Don’t Wait Until Flowers Fade
Each spring brings a new blossom of wildflowers in the ditches (路沟) along the highway I travel daily to work.
There is one blue flower that has always my eye. I’ve noticed that it blooms only in the morning hours, and the afternoon sun is too warm it. Every day for approximately two weeks, I see those beautiful .
This spring, I started a wildflower garden in our yard. I can look out of the window while doing the dishes and see the flowers. I’ve often thought that those lovely blue flowers from the ditch would look in that bed alongside wildflowers.
Everyday I drove the flowers thinking, “I’ll stop on my way home and dig them.” “Gee, I don’t want to get my good clothes ...” Whatever the reason, I never stopped to dig them. My husband gave me a folding shovel(铁锹) one year to be used for that purpose.
One day on my way home from work, I was to see that the highway department had moved the ditches and the pretty blue flowers were gone. I thought to myself, “Way to go, you too long. You it when you first saw them blooming this spring.”
A week ago we were shocked and saddened to learn that my oldest sister-in-law has a terminal brain tumor(脑瘤晚期). She is 20 years older than my husband and , because of age and distance, we haven’t been as as we all would have liked.
I couldn’t help but see the between the pretty blue flowers and the between my husband’s sister and us. I do believe that God has given us some time left to plant some valuable that will bloom every year for us.
And yes, if I see the blue flowers again, you can bet I'll stop and them to my wildflower garden
A．sweet B．interesting C．different D．particular
A．fascinated B．struck C．caught D．charm
A．for B．to C．with D．on
A．plants B．flowers C．ones D．wilds
A．open B．main hall C．front D．kitchen
A．great B．well C．horrible D．ugly
A．many B．various C．other D．colorful
A．passed B．past C．pass D．pasted
A．damaged B．ready C．dirty D．smelly
A．ever B．once C．never D．even
A．expressed B．temporary C．unfinished D．permanent
A．annoying B．saddened C．interested D．helpless
A．wasted B．ignored C．thought D．waited
A．would have done B．need have done C．should have done D．muse have done
A．unconsciously B．fortunately C．unfortunately D．consciously
A．close B．closely C．closed D．near
A．connection B．difference C．meaning D．significance
A．friendship B．relationship C．support D．relative
A．trees B．memories C．species D．roses
A．dig B．rescue C．transmit D．transplant
Mobile phones are everywhere in big cities. It seems that can survive without one. Mobile phones are a great to stay connected with friends and family. , it is important to remember that there are certain times you should not be using your phone, especially as a student, during school.
you are in class, you should not be sending your friends text messages taking phone calls. Your classmates and teacher should not have to deal with this rude . Aren’t you at school to learn?
In the United States, students would never be allowed to their mobile phones during class. If you were to send or a text message you would probably be kicked class. It is very disturbing to hear a lot of tones and ringing during . There are many more rules for mobile phone use in America and it is to respect for those around you.
As a teacher in China, I have to students using mobile phones every day. I have told my class to their phones, but many students do not listen. The to be connected all the time seems to be more than the desire to learn.
It’s easy to understand it is so tempting(诱惑人的) to have your phone on during class. It seems so easy just to send a short text message; it’s not hurting anyone, is it? But you may actually be hurting when you do this. Your teacher knows when you use your phone and may give you a grade. Sending a text message also takes your attention away from what’s going on in class, you may something important.
A．one B．somebody C．someone D．no one
A．way B．road C．method D．path
A．But B．However C．So D．Therefore
A．which B．that C．when D．where
A．After B．Before C．Because D．If
A．or B．and C．as well as D．instead of
A．act B．action C．habit D．behavior
A．have B．take C．use D．send
A．receive B．accept C．make D．get
A．of B．off C．out D．out of
A．school B．class C．office D．home
A．ask B．suggest C．show D．answer
A．do B．deal C．do with D．deal with
A．turn on B．turn down C．turn off D．turn in
A．desire B．wish C．hope D．expect
A．possible B．important C．necessary D．interesting
A．why B．what C．that D．whether
A．himself B．herself C．ourselves D．yourself
A．lower B．higher C．better D．upper
A．forget B．remember C．miss D．leave
A stag(雄鹿)，which lived in a jungle，decided to go for a trip with his family to another forest．The stag and his family the new jungle，which was with thick bushes and trees．There was plenty to eat for all of them．
All of a sudden，the antlers(鹿角)of the stag got in the overhanging branches of a tree．The stag tried hard，but could not himself．His wife and baby kept on watching ．
The stag thought，“Everything was fine，till now．But now I am ．We won’t be able to reach our home until I have my antlers free．How I am! We came here for ，but I think this is the worst of my life．”
The stag for some more time but he was too ．He finally and kept standing there helplessly. The three of them had to spend the whole night like this．The stag kept about his fate．
The next morning，a woodcutter saw the stag with his antlers caught in the branches．He the stag．Soon，the woodcutter cut down the branches of the tree and set the stag free．
The stag the woodcutter and rushed back home with his family．On reaching home，he was to learn that some lions had their area the previous day．Many lives were lost．
Within the flash of a second，the stag realized that he and his family were because his antlers had got caught in the branches．The moments which he to be the worst period of his life turned out to be the most for him．
A．escaped B．enjoyed C．disliked D．developed
A．supplied B．supported C．covered D．surrounded
A．caught B．hurt C．fallen D．broken
A．leave B．find C．satisfy D．free
A．hopeful B．carefully C．helplessly D．aimlessly
A．lost B． settled C．stuck D． failed
A．happy B．unlucky C．excited D．stupid
A．home B．food C．friends D．pleasure
A．party B．period C．story D．failure
A．struggled B．thought C．worked D．lasted
A．angry B．tired C．successful D．surprised
A．gave up B．caught up C．left off D．gave in
A．cheering B．rethinking C．complaining D．concerning
A．took pity on B．picked up C．took away D．looked down upon
A．killed B． followed C．thanked D．suspected
A．astonished B．ashamed C．regretted D．delighted
A．protected B．stolen C．amused D．attacked
A．cheated B．saved C．killed D．threatened
A．suspected B．experienced C．expected D．considered
A．difficult B．comfortable C．fortunate D．unbelievable
When we read books we seem to enter a new world. This new world can be similar to the one we are living in, or it can be very . Some stories are told they were true. Real people who live in a world do real things; in other words, the stories are about people just like us doing what we do. Other stories, such as the Harry Potter books, are not . They are characters and creatures that are very different from us and do things that would be for us.
But there is more to books and writing than this. If we think about it, even realistic writing is only . How can we tell the difference between what is real and what is not real? For example, when we read about Harry Potter ,we seem to learn something about the real world. And when Harry studies magic at Hogwarts, he also learns more about his real life than . Reading, like writing, is an action. It is a way of . When we read or write something ,we do much more than simple look at words on a page. We use our --which is real—and our imagination—which is real in a different way --- to make the words come to life in our minds.
Both realism and fantasy(幻想) the imagination and the “magic” of reading and writing to make us think. When we read realistic, we have to imagine that the people we are reading about are just like us, even though we that we are real and they are . It sounds ,but it works. When we read, we fill in missing information and about the causes and effects of what a character does. We help the writer by that what we read is like real life. In a way, we are writing the book, too.
Most of us probably don’t think about what is going on in our when we are reading. We pick up a book and lose in a good story, eager to find out what will happen next. Knowing how we feel we read can help us become better readers, and it will help us discover more about the real magic of books.
A．possible B．easy C．new D．different
A．that B．What C．whether D．as if
A．usual B．normal C．certain D．common
A．realistic B．reasonable C．moral D．instructive
A．difficult B．impossible C．important D．necessary
A．thinkable B．designed C．imagined D．planned
A．do B．make C．have D．are
A．lessons B．dreams C．experience D．magic
A．working B．thinking C．living D．understanding
A．knowledge B．skill C．Words D．grammar
A．make B．get C．use D．have
A．a newspaper B．something C．everything D．a story
A．find B．learn C．know D．hope
A．too B．not C．all D．so
A．dangerous B．serious C．strange D．terrible
A．talk B．learn C．read D．think
A．telling B．pretending C．promising D．guessing
A．mind B．life C．world D．society
A．heart B．time C．money D．ourselves
A．what B．how C．when D．why
A thing happened me last Sunday. It was such a beautiful day I drove to go for a look in the country.
On the way back home, my stopped. It was out of gas on a road far from a town! I decided to walk until I found someone could sell some gas. I had walked almost a mile I finally found a house near the I was glad to see it because it was getting dark. I knocked at the door and a little old lady with long white hair . She said, “I’ve been for you here for a long time. Come in is almost ready. ”“But I only came for some gas,” I answered. I couldn’t what she was talking about.
“Oh, Alfred! Gas? You tea,” said she. I quickly that my car was out of , but she didn’t seem to listen to me. She just kept me Alfred and talking about how long it had been she had seen me.
She was acting very strangely and I was anxious to leave. As soon as she went to get tea, I went out of the house as fast as I .
Fortunately, there was another house down the road and I was able to buy the gas I needed. When I told the man about my , he said, “
Oh, that’s Miss Emily. She lives by herself in that big house. She’s strange, but she wouldn’t anybody. She is still waiting for the man she was going to marry thirty years ago. The day before their wedding he left home and never came back because of the war.”
A．Happy B．Strange C．Common D．bad
A．on B．in C．upon D．to
A．and B．so C．but D．That
A．car B．bus C．bike D．Truck
A．narrow B．lonely C．crowded D．busy
A．what B．whom C．who D．how
A．before B．after C．while D．as
A．street B．path C．way D．road
A．came B．answered C．opened D．appeared
A．asking B．looking C．calling D．waiting
A．Gas B．Coffee C．Tea D．Lunch
A．consider B．understand C．accept D．think
A．like B．love C．used to like D．liking
A．answered B．explained C．refused D．promised
A．gas B．tea C．strength D．energy
A．calling B．call C．to call D．called
A．until B．before C．since D．when
A．could B．can C．would D．wanted
A．accident B．incident C．experience D．surprise
A．hit B．injury C．hurt D．frighten
A long time ago, there was an emperor(皇帝). One day he told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and as much land areas as he liked, he would give him the area of land he had covered. enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could. He riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. Even when he was or tired, he did not stop he wanted to cover as much area as possible. When he at last covered a large amount of land, he was exhausted and was . Then he asked himself, “Why did I myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only a very small area to myself.”
The above story is to the journey of our We push ourselves very hard every day to make more , to gain power or recognition. We neglect(疏忽，忘记) our , time with our family and to appreciate(欣赏) the surrounding and the things we love to do. One day we look back, we will that we don’t really need that much, then we cannot turn back time for what we have .
Life is not about making money. Life is definitely(肯定地) not about work! Work is only to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauty and pleasures of life.
A．use B．cover C．work D．get
A．Good B．Strange C．Sure D．Interesting
A．rode B．ran C．expanded D．struggled
A．kept on B．asked for C．gave up D．succeeded in
A．sad B．excited C．confused D．hungry
A．but B．so C．because D．if
A．sleeping B．arguing C．dying D．smiling
A．push B．make C．destroy D．prove
A．need B．have C．find D．show
A．live B．bury C．support D．sleep
A．useful B．certain C．similar D．special
A．future B．past C．history D．life
A．friends B．progress C．discoveries D．money
A．health B．career C．honor D．freedom
A．things B．condition C．people D．beauty
A．before B．when C．unless D．since
A．realize B．regret C．apologize D．explain
A．or B．until C．however D．but
A．saved B．missed C．reduced D．won
A．possible B．probable C．necessary D．suitable