Last Christmas while staying with my parents, I across some old love letters that my parents wrote to each other. These letters were all piled up in a basket, dirty and with dust. Deciding to read and sort them, I asked them if I could take the letters back to my Illinois home. They .
As I carefully opened each letter, of them fragile with age, I discovered a new page unknown to me in this private chapter of my parents' lives.
My father used to in the army. So his letters were full of frontline of the things about the war. Each of my mother's letters was marked with her 1944 dark red lipstick kiss. I was to these letters like a magnet(磁铁).
Just six weeks after our Christmas visit, Daddy became very and was hospitalized. This time, he was fighting a kind of war. As I sat by his bedside, we discussed the . He told me how much receiving those lipstick-kissed letters had to him when he had been so far from home.
It so happened that the next day would be February 14. From the letters I chose the card my father had sent Mother in 1944 and brought it to my father’s bedside.
At his bedside, I joked with him, saying , "Today is Valentine's Day, don’t you want to send Mother a present?" He became more when I handed him the old . He carefully opened it and took out the card, and when he it, his eyes were filled with tears.
My father, in a tight with emotion read the loving message he'd sent to my mother fifty-six years . And this time, he could read it to her in .
A.came B.hit C.drew D.fell
A.hidden B.covered C.buried D.filled
A.refused B.smiled C.shocked D.agreed
A.all B.none C.both D.neither
A.recently B.usually C.previously D.occasionally
A.work B.study C.serve D.report
A.accounts B.documents C.introductions D.occupations
A.devoted B.addicted C.thrown D.drawn
A.sad B.dead C.dangerous D.ill
A.typical B.traditional C.different D.familiar
A.wars B.illnesses C.letters D.hospitals
A.meant B.intended C.planned D.said
A.divided B.sorted C.separated D.updated
A.sadly B.angrily C.softly D.loudly
A.curious B.enthusiastic C.fantastic D.positive
A.card B.envelope C.basket D.lipstick
A.found B.wrote C.recognized D.missed
A.sound B.noise C.whisper D.voice
A.later B.earlier C.ago D.ahead
A.person B.private C.danger D.peace
I do a lot of management training each year for the Circle K Company. Among the topic we ___1___ in our classes is the ___2___ of quality employees.
What has ___3___ you to stay long enough to become a manager?” I asked.
After a while a new manager ___4___ the question and said slowly, “It was a baseball ___5___.”
Cynthia said that she ___6___ to take a Circle K clerk job as an interim(临时的) job ___7___ she looked for something else. On her second day behind the counter, she received a ___8___ from her nine-year-old son, Jessie. He needed a baseball glove for Little League. She ___9___ that as a single woman, ___10___ was tight, and her first ___11___ would have to go for paying bills.
When Cynthia arrived for work the ___12___ morning, Patricia, the store manager, handed her a box. “I overheard you ___13___ to your son yesterday,” she said, “and I know that it is ___14___ to explain things to kids. This is a baseball glove for Jessie. I know you have to pay bills before you can buy gloves. You know we can’t ___15___ good people like you as ___16___ as we would like to, ___17___ we do care, and I want you to know how ___18___ you are to us!”
The thoughtfulness, empathy(同情) and love of the store manager ___19___ that people remember more how much an employer ___20___ than how much he pays.
1. A. discuss B. write C. learn D. find
2. A. managing B. selling C. keeping D. seeking
3. A. made B. ordered C. forced D. caused
4. A. made B. took C. raised D. replied
5. A. pole B. glove C. hole D. match
6. A. ought B. liked C. had D. used
7. A. when B. because C. while D. though
8. A. letter B. call C. notice D. announcement
9. A. turned out B. pointed out C. explained D. complained
10. A. work B. food C. money D. clothing
11. A. bill B. check C. day D. visit
12. A. last B. first C. next D. past
13. A. lying B. talking C. crying D. murmuring
14. A. good B. easy C. hard D. necessary
15. A. thank B. use C. employ D. pay
16. A. many B. early C. soon D. much
17. A. nor B. but C. and D. however
18. A. kind B. terrible C. much D. important
19. A. shows B. insists C. realizes D. recognizes
I grew up in a community called Estepona. I was 16 when one morning, Dad told me I could drive him into a___1___ village called Mijas, on condition that I took the car in to be ___2___ at a nearby garage. I readily accepted. I drove Dad into Mijas, and ___3___ to pick him up at 4 pm, then dropped off the car at the ___4___. With several hours to spare, I went to a theater. ___5___, when the last movie finished, it was six. I was two hours late!
I knew Dad would be angry if he ___6___ I’d been watching movies. So I decided not to tell him the truth. When I ___7___ there I apologized for being late, and told him I’d ___8___ as quickly as I could, but that the car had needed a major repairs. I’ll never forget the ___9___ he gave me. “I’m disappointed you ___10___ you have to lie to me, Jason. ” Dad looked at me again. “When you didn’t ___11___, I called the garage to ask if there were any ___12___, and they told me you hadn’t yet picked up the car. ” I felt ___13___ as I weakly told him the real reason. A ___14___ passed through Dad as he listened attentively. “I’m angry with ___15___. I realize I’ve failed as a father. I’m going to walk home now and think seriously about ___16___ I’ve gone wrong all these years. ” “But Dad, it’s 18 miles!” My protests and apologies were ___17___. Dad walked home that day. I drove behind him, ___18___ him all the way, but he walked silently.
Seeing Dad in so much ___19___and emotional pain was my most painful experience. however, it was ___20___ the most successful lesson. I have never lied since.
1. A. lonely B. small C. distant D. familiar
2. A. kept B. washed C. watched D. serviced
3. A. agreed B. planned C. determined D. promised
4. A. village B. community C. garage D. theater
5. A. however B. Then C. Therefore D. Still
6. A. realized B. found out C. thought D. figured out
7. A. went B. ran C. walked D. hurried
8. A. started B. left C. arrived D. come
9. A. word B. face C. look D. appearance
10. A. find B. decide C. believe D. feel
11. A. turn up B. drive out C. go away D. come out
12. A. questions B. problems C. mistakes D. faults
13. A. ashamed B. frightened C. nervous D. surprised
14. A. nervousness B. sadness C. silence D. thought
15. A. you B. myself C. me D. yourself
16. A. where B. how C. why D. when
17. A. meaningless B. useless C. helpless D. worthless
18. A. asking B. persuading C. begging D. following
19. A. physical B. practical C. personal D. natural
20. A. indeed B. always C. also D. almost
Some myths are stories told since ancient times to explain the causes for natural happenings. The Greek myth that explains why there are changes of ___1___ is about Demeter, the goddess of the harvest. She had a daughter, Persephone, whom she loved very much. Hades, god of the underworld, fell in love with Persephone, and he asked Zeus, the ___2___ of the gods, to give Persephone to him as his ___3___. Zeus did not want either to disappoint Hades or to upset Demeter, so he said he would not agree to the marriage, but neither would he ___4___ it. Hades, therefore, decided to take the girl without ___5___. When Persephone was picking flowers in the garden, he seized her and took her to the underworld. When Demeter ___6___ what happened to Persephone, she became so ___7___ that she caused all plants to ___8___ People were in ___9___ of starving. But Demeter was determined not to let crops grow ___10___ her daughter, Persephone, was returned to her. ___11___, still not wanting to disappoint Hades, decided upon a condition for Persephone’s ___12___. She could go back to her mother if she had not ___13___ anything while she was in the underworld. Demeter ___14___ it because she did not know that Persephone had eaten several pomegranate(石榴) seeds in the underworld. When Zeus ___15___ this, he agreed that Persephone could spend part of the year with her ___16___, but he added that since she had eaten the seeds, she must spend part of the year in the underworld. and so it ___17___ that when Persephone is in the underworld, Demeter is sad and therefore ___18___ not let the crops grow. That is ___19___ we have winter when plants do not grow. When Persephone returns, Demeter is ___20___, it is spring, and plants begin to grow again.
1. A. periods B. seasons C. time D. age
2. A. winner B. ruler C. advisor D. fighter
3. A. wife B. lover C. partner D. daughter
4. A. forbid B. forgive C. admit D. accept
5. A. arrangement B. warning C. reason D. permission
6. A. let out B. worked out C. thought out D. found out
7. A. excited B. tired C. angry D. serious
8. A. grow fast B. start growing C. stop growing D. grow slowly
9. A. danger B. hope C. turn D. case
10. A. since B. until C. after D. when
11. A. Persephone B. Zeus C. Demeter D. Hades
12. A. return B. change C. marriage D. journey
13. A. stolen B. found C. eaten D. heard
14. A. understood B. refused C. doubted D. accepted
15. A. discovered B. studied C. forgot D. prepared
16. A. daughter B. mother C. god D. ruler
17. A. works B. remains C. happens D. starts
18. A. should B. can C. dare D. will
19. A. where B. because C. why D. how
20. A. nice B. friendly C. fresh D. happy
One evening, Mr Green was driving his car along a lonely country road. He had ___1___ $10 000 from the bank in town. Suddenly a man in rags stopped him and asked for ___2___. Mr Green told him to get on and continued his way. ___3___ he talked to the man, he ___4___ that he had just broken out of prison. Mr Green was very afraid at the ___5___ of the money. Suddenly he saw a police-car and had a ___6___ idea. He ___7___ speed and drove as quickly as possible. Then he found the police-car running ___8___ him. After a mile ___9___ the police-car passed him and ordered him to stop. A policeman came up. Mr Green had hoped to tell him about the trouble but the man put a gun to Mr Green’s ___10___.
The policeman said he wanted Mr Green’s name and ___11___ and Mr Green obeyed. The policeman wrote it down in his notebook and put it in his ___12___. “You ___13___ appear at the police station. “ He said. Then he talked to Mr Green about ___14___ driving. Mr Green started up his car again. He had ___15___ all hope of his £10,000, but as he reached a more lonely part, the robber said he wanted to ___16___. Mr Green stopped and the man said. “___17___. You’ve been ___18___ to me. This is what I can do in ___19___.” And he handed Mr Green the policeman’s ___20___, which was stolen while the policeman was talking to Mr Green.
1. A. taken B. held C. brought D. drawn
2. A. money B. help C. a lift D. a ride
3. A. As B. Since C. Then D. Because
4. A. recognized B. learned C. supposed D. expected
5. A. sight B. idea C. touch D. thought
6. A. fast B. bright C. strange D. bad
7. A. put on B. got on C. took on D. had on
8. A. behind B. with C. after D. beside
9. A. and so B. or so C. and so on D. or so on
10. A. head B. shoulder C. back D. neck
11. A. number B. home C. place D. address
12. A. car B. pocket C. hand D. trousers
13. A. shall B. will C. would D. need
14. A. careful B. normal C. drunk D. dangerous
15. A. held out B. build up C. given up D. turn over
16. A. run away B. break away C. set out D. get out
17. A. I’m sorry B. You’re welcome C. That’s all right D. Thank you
18. A. kind B. polite C. known D. necessary
19. A. all B. fact C. return D. the end
20. A. gun B. pen C. money D. notebook
As she waited at the edge of the ice for her music to start, Peggy took a quick look at her father standing nearby with a group of parents and teachers. He smiled at her. Then she ___1___ out at the audience, ___2___ to see her mother. These two, Alvert and Doris Fleming, had ___3___ all the way from California more than 2,000 miles away, to see their ___4___ compete in this sports meet in Cleveland, Ohio.
The music ___5___ and Peggy moved onto the ice, letting the music ___6___ her along into her turns, and she began skating with much ___7___ in herself. The cold fear she always had in the ___8___ seconds before skating onto the ice was ___9___. She was feeling the movement of the ___10___ and letting it carry her. She skated easily, ___11___ did some jumps, a final turn and her performance was ___12___.
The crowd loved it and cheered ___13___ she skated off the ice. “Nice job,” said one of the other ___14___. It was the remark that ___15___ came after a free-skating performance. But what would the ___16___ say? Standing beside her father, Peggy ___17___ for the scoring to be finished. On all sides were other young skaters, some waiting ___18___ alone, others with a parent. Shortly before 10 o’clock the results were ___19___. The new United States Women’s Skating Champion was Peggy forming of Padena, ___20___!
1. A. looked B. watched C. found D. stepped
2. A. tried B. hoped C. hoping D. looking forward
3. A. flown B. driven C. hoped D. prepared
4. A. friend B. children C. son D. daughter
5. A. started B. played C. develop D. sang
6. A. allow B. set out C. carry D. support
7. A. thought B. belief C. success D. design
8. A. last B. following C. recent D. past
9. A. lost B. present C. string D. gone
10. A. ice B. fear C. music D. audience
11. A. so B. or C. before D. then
12. A. satisfied B. finished C. unsatisfactory D. welcome
13. A. because B. until C. as D. before
14. A. skaters B. parents C. judges D. audiences
15. A. seldom B. always C. again D. hardly
16. A. players B. audience C. parents D. judges
17. A. looked B. wished C. waited D. asked
18. A. comfortably B. anxiously C. hurriedly D. happily
19. A. cried out B. let out C. declared D. announced
20. A. California B. Cleveland C. Ohio D. England