“Mum, can I invite my classmate Brett over to stay tomorrow night, please? It’s Friday, and we don’t have any .Can I, please?” Mum was sitting at the kitchen table. Dad was next to her, resting his head on his arms. Mum could that James wanted so badly to have his friend over.
“I’m so sorry, James,” she said.
“I’m never allowed to have friends come to the house? Why, Mum?” James asked sadly, almost in .
“I know it’s for you,” Mum said softly. “But I’m just worried other people might think we’re a little… strange. And then they would make fun of you.”
“No, they wouldn’t, Mum,” James protested. “We’re not at all. We’re just ordinary people.”
Mum sighed heavily. “To tell you the truth, James, my neck has been so painful that it’s given me a heavy . And your poor father ---he doesn’t feel . He really needs a rest.”
“I can help, Mum!” James said. “ I can make you and Dad feel better, can Brett come over? Please?”
“Well…”Mum began.
“Great! Thanks, Mum!” James almost shouted. “Just sit there, don’t move.” He rushed over to the kitchen drawer and what he needed ---two spanners(扳手). “Hang on, Mum,” he said. “This won’t take a second.” After some , James was finished. With a smile of on his face he said, “There! How does that feel?” “Oh, James,” Mum said. “That’s a much better! How did you do it?”
“Easy,” James said .” Dad had tightened your neck bolts (螺栓) too much! I just them slightly! I learned that in robotic science at school.”
“What about you father? Can you him?” asked Mum.
“I’ll try,” James replied. He up Dad’s hair at the back of his neck and plugged the electric wire into Dad’s head. Then he turned the on. Dad opened his eyes and immediately. “He just let his run too low, that’s all,” James said, “Shall I tell Brett to come over straight after school tomorrow?”
“I guess so,” replied Mum. “Your friends will just have to that we are a very unusual family. Thanks, son!”
A．chance B．message C．difficulty D．homework
A．reading B．alone C．asleep D．standing
A．see B．explain C．agree D．doubt
A．terror B．surprise C．silence D．tears
A．hard B．fair C．easy D．good
A．normal B．popular C．strange D．anxious
A．loss B．headache C．task D．day
A．ill B．well C．funny D．sorry
A．As B．Since C．Before D．If
A．found B．kept C．controlled D．returned
A．requests B．repairs C．thoughts D．instructions
A．sympathy B．bitterness C．politeness D．satisfaction
A．embarrassedly B．proudly C．gratefully D．impatiently
A．collected B．produced C．adjusted D．covered
A．greet B．accompany C．help D．ask
A．caught B．lifted C．gave D．filled
A．television B．light C．gas D．power
A．grew up B．lay down C．sat up D．broke down
A．battery B．food C．temperature D．blood
A．prove B．expect C．accept D．suspect
On receiving my learner driver license a couple of months ago, I started driving lessons straight away. In New Zealand, the __33__driving age is 15.
However it wasn’t __34__ two days ago that Dad finally allowed me to drive on the motorway. Our __35__ was Orewa, a seaside town about 60 kilometers away from my home in Auckland. That morning I __36__ sure I had enough to drink and went to the toilet (厕所) about three times __37__ we left. I thought I was totally __38__ for the journey, but nothing could have prepared me for my family’s __39__. "Relax! Don’t hold the steering wheel(方向盘) so __40__. The car is going zigzag (弯弯曲曲的)," called a nervous voice from the __41__. "Speed up. 70km/h isn’t fast enough. You are holding up the traffic," another voice ordered from the seat next to mine.
How __42__ ! My parents were really starting to get on my nerves. To satisfy them I sped up and within a second, an angry voice began to yell again. "Stop! __43__! Are you crazy? ” Everything did not go fine until I pulled off the motorway and drove into the city, __44__ the speed limit was only 50km/h.
My family seemed relieved (放心的) and __45__ telling me what to do. They all looked out of the windows and enjoyed the scenery . __46__, that silence didn’t last very long. My mum suddenly cried out, "Look at those birds above us. __47__ they lovely?"
How did she expect me to look up in the __49__? As the driver I had to __48__ . Who knows what would have happened if I had taken my eyes off the __50__? Four hours later we drove home. This time the journey was much __51__ than before as everyone else __52__ fast asleep. So, I just took my time and enjoyed the drive.
A．oldest B．youngest C．best D．worst
A．until B．unless C．after D．when
A．destination B．home C．city D．aim
A．thought B．decided C．kept D．made
A．when B．since C．before D．as
A．disappointed B．prepared C．excited D．upset
A．praises B．encouragements C．complaints D．cries
A．tightly B．lightly C．loosely D．happily
A．front sear B．back seat C．top seat D．empty seat
A．interesting B．moving C．puzzling D．annoying
A．Get out B．Move on C．Slow down D．Speed up
A．where B．while C．which D．why
A．began B．stopped C．continued D．forgot
A．Luckily B．Probably C．Warmly D．Sadly
A．Can’t B．Don’t C．Aren’t D．Won’t
A．air B．water C．ground D．woods
A．see B．concentrate C．check D．care
A．bird B．dog C．road D．car
A．easier B．flatter C．harder D．lower
A．felt B．began C．fell D．kept
God’s coffee
A group of class friends, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon 36 into complaints about stress in work and life.
Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the 37 and returned with a large pot of coffee and a couple of 38 ---porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some 39 looking, some expensive, some delicate --- telling them to 40 themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in 41 , the professor said :“ If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, 42 behind the plain and cheap ones. Whiles it is normal for you to 43 only the best for yourselves, that is the 44 of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself 45 no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. 46 all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you 47 went for the best cups… And then you began __48___ each other’s cups. Now consider this: Life is the ___49____; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life, and the type of cup we have does not 50 , nor change the quality of life we 51 . Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we 52 to enjoy the coffee God has 53 us. God brews the coffee, not the cups… Enjoy the coffee!”
The happiest people don’t have the best of everything. They just 54 the best of everything.
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the 55 to God.
A．stopped B．looked C．grew D．turned
A．living-room B．waiting-room C．bedroom D．kitchen
A．cups B．pans C．bowls D．bottles
A．plain B．clean C．ugly D．fine
A．devote B．help C．dedicate D．enjoy
A．stomach B．hand C．mind D．mouth
A．falling B．leaving C．hiding D．keeping
A．hope B．wish C．need D．want
A．source B．resource C．energy D．reason
A．adapts B．puts C．adds D．applies
A．As B．What C．That D．Which
A．consciously B．cheerfully C．deliberately D．bravely
A．looking B．glaring C．eyeing D．glancing
A．tea B．water C．wine D．coffee
A．sign B．mean C．define D．signal
A．spend B．live C．hate D．love
A．fail B．succeed C．tend D．manage
A．shown B．taken C．sent D．provided
A．keep B．take C．make D．hold
A．complex B．remains C．rest D．complaints
A boy came to a wise man living in a beautiful palace to learn about the secret of happiness. The wise man 31 with everyone in his palace, and the boy had to wait for long before his 32 . But the wise man told him he had no 33 to explain the secret of happiness then. He 34 the boy a teaspoon(茶匙) that held some drops of oil and said, “Please 35 the palace and return in two hours, but 36 this spoon without allowing the oil to spill (洒出).”
The boy wandered around, keeping his eyes 37 the spoon. After two hours, he returned.
“Well”, asked the wise man, “Did you see the wonderful 38 hanging in my dining hall? Did you see the 39 it took the gardener ten years to create? ”The boy’s 40 turned red. He said his only 41 was not to spill the oil.
“Then go back and 42 my palace”, said the wise man, “You cannot 43 a man if you don’t know his house”.
Relieved (放松下来),the boy picked up the 44 and returned to his exploration of the palace; this time observing all of the works of art and all the 45 in the garden. Upon returning to the wise man, he described in 46 everything he had seen.
“But where are the drops of oil I gave you?” asked the wise man. Looking 47 at the spoon he held, the boy saw the oil was48 .
“Well, this is the only 49 I can give you”, said the wise man, “The secret of happiness is to see all the wonders of the world and 50 to forget the drops of oil on the spoon”.
A．argued B．talked C．fought D．played
A．duty B．place C．turn D．distance
A．time B．room C．ability D．idea
A．bought B．made C．lent D．handed
A．get through B．look around C．tear down D．build up
A．carry B．hide C．weigh D．test
A．covered with B．reminding of C．escaping from D．fixed on
A．designs of dishes B．works of art C．vegetables of seasons D．carpets of colors
A．garden B．palace C．city D．hall
A．eyes B．hands C．face D．nose
A．business B．concern C．interest D．regret
A．find B．reach C．protect D．observe
A．trust B．greet C．cheat D．hate
A．chance B．spoon C．oil D．way
A．stones B．marks C．mystery D．beauty
A．trouble B．order C．detail D．return
A．down B．up C．over D．out
A．hot B．cold C．frozen D．gone
A．gift B．news C．advice D．reward
A．also B．even C．never D．always
On my birthday this year, I decided to do something very different. I had been 31 so much and I wanted to reach out to bring happiness to someone else. So, that 32 , I bought some flowers and went to a hospital. I had no 33 who I was going to present the flowers to, but I would find someone who needed 34 .
I asked the nurses in the hospital, who thought it 35 that I didn’t have anyone in particular to see. 36 , they gave me the room number of a(n) 37 lady, who needed some comfort.
I entered the room with the flowers. The elderly woman looked up, staring at me 38 . She was greatly moved when I told her about my 39in being there. She was an amputee(被截肢者) and she explained to me that she was very worried 40 they were going to fit her with prosthetic leg(假肢). She knew that as she was getting used to the “ 41 ”leg, she would be in 42 .
Later, in the following two hours, we 43 a lot and both felt very happy. I 44 until it was dark. I will always remember how 45 she was the moment she received the flowers from me—a 46 . She called me her angel and said she had no more 47 .
I 48 that story with my neighbor and she 49 that she was going to do the same thing on her birthday. And I hope that she will 50 others to be kind and do the same thing. You never know you might be considered someone’s angel one day.
A．shown B．told C．given D．bought
A．week B．afternoon C．hour D．night
A．belief B．sense C．message D．idea
A．paying attention to B．cheering up C．looking after D．looking down upon
A．strange B．lucky C．difficult D．true
A．Instead B．Still C．Besides D．Therefore
A．young B．old C．happy D．strong
A．angrily B．suddenly C．quickly D．confusedly
A．purpose B．experience C．failure D．trouble
A．unless B．but C．because D．until
A．thin B．long C．short D．new
A．surprise B．pain C．need D．sight
A．talked B．asked C．imagined D．smiled
A．worked B．stood C．stayed D．rested
A．busy B．shy C．disappointed D．moved
A．stranger B．friend C．relative D．doctor
A．fun B．interest C．fear D．challenge
A．repeated B．shared C．learned D．changed
A．agreed B．forgot C．joked D．promised
A．force B．warm C．allow D．encourage
A man was exploring caves by the seashore when he found a bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls．It was like someone had 36 the balls and left them out in the sun to bake．
They didn’t look like much, but they 37 the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him．As he walked along the beach, he 38 the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could．He thought little about it 39 he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open（裂开）on a rock．Inside was a beautiful, precious stone! 40 , the man started breaking open the 41 balls．Each contained a similar treasure．He found thousands of dollars’ 42 of jewels in the 20 or so leftover ones．
Then it 43 him．He’d been on the beach a long time, throwing maybe 50 or 60 of the balls, with their hidden treasure, into the 44 ．Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he 45 have taken home tens of thousands but he had just thrown it away!
It’s like that 46 people．We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, but we 47 see the clay shell．It doesn’t look like much from the 48 ．It isn’t always beautiful or shining, so we 49 it．We see that person as less important than someone more 50 or stylish or well known or wealthy．But we haven’t taken the time to find the treasure 51 inside that person．
There is a treasure in each and every one of us．If we take the time to get to know that person and ask God to show us that person the 52 he sees them, then the clay begins to 53 and the brilliant jewel begins to shine forth．May we not come to the 54 of our lives and find out that we’ve thrown away a 55 in friendships because the gems （宝石） were hidden in balls of clay! May we see the people in our world as God sees them．
A．invented B．rolled C．handled D．bounced
A．confused B．encouraged C．interested D．relaxed
A．dipped B．pushed C．kicked D．threw
A．until B．when C．since D．though
A．Frightened B．Determined C．Excited D．Disappointed
A．shining B．floating C．surviving D．remaining
A．worth B．value C．cost D．wealth
A．shocked B．rejected C．struck D．delighted
A．caves B．waves C．seashore D．storms
A．might B．must C．could D．should
A．with B．towards C．about D．between
A．hardly B．actually C．simply D．luckily
A．distance B．outside C．weight D．pattern
A．removed B．suspected C．ignored D．reserved
A．beautiful B．cautious C．positive D．grateful
A．lost B．hidden C．divided D．mixed
A．moment B．point C．degree D．way
A．come off B．break away C．take over D．fall down
A．sight B．best C．middle D．end
A．relation B．position C．fortune D．memory