I met Billy the last summer before college. He was handsome and his irreverence(玩世不恭) was to me. We liked each other the first instant we met. , I was a straight A student and my parents had high hopes for me to an Ivy League (常春藤联盟) school. Billy did not concentrate all his attention his study and school life. However, we were in love --- so teenager love. I still remember we had a plan for prom(舞会). It was understood that we had about where we would dance and drink and party together.
This meant one thing to my parents---panic. And it grew as the letters began to roll in. Of the eleven schools I applied to, nine accepted me. And one of them was Brown University---the Ivy League in 1770 in historic Providence, Rhode Island.
There was no that I was drawn to Brown, but Billy (who had joined the army) was down south and I had offers for me there, too. I was torn between my love for him and my family .
One week the start of school, my mother had a talk with me. She said I was eighteen years old and I had a to make--- one that went beyond the choice of to attend university.
In August, I and drove north to Providence. It took several months to that my life was moving on in a way that was completely different from Billy’s. Brown changed my life, opening doors and giving me the I now use to think, to learn and to write. Life is always about it seems, and the older I get, the more I understand this. Still, there are times when I think of Billy because he taught me about love.
A．confusing B．disturbing C．appealing D．amusing
A．Unfortunately B．Actually C．Luckily D．Originally
A．leave B．start C．finish D．attend
A．in B．at C．on D．from
A．special B．crazy C．wrong D．normal
A．talked B．looked C．lied D．argued
A．description B．rejection C．application D．acceptance
A．constructed B．assessed C．assisted D．informed
A．point B．use C．doubt D．need
A．left B．sent C．exposed D．employed
A．waiting B．asking C．hoping D．searching
A．tradition B．connection C．reputation D．expectation
A．before B．after C．at D．since
A．plan B．decision C．rule D．promise
A．out B．away C．far D．deep
A．when B．where C．whether D．how
A．got up B．packed up C．looked up D．turned up
A．foresee B．imagine C．realize D．consider
A．chances B．position C．equipment D．tools
A．surprises B．adventures C．opportunities D．choices
I lived next door to Debbie and her 84-year-old mother, Nan, for about six months. One night last summer, Debbie asked me to check on her mother because she worked the overnight shift (夜班) at a nursing home.
I was glad to help. But I 1 felt a little funny about it. 2 , I’ve been blind since I was a baby and out of 3 for years. In fact, at 54, I came to wonder if I had any 4 to live.
A bit after 9:00 pm, I heard a sound—over the years my ears have grown super 5 . It was Nan. “Jim, Jim. The house is 6 ! Help!”
I went as far as I could to Debbie’s. I got to the front door, 7 for the key and unlocked the door. “Nan! Where are you?” I called.
“Here, Jim. Help!” her voice was 8 and low.
I felt my 9 inside. “Nan, where are you? Keep 10 !” “Here, Jim, here!” sounds as if she’s 11in front of me. I reached out and touched her shoulder. We felt our way down the steps. ___12____ in the sweet, fresh summer air.
Later the fire truck arrived. Debbie came too. Nan and I heard the sound of the 13 coming down. Finally, the firefighters 14 the fire.
I heard Nan crying. She said, “I was so 15 and got turned around. I couldn’t find the door. You saved my life.”
Now Debbie’s voice quivered (发抖)， “You’re a hero. You rescued my mom.”
I hardly knew what to say. Two hours earlier I was wondering whether I really mattered to anyone. And now I saved a life. Nan and Debbie were thanking me. Truth was, I wanted to thank them. Nan wasn’t the only one who had been saved that day.
A．seldom B．hardly C．also D．soon
A．First of all B．At all C．Above all D．After all
A．sight B．money C．patience D．work
A．value B．pain C．sadness D．good
A．useless B．deaf C．sensitive D．responsible
A．too cold B．on sale C．too hot D．on fire
A．looked B．reached C．searched D．waited
A．afraid B．weak C．calm D．certain
A．way B．key C．heart D．fear
A．talking B．standing C．lying D．staying
A．sill B．even C．right D．away
A．appearing B．breathing C．lost D．driven
A．house B．truck C．fire D．air
A．set out B．put out C．hold up D．put off
The Blind Boy
A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a 11 which said: I am blind, please help. There were only a few 12in the hat.
A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his 13 and dropped them into the hat. He 14 took the sign, turned it around and wrote some words. He 15 the sign so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.
Soon the hat began to 16 . A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy.
That afternoon the man who had17 the sign came to see how things were. The boy 18 his footsteps and asked, “Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?”
The man said: “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said in a different way, though.” What he had written was: “Today is a (n) 19 day and I cannot see it.”
Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing?
Of course both sign simply said the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so 20 that they were not blind.
Should we be surprised that the second sign was more 21 ?
Be thankful for what you have. When life gives you 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1,000 reasons to 22 . Face your past without regret(后悔). 23 your present with confidence(自信). Prepare for the 24 without fear. Keep the faith（信念）and 25 the fear.
A．cover B．sign C．board D．note
A．cashes B．treasures C．pennies D．coins
A．pocket B．can C．backpack D．case
A．still B．then C．already D．yet
A．put on B．put out C．put off D．put back
A．mix up B．show up C．fill up D．make up
A．changed B．prepared C．supported D．reached
A．realized B．recognized C．felt D．discovered
A．average B．successful C．harmonious D．beautiful
A．happy B．disappointed C．lucky D．strange
A．effective B．brave C．surprising D．scientific
A．smile B．exist C．survive D．prove
A．Look into B．Search for C．Deal with D．Depend on
A．tomorrow B．adventure C．future D．sunrise
A．preserve B．charge C．keep D．drop
I prefer the stories about the swimmers at the Beijing Olympics，one of which is about Zakia Nassar. She's a 21-year-old Palestinian __21__ Bethlehem studying dentistry in Jenin. Having had neither a __22__ nor a chance to an Olympic-sized pool in the past year, she had no choice but to __23__ on her own at a 12m public pool.
There is a 50-meter __24__ in nearby Nazareth, but the Israeli government did not __25__ her to use it.
Nassar was __26__ to training only when she returned to her parents' home in Bethlehem, __27__ she did so only about every two months for two days or so. __28__ the pool is only 12 meters long.
“My parents and friends always __29__ me, reminding me that I had to keep training if I __30 wanted to go to the Olympics,” she said.
It was only when Nassar __31__ China a month ago that she finally got the opportunity to swim in a 50m pool and enjoyed the __32__ of having a coach.
When she at last took part in the Games, she swam the 50m in 31.97 seconds, a(n) __33__ of seven seconds on her personal __34__. Nassar said it was the most beautiful moment of her life.
She will not __35__ on the cover of Time magazine or __36__ millions of dollars in endorsements（捐款）, but she can always say she won a race at the Olympics. For her, it wasn’t about __37__ the other swimmers or winning a prize, but about __38__ her own goal, __39__ difficult. When I think things are too difficult or I get those “I-just-can’t-do-it,” I think of her. Then I realize how __40__ the task before me really is.
Many people now think that teachers give pupils too much homework. They say that it is 36 for children to work at home in their free time. 37 ， they argue that most teachers do not 38 plan the homework tasks they give to pupils. The result is that pupils have to 39 tasks which they have already done at school.
Recently in Greece， many parents 40 about the difficult homework which teachers gave to their children. The parents said that most of the homework was a waste of time， and they wanted to 41 it. Spain and Turkey are two countries which stopped homework recently. In Denmark， Germany and several other countries in Europe， teachers cannot 42 homework at weekends. In Holland， teachers allow pupils to stay at school to do their homework. The children are 43 to help one another. Similar 44 also exists in some British schools.
Most people agree that homework is not 45 . A pupil who can do his homework in a quiet and 46 room is in a much better position than a pupil who does his homework in a small， noisy room with the television on. Some parents help their children with their homework. Other parents take no 47 at all in their children’s homework.
A．unnecessary B．uninteresting C．unfortunate D．unimportant
A．Nevertheless B．However C．Therefore D．Moreover
A．considerably B．favorably C．properly D．pleasantly
A．finish B．repeat C．attend D．accomplish
A．quarreled B．puzzled C．explored D．complained
A．delay B．stop C．block D．prove
A．design B．draft C．do D．set
A．forbidden B．free C．desperate D．afraid
A．schedule B．mistake C．arrangement D．behavior
A．fair B．average C．balanced D．comparative
A．furnished B．expensive C．comfortable D．suitable
A．interest B．curiosity C．notice D．attention
Mrs Amatuli was my teacher in the fourth grade. One day at lunch time, Mrs Amatuli asked me if she could 36 my sandwiches. She explained that I could use the money to buy a 37 lunch from the cafeteria（自助餐厅）. I was 38. I never bought my lunch at the cafeteria. It was 39 expensive for my family, and I always carried my lunch and brought the bag back home to 40 again the next day.
You can understand my 41 when I had the opportunity to buy a hot lunch. Kids always42 about the cafeteria food but I was very 43 of them.
When we 44 lunch that day, Mrs Amatuli took me aside and said she wanted to 45 why she had bought my sandwiches. I really didn’t care why, 46 it gave me a few minutes of her precious 47 so I was very quiet as she explained.
You 48 , she was a Catholic(天主教徒) and she told me that Catholics didn’t eat red meat on Fridays—they ate 49 on Fridays.
Oh, I couldn’t 50 to get home and tell my Mom that from then on I wanted fish on Fridays. 51 my Mom understood why, she gladly fixed fish for me on Fridays. From then on, every Friday I could get in 52 with the rest of the kids for a hot lunch. I didn’t care how many of the kids complained about the cafeteria food—it 53 great to me!
I realize now that Mrs Amatuli 54 have fixed herself a fish sandwich on Fridays. She bought my sandwiches because she saw a little girl who was pleased over the simple
55 of having a hot lunch.
A．buy B．have C．try D．eat
A．cheap B．big C．hot D．delicious
A．sad B．disappointed C．confused D．excited
A．rather B．too C．very D．quite
A．use B．eat C．fill D．carry
A．mind B．anxiety C．delight D．interest
A．complained B．worried C．talked D．cared
A．fond B．hopeful C．proud D．envious
A．bought B．finished C．had D．prepared
A．explain B．discuss C．tell D．cover
A．as B．while C．so D．but
A．idea B．attention C．advice D．thought
A．think B．believe C．see D．say
A．chicken B．beef C．vegetables D．fish
A．expect B．wait C．wish D．long
A．Because B．So C．Before D．After
A．touch B．line C．way D．trouble
A．tasted B．sounded C．looked D．smelled
A．should B．need C．could D．must
A．act B．question C．measure D．gesture