cars could be on site 39 the airport opened,and the official opening was only ten days away! 40 other local paving company wanted to do the job, 41 it couldn’t be done in such a short time.”
“Because we were new and really needed the work,we were 42 to try harder.We gave National Car Rental our offer and 43 our best effort to get the job finished within ten days.We also 44 them that if we failed,they would be no worse off, 45 they had plenty to gain if we succeeded.”
“We got the job and immediately went into 46 .Working at night needed lights,so I rented a machine to produce electricity for the site.Our 47 challenge was to keep the rock mixture 48 enough.All the available water wagons(洒水车)were rented out for the airport construction,and we certainly couldn’t afford to buy a new one. 49 ,I got a special 50 to rent fire engine hoses(消防水龙带)and connect them to nearby hydrants(消防);then I 51 held one of those hoses to 52 down the rock.”
“Those ten days were filled with challenges that 53 one creative idea after another.Nine days later,the night before the airport opened,National Car Rental was the 54 company that had cars on the parking lot.”
“The key to our success was having the 55 to take on any job and then being creative in our approach to getting it done.”
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| A．while | B．since | C．where | D．when |
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When I was young,my parents ran a snack bar in our small town.
One evening in early April,my mother told me to fill in at the snack bar 36a worker who had the flu.I told her I would mess it up, 37 I had never worked at the bar before.I 38
that instead of making money,I would end up owing it.
“You can do it,”said my mother.“ 39 ,you won’t get much business until lunch.”
“But I’ll never remember the orders,and I’m no good___40_money.Please,Mom,don’t
41 me.”
“Then I’ll help you,”she said.
I shrugged my shoulders.I thought my mother’s 42 was a bad one,but I 43 .
When I got to the bar the next day,I found my mother was 44 .Because the weather that day was rainy and cold,people wanted hot snacks and drinks. 45 ,I was really slow at taking the orders and making change.The line of people grew,and everybody seemed 46 .I was so nervous that my hands shook,and I 47a cup into pieces.What a mess!Then my mother came to 48 me,and she also showed me how to make 49 .If someone gave me $5 for something that cost $3.25,I handed over 50 quarters and a dollar and said,“75 cents makes four dollars,plus one dollar makes five.”Things went more 51 after that.
By the end of the day,I could remember orders, 52 the bill,and make change quickly with a smile.I was even a little 53 when the sun came out and dried up business.My mother said she was proud of me,and when she 54 that I work at the snack bar again next year,I did not even shrug.I was too busy 55 the restaurant I would open one day.
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Many years ago,I owned a service station and roadhouse on the main road between Melbourne and Adelaide.
One very cold,wet night at about 3:30 a.m.,there was a 41 on the front door of our house.A young man,wet from 42 to toe,explained that he had 43 out of petrol about 30 km up the road.He had left his pregnant(怀孕的) wife and his two children 44 at the car and said that he would hitchhike(搭便车) back.
Once I had 45a can with petrol,I took him back to his car where his two-year-old and four-year-old children were both 46 ,saying that they were cold.Once the car had started,I suggested that he 47 me back.
Before leaving,I had turned the heater 48in the roadhouse,so that when we went in,it was nice and 49 .While the little ones played and ran 50 ,I prepared bread and butter for the children,and hot chocolate for the 51 .
It was about 5 a.m. before they 52 .The young fellow asked me how much he 53
me and I told him that the petrol pump(加油泵) had 54 $15.He offered to pay “call-out fee”,but I wouldn’t accept it.
About a month later,I received a 55 from Interstate,a large bus company that we bad been trying to 56 to stop off at our roadhouse for a long time.It 57 out that the young fellow I had helped was its general manager,the most 58 person in the company.
In his letter,he thanked me again and 59 me that,from then on,all their buses would stop at my service station.In this 60 ,a little bit of kindness was rewarded with a huge amount of benefits.
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Roberta appeared on the stage.She took a deep breath and began to 16 .Now she was Portia,a strong-willed 17in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.The theater was filled with people.She was speaking with a power she had never before experienced,the words flowing
18 from her.
19 .Roberta had never acted in her life before the audition(选拔试演).She 20 being in front of other people.She was very 21 at school.She had never thought she was good enough at anything to 22 much attention.She stayed mostly to herself,making 23 friends.She had excellent grades, 24 she always thought that something was missing.
Two weeks before the audition,Roberta’s mother had heard about it and 25 her to join in.
“I can’t think of anyone else better suited to 26 the part.Remember all the plays you used to act out for us?”
Roberta looked down.“I’m not interested.”
Her mother wouldn’t let the 27 drop.“You’re just a little scared(害怕).Everyone gets scared.You know you 28 do it.The trick is to look past the 29 to find the love of what you’re doing.”
So Roberta had made an appointment(预约)with the head of the Drama Club.She had read the play and found herself excited by the 30 of speaking such rich words.In secret she practiced Portia’s part, 31 the lines by repeating them over and over.It wasn’t hard;she 32 every minute of it.Every time she spoke the words,she had a new 33 of the lines,as if Shakespeare had written Portia on many levels.
On the day of the audition,she 34 two of Portia’s famous speeches for the auditors.When she had finished,the head of the Drama Club announced the 35 was hers.
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