I’d been 16 for six days and was already prepared to deal with failure.
I remember that, when my mum me that morning, her voice wasn’t as screaming as it usually was. She had been for more than one hour getting everything ready, and I could feel she was me at the same time.
I stayed in bed for a few minutes. I was to leave its warmth and to face the suffering that I’d rather let myself forget for the past months. Finally, I dragged myself .
The first thing I thought of after getting up was to . I went to the kitchen and prepared a breakfast that was fairly , but was still too big for my appetite that day. I kept telling myself that I eat. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and this wasn’t a(n) day. Besides maybe it would me a little. But I doubted it. I left the kitchen because even the made me feel sick.
I finished getting ready and tried to settle down. It didn’t , so I decided that my mum and I should go. We had time, so I thought we could practise parking. I , with the wheel hitting the pavement. After that, the little bit of confidence I had was . I tried two more times, but did not improve much. Then we went towards the driving site.
I waited twenty minutes---just enough time to make myself believe that I was going to fail. Then, finally, it was my . I wasn’t sure of myself at all. I just wanted to get it over and make sure that I had to come back next Thursday.
The first thing I had to do was parking, which I did quite well. The that came with it hit me like a wave. The rest of the test went well and I passed it.
The of my mum made her face softer. I knew her worry was gone and she was happy for me.
A．cried B．woke C．told D．shouted
A．up B．over C．out D．in
A．smiling at B．worrying about C．looking at D．talking with
A．sad B．eager C．unwilling D．willing
A．convenience B．friendship C．quiet D．comfort
A．out of bed B．onto bed C．into bed D．in bed
A．eat B．rest C．drink D．work
A．large B．small C．delicious D．good
A．might B．could C．should D．hated
A．important B．necessary C．lucky D．ordinary
A．calm B．hurt C．stop D．like
A．milk B．bread C．smoke D．smells
A．work B．do C．calm D．use
A．little B．plenty of C．no D．a little
A．cried B．succeeded C．failed D．left
A．back B．gone C．there D．greater
A．start B．office C．race D．test
A．try B．turn C．car D．chance
A．happiness B．pride C．confidence D．disappointment
A．tears B．lines C．smiles D．eyes
On August 26, 1999, New York City experienced a torrential downpour. The rain caused the streets to __16__ and the subway system almost came to a stop.
Unfortunately, this happened during the morning rush hour. Many people who were going to work were __17__ to go home. Some battled to __18__ a taxi or to get on a bus. Still others faced the __19__ bravely, walking miles to get to work.
I __20__ to be one of the people on the way to work that morning. I went from subway line to subway line only to find that most __21__ had stopped. After making my way __22__ crowds of people, I finally found a subway line that was _23__. Unfortunately, there were so many people waiting to __24__ the subway that I could not even get down the stairs to the __25__. So I took the train going in the opposite direction, and then switch back to the downtown train. Finally, after what seemed like an forever journey, the train __26_ my stop. Then I had to walk several blocks in the increasingly heavy rain. When I finally got to my office, I was __27__ through, exhausted and __28__.
My co-workers and I spent most of the day drying off. When it was 5:00 pm，I was ready to go home. I was about to turn off my computer __29__ I received an email from Garth, my Director:
I would like to thank all of you who made the effort and __ 30__ reported to work. It is always reassuring(令人欣慰), at times like these, when employees so clearly show their __31__ to their jobs. Thank you.
Garth’s email was short, but I learned more from that __32__ message than I ever did from a textbook. The email taught me that a few words of __33__ can make a big difference. The rainstorm and the traffic __34__ had made me tired and upset. But Garth’s words immediately__35__ me and put a smile back on my face.
A．break B．flood C．sink D．crash
A．forced B．refused C．adjusted D．gathered
A．order B．pay C．call D．search
A．climate B．scenery C．storm D．burden
A．used B．promised C．deserved D．happened
A．practice B．routine C．process D．service
A．to B．through C．over D．for
A．operating B．cycling C．turning D．rushing
A．check B．carry C．find D．board
A．street B．ground C．floor D．platform
A．paused B．crossed C．reached D．parked
A．wet B．weak C．sick D．hurt
A．ashamed B．discouraged C．surprised D．puzzled
A．while B．when C．where D．after
A．hardly B．casually C．absolutely D．eventually
A．devotion B．donation C．connection D．reaction
A．accurate B．urgent C．brief D．humorous
A．promise B．appreciation C．advice D．guidance
A．troubles B．signals C．rules D．signs
A．corrected B．supported C．amazed D．refreshed
This is my third story．When I was seventeen, I 36 a quote （引文） that went something like, " If you live each day 37 it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right．" Since then, for the past thirty-three years, I've looked 38 the mirror every morning and asked myself, "If today were the last day of my life, what would I do ?" And when there was no answer for too many days in a 39 , I know I need to change something．
About a year ago I 40 from cancer．The doctors told me it was incurable, and that I should 41 to live no longer than three to six months．They advised me to get my 42 in order, which is doctors' code （代名词） for "prepare to 43 "．Later when the doctors 44 the cells taken from my pancreas （胰腺） under a microscope, they found it turned out to be a very rare form of cancer that is 45 with surgery．I had the surgery and, 46 , I'm fine now．
This was the closest I've been to facing 47 , and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades．Death is the destination we all 48 ．No one has ever escaped it．And that is 49 it should be, because death is very likely the single 50 invention of life．It clears out the old to make 51 for the new．Your time is limited, so don't waste it living 52 life．Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out （ 盖过） your own inner 53 ．And most importantly, have the courage to 54 your heart and intuition （直觉）．They55 already know what you truly want to become．Everything else is secondary．
A．wrote B．described C．expressed D．read
A．now that B．even though C．as if D．as long as
A．in B．at C．through D．on
A．row B．minute C．sense D．word
A．recovered B．kept C．fell D．suffered
A．desire B．prepare C．expect D．wait
A．office B．affairs C．money D．documents
A．work B．die C．act D．start
A．witnessed B．noticed C．confirmed D．viewed
A．curable B．possible C．acceptable D．suitable
A．immediately B．gradually C．thankfully D．hopefully
A．cancer B．death C．life D．success
A．share B．desert C．admire D．avoid
A．when B．while C．as D．since
A．oldest B．best C．newest D．worst
A．preparations B．progress C．plans D．way
A．your B．anyone else's C．his D．someone else's
A．voice B．world C．heart D．trouble
A．touch B．follow C．open D．accept
A．otherwise B．anyway C．somehow D．therefore
After seating myself in my room and turning on my computer, I noticed a Post-it note stuck to my monitor(显示器). It read, “Don’t 36 your computer. You stayed up until midnight doing your homework last night.—Mom.” I 37 the note into the wastebasket. “Why do they 38 ?” I thought. “They’re never here anyway.”
Right after high school started, I almost 39 contact with my parents. With all their business 40 , they asked the neighbors to watch over me. Of course, the neighbors didn’t do such a(n) 41 job, as they had kids of their own to worry about. The only means of 42 between me and my parents was through Post-it notes.
After spending about eight hours away from home, I usually came home to find the house 43 empty. It made me sad. I would come home from school to be welcomed by 44 , to talk to no one and to be watched over by my neighbors. That was when I started 45 more clubs and staying after school more often 46 I didn’t have to feel so lonely. Luckily, at school, my friends were there 47 me. They were all there to give me a 48 or talk with me when I wanted to talk. I felt 49 when I was at school. Yet, something was still 50 — my parents.
Now I realize that nobody can 51 my parents. I wish that they would be there at home, 52 me to come back from school. There are 53 things my parents don’t know about me. I wish that they actually had a(n) 54 to understand me. I want them to understand that they’re my parents and I’m their kid and I 55 them.
A．go through B．depend on C．put up D．turn on
A．showed B．threw C．led D．pulled
A．check B．know C．care D．speak
A．lost B．built C．wanted D．regained
A．designs B．dreams C．trips D．partners
A．free B．easy C．careless D．good
A．communication B．behavior C．change D．love
A．suddenly B．almost C．completely D．necessarily
A．everybody B．anybody C．somebody D．nobody
A．creating B．joining C．finding D．serving
A．though B．if C．or D．so
A．in B．after C．for D．without
A．hand B．wish C．suggestion D．reason
A．friendly B．noisy C．useful D．great
A．disappointing B．missing C．hateful D．possible
A．look forward to B．think highly of C．take the place of D．look down upon
A．referring to B．turning to C．looking at D．waiting for
A．too many B．too few C．a couple of D．a few
A．excuse B．chance C．task D．place
A．support B．follow C．hate D．need
I moved to a new neighborhood two months ago. In the house with a large 16 across the road lived a taxi driver, a single parent with two school-age children. At the end of the day, he would17 his taxi on the road. I18 why he did not park it in the garage.
Then, one day I learnt that he had another car in his garage. In the afternoon he would come home19 work, leave his taxi and go out for his 20 affairs in his other car, not in his taxi. I felt it was 21.
I was curious to see his personal car but did not make it until I 22 to be outside one evening two weeks 23 , when the garage door was 24 and he drove out in his “own” car: a Rolls-Royce（劳斯莱斯）! It shook me completely 25 I realized what that meant. You see, he was a taxi driver. But 26 inside, he saw himself as something else: a Rolls-Royce owner and a（n） 27 . He drove others in his taxi but himself and his children in his Rolls-Royce. The world looked at his taxi and 28 him a taxi driver. But for him, a taxi was just something he drove for a living. Rolls-Royce was something he drove for a（n） 29 .
We go to bed every night and 30 every morning as parents or children, not as bankers, CEOs or professors. We go for a 31 as close friends or go for a vacation as a 32 . We love life as it is. Yet often, we base our entire happiness and success on how high we 33 the social ladder(阶梯)—how much bigger and better a 34 we have. And we ignore(忽视)our Rolls-Royce, by keeping it dusty in our garage. We should focus more on 35 we are than what we do!
A．window B．garage C．door D．yard
A．park B．stop C．check D．repair
A．knew B．understood C．asked D．wondered
A．for B．out of C．without D．from
A．business B．national C．personal D．public
A．wasteful B．meaningful C．wonderful D．plentiful
A．appeared B．intended C．expected D．happened
A．later B．more C．ago D．before
A．broken B．fine C．shut D．open
A．once B．before C．when D．until
A．far B．deep C．long D．little
A．driver B．engineer C．father D．son
A．called B．made C．elected D．turned
A．experience B．earning C．life D．position
A．stay up B．wake up C．stay home D．go home
A．competition B．performance C．debate D．party
A．family B．company C．team D．whole
A．build B．climb C．stand D．lay
A．house B．garage C．car D．taxi
A．who B．what C．which D．where
I woke up the other day to find that 10 inches of freshly fallen snow was waiting for me outside my door. The flakes were still __36__ heavily too. I didn’t want my little dogs __37__ in it, so I reluctantly __38__ on my heavy coat and grabbed the snow shovel to make a __39__. I had only gotten a bit done, however, _40_ the handle of my old snow shovel __41__ with a “snap”. Laughing and shaking my head, I _42_ to wait out the storm for a while.
It was late in the afternoon when the snow finally __43__ and I trudged(跋涉) over to my Dad’s house to borrow his shovel and _44__ again. By then the 10 inches of snow had turned into a foot and a half. I started out slow setting a steady __45__ and stopping to rest whenever my back started to ache. After a while, though, the __46__ finally broke and the sun peeked out to __47__ me on. The work seemed a lot easier then even though it was still __48__. I even sang a few Christmas carols and __49__ while I cleared out the drives, cleaned off the cars, and shoveled out the paths. After an hour of hard work the job was finally done. _50_, I let the child that still lives __51__ of me fall back into the snow and _52_ a snow angel for the angels in Heaven to see. It felt good walking back to my house after a job well done. It felt even better _53__ around at this wonderful world of white.
I don’t know why life sometimes gives us spring days and sometimes dumps a ton of snow in us. I do know, __54_, that we can pray, laugh, love, and choose _55__ through it all.
A．falling B．floating C．piling D．flying
A．missing B．running C．hiding D．drowning
A．pulled B．dragged C．drew D．pushed
A．difference B．discovery C．path D．snowman
A．until B．when C．once D．as
A．crashed B．bent C．slipped D．broke
A．decided B．hoped C．continued D．hesitated
A．disappeared B．froze C．stopped D．melted
A．clear B．try C．check D．think
A．development B．rate C．step D．pace
A．clouds B．shovel C．sky D．trees
A．overlook B．cheer C．shine D．watch
A．heavy B．cold C．warm D．bright
A．danced B．jumped C．stopped D．smiled
A．Laughing B．Crying C．Resting D．Wandering
A．outside B．inside C．beyond D．above
A．catch B．find C．make D．pretend
A．looking B．walking C．turning D．wondering
A．anyway B．still C．then D．however
A．fate B．determination C．joy D．luck