In the middle of a beautiful day, I was feeling lost, as if the world was crashing on me. didn't know which way to go, except to head out to the countryside. I went to the spot where I used to take my kids-when I still had kids. Now they had and were leaving.
I was sitting alone in my car when I saw a man in his seventies, whose problem appeared bigger than mine. He stood near the edge of the road, a kite spindle(风筝线锭) in his hands. Apparently, lost in thought, he stared skyward. I my neck to see how successful he had been in the clouds. Following his string with my eyes, I almost lost 0f the other end. Finally, the kite rested on what seemed to be the highest branch of the tree in the park. Obviously, that was his grandson's kite! The kite was a replica (复制品) of a beautiful bald eagle, and its wings spread 0pen. Grandpa had only one to his problem: cut the string.
"You wanted it to fly as high as it could. Bill. didn't you?" "Yes, Grandpa, wanted to keep it forever. " "There just comes a time when the only thing you can do is to cut the string and let it go. Perhaps by doing that, when it flies very high like real eagles do, it will come back to us. " Grandpa said.
I how the old man cut the string to let fly the kite. As the two walked away, looked to the . There I saw my answer, too. Today I have to cut the final strings that kept my two boys my reach. Though I want to keep them forever, I have taught them to fly like an eagle. Maybe by doing this, when it's time to soar like real eagles do. one day they would come back to me.
A．grown up B．turned up C．picked up D．taken up
A．carrying B．grabbing C．keeping D．holding
A．raised B．spread C．stretched D．expanded
A．reaching B．touching C．getting D．climbing
A．scene B．sight C．interest D．control
A．thickest B．strongest C．tallest D．largest
A．widely B．wide C．tightly D．closely
A．method B．hope C．solution D．result
A．and B．so C．or D．but
A．sensed B．glanced C．watched D．found
A．car B．sky C．kite D．tree
A．within B．in C．beyond D．with
"What's it like to have a gap between your teeth?" a girl asked me one day.
Nobody had ever before. My hand unconsciously rose to cover my mouth. But, as she looked at me, sincerely waiting for
, 1 realized she was not trying to be rude. "I never think about it," I truthfully replied. She nodded and turned away. I was left wondering if people _
me and saw only gappy teeth.
Later that day at home, I began to ___ my teeth again. I felt upset. I thought my life would be somehow better if my teeth were not gappy. How I wanted the perfect teeth that everyone else seemed to have!
Of course, Mom everything. She has lived her entire life with gappy teeth, and tried to convince me that there was nothing to __
. When I refused to listen, she told me I could get the surgery to close the gap if it was that important. "Let's be
.though," she said. "If everyone got surgeries to become pretty, everyone would be exactly the same. There is beauty in differences."
Her __ made me consider my teeth seriously. The thought of losing my gap was more terrible than the reality that people were going to notice it. I realized how important it was to me. It is part of my
.
Nowadays many people do ridiculous things to realize their dream of "perfection." The is that no one is perfect. When all potential for ugliness is removed, so is all of the
potential for
So if that girl ever asked about my teeth I would truthfully answer. "You know? It's really cute."
A. faced B. guessed C. asked D. imagined
A. an offer B. an answer C. a suggestion D. a result
A heard of B. thought of C. talked about D. looked at
A. consider B. brush C. cover D. appreciate
A. admitted B. noticed C. controlled D. changed
A. worry about B. put off C. give up D. wipe out
A. friendly B. lovely C. honest D. helpful
A. words B. jokes C. dreams D. acts
A. ability B. decision C. goal D. identity
A. possibility B. purpose C. truth D. choice
A. courage B. wisdom C. kindness D. beauty
A. once B. again C. too D. instead
Peter’s job was to examine cars when they crossed the frontier to make sure that they were not smuggling anything into the country. Every evening he would see a factory worker coming ____ the hill towards the frontier, ____ a bike with a pile of goods of old straw on it. When the bike ____ the frontier, Peter would stop the man and ____ him take the straw off and untie it. Then he would examine the straw very ____ to see ____ he could find anything, after which he would look in all the man’s pockets ____ he let him tie the straw again. The man would then put it on his bike and go off down the hill with it. Although Peter was always ____ to find gold or other valuable things ____ in the straw, he never found ____. He was sure the man was ____ something, but he was not ____ to think out what it could be.
Then one evening, after he had looked ____ the straw and emptied the worker’s pockets ____ usual, he ____ to him, “Listen, I know you are smuggling things ____ this frontier. Won’t you tell me what it is? I’m an old man, and today’s my last day on the ____. Tomorrow I’m going to ____. I promise I shall not tell ____ if you tell me what you’ve been smuggling.” The worker did not say anything for ____. Then he smiled, turned to Peter and said quietly, “Bikes.”
A．towards B．down C．to D．up
A．filling B．pulling C．pushing D．carrying
A．arrived B．appeared C．came D．reached
A．ask B．order C．make D．call
A．carefully B．quickly C．silently D．horribly
A．that B．where C．how D．whether
A．before B．after C．first D．so
A．lucky B．hoping C．thinking D．wondering
A．had been B．hidden C．hiding D．have been
A．nothing B．something C．everything D．anything
A．taking B．smuggling C．stealing D．pushing
A．possible B．strong C．able D．clever
A．through B．thoroughly C．upon D．up
A．like B．more C．then D．as
A．told B．cried C．ordered D．said
A．cross B．past C．across D．into
A．thing B．work C．job D．duty
A．rest B．back C．retire D．retreat
A．everyone B．anyone C．no one D．someone
A．moment B．long time C．sometime D．some time
The Fitting-in of Suzy Khan
The first time I saw Suzy Khan, I knew I had to help her. She was really small for her age of 12. The boy in my class oftenabout her and laughed their heads off. She would open a book, pretending to read, with tears dropping on the open page.
All I knew was that she was an orphan (孤儿) from Africa. She had just been adopted by a family in town who that the best way for her to learn American ways of life was to be with american kids. I looked down at this girl and promised myself that somehow I would help her.
But how could I help her in with us? There had to be a .
One day, when I went into the classroom, I saw that Suzy had her geography book to a picture of a train, and in her notebook, she had made a(n)(7) copy.
I was surprised and thought that she could do something in the coming (8) show. So, I took her to see the art teacher, Miss Parker, and showed her what Suzy had. “why, it’s wonderful,” said Miss Parker, who then showed us a poster she had painted the talent show. “I need more of these, but I just don’t have enough. Could you help me, Suzy?”
On the day of the talent show, Suzy’s were everywhere ---- all over the hall and all over the school, each one different.
“And finally,” said Mr Brown, the schoolmaster, at the end of the show, “we have a (n) award. I’m sure you’ve all noticed the wonderful posters.” Everyone nodded. “One of our own students them.”
I could hear everyone whispering. “Who in our school could draw well?”
Mr. Brown waited a while before saying, “ this student worked so hard on the posters, she deserves a ,too. Our mystery(神秘) artist is our new student ---- Suzy Khan!”
Mr. Brown thanked her for all the wonderful posters and gave her a professional artist’s set. “Thank you,” she cried.
I , at that time when I was looking at her excited face, she’d probably neveranything in her whole life.
Everyone started to their hands. Suzy Khan gave them a shy smile and the applause was defening. I knew then Suzy was going to be all right.
A．joked B．cared C．trains D．worried
A．reported B．decided C．complained D．questioned
A．rich B．proud C．tiny D．popular
A．manner B．pattern C．choice D．way
A．read B．taken C．opened D．put
A．free B．perfect C．final D．extra
A．are B．talk C．quiz D．talent
A．colored B．written C．carved D．drawn
A．at B．after C．for D．around
A．room B．time C．paper D．interest
A．gifts B．books C．photos D．posters
A．special B．academic C．national D．rayal
A．painted B．found C．printed D．collected
A．very B．that C．quite D．too
A．If B．Though C．Unless D．Since
A．prize B．rank C．rest D．place
A．replied B．realized C．remembered D．regretted
A．offered B．valued C．owned D．controlled
A．clap B．wave C．raise D．shake
I stood in the living room doorway, extremely surprised. I found my grandmother was dancing.
Her body bent beautifully, her arms were raised high, and her legs obeyed her . As long as I could remember, her legs were when she walked, and she was always (3) by a walking stick. Grandma was once a star of the dancing world. And then she had a(n) and all was over. I had read that in a(n) newspaper.
I asked，"Have your legs got well，Grandma?" What she answered me a second time—her legs had been well all her life and she had all these years. I asked about the . Grandmother told me the following .
She and my grandfather were to get married when my grandfather had to go to war. It was the most time of her life after he left. She was so of losing him. The only way she could stop herself from getting mad was to dance. She put all her energy and time into —and she became very good and famous. But one day she received a from my grandpa, saying he had lost one leg in a battle (战斗)and asking her to him.
After reading the words, she made a(n) . She traveled away from the city. When she returned, she told the reporters she had been in an accident in another city and that her legs would never recover to allow her to dance. No one (17 ) the story—she had learned to walka person with broken legs. Then she went to see my grandfather, who, of course, decided to stand up again to her.
"I was sure I would lose him if I continued dancing, so I chose love. You see, your grandpa has never made me regret my ," grandma smiled.
A．slowly B．firmly C．suddenly D．perfectly
A．long B．stiff C．smart D．soft
A．supported B．followed C．protected D．driven
A．baby B．operation C．accident D．cold
A．modem B．foreign C．old D．small
A．shocked B．puzzled C．disappointed D．comforted
A．prepared B．pretended C．waited D．hoped
A．excuse B．result C．detail D．reason
A．tip B．advice C．article D．story
A．terrible B．cheerful C．interesting D．common
A．proud B．confident C．afraid D．sure
A．singing B．talking C．dancing D．walking
A．book B．letter C．newspaper D．magazine
A．forget B．help C．follow D．change
A．mistake B．apology C．effort D．decision
A．finally B．completely C．exactly D．luckily
A．doubted B．knew C．believed D．told
A．beyond B．with C．like D．unlike
A．catch sight of B．take advantage of C．take hold of D．take care of
A year ago I paid no attention to English idioms, my teacher said again and again that it was important.
One day, I happened to an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to . As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner shook his head, saying, "You don't say! You don't say!" I was , I thought, perhaps this is not a topic. Well，I change the topic. So I said to him, "Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? the way, have you ever ——there?" "Certainly, everyone back home will me if I leave China without seeing . It was great. "I said, "The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. It is a place of ." Soon I was interrupted by his words, "You don’ t say!" I couldn't asking, "Why do you ask me not to talk about it?" "Well, I didn't ask you to do so" he answered, very surprised.
I said, "Didn't you say 'You don't say'?"
Hearing this，the Englishman to tears. He began to ， "You don't say actually means' really?'. It is an of surprise. Perhaps you don't pay attention English idioms." Then I knew I had made a fool of . Since then I have been more with idioms.
A．though B．when C．if D．as
A．teach B．meet C．hear D．recognize
A．walk B．talk C．play D．go
A．pleased B．angry C．afraid D．surprised
A．proper B．strange C．safe D．polite
A．would rather B．had better C．have to D．ought to
A．On B．In C．All D．By
A．gone B．visited C．seen D．been
A．look at B．think of C．send for D．laugh at
A．it B．them C．one D．that
A．recall B．interest C．birth D．origin
A．Really B．rudely C．again D．alone
A．wait B．help C．think D．do
A．smelling B．sounding C．tasting D．falling
A．laughed B．cried C．moved D．came
A．explain B．shout C．prove D．say
A．experience B．expression C．explanation D．example
A．for B．to C．at D．in
A．me B．myself C．him D．himself
A．helpful B．popular C．careful D．satisfied