The summer before I went off to college, Mom stood me in her usual spot behind the ironing board (烫衣板)and said, "Pay attention: I'm going to teach you to iron."
Mom clearly explained her1for this lesson. I was going to be2and needed to learn this vital skill. Also, I would be meeting new people, and properly ironed clothes would help me make a good3."Learn to iron a shirt," Mom said, "and you can iron anything."
But ironing shirts was not4work. It didn't make use of long muscles we used to throw a baseball，and it wasn't a5operation like ice-skating. Ironing was like driving a car on a street that has a stop sign every 10 feet, Moreover, an iron produced steam and it carried an element of6.If you touched the wrong part of it, you'd get burnt. If you forgot to turn it off when you7,you might bum down the house.
As for technique, Mom8me to begin with the flat spaces outward, always pushing the iron forward into wrinkled (有褶皱的）parts. Collars had to be done right. Mom said they were close to your face, where everyone would9them.
Over the years, I've learned to iron shirts skillfully, which gives me a sense of10Whatever failures I suffer in my life, an ironed shirt tells me I am good at something.11,through ironing I've learned the method for solving even the most troublesome problems. "12wrinkles one at a time," as Mom might have said, "and before long everything will get ironed out."
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Robeson was born in a very poor family. At seven, he had to pick coal in a deserted mine near his home, and then he sold__36__he had picked and earned a few coins to help his parents. He had__37__schooling, for being so poor, how could they__38__school fees?
When he was fifteen, he worked__39__a servant in a school. Looking at other children studying in the classroom，he felt__40__for himself. How he__41__to have the same chance! He decided to study by__42__.In the daytime, after the sweeping and cleaning was over, he__43__stand by the window outside the classroom trying to catch what the teacher said. At night, he tried his best to remember what he__44__during the day. He worked__45__hard at his lessons that he sometimes had just three or four hours to sleep. The more he learned, the greater__46__he showed in his lessons. A math teacher discovered him and came to like this diligent boy and__47__him to sit at the back of the class. In one exam, he was the__48__one in the whole school who reached the highest grade. He would have been given the scholarship if he__49__a regular student of the school.
Robeson__50__through six long years with his study of math and wrote several articles which captured the__51__of some university professors. They admired his talent__52__his diligence. To give him a good chance, they hired him as a librarian and__53__him free guidance. Robeson felt__54__, for he was sure that before him there was a broad road__55__success.
A．whether B．which C．that D．what
A．many B．few C．little D．much
A．buy B．afford C．send D．read
A．as B．like C．for D．by
A．angry B．happy C．proud D．sorry
A．hated B．decided C．wished D．regretted
A．the teacher B．himself C．his parents D．his schoolmates
A．could B．ought to C．should D．would
A．had learned B．has been taught C．has heard D．had been written down
A．very B．so C．too D．quite
A．joy B．interest C．time D．taste
A．allowed B．agreed C．let D．refused
A．worst B．only C．last D．laziest
A．had been B．has been C．is D．was
A．learned B．listened C．mastered D．struggled
A．notice B．influence C．eyes D．attention
A．except for B．according to C．as well as D．in spite of
A．taught B．offered C．lent D．sent
A．sad B．angry C．happy D．disappointed
A．leading to B．coming from C．made of D．covered with
Soon it would be the holidays, but before that, there were year exams. All the 36 had been working hard for some time, reviewing their lessons for the exams. If they didn’t 37 , they would have to retake them in September. There were usually a few who 38 , but Jane didn’t want to be one of them. She had worked hard all year, 39 just before the exams she was working so hard that her sister Barbara was 40 about her. She went to bed too 41 . The night before the first exam, Barbara 42 that she have an early night and take a 43 pill. She promised to wake 44 up in the morning.
As she was falling asleep, Jane was afraid that she might oversleep. Her 45 kept jumping from subject to subject. At last, with the help of46 , she went to sleep. In no time at all, she was sitting in the examination hall, looking at the examination 47 , but she couldn’t answer any of the questions. 48 around her was writing pages and gages. 49 she thought hard, she couldn’t find anything to write 50 . She kept looking at her 51 . Time was running out. There was only an hour to go. She started one question, wrote two sentences, 52 and tried another one. With only half an hour left she wrote another two sentences. By this time she was so worried that she started 53 . Her whole body shook. It shook so much that she 54 up. She was still in bed and it had all been a 55 dream. A minute later, Barbara called her name.
A．teachers B．students C．classmates D．schools
A．prepare B．miss C．join D．pass
A．succeeded B．failed C．ended D．called
A．but B．so C．and D．because
A．excited B．frightened C．worried D．pleased
A．early B．late C．heavily D．eagerly
A．insisted B．hoped C．ordered D．wished
A．sleeping B．resting C．exciting D．breathing
A．him B．her C．them D．herself
A．hand B．eye C．mind D．body
A．her sister B．her parents C．the lessons D．the medicine
A．result B．marks C．desk D．paper
A．The teacher B．The students C．No one D．Everyone
A．If B．Though C．So D．How
A．with B．about C．on D．to
A．watch B．textbook C．sister D．subject
A．gave up B．put off C．looked around D．thought over
A．examining B．leaving C．copying D．crying
A．raised B．woke C．stood D．cheered
A．nice B．wonderful C．terrible D．special
James’s New Bicycle
James shook his money box again. Nothing! He carefully __1__ the coins that lay on the bed.
$24.52 was all that he had. The bicycle he wanted was at least $90! __2__ on earth was he going to get the __3__ of the money?
He knew that his friends all had bicycles. It was __4__ to hang around with people when you were the only one without wheels. He thought about what he could do. There was no __5__ asking his parents, for he knew they had no money to __6__.
There was only one way to get the money, and that was to __7__ it. He would have to find a job. __8__ who would hire him and what could he do? He decided to ask Mr. Clay for advice, who usually had __9__ on most things.
“Well, you can start right here,” said Mr. Clay. “My windows need cleaning and my car needs washing.”
That was the __10__ of James’s odd-job business. For three months he worked every day after finishing his homework. He was amazed by the __11__ of jobs that people found for him to do. He took dogs and babies for walks, cleared out cupboards, and mended books. He lost count of the __12__ of cars he washed and windows he cleaned, but the __13__ increased and he knew that he would soon have __14__ for the bicycle he longed for.
The day __15__ came when James counted his money and found $94.32. He __16__ no time and went down to the shop to pick up the bicycle he wanted. He rode __17__ home, looking forward to showing his new bicycle to his friends. It had been hard __18__ for the money, but James knew that he valued his bicycle far more __19__ he had bought it with his own money. He had __20__ what he thought was impossible, and that was worth even than the bicycle.
A．cleaned B．covered C．counted D．checked
A．How B．Why C．Who D．What
A．amount B．part C．sum D．rest
A．brave B．hard C．smart D．unfair
A．point B．reason C．result D．right
A．split B．spend C．spare D．save
A．borrow B．earn C．raise D．collect
A．Or B．So C．For D．But
A．decisions B．experience C．opinions D．knowledge
A．beginning B．introduction C．requirement D．opening
A．similarity B．quality C．suitability D．variety
A．brand B．number C．size D．type
A．effort B．pressure C．money D．trouble
A．all B．enough C．much D．some
A．finally B．instantly C．normally D．regularly
A．gave B．left C．took D．wasted
A．patiently B．proudly C．silently D．tiredly
A．applying B．asking C．looking D．working
A．since B．if C．than D．though
A．deserved B．benefited C．achieved D．learned
In order to tell what I believe, I must briefly introduce some of my personal history.
The turning point of my life was my decision to give up a promising business career and study music. My parents, sharing my love of music, _16_____ of it as a profession. This was understandable in view of the family __17____. My grandfather had taught music for nearly forty years and earned barely enough to __18____ for his large family. My father often said it was only the hardheaded thriftiness of my grandmother that helped the family live a life. As a(an) __19___ of this example in the family, my mention of music as a profession carried with it a picture of an existence with __20____ financial rewards. My parents insisted upon college instead of a conservatory of a career of music, and so finally I went to college quite happily.
Before my graduation from Columbia, the family met with severe financial problems and I felt it my duty to __21____ college and take a job. Thus was I started a business career – which I always think of as the wasted years.
Now I do not for a moment mean to disparage business. My whole point I is that it was not for me. I went into it for __22___, and apart from the satisfaction of being able to help the family, money is all I got out of it. It was not enough. I felt that life was passing me by. From being merely dissatisfied I became really ___23___. I knew what I wanted is to save enough to __24____ and go to Europe to study ___25__. I used to get up at dawn to practice before I left for “downtown”, disappointing my poor mother by eating a hurried breakfast at the last minute. I continued to make money, and finally, bit by bit, saved enough to __26____ me to go abroad. And, by now, the family didn’t need my help any longer. I ended my business career, feeling like a man released from prison, and sailed for Europe. I stayed four years, worked harder than ever and ___27___ every minute of it.
“Enjoyed” is too mild a word. I walked on air. I really lived. I was a __28____ man and I was doing what I loved to do and what I was meant to do.
If I had stayed in business, I might be a __29____ man today, but I do not believe I would have made a success of living. I would have given up all those inner satisfactions, which money can never buy.
When I broken away from business, it was against the advice of all my friends and family. Most of us are so accustomed to the association of success with money__30___the thought of giving up a good income for an idea seemed rather crazy. If so, all I can say is “Ah! It’s great to be crazy.”
A．thought B．disapproved C．agreed D．disagreed
A．background B．experience C．tradition D．belief
A．offer B．support C．provide D．give
A．expectation B．intention C．cause D．consequence
A．certain B．uncertain C．sure D．ensured
A．enter B．join C．leave D．apply
A．interest B．dreams C．money D．hope
A．painful B．excited C．embarrassed D．cheerful
A．drop B．satisfy C．live D．quit
A．music B．medicine C．economy D．Business
A．let B．make C．encourage D．enable
A．spent B．enjoyed C．wasted D．used
A．free B．wealthy C．creative D．enthusiastic
A．strong B．successful C．wealthy D．satisfied
A．it B．which C．that D．as
I am my mother’s third child. When I was born, her doctor gently explained to my mother that my left arm was __16__, below the elbow(肘部). Then he gave her some __17__:“Don’t treat her any __18__ from the other girls. Demand more.” And she __19__!
My mother had to work to __20__ our family. There were five girls in our family and we all had to __21__. Once when I was about seven, I came out of the __22__,“Mom, I can’t peel (削……皮) potatoes. I only have one hand. “You get back to peel those potatoes, and don’t ever use that as a(n) __23__ for anything again!” Of course I could peel potatoes with my good hand, while holding them down with my __24__ arm. There was always a __25__ , and Mom knew it, “If you try hard __26__,” she ‘d say, “you can do anything.”
Once in the second grade, our teacher had each of us race across the monkey bars(高低杠). When it was my turn, I __27__ my head. Some kids __28__ . I went home crying. After work the next afternoon, Mom __29__ me back to the school ground. “ Now, __30__ up with your right arm”, she advised. She stood by __31__ I practiced, and she __32__ me when I made progress. I’ll never forget the __33__ time I was crossing the bars. The kids were standing there with their mouths open.
It was the way with everything. When I __34__ I can’t handle things, I see Mom’s smile again. She had the heart to __35__ anything. And she taught me I could, too.
A．missing B．broken C．diseased D．short
A．warning B．medicine C．help D．advice
A．badly B．differently C．well D．normally
A．did B．refused C．cried D．was
A．care B．help C．support D．feed
A．pay attention B．work out C．carry out D．help out
A．kitchen B．bedroom C．house D．school
A．idea B．change C．excuse D．explanation
A．lost B．other C．next D．longer
A．chance B．way C．time D．success
A．enough B．too C．again D．often
A．hurt B．nodded C．shook D．turned
A．cheered B．whispered C．joked D．laughed
A．drove B．took C．sent D．carried
A．pull B．jump C．stand D．rise
A．before B．as C．after D．until
A．helped B．raised C．praised D．protected
A．first B．last C．wonderful D．next
A．admit B．fear C．find D．realize
A．face B．teach C．learn D．solve