My uncle has a very beautiful umbrella. He has had it ____ and he is very careful with it. It still looks as good as new. “That umbrella must have ____ you a great deal of money, Uncle，” I said to him one day. “No，” he replied, “____.” “Was it a present？” I asked again. “No，” said he. “Then how did you get it？” I asked.
“Well，” he answered, “it is a strange true story. About ten years ago I was walking along a quiet London street one evening ____ it suddenly rained. I had no ___ and no umbrella. No buses ____that street and there were no taxis in sight. As I was on my way to a party I didn't want to get ___.So I stood in a doorway and waited for the rain to stop. By and by it grew quite ____， there wasn't a person around，and still it rained and rained.____ a young man came to the place where I was standing, ____ a large umbrella over his head. As I hoped he would ____ me to walk to the next corner with him, ___ I could have got a taxi，I stepped ____ the dark doorway where I had been standing, and said, ‘____， where are you going with that umbrella？’
____ by my sudden appearance, the young man ____ the umbrella which I am afraid, he had just stolen, ran away, and ___ into the darkness. I picked up the umbrella and ____ my walk. I knew it would be ____ in this big city to try and discover the owner and so I've kept it ____.”
A．for months B．for years C．since childhood D．since then
A．used B．cost C．taken D．spent
A．very little B．only a few pounds C．not a penny D．not a great deal
A．when B．then C．before D．as
A．car B．hat C．raincoat D．friend
A．moved through B．ran through C．went across D．passed across
A．tired B．back C．wet D．away
A．dark B．wet C．late D．helpless
A．At once B．At last C．Strangely D．Secretly
A．raising B．carrying C．holding D．lifting
A．allow B．let C．agree D．promise
A．there B．where C．from which D．in which
A．into B．out of C．towards D．from behind
A．By the way B．Pardon C．Excuse me D．Sorry
A．Encouraged B．Forced C．Warmed D．Frightened
A．shut B．took C．dropped D．forgot
A．disappeared B．wandered C．marched D．came
A．stopped B．started C．continued D．delayed
A．endless B．interesting C．exciting D．hopeless
A．ever since B．forever C．long enough D．in the end
We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Eric in a high chair and noticed everyone was eating and talking. Suddenly, Eric screamed with and said, “Hi there.” His fat baby hands hit the high chair tray, and his eyes were wide with excitement.
I looked around and saw the of his enjoyment. It was an old man with a worn and oily coat. And his hair was uncombed and unwashed. I was sure he . His hand waved. “Hi there, baby; I see you,” the man said to Eric.
My husband and I looks. Eric continued to laugh and answer, “Hi, there.” Everyone in the restaurant noticed this. My husband and I were .
We finally the meal and for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat me and the door. “Lord, just let me out of here he speaks to me or Eric,” I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be . As I did so, Eric leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby’s “ ” position. Before I could stop him, he had himself to the man’s arms. Eric, in an act of total and love, laid his tiny head upon the man’s ragged shoulder.
His hands full of dirt, pain and hard labor gently, so gently, cradled(轻轻抱着) my baby’s and patted his back. I stood amazed. After a while, he pushed Eric from his chest as though he were in pain, saying “God bless you, ma’am. You’ve given me the best Christmas gift.”
I had just witnessed a genuine love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin(罪恶), who made no . The ragged old man, , had reminded me that a genuine love is one in which the meaning of love is realized.
A．hurriedly B．happily C．sadly D．quietly
A．delight B．surprise C．anger D．satisfaction
A．source B．result C．effect D．degree
A．smiled B．smelled C．felt D．cheated
A．turned B．separated C．exchanged D．replaced
A．embarrassed B．shocked C．excited D．curious
A．got up B．got through C．got over D．got off
A．moved B．headed C．reached D．advanced
A．in front of B．against C．next to D．between
A．though B．since C．before D．if
A．holding B．fighting C．taking D．breathing
A．let-me-go B．pick-me-up C．put-me-down D．take-me-on
A．jumped B．devoted C．driven D．thrown
A．independence B．trust C．desire D．devotion
A．beautiful B．strong C．old D．firm
A．legs B．head C．neck D．bottom
A．eagerly B．violently C．unwillingly D．gladly
A．decision B．judgment C．conclusion D．choice
A．strangely B．powerfully C．unknowingly D．gratefully
A．realistic B．false C．loyal D．true
It was the first time in Cindy’s 12 years that she had tried to make a cake, but it wasn’t exactly a success. The cake was well lumpy (结成块的). And it tasted ____, as if she ____ the sugar. Besides, the ____ was in a mess with all the fixings for cake out of place.
But Cindy wasn’t thinking about the mess. She was anxious for her parents to ____ home, so she could ____ her gift to them. She turned off the lights and waited ____ in the darkness. When at last she saw the ____ of the car’s headlights, she ____ herself in the kitchen doorway. When she heard the ____ sliding into the front door, she was close to exploding.
Her parents entered quietly, but Cindy would have ____ of that. She turned on the lights dramatically and gestured towards the kitchen ____, where a slightly off-balance cake awaited ____ praise. But her mother saw nothing but the ____. She shouted, “How many times have I talked to you about cleaning up after yourself?”
“But, Mom. I was only…”
“Clean this up immediately.”
____, Cindy’s mother isn’t the only parent who ____ the occasional inability to see the wood for the trees. Sometimes we allow ourselves to be ____ to things of long-term significance by the thing that seems ____ now — but isn’t. ____ kitchen sanitation (卫生设备) is important, is it ____ the sacrifice (祭品) of tender feelings and relationships? As patents, there are times when we ____ need to see the mess in the kitchen, and times when we only need to see the cake.
A．delicious B．sweet C．fresh D．bad
A．had run out B．had been given out C．had been worn out D．had used up
A．kitchen B．bedroom C．garden D．lab
A．leave B．visit C．return D．miss
A．send B．present C．share D．prepare
A．patiently B．excitedly C．nervously D．politely
A．shadow B．flame C．flash D．body
A．positioned B．managed C．adapted D．dropped
A．window B．car C．chair D．key
A．much B．part C．none D．something
A．floor B．table C．knife D．wall
A．their B．her C．his D．Cindy’s
A．chance B．result C．cake D．mess
A．Hopefully B．Luckily C．Happily D．Unfortunately
A．gives up B．suffers from C．shows off D．takes in
A．blinded B．addicted C．opposed D．devoted
A．necessary B．important C．ordinary D．clean
A．As B．If C．Although D．Since
A．across B．like C．towards D．worth
A．sadly B．only C．really D．hardly
One effective way of destroying happiness is to look at something and focus on even the smallest fault. It’s like looking at the tiled (铺瓦的) ceiling and concentrating on the space where one tile is .
Once I heard a bald man said, “Whenever I enter a room, all I see is hair.” Once you’ve what your missing tile is, explore whether acquiring it will make you happy. Then do one of the three things: get it, replace it with a different , or forget about it and the tiles in your life that are not missing.
We all know people who have had a relatively life, yet are essentially unhappy, while people who have suffered a great deal generally remain happy.
The first is gratitude. All happy people are grateful. Ungrateful people cannot be happy. We tend to think that being unhappy leads people to , but it’s truer to say that complaining leads to people becoming unhappy.
The second secret is awareness. We should that happiness is a byproduct (副产品) of something else. The most obvious are those pursuits ( 追求) that give our lives purpose---anything from studying insects to playing baseball. The more passions we have, the more happiness we are to experience.
Finally, the belief that something permanent goes beyond us and that our has some larger meaning can help us to feel happier. We need a spiritual faith, or a philosophy of life. Whatever your philosophy is, it should this truth: if you choose to find the in every situation, you will be blessed, and if you choose to find the awful, you will be cursed. As for happiness itself, this depends on your decision to make.
A．different B．short C．missing D．broken
A．imagined B．predicted C．assumed D．determined
A．really B．naturally C．hopefully D．completely
A．ceiling B．brick C．tile D．house
A．go on B．focus on C．put on D．rely on
A．easy B．difficult C．ordinary D．peaceful
A．factor B．secret C．rule D．key
A．upset B．quarrel C．depress D．complain
A．realize B．decide C．prove D．suppose
A．answers B．results C．sources D．goals
A．curious B．satisfied C．tentative D．likely
A．value B．existence C．survival D．destination
A．include B．tell C．absorb D．mean
A．worst B．positive C．disgusting D．negative
A．absolutely B．totally C．largely D．exactly
There is one word that is on the lips of Americans , day and night -"Sorry."
Once as I was walling on the street, a young man ran by ,brushing against my handbag. Even as he continued on his .way, he back and said "sorry" to me. Even in a rush, he didn't forget to apologize.
One day, after I bought some apples, the salesman was giving me the change, but I wasn't ready for it And a dropped on the ground. "I'm sorry," he said while bending down to pick it up. I was -why would he apologize when it was my .
Another time ,I stepped a man's foot in a lift At the same time, we both said "sorry"．I thought it interesting at first - was it really for him to apologize?
Later on, an American friend o me that according to the American ideas, the lift is a place everyone should be able to stand in. After someone occupies a position in the lift, making it for someone else to find a place to stand in ,isn't it necessary to an apologize?
During my stay in America ,I gradually that when friction（摩擦）happen in daily life, Americans don't care much about who is responsible. Someone is troubled, a "sorry" is always necessary. The "sorry” would cool tempers the other person is hurt. Perhaps this is why I saw anyone quarreling on the buses, subways or street in America.
A．excitedly B．hurriedly C．happily D．hopefully
A．drove B．held C．watched D．turned
A．coin B．handbag C．wallet D．bill.
A．impressed B．moved C．annoyed D．puzzled
A．duty B．attitude C．fault D．business
A．over B．on C．in D．at
A．necessary B．important C．surprising D．polite
A．lied B．explained C．pointed D．admitted
A．crowded B．common C．public D．free
A．unfit B．impossible C．narrow D．difficult
A．express B．receive C．expect D．tell
A．realized B．remembered C．agreed D．meant
A．Although B．What C．Unless D．If
A．as if B．even if C．as soon as D．before
A．always B．often C．never D．sometimes
【改编】Life became hard when I was 14. My mother and I moved to New York to join my father, who’d moved there to find better-paying work when I was three years old. He had a at a restaurant and only visited us once every couple of years.
Before I moved, I knew that people in the US spoke English. But , I didn’t stop to analyze the situation when I was to leave . Just like I assumed I could easily become a doctor or a lawyer. I assumed that I had the skills to learn in a few weeks.
When I in the US and started 8th grade at Ditmas Middle School in Brooklyn, everyone was a(n) foreign language I couldn’t understand. I that life had subtitles（字幕）, like in foreign movies.
was such a serious place here. Sometimes I felt like I was in a geek（呆子） class. The teachers were always watching my moves so I couldn’t even throw a paper ball at a classmate’s head. And the thing was having to read newspaper.
But after almost seven months of about everything, I realized that complaining didn’t change things. It just made my life worse. If I was going to in this new concrete jungle, I had to adapt. I began to learn English by reading newspaperson my own after . After about four months, I started enjoying reading the crime and sports stories. After six months of studying, my teachers notice my and moved me into a more modern English class. I could go to the storeand ask for things that I wanted to buy any frustration. For the first time I felt like I was living on earth again because I didn’t hear talk. I could understand people.
A．work B．friend C．job D．cook.
A．luckily B．eventually C．gradually D． honestly
A．attempting B．packing C．managing D．trying
A．English B．German C．French D．Chinese
A．got B．reached C． arrived D．entered
A．talking B．speaking C．telling D．saying
A．wished B．hoped C．expected D．wanted
A．Restaurant B．Home C．Hospital D．School
A．happiest B．strange C．worst D．most
A．complaining B．quarreling C．fighting D．discussing
A．live B．study C．survive D．continue
A．school B．work C．graduation D．meals
A．mistakes B．accent C．embarrassment D．progress
A．for B．without C．with D．in
A．foreign B．similar C．familiar D．native