The only thing that troubled me more than the pain in my back that morning was my worries about money. I’d been excited to visit my sister--Therese, but all I could think about was how I’d hurt my back and had to down my hours at work. Even with my savings, I wasn’t sure I’d have enough to cover the bills.
“Are you OK?” Therese asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “Just wish I could stop worrying about .”
“Why don’t we make Mom’s cake?” she said. “Mom to make this kind of cake for all of us. It will you up.”
It wasn’t easy being a single mom, raising eight of us kids with money, but that couldn’t bring Mom down. She got that spirit from our grandmother, who was never about the hardships(艰难，困苦). Also, Mom was good at use of food. She always found a way to include a special(特别的) treat on birthday or Christmas--a tasty cake with 43 eggs, milk or butter.
“ how we’d all run around the living room singing,‘eggless, milkless, butterless cake’?” Therese asked, laughing.
“Those were good times,” I said. We didn’t have money, we knew how to have together.
Thinking about the eight of us gathered around the kitchen table waiting for Mom to cut the cake my worries. Mom would make the cake extra for Christmas--a coin was put into the cake. “Whoever finds the in their cake can keep it and they won’t have to do housework for a week.”she would say.
My siblings﹙兄弟姐妹﹚and I are now separated from each other, but the cake still us.
“Cake’s done,” Therese said. I pulled it out of the oven(烤箱), then called everyone in. We gathered around the kitchen table, like old times.
“Feeling any ?” Therese asked.
“Yeah,” I said. I looked at the around the table, reminded once again that whatever hardships come my way I can do more than just get through them.
I can find in my life, even in a simple cake, and share it the ones I love.
A．break B．pass C．put D．cut
A．money B．business C．time D．health
A．used B．had C．got D．enjoyed
A．wake B．cheer C．bring D．pick
A．little B．extra C．good D．easy
A．faced B．upset C．surprised D．caught
A．getting B．having C．making D．finding
A．many B．some C．few D．no
A．Wonder B．Explain C．Remember D．Understand
A．and B．but C．if D．as
A．freedom B．performance C．fun D．dream
A．ended B．hid C．deepened D．kept
A．special B．round C．heavy D．large
A．candle B．prize C．butter D．secret
A．connects B．challenges C．treats D．interests
A．also B．somehow C．so D．just
A．faster B．closer C．younger D．better
A．plates B．guests C．faces D．chairs
A．limit B．joy C．respect D．luck
A．for B．at C．with D．to
Nancy had just got a job as a secretary in a company. Monday was the first day she went to work, so she was very 36 and arrived early.
She 37 the door open and found nobody there. “I am the 38 to arrive.” She thought and came to her desk. She was surprised to find a bunch of 39 on it. They were fresh. She 40 them and they were sweet. She looked around for a41 to put them in. “ Somebody has sent me flowers the very first day!” she thought42 . “ But who could it be?” she began to 43 .
The day passed quickly and Nancy did everything with 44 interest. For the following days of the 45 , the first thing Nancy did was to change water for the followers and then 46 her work.
Then came another Monday. 47 she came near her desk she was overjoyed to see a(n) 48 bunch of flowers there. She quickly put them in the vase, 49 the old ones.
The same thing happened again the next Monday. Nancy began to think of ways to find out the 50 .
On Tuesday afternoon, she was sent to hand in a plan to the 51 . She waited for his directives(命令)at his secretary’s 52 . She happened to see on the desk a half-opened notebook, which 53 : “ In order to keep the secretaries 54 , the company has decided that every 55a bunch of fresh flowers should be put on each secretary’s desk.”
Later, she was told that their general manager was a business management psychologist（心理学家）.
A． depressed B． encouraged C． excited D． surprised
A． turned B． pushed C． knocked D． forced
A． last B． second C． third D． first
A． keys B． grapes C． flowers D． bananas
A． smelled B． ate C． took D． held
A． vase B． room C． glass D． bottle
A． angrily B． quietly C． strangely D． happily
A． seek B． wonder C． Work D． ask
A． low B． little C． great D． general
A． month B． period C． year D． week
A． set about B． set up C． set out D． set off
A． Unless B． When C． Since D．Before
A． old B． red C． blue D． new
A． covering B． demanding C． replacing D． forbidding
A． sender B． receiver C． secretary D． waiter
A． assistant B． colleague C． employee D． manager
A． notebook B． desk C． office D． house
A． said B． written C． printed D． signed
A． at home B． on time C． in high spirits D． in low spirits
A． Sunday morning B． Monday morning C． Monday afternoon D． Tuesday afternoon
“Daddy, can I have a piece of cake?” my oldest son asked me.
We had just been to the gym and stopped to 31 at the restaurant.
“No,” I replied, “you don’t need a piece of cake.”
My son 32 15 in a few days. He 33 over 6 feet tall. He is very slim and athletic in shape. It was not always that way. My wife wrote a book about the challenge and 34 of getting him fit. He now takes it 35 and looks as he’s never been overweight in his life.
He had a full plate of 36 and tofu. He didn’t need a piece of cake. Besides, everything in the restaurant is quite 37 . Our dinners could have 38a family of seven at a fast food restaurant. That cake probably cost $5.
He was 39 as he looked at the delicious cakes. I had forgotten that I had walked over to the cake shelf while he was 40 his food from the buffet (自助餐).
I looked at my 41 . There sitting on the edge was a piece of 42 . I looked at it wondering but also knowing how it got there. “We will divide it,” I said.
A few days later my oldest son was with me again. We stopped at a 43 . He ordered a sandwich. I then 44 two sandwiches. He immediately barked, “Can I have two?” He wanted exactly what Daddy had.
Your kids are very likely to put on their plates, exactly what you have on yours, and I think this applies to more than food. Keep your 45 plate with only what you want your kinds to have.
A．eat B．relax C．play D．rest
A．gets B．turns C．becomes D．grows
A．appears B．stands C．seems D．shows
A．trouble B．success C．matter D．failure
A．closely B．happily C．seriously D．carefully
A．vegetables B．meat C．desserts D．cream
A．different B．good C．healthy D．expensive
A．supported B．provided C．served D．given
A．worried B．thirsty C．silent D．surprised
A．buying B．choosing C．making D．cooking
A．bowl B．spoon C．table D．plate
A．glass B．cake C．paper D．wood
A．restaurant B．gym C．shop D．hotel
A．sent B．tasted C．ordered D．brought
A．play B．rest C．study D．life
That holiday morning I didn’t have to attend school. Usually, on holidays, Mother 36 me to sleep in. And I would certainly take full advantage of it. On this particular morning, ___37___,I felt like getting up early.
I stood by my window overlooking the ___38___, having nothing better to do. But as it turned out, I was soon to learn about something ___39___ in life.
As I watched several people go by, get into their cars and go off, I ___40___ an old man on a bicycle with a bucket on its ___41___ and a basket rags and bottles on its back-carriage. He ___42___ from one car to another, washing and cleaning them. From the water on the ground, it seemed that he had already ___43___ washing and cleaning about a dozen or more cars. He must have begun to work quite early in the morning.
Several thoughts ___44___my mind as I watched him work. He wasn’t well-dressed. He had on a pair of shorts and a(n) ___45___ T-shirt. The bicycle he rode was not by any means the kind modern ___46___would want to be seen riding on. But he seemed___47___ with life. There he was, working hard at his small business, ___48___ at passers-by and stopping to chat now and then ___49___ elderly men and women on their way to the market nearby.
There was a noticeable touch of___50___ in the way he seemed to be doing things— ___51___the windscreen (挡风玻璃), then standing back to admire it; scrubbing (擦净) the wheels and ___52___, standing back to see what they look like after the scrub.
It was a ___53___ to learn, I felt. At no age need one have to beg for a ___54___if one has good health and is willing to work hard. For a while I felt ___55__ of myself. Young as I am—just sixteen, and there was this old man who must have been usefully engaged perhaps before the sun appeared above the horizon.
A．forces B．allows C．causes D．forbids
A．otherwise B．therefore C．however D．besides
A．parking lot B．bus stop C．school D．market
A．interesting B．surprising C．awful D．useful
A．noticed B．recognized C．called D．assisted
A．back B．handle C．wheel D．seat
A．searched B．left C．moved D．wandered
A．stopped B．started C．intended D．finished
A．crossed B．slipped C．disturbed D．inspired
A．attractive B．shiny C．simple D．expensive
A．repairmen B．businessmen C．drivers D．cyclists
A．busy B．content C．careful D．bored
A．waving B．looking C．laughing D．pointing
A．about B．for C．with D．like
A．worry B．respect C．sympathy D．pride
A．cleaning B．fixing C．replacing D．covering
A．still B．yet C．again D．soon
A．lesson B．subject C．skill D．fact
A．business B．living C．success D．right
A．tired B．doubtful C．fearful D．ashamed
I am now a good student in my class．But you don’t know that 16I started senior English
in the beginning，I found ___17_____ difficult and quite different from what we had learned in junior school．Now I still remember a teacher who taught me at that time. ___18__ teacher is a good teacher because she always tries her best to be the one _19___ classes are more active and lively with some stories and examples.
__20_ the help of my teacher, I realized the 21(important) of English，so I was 22 （determine) to learn English well. My teacher suggested that we __23_____(read) more if we want to improve our English, so every day I would do some English reading. She also 24(tell) us lessons learned in classes could help us deal with exams, but even more valuable were the lessons learned in extra-curricular activities in school. I like my English teacher very much．
Now I have made 25great progress in my English study that I am more interested in learning it than before．
There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists _____1_____. The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he ____2_____
liked and he had to choose between them.
One picture was of a ___3___ lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering ___4____ were all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a _____5_____ picture of peace.
The other picture had mountains too. But there were rugged and ____6____. Above was an ____7____ sky from which rain fell, in which lightening ____8____. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look ____9____at all.
But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny ____10____growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her ____11____. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, ____12____ the mother bird on her nest…perfect peace.
Which picture do you think won the prize?
The King ____13____ the second picture.
Do you know why?
“Because,” explained the king, “peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, ___14___, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your ____15___. That is the real meaning of peace.”
A．tied B．tried C．died D．mined
A．probably B．generally C．really D．finally
A．calm B．clean C．clear D．beautiful
A．houses B．mountains C．fields D．deserts
A．awful B．fearful C．terrible D．perfect
A．bare B．thick C．strong D．handsome
A．sunny B．happy C．angry D．kind
A．predicted B．drowned C．expected D．played
A．dreadful B．peaceful C．grateful D．respectful
A．tree B．grass C．bush D．flower
A．room B．kitchen C．toilet D．nest
A．sat B．trembled C．shook D．strained
A．removed B．chose C．abandoned D．postponed
A．excitement B．happiness C．trouble D．joy
A．hand B．mouth C．stomach D．heart