Some years ago when I was in my first year in college, I heard Salome Bey sing for the first time. The moment was exciting. Salome’s filled the room and brought the theater to life. I was so that I decided to write an article about her.
I Salome Bey, telling her I was from Essence magazine, and that I wanted to meet her to talk about her career. She and told me to come to her Studio next Tuesday. When I hung up, I was scared out of mind. I I was lying. I was not a writer at all and hadn’t even written a grocery list.
I interviewed Salome Bey the next Tuesday. I sat there , taking notes and asking questions that all began with, “Can you tell me…?” I soon realized that Salome Bey was one thing, but writing a story for a national magazine was just impossible. The was almost unbearable. I struggled for days draft（草稿）after draft. Finally I put my manuscript（手稿）into a large envelope and dropped it into a mailbox.
It didn’t take long. My manuscript . How stupid of me! I thought. How could I in a world of professional writers? Knowing I couldn’t the rejection letter, I threw the unopened envelope into a drawer.
Five years later, I was moving to California. While my apartment, I came across the unopened envelope. This time I opened it and read the editor’s letter in :
Ms Profit,
Your story on Salome Bey is fantastic. Yet we need some materials. Please add those and return the article immediately. We would like to your story soon.
Shocked, it took me a long time to . Fear of rejection cost me greatly. I lost at least five hundred dollars and the chance of having my article appear in a major magazine. More importantly, I lost years of writing. Today, I have become a full-time writer. Looking back on this , I learned a very important lesson: You can’t to doubt yourself.
A．joy B．voice C．speech D．smile
A．proud B．active C．satisfied D．moved
A．visited B．emailed C．phoned D．interviewed
A．agreed B．refused C．hesitated D．paused
A．replied B．discovered C．explained D．knew
A．seriously B．patiently C．nervously D．quietly
A．blaming B．fooling C．inviting D．urging
A．hardship B．failure C．comment D．pressure
A．with B．by C．on D．in
A．disappeared B．returned C．spread D．improved
A．compare B．struggle C．survive D．compete
A．ignore B．deliver C．face D．receive
A．decorating B．repairing C．cleaning D．leaving
A．surprise B．anxiety C．horror D．trouble
A．subjective B．detailed C．private D．complex
A．broadcast B．create C．publish D．assess
A．recover B．prepare C．escape D．concentrate
A．energetic B．endless C．typical D．enjoyable
A．experience B．success C．benefit D．accident
A．attempt B．afford C．expect D．pretend
He was driving home one cold evening on a country road when he saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road. He stopped to give her a ____. “Why don't you wait in the car where it is warm, Madam? It won't take me long.” He said, “____，my name is Joe.”
She had a flat tire. Joe crawled under the car and changed the tire. But he got dirty and his hands hurt. She couldn't thank him ____ and asked him how much she ____ him. He told her that if she really wanted to ____ him back, the next time she saw someone in ____ of help, she could give that person the ____ he needed, and Joe added, “And think of me.”
She drove off with gratefulness. A few miles ____ the road the lady saw a small ____. She went in. The waitress who was nearly eight months pregnant, ____ her with a sweet smile. The old lady ____ how someone like her who seemed so poor could be so genuinely happy and how she could ____ her enthusiasm in her work in such inconvenient conditions. Then Joe's words ____ her. After the lady finished her meal, the waitress went to get her ____ from a hundreddollar bill. ____， the lady stepped right out of the door.
When the waitress came back, she noticed a note on the table, ____ “I'm helping you because someone once helped me. If you really want to pay me back, here is ____ you can do—Do not let the chain of love ____ with you.”
The waitress went home that night with the ____ tip and what the lady had written. With the baby ____ next month, she and her husband needed money. She knew how worried her husband was and as he lay sleeping next to her, she whispered, “Everything's going to be all right. I love you, Joe.”
A．surprise B．hand C．sympathy D．glance
A．Just in case B．As you wish C．For one thing D．By the way
A．enough B．right C．straight D．extra
A．charged B．provided C．owed D．offered
A．pay B．bring C．put D．hold
A．honor B．favor C．need D．possession
A．guidance B．assistance C．acquaintance D．consequence
A．down B．off C．beside D．beyond
A．bank B．grocery C．gas station D．restaurant
A．introduced B．greeted C．identified D．spotted
A．thought B．suspected C．wondered D．questioned
A．taste B．measure C．remain D．maintain
A．struck B．moved C．obtained D．reminded
A．tip B．change C．order D．service
A．Moreover B．Otherwise C．However D．Eventually
A．writing B．showing C．going D．saying
A．how B．which C．what D．whether
A．combine B．end C．disagree D．deal
A．honest B．generous C．modest D．graceful
A．due B．ready C．born D．likely
I climbed the stairs slowly, carrying a big suitcase, my father following with two more. By the time I got to the third floor, I was tired and at the same time feeling lonely. Worse still, Dad a step and fell, sending my new suitcases down the stairs. “Damn!” he screamed, his face turning red. I knew was ahead. Whenever Dad's face turns red, !
How could I ever him to finish unloading the car screaming at me and making a scene in front of the other girls, girls I would have to spend the of the year with? Doors were opening and faces peering out (探出), as Dad walked close behind. I felt it in my bones that my college life was getting off to a(n) start.
“ the room quickly,” I thought. “Get him into a chair and calmed down.” But then again, would there be a chair in Room 316? Or would it be a(n) room?
I turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open, with Dad complaining about a hurting knee or something. I put my head in, expecting the . But to my , the room wasn’t empty at all! It had furniture, curtains, a TV, and even paintings on the walls.
And there on a well-made bed sat Amy, my new , dressed neatly. Greeting me with a nod, she said in a soft voice, “Hi, you must be Cori.” Then, she the music and looked over at Dad. “And of course, you’re Mr. Faber,” she said, . “Would you like a glass of iced tea?” Dad’s face turned decidedly before he could bring out a “yes”.
I knew then that Amy and I would be and my first year of college would be a success.
A．took B．minded C．missed D．picked
A．rooling B．passing C．dropping D．turning
A．suffering B．difficulty C．troubled D．danger
A．go head B．look out C．hold on D．give up
A．lead B．help C．encourage D．get
A．after B．without C．while D．besides
A．best B．beginning C．end D．rest
A．with difficulty B．in a hurry C．with firm steps D．in wonder
A．fresh B．late C．bad D．unfair
A．Search B．Find C．enter D．Book
A．small B．empty C．new D．neat
A．Finally B．Meanwhile C．Sooner or later D．At the moment
A．yet B．only C．even D．still
A．worst B．chair C．best D．tea
A．regret B．disappointment C．surprise D．knowledge
A．roommate B．classmate C．neighbour D．companion
A．turned on B．turned down C．played D．enjoyed
A．questioning B．wondering C．smiling D．guessing
A．red B．less pal C．less red D．pale
A．sisters B．friends C．students D．fellows
After years of experience, Brenda was faced with a challenge in Sunday School. However, she just didn’t know how to it in a good way. She had never been asked to teach a child quite like Cindy!
Cindy, you see, was . She came from a broken home. And although she was really
, she thought she was so bad that she could not be successful. , Cindy needed care, and most of all, Cindy needed love! There just had to be a way of her. Day after day, Brenda would pray for Cindy, yet Sunday would come and go and she saw , if any, change.
Then one day Brenda asked Cindy if she could a role in a Christmas programme the children were to do. Cindy’s answer was, “Don’t you think you can find someone better than me?”
“Better than you?” came Brenda’s . “What makes you think there is better than you?”
“Well, I’ve been asked to do anything before because I’m not good. I won’t get the part and then everyone will be mad at me for messing up（弄糟）their ,” came Cindy’s answer.
“Oh, Cindy,” said Brenda in a voice. “I am so that you think that, but you are so wrong. Don’t you realize how you are?”
“No,” a reply in a low voice because Cindy was now in .
“But Cindy, in my eyes, you are special and you can also do somethin g well like others,” Brenda said.
“Really? Do you think so really? Thank you, Miss Brenda! Nobody has believed in me like you. I’ll have a try,” said Cindy as she a hug from her teacher for the first time!
A．share with B．deal with C．do with D．go with
A．average B．naughty C．different D．ordinary
A．clever B．foolish C．lovely D．friendly
A．In return B．In turn C．In all D．In fact
A．stopping B．keeping C．helping D．knowing
A．much B．little C．some D．few
A．study B．like C．replace D．play
A．asking B．beginning C．planning D．learning
A．reply B．noise C．sound D．problem
A．no one B．anyone C．none D．everyone
A．ever B．often C．always D．never
A．good B．bad C．right D．poor
A．environment B．programme C．invention D．homework
A．gentle B．high C．loud D．clear
A．glad B．lucky C．proud D．sorry
A．happy B．sad C．valuable D．beautiful
A．said B．came C．received D．went
A．silence B．troubles C．public D．tears
A．Then B．But C．As D．Because
A．refused B．expected C．received D．separated
---Have you paid ? What’s my share of the bill?
---____.It wasn’t very much.
A．Don’t worry about it. B．It’s my share. C．None of your bisiness. D．It’s up to you.
When I was a young teenager, about 14, I was already ready to work. My father was a dairy man and he had been working his entire life. For him, getting up at 5 a.m. and working a couple of hours before I went to school, and then more after school until there was not enough to see, were normal.
My father considered putting good work ethics in me to be very . He began to show me these, not through , but through his actions. He would not a job until it was done. He put his all into everything he did. However, he showed me this not just in working, but in everything. Like when I was in soccer, I wanted to a game once, and he explained to me that I had made a and that even if I just skipped one game, then I did not to play the rest of the games.
So the day I started my first job at the age of 14, I was to show my father that I could do it well, and that I was not going to . My entire was to make my father proud of me. I knew that I did, he would not say it in words, but he would show it. My first job was doing for a company. As most of you know, construction is not an easy job, especially being so . When someone as young as I started working, they would either or get stronger. I got stronger. I worked the I had been taught and I gave that day everything I had. In the end, my boss was . He even called to tell my parents what a good worker I was, and my parents’ eyes . From that day on I have worked every job to my full , because that day defined(界定) my life. It defined how I was going to work, and I will always stick to it in the rest of my life.
A．going B．working C．learning D．playing
A．time B．chance C．light D．strength
A．ridiculous B．easy C．absolute D．important
A．facts B．words C．practice D．assessment
A．quit B．find C．do D．finish
A．might B．would C．could D．should
A．enjoy B．defeat C．skip D．take
A．commitment B．improvement C．devotion D．compromise
A．decide B．submit C．resist D．deserve
A．prepared B．shocked C．delighted D．interested
A．stick B．leave C．fail D．play
A．problem B．world C．trick D．goal
A．in case B．now that C．even if D．as though
A．regulation B．construction C．communication D．reception
A．weak B．poor C．delicate D．young
A．break B．struggle C．pause D．object
A．manner B．moment C．way D．method
A．impressed B．surprised C．inspired D．excited
A．stared B．shone C．lifted D．opened
A．occupation B．potential C．spirit D．skill