Over the course of a few days when I was in a nursing home to recover, I started to really appreciate the housekeeper, an elderly lady who didn’t speak English. Every morning at 6:30 she would try to get into my room so she wouldn’t disturb me. However, every time I would and see her. She would try to and at the same time gave an amazing smile. , I would be just waiting to see her come in and give that wonderful .
I from a nurse that there was an employee rewards program. I asked her to write a(an) card for my housekeeper and put it up. About ten minutes later, another nurse came into my room and told me that the housekeeper was out in the hall her eyes out. Had I done something wrong or inappropriate ? Then the nurse to tell me that the housekeeper had worked there for thirty years and had never a rewards card.
It me like a ton of bricks. Just a few simple words made such a .
From that day forward I tried to admire someone every day for the good things they showed. The results were . People came in with smiles, they talked more, they laughed more, and they life more. , it seems the more I tried to praise others, the I got.
I’m out of nursing home now and almost recovered. I thank my housekeeper for helping me see just how unbelievably life is.
Do a favor and tell your loved ones just how much they to you. It can make the world of difference with both them and you.
A．quickly B．quietly C．happily D．slowly
A．wake B．stand C．sit D．go
A．leave B．hide C．explain D．apologize
A．Eventually B．Gradually C．Suddenly D．Occasionally
A．greeting B．apology C．smile D．word
A．knew B．learned C．found D．got
A．invitation B．congratulation C．appreciation D．appointment
A．laughing B．shouting C．screaming D．crying
A．went on B．came up C．set out D．got up
A．accepted B．received C．created D．afforded
A．beat B．knocked C．hit D．touched
A．difference B．profit C．mistake D．contribution
A．disappointing B．interesting C．amazing D．embarrassing
A．understood B．valued C．enriched D．enjoyed
A．However B．Therefore C．Meanwhile D．Otherwise
A．less B．more C．worse D．better
A．barely B．fully C．really D．rarely
A．dangerous B．beautiful C．tough D．enthusiastic
A．yourself B．you C．themselves D．them
A．bring B．take C．give D．mean
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 managed certain things could I finally be happy in my life. Most of the time I felt like a tortoise believing that being and steady(稳步的) 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 rest. 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．to forget B．to miss C．to overcome D．to complete
A．fast B．slow C．calm D．quiet
A．act B．look 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．expect C．hope D．admit
A．sorrow B．responsibility C．fortune D．joy
A．Escape B．Make C．Push D．Take
A．never B．still C．already D．ever
I was walking down the road one day when my cell phone rang. A strange on the other end spoke to me, “Dad, please come back soon. I miss you so much!” I judged that it was a number. A little while later, the call came once again, so I rudely answered, “You’ve dialed the wrong number!” and then .
During the following days, I got the same call now and then. But I didn’t care much about it.
Then one day she constantly called me I didn't answer. Finally I answered the phone and heard a weak voice, “Dad, please come back. I miss you so much! Dad, I’m so much pain! Mom said you were too busy to take care of me. But, dad, please me again, OK?” The innocent(天真的) was difficult to refuse. I made a kiss on the phone and heard the weak voice say, “Thank you．．．Dad, I am so…happy, so…happy…”
Shortly after this, I became about who had been on the other end of my phone. So I called back, and a woman answered, “Sorry, sir. I am really sorry to have you. My daughter has suffered from bone cancer she was born. And her father… died in an accident a short while ago. I dare not tell her this sad news. Poor baby．When she couldn’t bear (忍受) the painful chemotherapy (化疗), she would cry for her dad, who had always her. I really couldn't bear it, so I gave her my phone …”
“How is your daughter now?” I couldn’t to ask.
“She’s . You must have kissed her on the phone, because she passed away with a smile, tightly holding the cell phone…”
filled my eyes and I was so sad to hear that.
A．sound B．noise C．voice D．shout
A．bad B．different C．unlucky D．wrong
A．hung off B．turned off C．got off D．took off
A．as if B．so that C．if D．even though
A．of B．on C．in D．at
A．support B．kiss C．treat D．encourage
A．condition B．suggestion C．request D．news
A．soft B．sweet C．low D．loud
A．surprised B．curious C．interested D．shocked
A．bothered B．warned C．told D．reached
A．when B．since C．as D．after
A．encouraged B．supported C．satisfied D．praised
A．help B．wait C．expect D．want
A．survived B．passed C．gone D．lost
A．Tears B．Cries C．Anger D．Disappointment
I used to be a very self-centered person, but in the past two years I have really changed. I have started to think about other people I think about myself. I am happy that I am becoming a person.
I think my started when I was at Palomar College. At first, I just wanted to get my and be left alone. I thought I was smarter than everyone else, so I hardly ever to anyone in my classes. By the end of my first semester, I was really . It seemed as if everyone but me had made friends and was having fun. So tried a(n) , I started asking people around me how they were doing, and if they were having trouble, I to help. That was really a big for me. By the end of the year, I had several new friends, two of are still my best friends today.
A bigger cause of my new , however, came when I took a part-time job at a Vista Nursing Home. One old lady there who had Alzheimer’s disease became my . Every time I came into her room, she was so because she thought I was her daughter. Her real daughter never her, so I took her place. She let me that making others feel good make me feel good, too, when she died, I was , but I was very grateful to her.
I think I am a much person today than I used to be, and I hope I will not these experiences. They have me to care about other people more than about myself. I who I am today, and I could not say that a few years ago.
A．since B．after C．before D．unless
A．famous B．different C．simple D．skilled
A．education B．career C．change D．tour
A．balance B．homework C．interest D．degree
A．talked B．wrote C．lied D．reported
A．lonely B．alone C．curious D．guilty
A．argument B．game C．experiment D．defense
A．dared B．happened C．hesitated D．offered
A．problem B．step C．duty D．dream
A．us B．which C．them D．whom
A．idea B．attitude C．hope D．luck
A．friend B．partner C．guide D．guest
A．polite B．strange C．happy D．confident
A．bothered B．answered C．visited D．trusted
A．explain B．guess C．declare D．see
A．heartbroken B．heart breaking C．bad-tempered D．hopeless
A．quieter B．busier C．better D．richer
A．analyze B．face C．improve D．forget
A．forced B．preferred C．ordered D．taught
A．miss B．like C．wonder D．expect
A friend of mine met with an accident driving in darkness. His legs were so hurt that he couldn’t move. What was the ____ was that he found himself unable to ask for help---his mobile phone went out of ____ as a result of exhausted battery（电池）. Nothing could be done but to ___ in cold wilderness. It was eight hours later that day broke, and then _ of the rescue（救援）.
It is almost _ __ that he could stand the horror in the darkness for so long. Even more surprising was his _ __: “First of all, I checked up my _ __ conditions and found myself not in mortal（致命的）danger”. As there was no __ __ to call for help, I leaned back in my seat trying my best to keep the wound from __ __. In this way I dozed (打盹) off.”
His story put an end to my regret for the __ _ of an exploration adventure that happened last year. A group of young men _ __ to explore a mountain cave and got lost. __ _to find a way out in the dark cave, they were frightened and ran anxiously without a sense of _ __. Finally they fell dead in fear and exhaustion (筋疲力尽). According to the _ _ people that found them, the place where they got lost was only about 10 meters away from the __ of the cave. If they stayed on the spot when they lost their way and tried to _ __ themselves, they would probably sense a faint light glimmering (闪烁) not far away.
Don’t you think you can compare it with __ _ itself? When you meet with difficulty in life and work, you are lost in darkness. __ __ you it’s unclear yet and you needn’t put up struggle __ __. It seems to be a negative attitude, _ _ a person who can afford to do so must have foresight(远见) as well as a great courage in the first place.
A．hopeless B．worst C．more D．best
A．service B．way C．control D．work
A．cry B．lie C．wait D．sleep
A．delay B．success C．team D．arrival
A．untrue B．unimaginable C．true D．useless
A．plan B．decision C．explanation D．excuse
A．physical B．mental C．working D．medical
A．energy B．way C．tools D．strength
A．rotting B．spreading C．hurting D．bleeding
A．loss B．failure C．disappointment D．sadness
A．had B．managed C．tried D．meant
A．Willing B．Unable C．Determined D．Deciding
A．hearing B．sight C．feeling D．direction
A．rescue B．village C．local D．brave
A．end B．top C．opening D．side
A．save B．help C．stop D．calm
A．adventure B．work C．life D．mankind
A．Mind B．Watch C．Imagine D．Warn
A．really B．immediately C．carefully D．hopefully
A．and B．so C．but D．while
A Leap（跳跃）to Honor
Leaping on a narrow balance beam（平衡木）is not easy. But Lola Walter, a 13-year-old gymnast, is an expert at it.
To perfect her skills, Lola 21 for four hours a day, five days a week. At the state championships in March, she finished seventh out of 16 girls.
That’s especially impressive, she is legally blind, born with a rare condition that causes her eyes to shift（移动） constantly. She often sees double and can’t how far away things are.
When she was little, her mom that even though she couldn’t see , she was fearless. So her mom signed her up for gymnastics when she was three. She loved the right away and gymnastics became her favorite.
Though learning gymnastics has been more for her than for some of her teammates, she has never quit. She doesn’t let her stop her from doing anything that she wants to.
She likes the determination it takes to do the sport. Her biggest is the balance beam. Because she has double vision, she often sees two beams. She must use her sense of touch to help her during her routine. Sometimes she even closes her eyes. “You have to your mind that it’ll take you where you want to go.” says Lola.
To be a top-level gymnast, one must be brave. The beam is probably the most for anyone because it’s four inches wide. At the state competition, Lola didn’t fal the beam. In fact, she got an 8.1 out of 10—her highest score yet.
Lola doesn’t want to be differently from the other girls on her team. At competitions, the judges don’t know about her vision . She doesn’t tell them, because she doesn’t think they need to know. Her mom is amazed by her attitude.
Lola never thinks about . She is presently at level 7 while the highest is level 10 in gymnastics. Her is to reach level 9. She says she wants to be a gymnastics coach to pass down what she’s learned to other kids she grows up.
Lola is of all her hard work and success. She says it’s helped her overcome problems in her life outside gymnastics too. Her for others is “just believe in yourself”.
A．runs B．teaches C．trains D．dances
A．since B．unless C．after D．though
A．tell B．guess C．assume D．predict
A．deeply B．well C．ahead D．closely
A．task B．sport C．event D．show
A．boring B．enjoyable C．difficult D．satisfactory
A．talent B．quality C．nature D．condition
A．doubt B．advantage C．challenge D．progress
A．examine B．express C．open D．trust
A．fearful B．harmful C．unfair D．inconvenient
A．to B．on C．off D．against
A．greeted B．treated C．served D．paid
A．pains B．stresses C．injuries D．problems
A．positive B．friendly C．flexible D．cautious
A．defending B．quitting C．winning D．bargaining
A．standard B．range C．view D．goal
A．until B．as C．when D．before
A．proud B．tired C．ashamed D．confident
A．plan B．advice C．reward D．responsibility