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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One family, which had emigrated from Japan and settled at the turn of the century near San Francisco, had established a business in which they grew roses and trucked them into San Francisco three mornings a week.
The other family was a naturalized(加入国籍的)family from Switzerland who also marketed roses, and 21 families became modestly successful, 22 their roses were known in the markets of San Francisco for their 23 vase-life.
For four decades the two families were neighbors, and the sons 24 the farms, but then on December 7, 1941, Japan 25 Pearl Harbor. Although the rest of the family members were American, the 26 of the Japanese family had never been naturalized. In the turmoil(动乱) and the questions about internment camps（拘留营）, his neighbor made it clear that, if 27 , he would look after his friend’s nursery（花圃）. It was 28 each family had learned in church—Love the neighbor as thyself. “You would do 29 for us, ” he told his Japanese friend.
It was not long before the Japanese 30 was transported to a poor landscape in Granada, Colorado. The relocation center consisted of tar-paper-roofed barracks (兵营) 31 by barbed wire and armed guards.
A full year went by. Then two. Then three. While the 32 neighbors were in internment, their friends worked in the greenhouses, the 33 before school and on Saturdays, and the father's work often stretched to 16 and 17 hours. And then 34 , when the war in Europe had
35 , the Japanese family packed up and 36 a train. They were going home.
What would they find? The family was 37 at the train station by their neighbors, and when they got to their home, the whole Japanese family stared.. There was the nursery, complete, clean and shining in the sunlight, neat, prosperous and healthy.
So was the balance of the bank passbook 38 to the Japanese father. And the house was 39 as clean and welcoming as the nursery.
And there on the dining room 40 was one perfect red rosebud, just waiting to unfold- the gift of one neighbor to another.
A．each B．both C．all D．two
A．as B．if C．unless D．though
A．short B．perfect C．long D．important
A．took over B．dealt with C．watched out D．handed over
A．achieved B．battled C．controlled D．attacked
A．children B．members C．father D．girls
A．possibility B．necessary C．likely D．possible
A．everything B．anything C．nothing D．something
A．the same B．similarly C．familiar D．the similar
A．father B．family C．neighbors D．mother
A．surrounded B．covered C．watched D．guarded
A．Swiss B．Swede C．naturalized D．Japanese
A．members B．girls C．children D．boys
A．sometime B．some day C．one time D．one day
A．completed B．ended C．started D．died
A．entered B．got C．boarded D．reached
A．met B．seen C．received D．accepted
A．referred B．devoted C．prepared D．handed
A．right B．quite C．just D．rather
A．chair B．table C．floor D．ground
It was a bitter, 36 evening in northern Virginia. The old man’s beard was 37 by winter’s frost (霜)while he waited for a ride across the river. The wait seemed endless. Then he heard the weak sound of hooves(马蹄) advancing along the frozen path. 38 , he watched as several horsemen rounded the bend. He let the first one pass by, then another. As 39 rider drew near where the old man sat, the old man 40 the rider’s eye and said, “Sir, would you mind giving an old man a ride to the other side of the river?”
Reining(勒住) his horse, the rider replied, “Sure thing.” Seeing the old man unable to 41 his half-frozen body from the ground, the horseman helped the old man onto the horse and took him to his 42 . On the way, the horseman said: “Sir, I notice that you let several other riders pass by. I'm 43 why, on such a bitter winter night, you would wait and ask the last rider.”
The old man looked at the rider and replied, “I know people pretty good. When I 44 the eyes of the other riders, I immediately saw there was no 45 for my situation. But when I looked into yours, kindness and compassion(同情) were obvious. I knew that your gentle spirit would give me help in my time of 46 .”
Those heart-warming comments 47 the horseman deeply. “I'm most grateful for what you have said,” he told the old man. “May I never get too busy in my own affairs that I fail to respond to the needs of others with kindness and compassion.”
A．warm B．cool C．cold D．windy
A．marked B．covered C．equipped D．filled
A．Happily B．Anxiously C．Appreciatively D．Confidently
A．the second B．the third C．the fourth D．the last
A．stared B．looked C．caught D．attracted
A．lift B．carry C．rise D．jump
A．home B．company C．destination D．office
A．afraid B．excited C．delighted D．curious
A．got into B．ran into C．looked into D．broke into
A．concern B．worry C．envy D．doubt
A．trouble B．need C．danger D．difficulty
A．amazed B．promoted C．touched D．benefited
We all have storms through our lives. But we have no right to make everyone else suffer with our own 31 .
The carpenter I 32 to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a(n) 33 first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his truck 34 to start.
While I drove him home, he sat in stony35 .
On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused 36 at a small tree, 37 tips of the branches with both hands.
When opening the door, he underwent a(n) 38 transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles, and he 39 his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.
The next day my 40 drove me to ask him about what I had seen. “Oh, that’s my trouble tree,” he replied. “I know I can’t 41 having troubles on the job, but the troubles don’t 42 to the house with my family. So I just 43 them up on the tree. Then in the morning I pick them up again.”
“ 44 thing is,” he smiled, “when I come out in the morning to pick them up, there aren’t nearly as 45 as I remember the night before.”
Putting 46 around our problems is a really good idea --- it prevents our difficulties from spilling over onto loved people, who can’t do anything about our problems. Why47 them if they can’t help us?
So, plant yourself a trouble tree outside and use it 48 you come home. Be grateful that you have loved ones to go home to 49 your loved one is simply your beloved dog. And when you picked up your troubles on the way each morning, be 50 that they’re not as heavy as they were the night before.
A．unhappiness B．mistakes C．helplessness D．carelessness
A．informed B．hired C．trusted D．recommended
A．enjoyable B．smooth C．rough D．dull
A．intended B．desired C．hesitated D．refused
A．amazement B．astonishment C．embarrassment D．silence
A．regularly B．unusually C．briefly D．directly
A．cutting B．damaging C．watching D．touching
A．exciting B．amazing C．confusing D．annoying
A．hugged B．greeted C．thanked D．waved
A．preference B．sufferings C．curiosity D．doubt
A．avoid B．consider C．continue D．stand
A．lack B．belong C．exist D．stay
A．set B．throw C．give D．hang
A．Sad B．Terrible C．Funny D．Ridiculous
A．many B．few C．good D．light
A．defence B．boundaries C．sympathy D．secret
A．burden B．equip C．expose D．entertain
A．however B．whenever C．wherever D．whatever
A．so long as B．now that C．even if D．in case
A．shameful B．proud C．astonished D．grateful
Eye See You
Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others. -- Jonathan Swift
I walked into a wild third-grade classroom. Music was playing _36_, children were under tables applying make-up, kids were throwing a football indoors, and students were _37_ wherever they could find _38_. I was a mid-year _39_. The previous _40_ said he could no longer manage these children and _41_ without notice during the holiday break.
As soon as I walked in the room, I realized why he _42_. I sat down _43_ in my chair and began reading their _44_ softly. After each name, I _45_, asking God to help me understand that child. I then nailed a _46_ to the wall next to the chalkboard and began _47_ my name and a reading assignment on the board. I then asked each child to come to me, and tell me their names and what they wanted to learn. It was a _48_ task, because only two children there wanted to learn something! Rules were _49_, boundaries established, parents contacted. But the mirror saved the day -- no, the year! Unbeknownst(不知的) to the children, the mirror allowed me to see their every _50_ while I was writing on the board. They soon became _51_ as to how I knew who was misbehaving while I was writing on the board. When one student finally asked me, I told him I had a special teacher’s eye in the back of my head that my hair _52_. At first they did not believe me. _53_ they did begin to exhibit better behavior, especially while I wrote on the board, thinking I had magical _54_. I never told them differently. Why _55_ a good thing?
A．softly B．clearly C．loudly D．peacefully
A．speaking B．laughing C．standing D．dancing
A．space B．music C．partner D．joke
A．representative B．replacement C．reference D．reward
A．teacher B．headmaster C．director D．leader
A．retired B．remained C．resigned D．returned
A．went B．came C．left D．disappeared
A．angrily B．restlessly C．indifferently D．quietly
A．names B．faces C．figures D．minds
A．prepared B．prayed C．protected D．preferred
A．board B．mirror C．cross D．picture
A．noting B．copying C．writing D．drawing
A．difficult B．different C．distant D．direct
A．dated B．written C．worked D．set
A．make B．move C．matter D．mind
A．pleased B．puzzled C．known D．worried
A．covered B．hooked C．hung D．displayed
A．So B．However C．And D．But
A．view B．scene C．eyes D．vision
A．mix up B．bring up C．mess up D．burn up
The findings come ___36___ a study of nearly 1,000 US people that looked at diet, calorie intake and body mass index (BMI) - a measure of obesity.___37___ is found that those who ate chocolate a few times a week were, on ___38___, slimmer than those ___39___ ate it occasionally. Even though chocolate is loaded with calories, it contains ingredients（材料）that may favour weight loss ___40___ than fat synthesis, scientists believe.___41___ boosting calorie intake, regular chocolate consumption was related to lower BMI in the study, ___42___ is published in Archives of Internal Medicine. The link remained even when other factors, like how ___43___ exercise individuals did, were taken into ___44___.And it appears it is how often you eat chocolate that is important, rather than how much of it you eat. The ___45___ found no link with quantity consumed.
___46___ to the researchers, there is only one chance in a hundred that their findings could be explained by chance alone. Lead author Dr Beatrice Golomb, from the University of California at San Diego, said: "Our findings appear to add to a body of information suggesting that the composition of calories, not just the number of them, matters for determining their ultimate impact on weight."This is not the first time scientists ___47___ that chocolate may be healthy for us. Other studies have claimed chocolate may be good for the heart. Consumption of certain types of chocolate has been linked to some favourable changes in blood pressure, insulin（胰岛素）sensitivity and cholesterol（胆固醇）level. And chocolate, ___48___ dark chocolate, does contain antioxidants（抗氧化剂）which can help to mop up harmful free radicals - unstable chemicals that can damage our cells.
Dr Golomb and her team believe that antioxidant compounds, called catechins（儿茶素）, can improve lean muscle mass and reduce weight ___49___ studies in rodents would suggest this might be so. Mice ___50___ for 15 days with epicatechin (present in dark chocolate) had improved exercise performance and observable changes to their muscle composition.They say clinical trials are now needed in humans to see ___51___ this is the case.
But before you reach ___52___ a chocolate bar, there are still lots of unanswered questions. And in the absence of conclusive evidence, experts advise caution.While there's no harm in allowing yourself a treat like ___53___ now and again, eating too much might be harmful because it often ___54___ a lot of sugar and fat too.And if you are looking to change your diet, you are ___55___ to benefit most from eating more fresh fruits and vegetables.
A．to B．in C．from D．with
A．As B．It C．Which D．What
A．whole B．average C．general D．short
A．who B．that C．which D．why
A．other B．rather C．less D．more
A．Though B．Even if C．when D．Despite
A．that B．which C．where D．when
A．much B．often C．long D．many
A．thoughts B．mind C．account D．effect
A．news B．report C．study D．book
A．According B．Based C．Reply D．Response
A．had suggested B．suggested C．have suggested D．suggest
A．specially B．particularly C．luckily D．unfortunately
A．at least B．at most C．in fact D．by accident
A．feeding B．fed C．to feed D．feed
A．if B．what C．why D．that
A．out B．for C．with D．into
A．noodles B．chocolate C．rice D．nuts
A．includes B．takes C．absorbs D．contains
A．probable B．possible C．likely D．about