I once had a teacher whose husband died suddenly of heart attack．About a week after his death, she some of her thoughts with a classroom of students．As the late afternoon sunlight shone the classroom windows, and when the class was nearly over, she a few things aside on the edge of her desk and sat down.
With a look on her face，she paused and said，“ class is over，I’d like to share with all of you a deep which I feel is very important．Each of us is put here on to learn，share，love，appreciate and give of ourselves． of us knows when this fantastic experience will ．It can be taken away at any moment．Perhaps this is the God’s of telling us that we must make the of every single day.”
Her eyes were beginning to ，but she went on，“So I would like you all to make me a ：From now on，on your way to school，or on your way home，find something beautiful to ．It doesn't have to be something you see．It could be a of freshly baked bread floating out of someone’s house， or it could be the sound of the soft rustling(沙沙作响)the leaves in the trees…．Please look for these things， and them，for at anytime it can all be taken away．’’
The class was completely ．We all picked up our books and went out of the room silently．That ，I observed many more beautiful things on my way home from school than usual．
Remember：Life is not by the number of breaths we take，but by the moments that take our breath away．
A．learned B．shared C．argued D．discussed
A．onto B．into C．across D．through
A．moved B．brushed C．swept D．pulled
A．surprised B．worried C．gentle D．strange
A．After B．Unless C．Before D．If
A．feeling B．understanding C．love D．memory
A．business B．time C．duty D．earth
A．None B．All C．Each D．Neither
A．happen B．begin C．end D．gain
A．way B．signal C．plan D．joke
A．least B．worst C．lowest D．most
A．ache B．water C．shine D．dry
A．promise B．choice C．wish D．rule
A．buy B．enjoy C．take D．learn
A．smell B．gift C．taste D．sight
A．wind B．hand C．light D．color
A．get B．appreciate C．hide D．follow’
A．puzzled B．excited C．quiet D．anxious
A．morning B．night C．noon D．afternoon
A．wasted B．measured C．saved D．lost
I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and some homeless people frequent the stoplights. I often gave money to the homeless, feeling 36for their bad luck. But later I became a single mom with no home, a huge debt. As a result, I 37giving and became very 38 .
Things started to 39 for me. Again I had a home, and plenty of food, and I started to 40 myself out of debt. One day we saw a homeless person with the 41 , “Will work for food.” I42 . My daughter commented, “Mommy, you 43 to give to those people in 44 .’’ I replied, “Honey, they just use that money for alcohol or other45 things.” She didn’t respond. But when I said that, it didn’t feel right.
Three days later, I was driving to46 up my daughter from school. A man was standing on the corner, and something deep47 me said, “Just help him.”48 I rolled down my window, and he ran over with enthusiasm, saying “God bless you, I only need 77 cents.” I 49into my ashtray and strangely enough, there sat three quarters and two pennies.
I scooped（抓起）it up and gave it to him. He 50 with joy and tears in his51 , “Wow, you just made it 52 for me to see my mom for Christmas! Thank you; the bus that had this great sale is 53 in 20 minutes!” It was a moment I’ll never forget. I think that man won’t forget it either,54 I was the one who got the best 55 in life -- GIVING.
36. A. pleased B. sorry C. nervous D. notable
37. A. stopped B. refused C. considered D. continued
38 A. bitter B. disappointed C. satisfied D. happy
39. A. reform B. decline C. end D. change
40. A. pull B. drive C. persuade D. concern
41. A. gesture B. symbol C. sign D. sentence
42. A. passed by B. gave in C. stood up D. held on
43. A. expected B. attempted C. promised D. used
44. A. shock B. happiness C. comfort D. need
45. A. dim B. bad C. exciting D. anxious
46. A. pick B. look C. ring D. beat
47. A. beside B. inside C. behind D. above
48. A. So B. Otherwise C. However D. Moreover
49. A. climbed B. jumped C. saw D. reached
50. A. turned around B. broke down C. burst out D. spoke up
51. A. eyes B. face C. nose D. mouth
52. A. necessary B. possible C. important D. nice
53. A. taking B. operating C. leaving D. driving
54. A. but B. or C. and D. nor
55. A. award B. message C. gift D. lesson
On a hot day,I decide to mow our extremely hilly lawn. It was likely to 21 a jungle（丛林）with weeds growing wildly. I need to mow it at once.After several false 22 , I had to examine it and finally got our old lawn mower 23 . I was mowing and trying hard to push the machine uphill, which was really a hard job, for the machine was too old to work well. I was so 24 that I complained under my breath, so I decided to take a short break.At the top of a rise, I 25 to see my 12-year-old John Thomas standing there, with a smile on his face and a glass of 26in his hand. "Here, Mom, "he said, "have a drink, Wantme to help you? Dad 27 me work on hte flat places."I 28 the ice water and went to sit in the 29of a tall tree. As I took my drink, I 30 my son. To my surprise, he didn't seem to be 31 the normal mowing pattern. And he kept smiling at me 32 he worked. I wondered 33made him so happy? I thought to myself.After a while, he 34 mowing and looked in my direction. "Hey, Mom. Could you 35here? " "He's always naughty like this, lazy again?" I said to myself 36 . Then I stood up and walked across the lawn, noticing that he had missed a sizable spot. "John, you didn't..." My angry words gradually became 37, for the spot I thought he'd missed had been 38 mowed into the shape of a（an） 39, suddenly I felt something warm and gentle rising from inside."Like it, Mom? It's mine and it's for you." he asked with a big 40 ."Now I'll finish the job."21. A. turn on B. turn into C. turn down D. turn up22. A. starts B. words C. ends D. behavior23. A. work B. move C. going D. flying24. A. cheerful B. tired C. cared D. boring25. A. looked through B. looked over C. looked after D. looked up26. A. hot tea B. chocolate C. milk D. ice water27. A. asks B. allows C. lets D. agrees28. A. drank B. heated C. accepted D. received29. A. shade B. leaves C. root D. top30. A. saw B. watched C. observed D. noticed31. A. feeling B. finding C. following D. feeding32. A. if B. since C. whether D. as33. A. what B. that C. all D. it34. A. continued B. went on C. stopped D. finished35. A. go over B. turn over C. driver over D. come over36. A. happily B. angrily C. eagerly D. anxiously37. A. heavier B. thicker C. louder D. quieter38. A. carefully B. carelessly C. casually D. comfortably39. A.heart B. apple C. hand D. foot40. A. sign B. smile C. surprise D. sigh
The park bench was deserted as I sat down to read beneath an old willow tree. Not 36__ with life, I was down. A young boy out of breath 37me, all tired from play. He stood right before me with his head tilted（倾斜的） down, 38 with great excitement, “Look what I found!”
In his hand was a flower, and what a 39 sight, with its petals（花瓣） all worn－not enough rain, or too little light. 40 him to take his dead flower and go off to play, I 41a small smile and then shifted away. But instead of 42 he sat next to my side and placed the flower to his nose and declared with 43, “It sure smells pretty and it’s beautiful, too. That’s why I 44 it; here, it’s for you.”
The flower before me was dying or dead. But I knew I 45 take it, or he might never leave. So I reached for the flower, and 46, “Just what I need.” But instead of placing the flower in my hand, he 47 it mid－air without reason. It was then that I 48 for the very first time the boy was 49.
I heard my voice shake, tears shone like the sun 50 I thanked him for picking the very best one. He smiled, and then ran off to play, 51of the effect he’d had on my day.
I sat there and 52 how he managed to see a self-pitying woman beneath an old willow tree. How did he know of my self-indulged(放纵的) 53 ? Perhaps from his heart, he'd been blessed with true 54 .
55 the eyes of a blind child, at last I could see, the problem was not with the world; the problem was me. And for all of those times I myself had been blind, I vowed to see beauty, and appreciate every second that's mine.
36．A．excited B．inspired C．content D．disappointed
37．A．approached B．overlooked C．understood D．recognized
38．A．telling B．saying C．informing D．talking
39．A．unique B．rough C．bothering D．pitiful
40．A．Wanting B．Demanding C．Persuading D．Inviting
41．A．presented B．adjusted C．forced D．delivered
42．A．declining B．accepting C．panicking D．quitting
43．A．surprise B．embarrassment C．sympathy D．sorrow
44．A．took B．pulled C．attained D．picked
45．A．should B．can C．may D．must
46．A．announced B．replied C．declared D．whispered
47．A．grasped B．held C．caught D．seized
48．A．observed B．confirmed C．noticed D．concluded
49．A．strange B．blind C．deaf D．unimaginable
50．A．once B．after C．as D．since
51．A．unaware B．unbelievable C．regretful D．regardless
52．A. doubted B. felt C. found D. wondered
53. A. embarrassment B. depression C. hopelessness D. effort
54. A. sense B. hearing C. sight D. ability
55．A．In B．From C．Before D．Through
One topic is rarely mentioned in all the talk of improving standards in our schools: the almost complete failure of foreign-language teaching. As a French graduate who has taught for more than twenty-five years, I believe I have some idea of why the failure is so total. 21 the faults already found out in the education system as a whole — such as child-centred learning, the “discovery” method, and the low expectations by teachers of pupils — there have been several serious 22 which have a direct effect on language teaching.
The first is the removal from the curriculum (课程) of the thorough teaching of English 23 . Pupils now do not know a verb from a noun, the subject of a sentence from its object, or the difference between the past, present, or future.
Another important error is mixed-ability teaching, or teaching in ability groups so 24 that the most able groups are 25 and are bored while the least able are lost and 26 bored. Strangely enough, few head teachers seem to be in favour of mixed-ability school football teams.
Progress depends on memory, and pupils start to forget immediately they stop having 27 lessons. This is why many people who attended French lessons at school, even those who got good grades, have 28 it a few years later. Because they never need it, they do not practice it.
Most American schools have accepted what is inevitable and 29 modern languages, even Spanish, from the curriculum. Perhaps it is time for Britain to do the same, and stop 30 resources on a subject which few pupils want or need.
21. A. Due to B. In addition to C. Instead of D. In spite of
22. A. errors B. situations C. systems D. methods
23. A. vocabulary B. culture C. grammar D. literature
24. A. wide B. similar C. separate D. unique
25. A. kept out B. turned down C. held back D. left behind
26. A. surprisingly B. individually C. equally D. hardly
27. A. extra B. traditional C. basic D. regular
28. A. needed B. forgotten C. practised D. left
29. A. restored B. absorbed C. prohibited D. withdrawn
30. A. wasting B. focusing C. exploiting D. sharing
I used to be ashamed of my grandma. I know that's a 36 thing to say, but it was true until today, so I have to 37 it.
The 38 started when my friend Katy found Grandma's false teeth floating in a glass on the bathroom sink. I was so used to seeing them that I 39 took notice of them. But Katy shouted, laughing and 40 to talk to them. I had to get down on my knees and 41 her to shut up so my grandma wouldn't 42 and get hurt.
After that happened, I 43 there were a million things about Grandma that were embarrassing（令人窘迫）.
Once she took Jill and me out to Burger King. 44 ordering our hamburgers well-done, she told the person behind the counter, "They'll have two Whoppers (巨无霸) well-to-do. " Jill burst out laughing, but I almost 45 .
After a while, I started wishing I could 46 Grandma in a closet. I even complained to my parents. Both my parents said I had to be careful not to make Grandma feel 47 in our home.
Then last Wednesday, something happened that 48 everything completely. My teacher told us to help find interesting old people and 49 them about their 50 for a big Oral History project. I was trying to think of someone when Angie pushed me gently.
"Volunteer your grandmother," she whispered. "She's 51 and rich in experience."
That was the last thing I ever thought Angie would say about my grandma.
This is how I ended up on 52 today interviewing my own grandmother before the whole school assembly (集合). All my friends and teachers were listening to her 53 she was a great heroine. I was 54 of my grandma and hoped she would 55 know that I had been ashamed of her.
36. A. funny B. common C. terrible D. clear
37. A. admit B. receive C. refuse D. show
38. A. quarrel B. accident C. trouble D. adventure
39. A. already B. always C. simply D. hardly
40. A. enjoying B. pretending C. imagining D. continuing
41. A. warn B. demand C. advise D. beg
42. A. mind B. hear C. see D. fall
43. A. expected B. declared C. realized D. doubted
44. A. Because of B. Except for C. Such as D. Instead of
45. A. died B. cheered C. disappeared D. suffered
46. A. meet B. avoid C. arrange D. hide
47. A. independent B. inconvenient C. unwelcome D. unfamiliar
48. A. changed B. finished C. stopped D. Prepared
49. A. interview B. report C. tell D. write
50. A. news B. lives C. advantages D. achievements
51. A. free B. popular C. interesting D. embarrassing
52. A. show B. stage C. duty D. time
53. A. and then B. even if C. so that D. as if
54. A. sure B. proud C. ashamed D. afraid
55. A. never B. even C. still D. once