Even though it was only October, my students were already whispering about Christmas plans．With each passing day everyone became more ____ waiting for the final school bell．Upon its ____ everyone would run for their coats and go home, everyone except David.
David was a small boy in ragged clothes．I had often ____ what kind of home life David had, and what kind of mother could send her son to school dressed so ____ for the cold winter months, without a coat, boots, or gloves．But something made David ____．I can still remember he was always ____ a smile and willing to help．He always ____ after school to straighten chairs and mop the floor．We never talked much．He ____ just simply smile and ask what else he could do, then thank me for letting him stay and slowly ____ home.
Weeks passed and the ____ over the coming Christmas grew into restlessness until the last day of ____ before the holiday break．I smiled in ___ as the last of them hurried out the door．Turning around I saw David ____ standing by my desk.
“I have something for you，” he said and ____ from behind his back a small box．____ it to me, he said anxiously, “Open it.” I took the box from him, thanked him and slowly unwrapped it．I lifted the lid and to my ____ saw nothing．I looked at David’s smiling face and back into the box and said, “The box is nice, David, but it’s ____.”
“Oh no it isn’t，” said David．“It’s full of love．My mum told me before she died that love was something you couldn’t see or touch unless you know it’s there.”
Tears filled my eyes ____ I looked at the proud dirty face that I had rarely given ____ to．After that Christmas, David and I became good friends and I never forgot the meaning ___ the little empty box set on my desk.
A．anxious B．courageous C．serious D．cautious
A．warning B．ringing C．calling D．yelling
A．scolded B．wondered C．realized D．learned
A．modestly B．naturally C．inaccurately D．inappropriately
A．popular B．upset C．special D．funny
A．expressing B．delivering C．wearing D．sharing
A．practiced B．wandered C．studied D．stayed
A．would B．should C．might D．could
A．aim at B．turn to C．put off D．head for
A．argument B．excitement C．movement D．judgment
A．school B．year C．education D．program
A．relief B．return C．vain D．control
A．weakly B．sadly C．quietly D．helplessly
A．searched B．found C．raised D．pulled
A．Holding B．Handing C．Sending D．Leaving
A．delight B．expectation C．appreciation D．surprise
A．cheap B．empty C．useless D．improper
A．as B．until C．because D．though
A．advice B．support C．attention D．command
A．from B．behind C．over D．towards
Trudy, an American girl, tried swimming across the English Channel. That was August 6, 1962. Her father had ___1___ her two things. One was not to pull her out of the water ___2___ she asked. The other was to give her a red sports ___3___ if she made it.
In gay spirits Trudy ___4___ out, swimming strongly. All the swimmers started at 7:09 in the morning. Her father and the trainer were going along in a boat beside her. At ten o’clock, rain began falling.
___5___, Trudy trod(踩) water while drinking and eating a chicken leg. Then she started swimming ___6___. The wind was ___7___ and the sea became rougher. Late ___8___ the wind became even worse. The trainer ___9___ it was useless trying to finish. He called to Trudy to ___10___.
“No human being could do it in this weather,” he said. “It’s ___11___ to go on. “however, her father shouted, “Don’t grab her. Let her ___12___. “At seven o’clock the tides(潮水) turned ___13___ her. It was more difficult to move a- head. But Trudy still swam on. She ___14___ victory was possible now, for the English coast was in ___15___.
It was getting dark. A sound could be heard ___16___ the wind；hundreds of car horns(喇叭) were cheering her on. With ___17___ strength, she finished the last 200 yards. At 9:35p. m., Trudy got out of water. She had swum some 35 miles in ___18___ the 21-mile-wide Channel ___19___ a strong storm. But she had made it in 14 hours and 30 minutes. “Well, Pop,” she said to her father. “I ___20___ I get my car this time, don’t I?”
1. A. given B. refused C. allowed D. promised
2. A. as B. unless C. even if D. when
3. A. suit B. shoe C. hat D. car
4. A. rushed B. left C. started D. worked
5. A. At midday B. In the morning C. In the evening D. In the late afternoon
6. A. faster B. better C. again D. across
7. A. stopping B. rising C. changing D. increasing
8. A. morning B. afternoon C. evening D. night
9. A. thought B. considered C. decided D. felt
10. A. keep up B. slow down C. give up D. take a rest
11. A. difficult B. stupid C. impossible D. unnecessary
12. A. go B. decide C. come out D. go on
13. A. towards B. with C. at D. against
14. A. realized B. noticed C. found out D. thought
15. A. the distance B. reach C. sight D. hand
16. A. over B. in C. with D. from
17. A. fresh B. greater C. weakening D. remaining
18. A. flying B. swimming C. crossing D. passing
19. A. in spite of B. because of C. against D. during
20. A. demand B. am afraid C. hope D. guess
When sailors are allowed ashore after a long time at sea, they sometimes get drunk and cause trouble. For this reason, the navy ___1___ has its police in big ports. Whenever sailors cause trouble, the police come and ___2___ them.
One day, the police in a big seaport received a telephone call ___3___ a bar in the town. The barman said that a big sailor had got drunk and ___4___ the furniture in the bar. The officer in charge of the police guard that evening said that he would come immediately.
Now, officers who ___5___ and punish the sailors ___6___ drunk usually chose ___7___ policeman they could find to go with them. ___8___ this particular officer did not do this. ___9___, he chose the smallest and___10___ man he could find to go to the bar with him and ___11___ the sailor.
Another officer who___12___ there was surprised when he saw the officer of the guard chose such a small man. ___13___ he said to him, “Why ___14___ you take a big man with you? You have to fight the sailor who ___15___.”
“Yes, you are ___16___ right,” answered the officer of the guard. “That is exactly ___17___ I am taking this small man. If you see two policemen coming ___18___ you, and one is ___19___ the other, which one ___20___ you attack?”
1. A. always B. seldom C. forever D. sometimes
2. A. meet with B. deal with C. see D. judge
3. A. about B. from C. in D. of
4. A. was breaking B. was ordering C. was moving D. was dusting
5. A. would go B. might beat C. dared to fight D. had to go
6. A. slightly B. not at all C. heavily D. much more
7. A. the biggest B. the youngest C. the bravest D. the experienced
8. A. In fact B. But C. So D. And
9. A. Instead B. Therefore C. Although D. Then
10. A. good-looking B. weakest-looking C. ugly-looking D. strongest-looking
11. A. seize B. kill C. get rid of D. catch up with
12. A. will go B. had come C. would start off D. happened to be
13. A. Yet B. But C. So D. Then
14. A. don’t B. couldn’t C. can’t D. do
15. A. looks strong B. is drunk C. seems rude D. is dangerous
16. A. all B. very C. too D. quite
17. A. how B. what C. why D. that
18. A. up B. at C. before D. towards
19. A. not smaller than B. as big as C. as small as D. much smaller than
When I come across a good article in reading newspapers. I often want to cut and keep it. But just as I am about to do so I find the article on the ___1___ side is as much interesting. It may be a discussion of the way to ___2___ in good health, or a ___3___ about how to behave and conduct oneself in society. If I cut the front article, the opposite one is likely to ___4___ damage, leaving out half of it or keeping the text ___5___ the title. Therefore, the scissors would ___6___ before they start, ___7___ halfway done when I find out the ___8___ result.
Sometimes two things are to be done at the same time, both worth you ___9___. You can only take up one of them, the other has to wait or be ___10___ up. But you know the future is unpredictable(不可预料) — the changed situation may not allow you to do what is left ___11___. Thus you are ___12___ in a difficult position and feel sad. How ___13___ that nice chances and brilliant ideas should gather around all at once? It may happen that your life ___14___ greatly on you preference of one choice to the other.
In fact that is what ___15___ is like, we are often ___16___ with the two opposite sides of a thing which are both desirable like a newspaper cutting. It often occurs that our attention is drawn to one thing only ___17___ we get into another. The ___18___ may be more important than the latter and give rise to a divided mind. I ___19___ remember a philosopher’s remarks, “When one door shuts, another opens in life.” So a casual(不经意) ___20___ may not be a bad one.
1. A. front B. same C. either D. opposite
2. A. get B. keep C. lead D. bring
3. A. advice B. news C. theory D. report
4. A. suffer B. reduce C. prevent D. cause
5. A. on B. for C. without D. off
6. A. use B. handle C. prepare D. stay
7. A. or B. but C. so D. for
8. A. satisfying B. regretful C. surprising D. impossible
9. A. courage B. strength C. attention D. patience
10. A. given B. held C. made D. picked
11. A. near B. alone C. about D. behind
12. A. filled B. attracted C. caught D. struck
13. A. dares B. comes C. deals D. does
14. A. improves B. changes C. progresses D. goes
15. A. study B. society C. nature D. life
16. A. faced B. supplied C. connected D. fixed
17. A. before B. after C. until D. as
18. A. following B. next C. above D. former
19. A. still B. also C. once D. almost
20. A. treatment B. action C. choice D. remark
Several years ago, while attending a communication course, I experienced a most unusual process. The instructor asked us to list ___1___ in our past that we felt ___2___ of, regretted, or incomplete about and read our lists aloud.
This seemed like a very ___3___ process, but there’ s always some ___4___soul in the crowd who will volunteer. The instructor then ___5___ that we find ways to ___6___ people, or take some action to right any wrong doings. I was seriously wondering how this could ever ___7___ my communication.
Then the man next to me raised his hand and volunteered this story: “Making my ___8___, I remembered an incident from high school. I grew up in a small town. There was a Sheriff ___9___ of us kids liked. One night, my two buddies and I decided to play a ___10___ on him.
After drinking a few beers, we climbed the tall water tank in the middle of the town, and wrote on the tank in bright red paint: Sheriff Brown is a s.o.b.(畜生). The next day, almost the whole town saw our glorious ___11___. Within two hours, Sheriff Brown had us in his office. My friends told the truth but I lied. No one ___12___ found out.”
“Nearly 20 years later, Sheriff Brown’s name ___13___ on my list. I didn’t even know if he was still ___14___. Last weekend, I dialed the information in my hometown and found there was a Roger Brown still listed. I tried his number. After a few ___15___, I heard, “Hello?” I said, “Sheriff Brown?” Paused. “Yes.” “Well, this is Jimmy Calkins.”
“And I want you to know that I did it？”Paused. “I knew it!” he yelled back. We had a good laugh and a ___16___ discussion. His closing words were: “Jimmy, I always felt bad for you ___17___ your buddies got it off their chest, but you were carrying it ___18___ all these years. I want to thank you for calling me...for your sake.”
Jimmy inspired me to ___19___ all 101 items on my list within two years, and I always remember what I learned from the course: It’s never too late to ___20___the past wrongdoings.
1. A. something B. anything C. somebody D. anybody
2. A. ashamed B. afraid C. sure D. proud
3. A. private B. secret C. interesting D. funny
4. A. foolish B. polite C. simple D. brave
5. A. expected B. suggested C. ordered D. demanded
6. A. connect with B. depend on C. make apologize to D. get along with
7. A. improve B. continue C. realize D. keep
8. A. notes B. list C. plan D. stories
9. A. any B. most C. none D. all
10. A. part B. game C. trick D. record
11. A. view B. sign C. attention D. remark
12. A. also B. even C. still D. ever
13. A. appears B. considers C. presents D. remembers
14. A. angry B. happy C. doubtful D. alive
15. A. words B. rings C. repeats D. calls
16. A. cold B. plain C. nervous D. lively
17. A. in case B. so long as C. unless D. because
18. A. around B. out C. on D. away
19. A. build up B. make up C. clear up D. give up
20. A. regret B. forgive C. right D. punish
There are about fifteen hundred languages in the world.
But ___1___ a few of them are very ___2___. English is one of these. Many, many people use it, not only in England and the U. S. A, but in other parts of the world. About 200, 000, 000 speak it as their own language. It is difficult to say how many people are learning it as a ___3___ language. Many millions are ___4___ to do so.
Is it easy or difficult to learn English? Different people may have different ___5___. Have you ever ___6___ the ads of this kind in the newspapers or magazines?
“Learn English in six month, or your ___7___ back ...” “Easy and funny? Our records and tapes ___8___ you master your English in a month. ___9___ the first day your ___10___ will be excellent. Just send ...” Of course, it never ___11___ quite like this.
The only language that seems easy to learn is the mother tongue. We should ___12___ that we all learned our own language well when we were ___13___. If we could learn English in the same way, it would not seem so difficult. ___14___ what a small child does. He listens to what people say. He tries what he hears. When he is using the language, talking in it, and ___15___ in it all the time, just imagine how much ___16___ that gets!
So it is ___17___ to say that learning English is easy, because a good command of English ___18___ upon a lot of practice. And practice needs great effort and ___19___ much time. Good teachers, records, tapes, books, and dictionaries will ___20___. But they cannot do the student’s work for him.
1. A. not B. quite C. only D. very
2. A. difficult B. important C. necessary D. easy
3. A. native B. foreign C. useful D. mother
4. A. learning B. enjoying C. trying D. liking
5. A. questions B. problems C. ideas D. answers
6. A. found B. watched C. noticed D. known
7. A. knowledge B. time C. money D. English
8. A. make B. help C. let D. allow
9. A. From B. On C. Since D. After
10. A. spelling B. grammar C. English D. pronunciation
11. A. happened B. know C. seemed D. felt
12. A. know B. remember C. understand D. think
13. A. students B. children C. babies D. grown-ups
14. A. Imagine B. Mind C. Do D. Think of
15. A. using B. thinking C. trying D. practicing
16. A. time B. money C. language D. practice
17. A. hard B. easy C. funny D. silly
18. A. depends B. tries C. has D. takes
19. A. uses B. takes C. gets D. costs
20. A. do B. work C. help D. master