The letter was a great disappointment to me. It was from Holy Cross, the only school I really wanted to . I scanned the page, “…. We had a great applicant pool this year. …We can’t offer spaces to and place you on our waiting list.”
“What does it say, honey?” my dad asked, his voice full of for me.
“I didn’t get in, but I’m on the waiting list.”
“Well, at least it isn’t ,” he said brightly.
“Yeah, but , I don’t want to be on the waiting list; I want to be . No one gets in off the waiting list. It’s a way of saying ‘Thanks for ’.”
“Then let’s go out there and tell them so.”
“That sounds , dad.” I said sadly, “It doesn’t work.”
Upset and annoyed, I myself in my room. However，my father’s advice kept in my head. I thought about it for a few days, finally coming to the that he was right. And the next day I seated myself across from Mr. Luis Soto, my admissions officer.
“What can I do for you, Nacie?” he asked pleasantly.
“Well, sir, I am here to tell you that I love this school and would love a to be here. I just wanted to tell you how much going here would to me—it is my only dream college— and that I would use my time here to the best . I wanted to let you know that if you gave me a chance and reconsidered my application, you wouldn’t it.” The words had poured out I could stop them or check their desperate tone .
Mr. Soto looked me over for a minute before he smiled broadly.
“OK, that is the kind of thing we love to hear. Congratulations, you’re in.”
It was so and I asked, “I’m sorry?”
“We want people in the class who want to be here, who will the best of this education. I’m glad you came to talk to me. I’m happy to offer you a position in the Class of 2011.”
The whole experience taught me a lesson: if you truly want something, never, never .
A．attend B．study C．admit D．visit
A．everyone B．anyone C．someone D．no one
A．trust B．pity C．anxiety D．curiosity
A．admission B．imagination C．restriction D．rejection
A．ever B．again C．also D．still
A．recognized B．received C．accepted D．permitted
A．writing B．trying C．replying D．waiting
A．impossible B．reasonable C．painful D．practical
A．enjoyed B．comforted C．stayed D．buried
A．saying B．ringing C．showing D．reminding
A．point B．conclusion C．agreement D．arrangement
A．chance B．motivation C．degree D．change
A．refer B．turn C．mean D．stick
A．contribution B．condition C．advantage D．result
A．suspect B．disappoint C．refuse D．regret
A．as B．when C．until D．before
A．unbelievable B．unforgettable C．unbearable D．favorable
A．take B．get C．make D．receive
A．patiently B．openly C．carefully D．calmly
A．get through B．give up C．keep on D．try out
I always long for romantic moments, like a little girl longing for candies．However, my husband is my complete 36 . His inability to bring romantic moments into our life has made me get tired of our 37 . One day, I finally told him that I wanted a divorce.
“Why?” he asked, 38 .
“I am tired; there are no 39 for everything in the world!” I answered.
He kept 40 , seeming to be in deep thought, with a lighted cigarette in his hands. Finally he asked, “What can I do to change your 41 ?”
Looking deep into his eyes I slowly answered, “Let’s say, I want a flower on a mountain cliff and picking the flower will cause your 42 . Will you do it for me?”
He answered, “I will give you my answer tomorrow.”
I 43 the next morning, finding a piece of paper on the dining table, which read: “My dear, I would not pick that flower for you, but please allow me to 44 .”
My feeling of disappointment only 45 , but I continued reading:
“You always leave the 46 keys behind, so I have to save my legs to 47 home to open the door for you. You always like to stay indoors and I 48 that you will feel too lonely, so I have to save my mouth to tell you jokes and stories. You always stare 49 the computer and that will do nothing 50 for your eyes, so I have to save my eyes so that when we grow 51 , I can help to clip your nails. Thus, my dear, 52 I am sure that there is someone who loves you more than I do, I could not pick that flower yet, and die.”
My tears fell on the 53 and I continued reading:
“Now that you have finished reading my answer, if you are 54 , please open the front door for I am standing outside 55 your favorite bread and fresh milk.”
Love, not words, wins arguments.
A．supporter B．opposite C．follower D．advocate
A．marriage B．connection C．career D．future
A．annoyed B．shocked C．frightened D．amused
A．results B．signs C．causes D．reasons
A．easy B．normal C．silent D．calm
A．habit B．feeling C．attitude D．mind
A．death B．injury C．happiness D．trouble
A．hurried up B．looked up C．woke up D．went up
A．love B．explain C．stay D．change
A．arose B．disappeared C．reduced D．increased
A．car B．office C．bicycle D．house
A．leave B．walk C．rush D．get
A．worry B．think C．believe D．remind
A．at B．to C．on D．in
A．bad B．good C．terrible D．important
A．weak B．ill C．old D．close
A．unless B．if C．since D．because
A．photos B．flowers C．floor D．letter
A．hungry B．thirsty C．satisfied D．regretted
A．buying B．bringing C．heating D．catching
The Girl with the Cut - out Face
When I was a child, I often looked through a family album. I remember asking my mother why there was a 36 cut out of a photo of a little girl. But it was 37 that my mother did not want to talk about it.
38 I looked at the album I saw that cut - out face and 39 about it. I figured there was something 40 . When I was grown up and had almost 41 about the photo, my mother must have realized I should know her 42 . She sat me down one day and said, “That cat - up photo is 43 your Aunt Anna. She has schizophrenia（精神分裂症）.”
But why did my mother never 44 this before? I still didn’t understand. “Because people are… were…45 of having mental illness in the family” was the 46 . But I wanted to meet Aunt Anna, and I 47 .
My mother and I traveled to the house 48 Anna lived with an Italian family. Anna looked like a question mark on legs, 49 she had lovely, clear eyes and a gentle manner. I could see the 50 to my mother. “So nice to meet you,” she said to me. “Do you have a trunk （象鼻；行李箱）？”
Did she think that I was an elephant? No, she wanted to run 51 and hide in the trunk of my car. The family that 52 her said that she always wanted to 53 .
The last time I saw Anna she was placed in a smaller old - age facility in Brooklyn.
54 Aunt Anna, I’m not the least bit ashamed of you. I’m 55 about you now for many to see, with your sweet young face showing under a pretty bow.
And you finally found that escape you were seeking.
A．space B．picture C．face D．corner
A．easy B．necessary C．simple D．clear
A．At once B．Every time C．On purpose D．Of course
A．wondered B．recognized C．proved D．learned
A．wrong B．serious C．difficult D．strange
A．forgotten B．remembered C．found D．lost
A．thought B．mind C．secret D．reason
A．for B．of C．about D．on
A．follow B．discover C．stop D．mention
A．proud B．tired C．ashamed D．fond
A．question B．answer C．voice D．fact
A．had B．did C．would D．dared
A．where B．when C．how D．why
A．so B．and C．but D．or
A．difference B．possibility C．chance D．resemblance
A．upstairs B．forward C．outside D．back
A．housed B．supported C．offered D．accepted
A．run B．escape C．hide D．die
A．Therefore B．Otherwise C．However D．Anyway
A．telling B．writing C．finding D．complaining
I’ve often puzzled over something that happened to me one winter when I was eight. Over the years I had been wondering if my 31 was nothing more than a kid’s imagination.
There was a 32 near our house. In winter it was the greatest 33 place in the world. One 34 all I wanted to do was go skating. I had been waiting for weeks 35 the water was frozen solid. Mom had one rule: “Never ice-skate alone.” But I couldn’t 36 any longer that afternoon. So I 37 my skates under my coat and ran to the pond. Several people were skating near the shore, and some kids were playing hockey．I was not really 38 ．
The hockey game had attracted 39 audience, so I skated in the other direction until their cheering 40 . But another noise came soon. The ice was cracking beneath me. Freezing water 41 my body, and I sank like a rock. My feet 42 the bottom. Just when I thought I wouldn’t last another43 , I felt a tap on my shoulder. “Don’t worry,” someone said. I swung my44 around. I couldn’t see anybody. But I heard the voice again，“Push your feet into the bottom and you’ll shoot straight up to the surface.” I did as I was told and 45 . I crawled to the shore and lay down, 46 ．The next thing I knew was people were 47 around me, covering me with coats.
When I awoke, I was home in my own bed. Mom sat next to me, 48 
my hand. “I saw nobody there. It must be an angel that came to my 49 ．” I said. Mom smiled, “I just thank God you’re safe.”
For a long time I thought I would 50 a more realistic explanation if I just thought hard, but I never did.
A．attention B．behavior C．explanation D．reason
A．river B．pond C．lake D．dam
A．skating B．fishing C．swimming D．skiing
A．afternoon B．morning C．evening D．night
A．after B．until C．as D．if
A．go B．run C．sit D．wait
A．found B．threw C．took D．hid
A．lonely B．single C．alone D．afraid
A．noisy B．happy C．small D．young
A．changed B．disappeared C．increased D．stopped
A．filled B．controlled C．covered D．loaded
A．hit B．dragged C．set D．tapped
A．day B．hour C．minute D．second
A．head B．hand C．arm D．leg
A．left B．succeeded C．tried D．survived
A．worried B．surprised C．excited D．exhausted
A．lying B．standing C．laughing D．crawling
A．raising B．shaking C．holding D．washing
A．place B．mind C．defense D．rescue
A．take up B．make up with C．bring up D．come up with
Our thoughts, words, and actions often cause harm to others and to us． Without reconciliation
（和解）, we cannot deepen our understanding and only cause more suffering． "Beginning Anew" is
a（n） 36 of reconciliation． It involves three steps ---- sharing appreciation, expressing 37 , and expressing hurt and difficulties．
In the first step, we share appreciation． We acknowledge the 38 qualities of the other person． The second step -- expressing regret, is to 39 with the other person our regrets for the things we have done or said that might have caused him or her 40 ． This requires humility （谦逊）, and the 41 to let go of our own pride． In the third step, we 42 our own hurt with mindf
ul and loving 43 without blaming or criticizing． We speak in such a way that the other person can listen and 44 our words． If we 45 the other person, his heart will 46 and he will not be able to hear us． We ask the other person to help us to understand 47 he has spoken and acted as he has , causing us so much pain． Perhaps, later, he can share his feelings 48 we can understand him more deeply． If a strong 49 arises in us while we are expressing our suffering, we should simply 50 and come back to our breathing until the emotion becomes 51 ． The other person can 52 us by following his breathing until we are ready to continue． We can enjoy pr
acticing 
"Beginning Anew" with our partner, our family, or our friends 53 ． By doing this, we will 54 misunderstandings from accumulating． Rather, we will take care of them as they arise,55 we take care of our children．
A．method B．practice C．example D．experience
A．concern B．belief C．regret D．sympathy
A．positive B．poor C．confident D．selfish
A．chat B．compare C．debate D．share
A．pain B．anxiety C．confusion D．loss
A．willingness B．kindness C．happiness D．weakness
A．charge B．argue C．express D．combine
A．speech B．letter C．story D．question
A．trust B．praise C．envy D．blame
A．open B．close C．beat D．melt
A．when B．how C．what D．why
A．so that B．even though C．as though D．in case
A．emotion B．responsibility C．value D．interest
A．continue B．stop C．leave D．repeat
A．quieter B．warmer C．deeper D．stronger
A．forget B．support C．hate D．remember
A．quickly B．carefully C．regularly D．willingly
A．prevent B．protect C．separate D．forbid
A．for B．so C．like D．if
While getting ready for school today, my 16-year-old daughter came into my room to give me a big hug an
d kiss. I asked her, “What do you want?” She said, “36 Mum, you always tell us to have a good day 37 we leave the house, but I was 38 about who tells you to have a good day and lets you know how mu
ch you are 39.”
I am so 40 by the capacity of love and understanding that 41 my children. My 15-year-old son asked me last night if there was a(n) 42 for him to get a summer job this year in order to help us to pay our bills. 43, in our area, he must be 16.
44 of my children depend on me so much because I am a 45 parent, but just when I pay the 46 that I will not be able to provide for them, they come up with ways to 47. I completely understand that I will 48 have to find a way to pay th
e bills as I do not want my children to take up anything. But for now the 49 that they have stepped up and 50 to help without anyone asking touches me.
When my daughter was two, I remember rushing to get to 51, getting to the front door and asking her to 52 and come. Then she appeared at the door with a bag that she was holding open. I said, “We don’t have 53 for this.” She stopped me and said, “Fill it with love, Mum.” I 54 to my knees and hugged her and then kissed her. From then55 she would bring the bag and I would bring the love to the door before we left for school and work.
A．nothing B．anything C．something
A．after B．until C．before D．since
A．complaining B．thinking C．talking D．quarreling
A．hated B．punished C．changed D．loved
A．interested B．surprised C．touched D．worried
A．comes from B．goes to C．agrees with D．cares for
A．task B．tip C．item D．way
A．Happily B．Unfortunately C．Luckily D．Generally
A．All B．None C．Both D．Neither
A．single B．strong C．rich D．noble
A．salary B．gifts C．books D．bills
A．stay up B．get up C．help out D．break down
A．already B．still C．even D．yet
A．fact B．reason C．excuse D．phenomenon
A．begged B．managed C．pretended D．offered
A．church B．shop C．work D．hospital
A．wake up B．hurry up C．turn up D．look up
A．time B．room C．space D．chance
A．dropped B．lost C．fell D．missed
A．to B．on C．away D．by