Over the years, thanks to my life’s obstacles(障碍), I understood the meaning of faith and the strong will to survive. It was Hurricane Ike that made me fully____ the beauty of our strength and a human’s motivation to ____.
Mom had a two-week ____ in summer. While we enjoyed our holiday in Southeast Texas, we didn’t realize the fact that Ike ____ cause months and likely years of “labor”. By September 7th, the “eyes of Texas” were watching Hurricane Ike more ____, making the typical mad rush for last-minute hurricane ____. Two days later, both oil and ice were in ____ demand.
In the early hours of September 11th, some neighbors were planning to ____the storm in their homes, ____ others were making final preparations to get away. At first, we decided to stay. But that afternoon, the Houston-Galveston area would be on the more ____ side of the storm. Mom and I packed some of our most ____ belongings in the car and ____ the East Texas town of Lufkin.
As Ike pushed farther inland, we ____power in Lufkin. On Sunday, our next-door neighbor told us via cell phone that our ____ had remained well. Our hopes could not have been ____. But a few hours later, the neighbors reported that our brick chimney had ____, and it was sitting on our living room, ____ a hole in the roof between two skylights (天窗).
We wouldn’t be allowed to return home ____ September 17th. I climbed upstairs, and looked toward the hole in the roof which showed a beautiful blue sky.
Without hesitation, I shouted, “Wow! A third skylight!”
My neighbors could not believe I was making jokes ____ crying, but ____ is always good medicine. It was with that joke that I knew, given time, everything would be okay.
A．observe B．appreciate C．explore D．improve
A．work B．apologize C．recover D．change
A．vacation B．journey C．meeting D．schedule
A．must B．might C．should D．would
A．closely B．constantly C．warningly D．differently
A．adventure B．equipment C．supplies D．reports
A．basic B．high C．pure D．neat
A．get through B．put away C．test out D．suffer from
A．since B．when C．until D．while
A．dangerous B．abundant C．peaceful D．awesome
A．available B．concrete C．prized D．potential
A．set out B．headed for C．settled down D．watched out
A．provided B．reduced C．produced D．lost
A．garden B．house C．pool D．yard
A．clearer B．wilder C．lower D．higher
A．passed B．stood C．gone D．followed
A．leaving B．digging C．filling D．kicking
A．by B．before C．until D．after
A．in spite of B．instead of C．apart from D．in terms of
A．faith B．will C．strength D．laughter
Children model themselves largely on their parents. They do so mainly through identification. Children identify a parent when they believe they have the qualities and feelings that are of that parent. The things parents do and say---and the they do and say to them--therefore strongly influence a child's . However, parents must consistently behave like the type of they want their child to become.
A parent's actions affect the self-image that a child forms identification. Children who see mainly positive qualities in their will likely learn to see themselves in a positive way. Children who observe chiefly qualities in their parents will have difficulty positive qualities in themselves. Children may their self-image, however, as they become increasingly by peers groups standards before they reach 13.
Isolated(孤立的) events, dramatic(突然的) ones, do not necessarily have a permanent on a child's behavior. Children interact such events according to their established attitudes and previous training. Children who know they are loved can, , accept the divorce of their parents' or a parent's early . But if children feel unloved, they may interpret such events a sign of rejection or punishment.
In the same way, all children are not influenced by toys and games, reading matter, and television programs. in the case of a dramatic change in family relations, the of an activity or experience depends on how the child interprets it.
A．to B．with C．around D．for
A．informed B．characteristic C．conceived D．indicative
A．gesture B．expression C．way D．Extent
A．behavior B．words C．mood D．reactions
A．person B．humans C．creatures D．adult
A．in turn B．nevertheless C．also D．as a result
A．before B．besides C．with D．through
A．eyes B．parents C．peers D．behaviors
A．negative B．cheerful C．various D．complex
A．see B．seeing C．to see D．to seeing
A．modify B．copy C．give up D．continue
A．mature B．influenced C．unique D．independent
A．not B．besides C．even D．finally
A．idea B．wonder C．stamp D．effect
A．luckily B．for example C．at most D．theoretically
A．death B．rewards C．advice D．teaching
A．as B．being C．of D．For
A．even B．at all C．alike D．as a whole
A．Even B．Since C．Right D．As
A．result B．effect C．scale D．Cause
Tears clouded my eyes as I stood in our washing room, holding Brett's jeans and shirt full of burn holes. Tired and defeated, I to the floor. The clothes were just one more thing Brett had . He often got almost everything in the house out of . Many windows in our house needed repair due to his breaking to steal money when he chose to live on the street. Yet none of this could compare to the emotional Brett had done to our once quiet home.
Brett came to live with us when he was 12 years old. During the next few years I had dealt with Brett as as possible, but inside I was shouting,"I don't want him in my house another day, Lord! I just can't him!" Having wiped my tears, I continued him as before.
When Brett was nearly 18, he landed again in Juvenile Hall(少管所). After that, my husband and I had to send Brett to a boarding school for helping teens.
At the ceremony, each graduate held a white rose to give to the person who had the most to him or her.
Brett spoke to his parents and then spoke to me, "You did so much. You were always there, no matter happened. My mom and dad, I was their kid. But you, troubled enough by me, always me such love. And I want you to k I love you for it."
, I stood as Brett placed the white rose in my hand and hugged me .
At that moment, tears in my eyes again, this time not for disappointment but for . Although I had struggled with silent toward my stepson, Brett had seen only my actions. Love is action. We may not always have positive feelings about certain people in our lives, but we can love them.
A．sat B．sank C．bent D．dropped
A．ruined B．lost C．torn D．broken
A．danger B．place C．trouble D．order
A．off B．in C．up D．away
A．pain B．injury C．damage D．suffering
A．patiently B．willingly C．strictly D．rudely
A．forgive B．educate C．stand D．control
A．parenting B．pardoning C．comforting D．feeding
A．lazy B．troublesome C．disappointing D．careless
A．opening B．official C．victory D．graduation
A．afforded B．meant C．supplied D．owed
A．lovingly B．sadly C．proudly D．nervously
A．where B．how C．what D．who
A．unless B．although C．because D．when
A．cost B．lent C．taught D．showed
A．Astonished B．Puzzled C．Encouraged D．Interested
A．surely B．roughly C．tightly D．fiercely
A．fell B．flowed C．moved D．gathered
A．pity B．happiness C．luck D．success
A．love B．anxiety C．anger D．care
John Perry stood up and looked around again. The island had been a good place to find shells. But now how could he make the move out to sea…? If they swam out to sea he could jump in and get to shore they saw him.
He saw the sharks rolling and playing. Their was now gone and they were killing for fun. How could he make them move away?
He drew his knife from his belt. Sharks can blood, he thought. He put the knife against his leg and cut deep into the . The blood ran out and he caught it on his white shirt. When the shirt was red and wet he tied some cloth around his leg to the flow of blood. He then tied a long piece of cloth to the shirt, threw it into the water and it with the piece of cloth.
The sharks smelled the blood and came toward the shirt. He ran down the sand reef pulling the shirt and the sharks raced after it. He was them away from shore. Suddenly he dropped the cloth, turned toward the and ran as fast as he could. He jumped in the water and swam.
He was halfway across he turned to look back. A high bony fin (鳍) was through the water toward him. He put his face in the water and kicked and splashed himself as fast as he could. The shore was near now.
He lifted his head again to and he saw the shore very near. From behind he left the water rush toward him, almost pushing him, helping him. And then a great gray body hit him and almost rolled him over in the water. He touched the shore with 35 and he pulled himself up the stones. The shark, by the smell of blood and the chase (追逐), went wildly after him. Its great body crashed against .
The end came quickly and the water was covered with the shark’s blood. The injured shark was eaten up by others as it tried to escape.
Perry slowly struggled his feet.
“So,” he said, “you did not get me.” And he looked down at the sharks still eating 40 they weren’t hungry. He climbed up the stones and walked toward the village.
A．boats B．sharks C．soldiers D．shells
A．before B．after C．until D．when
A．food B．hunger C．anger D．wish
A．fear B．taste C．drink D．smell
A．sand B．shark C．flesh D．mat
A．stop B．keep C．join D．cause
A．pulled B．wrapped C．connected D．caught
A．running B．racing C．swimming D．jumping
A．driving B．keeping C．preventing D．leading
A．sea B．shore C．island D．sand
A．before B．while C．unless D．when
A．going B．running C．cutting D．swimming
A．forward B．backward C．upward D．downward
A．cry B．breathe C．swim D．escape
A．his feet B．a stick C．his fingers D．the shirt
A．interested B．frightened C．disappointed D．excited
A．the shore B．Perry C．the stones D．the shells
A．lively B．alive C．dead D．friendly
A．on B．by C．to D．with
A．as though B．even though C．as soon as D．as long as
We always celebrated my Dad’s November birthday on Thanksgiving Day, even after he entered a nursing home. As years went on, these events took on a(n) meaning – a traditional birthday party for Dad, and a personal for all that he had done for me in my life.
When we knew that it might be Dad’s birthday, the whole family decided to come together for a huge birthday celebration at the nursing home. It was a crowded party ___all of us sitting around him. Dad was a wonderful , and here was a biggest audience he’d ever had.
During a quiet moment, I announced that it was now Dad’s turn to stories from us. I wanted everyone to tell Dad what we loved about him. , we told stories from our hearts, Dad listened with wet, flashing blue eyes. We all kinds of lost memories – stories about when we were little, stories about when Dad was young and stories that are shared as family . Even the littlest grandchildren couldn’t to tell their grandfather why they loved him. For a man who had been kind to so many people in his life, here was our to honor him.
A few months later, at Dad’s memorial service, we fully realized what we had given Dad that night. Those were the stories people normally tell at a . They are told, then, full of tears, with the hope that the departed will somehow hear the outpouring of love._ _ we had given those loving to Dad when he was , told through laughter, accompanied by hugs and joy. I’m sure the stories and memories over in his mind during his last months and days.
Words do , and they are enough. We need to say them, to speak them to the ones we love, for everyone else to hear. That’s the way to love, and our chance to honor a person in life.
A．original B．modern C．complex D．double
A．congratulation B．wish C．thanking D．apology
A．late B．lost C．living D．last
A．with B．as C．though D．by
A．writer B．listener C．storyteller D．reader
A．hear of B．listen to C．make up D．talk about
A．Little by little B．Now and then C．All at once D．One after another
A．if B．because C．while D．before
A．recalled B．recorded C．regretted D．remembered
A．thoughts B．treasures C．possessions D．tales
A．afford B．help C．wait D．offer
A．chance B．task C．duty D．decision
A．burial B．party C．meeting D．wedding
A．And B．But C．So D．Or
A．kindness B．memories C．care D．hugs
A．healthy B．old C．young D．alive
A．went B．flew C．rolled D．came
A．benefit B．matter C．work D．mean
A．publicly B．properly C．consciously D．correctly
A．fall in B．search for C．hand over D．give back
When he was a small boy, he had loved butterflies. Now a grown man with his first son to be born in a few weeks, he found once again fascinated with a cocoon（茧）．He had it at the side of the park path. Somehow the twig(嫩枝）had been knocked from the tree and the cocoon had undamaged and still woven to the branch.
As he had seen his mother do，he gently protected it by it in his handkerchief and carried it home. The cocoon found a home in a jar with holes in the lid. The man it every day. One day, for the first time，the cocoon moved. He watched more closely and soon the cocoon was trembling with activity but nothing else . The cocoon remained tightly glued to the twig and there was no of wings.
Finally the shaking became so ，the man thought the butterfly would die from the .He removed the lid on the jar，took a sharp pen knife from his desk drawer and made a tiny slit(切口)in the side of the cocoon. Almost immediately，one wing appeared and then outstretched the other. The butterfly was !
It seemed to its freedom and walked along the edge of the jar. But it didn’t fly. At first the man thought the 54 needed time to dry but time passed and still the butterfly did not .
The man was worried and called up his neighbor who high school science. He told the neighbor he had found the cocoon，placed it in the mason jar, and the terrible trembling as the butterfly struggled to get out. When he how he had carefully made a small slit in the cocoon，the teacher stopped him, “Oh, that is the . You see，the struggle is what gives the butterfly the strength to fly.”
And so it is with us. Sometimes it’s the struggles in life that us the most.
A．them B．us C．itself D．himself
A．searched B．raised C．found D．pulled
A．survived B．appeared C．existed D．hidden
A．hanging B．covering C．hiding D．wrapping
A．awful B．temporary C．forever D．luxurious
A．realized B．noticed C．watched D．recognized
A．happened B．arose C．helped D．proved
A．scene B．mark C．signal D．sign
A．nervous B．strong C．constant D．weak
A．struggle B．beat C．quarrel D．fight
A．confidently B．finally C．carefully D．proudly
A．different B．free C．happy D．alive
A．hate B．share C．desire D．enjoy
A．wings B．arms C．feet D．hands
A．bring up B．get down C．take off D．come out
A．observed B．invented C．searched D．taught
A．how B．why C．when D．where
A．reported B．described C．expressed D．imagined
A．excuse B．purpose C．reason D．evidence
A．strike B．strengthen C．trouble D．impress