My father was a self-taught mandolin player. He was one of the best string _______ players in our town. He could not ______ music, but if he heard a tune a few times, he could play it.
Dad loved to play the mandolin for his ___ ___ for he knew we enjoyed singing, and hearing him play. He was always there, ___ ___ his time and efforts to see that his family had enough in their life. I had to grow into a man and have children of my own ________I realized how much he had sacrificed.
I joined the United States Air _ _ in January of 1962. Whenever I would come home ___ ___ , I would ask Dad to play the mandolin. He could ___ __ _your soul with the tones that came out of that old mandolin. He seemed to shine when he was playing. You could see his _ ___ in his ability to play so well for his family.
In 1950, our family moved to Maryland. While working at Todd Steel, he was _ ___ in an accident. On that particular day, Dad got the third index finger of his left hand ________ by the machine. He didn't lose enough of the finger ____ it would stop him picking up anything, but it did _ _ his ability to play the mandolin. After the accident, When I came home and asked him to play, Dad would make ______ for why he couldn't play. For the family it didn't make any ___ ___ that Dad couldn't play as well.
In August of 1993, my father was discovered with lung cancer. He chose not to receive treatments so that he could live out the rest of his life ____ dignity. About a week before his death, we asked Dad if he would play the mandolin for us. He made excuses but said "okay". He knew it would probably be the _ ___ time he would play for us. He tuned up the old mandolin and played a few _ __ . When I looked around, there was not a _ _ eye in the family. We saw before us a quiet man with an inner strength. Dad would never play the mandolin for us again. Dad was doing something he had done all his life, _ ______. As sick as he was, he was still pleasing others. Dad sure could play that Mandolin!
A．equipment B．instrument C．musical D．musician
A．read B．see C．look at D．copy
A．audience B．employer C．family D．friends
A．employing B．devoting C．spending D．wasting
A．since B．when C．after D．before
A．Power B．Energy C．Force D．Strength
A．on duty B．on holiday C．on vacation D．on leave
A．feel B．touch C．contact D．keep
A．proud B．pride C．please D．praise
A．involved B．participated C．took part D．joined
A．cut in B．cut up C．cut off D．cut out
A．which B．that C．what D．where
A．destroy B．affect C．effect D．injure
A．uses B．preparations C．excuses D．impressions
A．difference B．sense C．comment D．decision
A．at B．on C．off D．in
A．first B．latest C．last D．longest
A．notes B．bills C．symbols D．signs
A．wet B．dry C．cried D．crying
A．sponsoring B．taking C．distributing D．giving
Bonnie and her husband,Tyrone, were very fond of going on short holidays to new places.
Once, they decided to take a trip in their own car to a nearby which was famous for its historical sites. They started on their journey early in the morning and late evening they had entered the town and checked in at a hotel.
The next morning, they started their new discovery with a road of the town and its suburbs. there were many places to see, it took them the whole day to finish their sightseeing.
By now, they had a suburb with shops selling handmade items. Bonnie was most interested in shopping. Tyrone her to finish before it started getting dark. They were so in their shopping that they forgot about the time until the shops began to .
They took the same route back to their hotel but somehow got on the way and realized they were around in circles. They had to stop the car, their map, and started again but no use. They decided to ask someone for help but no one was out at late hour.
They waited at a street corner for some time, and then decided to try again. Tyrone the car but it wouldn’t move. He got down and but could not find any fault. He sat back , feeling more and more worried about their , while Bonnie was calm saying she was sure they would get help.
They sat , Bonnie praying calmly and Tyrone getting panic. Finally a man walked towards them. It was that he was a car mechanic returning home. With his help, the car was repaired and ready to go. The couple were very grateful and thanked the man . They reached their hotel safely after being directed by the mechanic.
“Trust” and “Faith”helped create a small wonder.
A．city B．town C．village D．district
A．in B．till C．by D．after
A．remark B．instruction C．guide D．map
A．Since B．Unless C．Although D．Once
A．visited B．passed C．reached D．left
A．allowed B．ordered C．persuaded D．warned
A．rich B．rooted C．interested D．absorbed
A．operate B．close C．open D．fall
A．lost B．hurt C．stuck D．rained
A．going B．looking C．hanging D．showing
A．turned over B．brought up C．referred to D．looked down
A．even B．that C．quite D．much
A．pulled B．started C．repaired D．pushed
A．fixed B．checked C．looked D．tested
A．touched B．shocked C．exhausted D．depressed
A．difficulty B．future C．wish D．experience
A．sadly B．noisily C．quietly D．anxiously
A．inferred B．reminded C．learnt D．informed
A．briefly B．orally C．totally D．extremely
A．helpful B．generous C．honest D．active
Leaving for work one morning, I noticed that my newspaper hadn’t been delivered yet. Since I always took it to work, it me that I would have to stop at the store and pick one up. I was already running late, but figured I could make it if I hurried. It was putting me in a mood.
As I pulled into the parking lot of the to get a newspaper, I noticed a young man in a wheelchair who seemed to be with his wheelchair. “I’m sure he’s all right”, I thought, “or if he’s not, someone else will help him.”
by the customers and cars that were passing him by, I guessed they were thinking the thing. I got out and walked over to see what the was.
“Is there anything I can do?” I asked. I noticed he wasn’t able to , and was still struggling with the wheelchair.
I at the wheelchair and noticed that the clamp(夹锁) holding the electronic keyboard and chair controls had loosened, causing the equipment to slip down, out of his reach.
I pulled it back into . His hand pulled over to the keyboard and he hit a single key. An electronic voice said, “Thank you.”
I felt a wave of gratitude come over me. I was truly blessed to have the physical that allowed me to live a normal life. The young man helped me gain a new way of thinking in life.
A．annoyed B．ignored C．permitted D．avoided
A．guilty B．curios C．bad D．good
A．office B．store C．library D．station
A．comparing B．living C．struggling D．playing
A．Judging B．Waiting C．Attracted D．Interrupted
A．particular B．happy C．same D．strange
A．accident B．trouble C．comment D．surprise
A．share B．deliver C．move D．speak
A．look up B．look down C．come down D．hold up
A．gradually B．luckily C．suddenly D．obviously
A．space B．form C．place D．shape
A．gratitude B．attitude C．manner D．ability
For a long time I saw happiness as a huge banner (旗帜) across the finish line of a long race. I felt that only when I____certain things could I finally be happy in my life. Most of the time I felt like a tortoise believing that being slow and___would win the race. At other times I would____like a rabbit trying different side roads at a dangerous ____hoping to reach that banner a little faster.____，I began to see that no matter how long I raced towards it，the banner was never any____. I finally decided to____and take a break. It was then that I saw my____sitting beside me.
It had been with me as I____hard to support my family, as I played with my children and heard their____and even when I was ____with my wife at my side looking after me. It had been with me as I raced towards that stupid banner. I just didn’t have the____to see it.
There is an old Chinese proverb that says，“Tension is who you think you should be. ____is who you are.” Perhaps we all should stop our race towards the____life we think we should have and ____the life we have now. Happiness will never be found under some banner far away. It will be found____your own heart，soul and mind. It will be found when you___that others love you just as you do.
Don’t be a tortoise or a rabbit when it comes to your happiness. Be a playful puppy and carry your stick of____with you everywhere you go. ____yourself out of the race and realize that when it comes to love and happiness, you are____there.
A．forgot B．missed C．overcame D．accomplished
A．safe B．steady C．calm D．quiet
A．act B．run C．jump D．walk
A．place B．height C．speed D．time
A．Generally B．Gradually C．Fortunately D．Firstly
A．clearer B．lower C．closer D．smaller
A．settle in B．start off C．stop by D．sit down
A．happiness B．goal C．success D．friendship
A．studied B．fought C．exercised D．worked
A．laughter B．complaints C．stories D．breathing
A．lonely B．tired C．sick D．hungry
A．courage B．chance C．wisdom D．strength
A．Stress B．Relaxation C．Failure D．Pain
A．real B．perfect C．common D．ordinary
A．enjoy B．change C．improve D．create
A．from B．on C．over D．in
A．realize B．believe C．hope D．admit
A．sorrow B．responsibility C．fortune D．joy
A．Carry B．Make C．Push D．Take
A．never B．still C．already D．ever
“Wanted: Violin
Can’t pay much
Call … ”
Why did I notice that? I wondered, since I rarely looked at the classified ads. I laid the paper on my lap and closed my eyes, remembering what had during the Great Depression, when my family to make aliving on our farm. I, too, had wanted a violin, but we didn‘t have the .
When my older twin sisters began showing an interest in music, Harriet Anne learned to play Grandma’s upright piano, Suzanne turned to Daddy‘s violin, simple tunes soon became melodies as the twins played more and more. in the rhythm of the music, my baby brother danced around while Daddy hummed（哼唱）and Mother whistled. I just .
When my arms grew enough, I tried to play Suzanne‘s violin, I loved the beautiful sound drawnacross the strings. Oh, how I wanted one! But I knew it was the question．
One evening as the twins played in the school orchestra, I closed my eyes tight to capture the picture firmly in my . “Someday, I‘ll sit up there．” I vowed（发誓） .
Unfortunately, it was not a year. At harvest the crops did not bring as much as we had hoped. I, however, couldn‘t any longer to ask, “Daddy, may I have a violin of my own?”
“Can’t you use Suzanne’s?”
“I’d like to be in the orchestra, too, and we can’t use the same violin at the same time.”
Daddy’s face looked . That night, and many following nights, I heard him God in our family devotions: “… and Lord, Mary Lou wants her violin．”
One evening we all sat around the table. The twins and I studied. Mother sewed and Daddy wrote a letter to his friend, George Finkle, in Columbus. Mr．Finkle, Daddy said, was a fine violinist．
As he wrote, Daddy read of his letter out loud to Mother. Weeks later I he’d written one line he didn‘t read aloud: “Would you watch for a for my third daughter? I can’t 40 much, but she enjoys music. And we’d like her to have her own instrument.”
A．managed B．promised C．struggled D．forced
A．luck B．money C．choice D．hope
A．while B．since C．after D．before
A．soft B．fluent C．gentle D．lovely
A．Picked out B．Caught up C．Taken on D．Called for
A．shouted B．laughed C．listened D．cried
A．long B．tough C．old D．slim
A．far from B．next to C．out of D．along with
A．dream B．hand C．life D．mind
A．faithfully B．silently C．frequently D．patiently
A．hopeless B．stable C．good D．difficult
A．stand B．help C．wait D．risk
A．both B．ever C．either D．still
A．angry B．sad C．pale D．weak
A．demand B．inform C．commit D．remind
A．favourite B．private C．own D．individual
A．parts B．lines C．contents D．purposes
A．heard B．conveyed C．discovered D．observed
A．musician B．favor C．gift D．violin
A．owe B．order C．charge D．pay
My family suffered a lot three years ago when my father died in a car accident. It my mother, two younger brothers and me alone.
At that time, I was in a senior high school. As the eldest son, I had no choice but to of school and work in a factory. Life went on without any wonder. I dared not ask for more and just thought about my two brothers. However, it wasn’t easy, for I couldn’t their tuition (学费) even if I worked from day to night without rest. I also had to look after my sick mother. I wanted to go back to school, but it seemed to be an impractical idea, since I needed to work to support my family.
A thread of appeared during those gloomy (阴暗的) days. It was a rainy dusk when I went outside into the rain and walked in the street. Suddenly the rain stopped! I raised my head, and found that “the sky” was in fact a dark blue umbrella. Then I heard a deep voice say, “Why not without an umbrella?” It was a one-legged man, “If you run, you won’t get so wet.” His words me deeply. Without my father’s protection, was I only a slave to fate﹙命运﹚?
While walking with him in the rain, I knew that his dream was once by an accident. He was glad that he didn’t lose and still “ran” on the road of life. Facing this guy, I had no pity, but admiration.
Inspired by his , I went to a city in the south and became an insurance representative. After two years’ “running”, I got somewhere and my family situation became better . I went back to school and eventually succeeded in being admitted to a university.
Everything is so simple: to run without an umbrella! When you run out of the season of your life, there will be a bright sky ahead of you.
A．left B． carried C． had D． forced
A．take out B．drop out C． make out D． jump out
A．bringing in B． taking away C． bringing up D． taking over
A． receive B． realize C． manage D． afford
A． chance B． need C． hope D． money
A． drive B． walk C． travel D． run
A．shocked B． puzzled C． discouraged D． hurt
A． burnt B． accepted C． ruined D． discovered
A． face B． heart C． sight D． control
A．images B． achievements C． signs D． remarks
A．simply B． gradually C． normally D． immediately
A． rainy B． cloudy C． sunny D． windy