It was the end of my first day as waitress in a busy New York restaurant. My cap had gone away, and my feet ______. The loaded plates I carried ______ to be heavier and heavier. Tired and discouraged, I didn’t seem able to do anything ______. As I made out a check for a family with several children who had changed their ice-cream ______ a dozen times, I was ready to stop. Then the father ______ at me as he handed my tip. “Well done,” he said, “you’ve _____ us really well.” Suddenly my tiredness ______. I smiled back, and later, when the manager asked me how I’d like my first day, I said, “______!” Those few words of praise had ______ everything. Praise is like ______ to the human spirit; we cannot flower and grow without it. And ______, while most of us are only too______ to apply to others the cold wind of criticism, we are ______ to give our fellows the warm sunshine of praise. Why-when one word of praise can bring such______?
It’s strange how mean we are about praising. Perhaps it’s ______ few of us know how to accept it. It’s ______ rewarding to give praise in areas in which______ generally goes unnoticed or unmentioned. An artist gets admired for a glorious picture, a cook for a ______ meal. But do you ever tell your laundry manager how pleased you are when the shirts are ______ just right? In fact, to give praise ______ the giver nothing but a moment’s thought and a moment’s effort.
A．rested B．hurt C．broke D．slipped
A．remained B．looked C．seemed D．appeared
A．new B．special C．nervous D．right
A．order B．price C．material D．chair
A．stared B．smiled C．glanced D．nodded
A．called on B．looked after C．passed by D．thought of
A．arrived B．continued C．disappeared D．developed
A．Oh B．Well C．Fine D．Terrible
A．made B．changed C．found D．improved
A．heat B．warmth C．snowstorm D．sunlight
A．then B．thus C．therefore D．yet
A．ready B．doubtful C．satisfied D．disappointed
A．unable B．unwilling C．likely D．anxious
A．attention B．choice C．pleasure D．difficulty
A．because B．when C．what D．where
A．finally B．especially C．silly D．fortunately
A．effort B．attempt C．deed D．feeling
A．daily B．light C．perfect D．poor
A．done B．sold C．chosen D．given
A．adds B．leaves C．offers D．costs
The back door of the ambulance(救护车) was suddenly shut and the driver ran to the front, jumped into his seat, and started the engine. Inside were the __36 __ parents, Mr. and Mrs. Green, the mother holding their baby daughter Ally. The little girl had __37 __ food stuck in her throat and could hardly breathe.
The driver, Mr. white, __38 __ his siren (报警器) and flashing light, and started speeding towards the nearest hospital, fighting against __39 __. The cars ahead of him pulled out of the way as he drove through the __40 __. From the back of the __41 __the parents were shouting at him to __ 42__, since Ally had almost stopped __43 __. In front of him he saw some traffic lights, with the red “STOP” light shining. Mr. White knew that he had no time to __ 44__, so he drove straight past the traffic lights, looking __45 __his left and right as he did so.
Coming towards him from his right was a taxi. The driver had the windows __46__, since the car was air-conditioned, and he was playing his radio. He did not __47 __the ambulance. The lights were green, so he drove straight __48 __into the path of the ambulance.
Mr. White tried to stop his ambulance but it was too late. It hit the taxi. Everybody was shaken but no one was hurt. Mr. White looked to see __ 49__little Ally was. He was astonished to see relief instead of __50 __on the faces of the parents.
“Look!” cried Mrs. Green. “She is __51 __ again.”
“It must have been the ___52 __.” said her husband. “It __53 __ the food out of her throat.” The baby’s color was turning to __54 __ , and she was crying in a loud but healthy __55 __.
They were all joyful, and quite forgot about the accident, the taxi, and the lines of cars all around them.
A．worried B．angry C．happy D．surprised
A．little B．some C．no D．few
A．opened on B．turned on C．turned off D．sped up
A．police B．life C．lights D．time
A．empty street B．busy traffic C．large crowds D．deserted place
A．street B．cars C．traffic D．ambulance
A．hurry B．slow C．stop D．drive
A．breathing B．looking C．whispering D．talking
A．think B．ignore C．lose D．miss
A．at B．from C．forward D．to
A．open B．clean C．up D．down
A．hear B．see C．find D．notice
A．away B．on C．off D．out
A．how B．what C．where D．who
A．pleasure B．anger C．fear D．surprise
A．crying B．breathing C．smiling D．speaking
A．light B．policeman C．car D．crash
A．took B．picked C．knocked D．made
A．usual B．common C．ordinary D．normal
A．sound B．voice C．tone D．noise
There is an old story telling about a woman whose only son died in an accident. In her 26 , she went to the wise man that is always 27 for his wisdom in her town and said, “What advice or what 28 ways do you have to bring my son back to life? I will 29 you with all I have if you can.”
Instead of sending her away or 30 with her, he said to her, “Fetch me a mustard (芥末) seed from a home that has never 31 sorrow. We will use it to drive the sorrow out of your life.” The woman went off at once in 32 of that magical mustard seed.
She came first to a splendid apartment, 33 at the door, and said in a (n) 34 voice, “I am looking for a home that has never known sorrow. Is this such a (n) 35 that I want? It is very important to me.”
36 , she didn’t get what she wanted, even without a single word of 37 . They told her that she had come to the wrong place. And they began to 38 all the tragic things that recently had happened to them.
The woman said to herself, “Who is better able to help these poor, 39 people than I, though I also have had misfortune of my own?” She 40 to comfort them till they 41 . Then she went on searching for a home that had never known sorrow. But 42 she turned up, in small cottages or in other places, she found one 43 after another of sadness and misfortune. She became so 44 in helping other people out of their sorrow that finally she forgot about her quest for the special mustard seed, in fact, never 45 that it had driven the sorrow out of her life.
A．joy B．danger C．belief D．sorrow
A．envied B．considered C．respected D．treated
A．strange B．magical C．valuable D．important
A．reward B．supply C．provide D．award
A．quarreling B．discussing C．reasoning D．arguing
A．suffered B．known C．obtained D．forgotten
A．honor B．favor C．need D．search
A．knocked B．broke C．stood D．pointed
A．excited B．confident C．sad D．urgent
A．place B．answer C．apartment D．person
A．Luckily B．Immediately C．Gradually D．Unfortunately
A．praise B．respect C．comfort D．encouragement
A．exchange B．describe C．simplified D．decorated
A．unfortunate B．unfriendly C．unimportant D．unfamiliar
A．planned B．managed C．continued D．stayed
A．settle down B．break down C．calm down D．get dwon
A．wherever B．whatever C．however D．whenever
A．excuse B．tale C．lie D．reason
A．curious B．puzzled C．worried D．involved
A．recognizing B．realizing C．remembering D．wondering
One afternoon, many years ago, I went to pick up my mother from work. I got there a little early so I 1 the car by the roadside and waited for her.
As I looked 2 the car window, there was a small park where I saw a little boy, around two years old, 3 freely on the grass as his mother watched from a short 4 . The boy had a big smile on his face 5 he had just been set free from some sort of 6 . The boy would then fall to the grass, 7 , and without hesitation or without looking back at his mother, run as fast as he could again, still with a 8 on his face.
Kids, when they fall down, don't view their falling down as failure, but 9 , they treat it as a learning experience. They try and try again until they 10 . While I was touched by the boy's persistence, I was 11 touched by the manner in which he ran. With each attempt, he looked so 12 and so natural — no signs of fear, nervousness, or of being discouraged. His only 13 was to run freely and to do it as effectively as he could. He was just being a 14 — just being himself—being completely in the moment. He was not looking for 15 or was not worrying about whether 16 was watching. He didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that maybe someone would see him 17 and that it would be 18 if he did fall. No, all that 19 to him was to accomplish the task, to feel the experience of running fully and freely. I learned a lot from that 20 and experience, and have successfully brought that lesson with me in my many pursuits（追求) in life.
A．drove B．started C．parked D．broke
A．outside B．down C．toward D．over
A．playing B．smiling C．rolling D．running
A．way B．length C．time D．distance
A．even if B．as if C．so long as D．now that
A．park B．cave C．prison D．castle
A．get up B．take up C．break down D．lie down
A．tear B．smile C．pleasure D．surprise
A．however B．instead C．therefore D．anyhow
A．stop B．win C．achieve D．succeed
A．luckily B．apparently C．actually D．equally
A．confident B．joyful C．quiet D．proud
A．worry B．dream C．aim D．hope
A．boy B．child C．player D．winner
A．chance B．fortune C．approval D．trouble
A．someone B．anyone C．everyone D．one
A．fail B．run C．fall D．cry
A．embarrassing B．disappointing C．frightening D．amusing
A．happened B．contributed C．related D．mattered
A．discovery B．observation C．story D．incident
In this modern world, we rush around all day, doing things, talking, sending and reading messages. We are always on ,always conected, always thinking, always talking. There is no 36 for stillness.
And when we are 37 to be still because we’re in line for something, or waiting at a doctor’s appointment, or on a bus or train, we often 38 something to do. Some will play with mobile devices, other will read something. Being still isn’t something we’re 39 .
This comes at a 40 : we lose that time for 41 , for observing and listening. We lose peace.
And 42 yet: sometimes too much action is worse than no action at all. You can run around crarily, but get 43 done.
Take a moment to think about 44 you spend your days. Are you constantly rushing around? Are you constantly reading and answering 45 checking on the news and the latest tream of information? Are you always 46 through your schedule?
Is this how you want to spend your 47 ? If so, peace be with you. If not, take a moment to be 48 . Don’t think about what you have to do, or what you’ve done already. 49 be in the moment.
Then after a minute or two of doing that, consider your life, and how you’d 50 it to be. See your life with less moveanent, less doing, less rushing. See it with more stillness, more consideration, more 51 .
Then be that vision.
It’s prerty simple: all you have to do is sit still for a little bit each day. 52 you’re gotten used to that, try doing less each day. Breathe when you feel yourself moving too 53 . slow down. Be present. Find happiness now, in this moment, instead of 54 for it.
A．place B．chance C．freedom D．time
A．forced B．ordered C．invited D．told
A．have B．find C．buy D．get
A．familiar with B．curious about C．used to D．interested in
A．cost B．risk C．moment D．danger
A．play B．food C．sleep D．consideration
A．further B．worse C．farther D．deeper
A．everything B．anything C．nothing D．something
A．how B．where C．why D．whether
A．questions B．problems C．phones D．messages
A．walking B．rushing C．stepping D．going
A．school B．youth C．work D．life
A．silent B．patient C．still D．quiet
A．Nearly B．Ever C．Just D．Already
A．like B．decide C．choose D．need
A．activity B．research C．study D．peace
A．Because B．Until C．Once D．Unless
A．frequently B．slowly C．fast D．quickly
A．asking B．sending C．calling D．waiting
A．Value B．Miss C．Owe D．Hold
语法填空（共10小题，每小题1.5分，共15分）
Little Robert tried to take a big bottle of milk out of the fridge. However, he ____ (lose) his grasp on the bottle and it fell, spilling (溢出) the milk all over the kitchen floor! Instead of scolding (责备) __
__, his mother said, “You know, what we have here is a failed experiment in how you can effectively carry a big milk bottle with two tiny hands. Let’s go out to the back yard and fill the bottle __
__ water and see if you can discover a way to carry it __
__ (safe).” This little boy learned that if he grasped the bottle at the top near the lip with both hands, he could carry it without dropping it. What __
__ wonderful lesson! The little boy has now become a famous scientist and he remarked that it was at that moment __
__he knew he didn't need to be afraid of __
__ (make) mistakes. Instead, he learned that mistakes were just opportunities for learning something, __
__ is what scientific experiments are all about. Even if the experiment “doesn't work”, we usually learn something __
__ (value) from it. Wouldn’t it be great if all parents would respond the way Robert’s mother responded __
__ him?