How far would you walk to learn about something that interested you? When he was young, Jacob Lawrence often walked more than sixty from his home in the Harlem section of New York City to the Metropolitan Museum of Art．Jacob wanted to be a（n） ，and he believed that studying the famous paintings in that museum would help him．
It was 1930,when many people were out of work, money was and people suffered a lot．Still the streets were with energy and color．As he walked through Harlem, Jacob looked hard at the people, the churches, and barbershops and so on．He those images in his mind, along with the images of paintings he saw in the ．
Jacob came from a poor family．His mother believed there was little chance her son could grow up to be a successful painter．She wanted him to aim for something more ．But Jacob's teacher, Alston, in an art program saw that he was talented．Alston him how to use paints to make stage sets．
As time passed, Alston let Jacob rent work space in his own studio． That was an exciting place for a young black man to become an artist．Many creative people there to talk about art, literature and history．From their ,Jacob learned that history books often the accomplishments of African Americans．He decided to paint a sel1es of pictures describing the story of a black hero．He Toussaint, who had helped free his people French ruling．
Many people admired Jacob's pictures, but he needed admiration．To help his family, he often had to work at jobs that him away from painting．Then something encouraging happened．An artist named Augusta got Jacob a job．For eighteen months, Jacob was given a to paint pictures． For the first time, he felt like a artist．
A．steps B．blocks C．buildings D．avenues
A．artist B．tutor C．scholar D．official
A．swinging B．existing C．hanging D．twisting
A．blank B．loose C．tough D．tight
A．lined B．decorated C．associated D．filled
A．stored B．received C．created D．remembered
A．museum B．studio C．church D．street
A．whether B．which C．that D．when
A．precious B．practical C．standard D．flexible
A．recommended B．reminded C．provided D．showed
A．hesitating B．struggling C．marching D．participating
A．settled B．wandered C．gathered D．rushed
A．experiences B．performances C．accents D．conversations
A．acknowledged B．accused C．ignored D．witnessed
A．chose B．accepted C．counted D．employed
A．against B．from C．for D．with
A．more than B．rather than C．other than D．less than
A．broke B．gave C．permitted D．took
A．award B．title C．salary D．prize
A．permanent B．popular C．positive D．professional
I was 14 when Mr. Ingram hired me as a farmhand. It was the first time I was actually for work. One day Mr. Ingram found an old truck that was in the soft, sandy soil of our field. It was full of melons that someone had tried to38 from our farm before his truck got caught in the mud.
Mr. Ingram explained that the truck’s owner would be soon, and he wanted me to watch and learn. It wasn’t long a local guy with a terrible reputation for fighting and stealing showed up with his two fully-grown sons. They looked really .
Calmly Mr. Ingram said, “Well, I see you want to some watermelons from us.”
There was a long before the man answered, “Yeah, I guess so. What are you for them?”
“Twenty-five cents each.”
“Well, I suppose that would be enough if you help me get my truck out of here,” the man said.
It turned out to be our biggest sale of the summer, and an awful, perhaps violent incident had been . After they left, Mr. Ingram smiled and said to me, “Son, if you don’t forgive your , you’re going to run out of friends.”
A．trusted B．ready C．paid D．offered
A．stuck B．broken C．deserted D．lost
A．remove B．steal C．sell D．hide
A．purchasing B．bargaining C．returning D．searching
A．till B．before C．that D．since
A．astonished B．anxious C．familiar D．angry
A．borrow B．buy C．steal D．carry
A．break B．discussion C．watching D．silence
A．getting B．offering C．paying D．finding
A．necessary B．helpful C．easy D．fair
A．stopped B．avoided C．handled D．taught
A．mistakes B．neighbors C．enemies D．Melons
We, Patty and I, had been best friends since Grade Four. Just about everywhere we went, people we were best friends. We secrets about popcorn（爆米花）and soda year after year. The best part about having a best friend was taking sleeping over on Friday nights.
Then in Grade Eight everything changed. Suddenly, my interest in make-up and clothes my mom. I believe Patty started the first day of school the same pigtails（辫子）she had worn forever. What was happening? Other girls seemed more than Patty.
I started avoiding her and making excuses. , during the middle of the year, as we were sitting in the backyard, the broke out. I said, “Go home, Patty, and don’t come back.” Then I ran into the house crying. Mom sat me down and I told her . I’ll never forget her words. She said, “ will come and go in and out of your life forever. You are and it’s okay for both of you to make new friends. is happening is hard but perfectly .”
Time healed（治愈）a lot of the , and over the next few years we clearly walked along paths. Still, when I saw her in the halls of high school, I 5 a strange sadness. I thought if I went back and “fixed” everything between us, we could somehow start all over friends. But that was a fantasy（幻想）. Our differences were too great, and I could only she understood.
I’ll always remember the years when Patty and I were best friend, but Mom was right. can change, and we have to let them go when it’s time.
A．realized B．believed C．knew D．understood
A．shared B．spared C．kept D．remembered
A．beds B．places C．turns D．sides
A．surprised B．scared C．frightened D．satisfied
A．wouldn’t B．shouldn’t C．couldn’t D．needn’t
A．wearing B．dressing C．keeping D．staying
A．boring B．interesting C．pleased D．exciting
A．Finally B．Naturally C．Generally D．Especially
A．tears B．words C．anger D．hate
A．matter B．everything C．trouble D．nothing
A．Interests B．Friends C．Sadness D．Childhood
A．changing B．studying C．quarreling D．imagining
A．What B．Which C．Why D．When
A．common B．ordinary C．regular D．normal
A．unhappiness B．loneliness C．memory D．emotion
A．different B．same C．hard D．separate
A．remembered B．thought C．felt D．lost
A．like B．as C．with D．on
A．suppose B．believe C．hope D．suggest
A．Environments B．Opinions C．Friendships D．Attitudes
Nine years ago, after Leo had died, people said to me, “I never knew he was your stepfather.” You see, I never called him . At first, he was no one special in my life. Then he became my friend. , I felt he was also my father.
Leo married my mother when I was eleven. Two years later we moved into a house in a new suburban development, where we put down roots. At first our lawn was just a mud with wild grass, but Leo saw bright . “We’ll plant trees there to give us as well as some flowers,” he said. And just these little touches made our house from all the others. More importantly, a real family was . Leo was becoming a full-time parent, and I was learning what it to have a father.
Weekday mornings when the weather was bad, Leo often drove me to school. Having a father
you off may have been something my classmates took for granted, I always thought it was wonderful. mornings, we went to the hardware shop, then stepped into the five-and-ten, buying a sports magazine or something else. Some people might think that doing shopping together is nothing , but I, who had ever before spent my childhood other families do their everyday activities, experienced them now with delight. , I realized that Leo gave me what I needed most—the of doing ordinary things together as a family.
A．it B．that C．so D．one
A．In time B．At the time C．First time D．On time
A．necessities B．possibilities C．recognition D．decoration
A．vegetables B．grass C．shadow D．shade
A．beautiful B．similar C．same D．different
A．forming B．developing C．growing D．becoming
A．became B．meant C．followed D．got
A．cut B．help C．drop D．drive
A．so B．and C．but D．since
A．Monday B．Weekday C．Friday D．Saturday
A．special B．usual C．especial D．different
A．noticing B．recognizing C．understanding D．watching
A．modest B．extreme C．deep D．high
A．Looking back B．Coming back C．Looking forward D．Going back on
A．achievement B．recognition C．experience D．procedure
It was a Christmas break from school almost 40 years ago. I had spent most of the morning like any boy would, outside in the snow and enjoying the sunlight on the day of the year. I liked stepping through the snow, making snowballs to the trees, and watching the smoky breath float (飘) out of my . After a while, though, the got to be too much and I went .
It was warm in the house. I my wet coat and put on my favorite blue sweater. Then I walked into the . My mom and grandma had just baking two loaves of Italian bread. Mom looked up, smiled at me and asked me what I wanted for . I smiled back and pointed to the delicious bread. Mom laughed, a slice off the bread, and buttered it for me. Then she told me to go sit the stove (炉子) in the living room. Taking my slice with me I sat in my favorite chair, and felt the gentle heat (热) from the stove my little body. It was a moment of pure . I felt so good and so loved that I it to this day.
Our daily and love are all we need in this life. They are all we need to . Anything else is just an extra blessing to be used to make this world a place for us all.
Be thankful for the daily bread that fills your and for daily love that fills your soul. Then go out and with great joy your bread, your blessings, and your love with the world.
A．talking B．driving C．playing D．singing
A．hottest B．shortest C．quickest D．biggest
A．pick up B．look for C．care about D．throw at
A．pool B．mouth C．box D．room
A．illness B．waste C．cold D．smoke
A．away B．fast C．alone D．inside
A．took off B．put aside C．gave away D．found out
A．classroom B．station C．kitchen D．office
A．finished B．suggested C．allowed D．begun
A．rest B．lunch C．support D．pleasure
A．beat B．pulled C．ate D．cut
A．around B．by C．under D．with
A．warm B．touch C．help D．protect
A．friendship B．freedom C．peace D．luck
A．remember B．write C．respect D．follow
A．chance B．advice C．news D．bread
A．change B．live C．travel D．think
A．cleaner B．closer C．better D．cooler
A．memory B．house C．hand D．stomach
A．save B．share C．take D．make
I used to be a very self-centered person, but in the past two years I have really changed. I have started to think about other people I think about myself. I am happy that I am becoming a person.
I think my started when I was at Palomar College. At first, I just wanted to get my and be left alone. I thought I was smarter than everyone else, so I hardly ever to anyone in my classes. By the end of my first semester, I was really . It seemed as if everyone but me had made friends and was having fun. So tried a(n) . I started asking people around me how they were doing, and if they were having trouble I to help. That was really a big for me. By the end of the year, I had several new friends, and two of are still my best friends today.
A bigger cause of my new , however, came when I took a part-time job at a Vista Nursing Home. One old lady there who had Alzheimer’s disease became my . Every time I came into her room, she was so because she thought I was her daughter. Her real daughter never her, so I took her place. She let me . that making others feel good made me feel good, too. when she died, I was , but I was very grateful to her.
I think I am a much person today than I used to be, and I hope I will not these experiences. They have me to care about other people more than about myself. I who I am today, and I could not say that a few years ago.
A．since B．before C．or D．unless
A．famous B．simple C．different D．skilled
A．education B．career C．tour D．change
A．balance B．homework C．degree D．interest
A．talked B．wrote C．lied D．reported
A．careful B．lonely C．curious D．guilty
A．argument B．game C．experiment D．defence
A．dared B．offered C．hesitated D．happened
A．dream B．problem C．duty D．step
A．us B．which C．them D．whom
A．attitude B．hobby C．hope D．luck
A．friend B．partner C．guide D．guest
A．polite B．happy C．strange D．confident
A．bothered B．answered C．visited D．trusted
A．explain B．guess C．declare D．see
A．homeless B．heartbroken C．bad-tempered D．hopeless
A．quieter B．busier C．better D．richer
A．forget B．face C．improve D．analyze
A．forced B．preferred C．ordered D．taught
A．miss B．like C．wonder D．expect