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
We may look at the world around us, but somehow we manage not to see it until whatever we’ve become used to suddenly disappears. , for example, the neatly-dressed woman I to see---or look at---on my way to work each morning.
For three years, no matter the weather was like, she was always waiting at the bus stop around 8:00 am. On days, she wore heavy clothes and a pair of woolen gloves while in summertime out neat, belted cotton dresses and a hat pulled low over her sunglasses. , she was an ordinary working woman. Of course, I all this only after she was seen no more. It was then that I realized how I expected to see her each morning. You might say I her.
“Did she have an accident? Something ?” I thought to myself about her . Now that she was gone, I felt I had her. I began to realize that part of our life probably includes such chance meetings with familiar : the milkman you see at dawn, the woman who walks her dog along the street every morning, the twin brothers you see at the library. Such people are markers in our lives. They add weight to our of place and belonging.
Think about it. , while walking to work, we mark where we are by a certain building, why should we not mark where we are when we pass a familiar, though , person?
A．Make B．Take C．Give D．Have
A．happened B．wanted C．used D．tried
A．what B．how C．which D．when
A．sunny B．rainy C．cloudy D．snowy
A．took B．brought C．carried D．turned
A．Clearly B．Particularly C．Luckily D．Especially
A．believed B．expressed C．remembered D．wondered
A．long B．often C．soon D．much
A．respected B．missed C．praised D．admired
A．better B．worse C．more D．less
A．disappearance B．appearance C．misfortune D．fortune
A．forgotten B．lost C．known D．hurt
A．happy B．enjoyable C．frequent D．daily
A．friends B．strangers C．tourists D．guests
A．regularly B．actually C．hardly D．probably
A．common B．pleasant C．important D．faithful
A．choice B．knowledge C．decision D．sense
A．Because B．If C．Although D．However
A．keeping B．changing C．passing D．mentioning
A．unnamed B．unforgettable C．unbelievable D．unreal
Elizabeth Clay decided to go home and spend the holiday with her parents. The next day she drove her old car home along the road. she found she got a flat tire. The 22-year-old student to stop her car the side of the road in the winter night and opened the trunk (后备箱). No spare(备用的) tire.
At this time, a car . Paul and Diane told Clay to them to a service station near their . They arrived to see that it had no suitable tires to with her car . “Follow us home,” said Paul.
The couple called around to find a tire, no . They decided to let her use their own car. “Here ,” Paul said , handing Clay a of keys , “Take our car. We be using it over the holiday.”
Clay was . “But I’m going all the way to South Carolina, and I’ll be gone for two weeks,” she them honestly.
“We know,” Paul said. “We’ll be when you get back. Here’s our number if you need to get in touch with us.”
Unable to her eyes, Clay watched as the put her luggage into their car and then her off . Two weeks later she to find her old car cleaned inside and out with three new tires and the radio .
“Thank you so much,” she said. “How much should I you ?” “Oh, no,” Paul said, “we don’t want any money. It’s our .” Clay realized that while it might have been their pleasure, it was now her duty to pass on their “do for others” spirit.
A．Suddenly B．Finally C．Immediately D．Fortunately
A．afforded B．wanted C．allowed D．managed
A．by B．in C．before D．across
A．passed B．stopped C．paused D．started
A．help B．push C．take D．follow
A．garage B．house C．shop D．hotel
A．agree B．match C．go D．deal
A．way B．message C．success D．luck
A．set B．number C．pair D．chain
A．can’t B．shouldn’t C．mustn’t D．won’t
A．satisfied B．worried C．surprised D．disturbed
A．asked B．advised C．told D．promised
A．happy B．here C．away D．busy
A．believe B．close C．open D．look
A．repairmen B．cleaners C．friends D．couple
A．sent B．shook C．watched D．drove
A．excited B．happened C．returned D．came
A．loaded B．fixed C．tied D．rebuilt
A．pay B．lend C．give D．offer
A．wish B．job C．duty D．pleasure
Travis laughed as he tore at the wrapping paper on his birthday present. He was so ! Finally, he would have the coolest pair of name-brand basketball shoes.
All the guys on his team were wearing the name-brand shoes of a popular basketball , Chuck Hart._ Hart was criticized for his poor sportsmanship and infamous _ , he was a great player. In fact, Travis wasn’t thinking about Hart’s behavior; he had only expected to see Hart’s on the side of the box. He realized that something was as he tore away the last piece of paper. Not Hart’s. The new shoes were the name-brand of another player, Robert Ryann, who was for his amazing work in the community.
Travis’s hands ; his heart stopped. It wasn’t that the Ryann shoes weren’t nice, but what would his friends think?
They were the wrong shoes and Travis would be by the other players. When he looked up into his dad’s eyes, however, Travis knew he tell him. “Thanks, Dad. I was really hoping for shoes,” Travis said as he pulled the shoes out of the box.
Next morning his dad drove him to school. When they in front of his destination, Travis slowly opened the car door. Just then, his dad stopped him.
“Hey, Travis, wait a minute…” his dad said “Travis, I know those aren’t the shoes you had hoped for, but I saw the names of the two guys and made a(n) . The guy whose name is on those shoes,” he said, pointing down at Travis’s feet, “is someone I . Do you know how often Ryann has found himself in ? ”
“ No,” Travis said.
“ Never. He’s never talked back to his coach or started a fight, and he’s a team player. You could have acted like a(n) when you didn’t get the shoes you wanted, Travis, you were polite and made the best of it. You have honor, like the guy whose name is on these shoes. I’ m hoping that someday, your will be on the coolest pair of shoes I’ll ever see.”
When Travis looked down at his feet, he saw the shoes . His dad had used his mind and heart to give the son a thoughtful .
A．surprised B．ashamed C．excited D．worried
A．team B．player C．coach D．game
A．Unless B．If C．Because D．Although
A．skill B．performance C．behavior D．action
A．name B．photo C．sign D．model
A．strange B．wrong C．true D．funny
A．known B．encouraged C．adopted D．influenced
A．fell B．froze C．shook D．folded
A．questioned B．noticed C．teased D．attacked
A．mustn’t B．needn’t C．wouldn’t D．couldn’t
A．pulled up B．put up C．took up D．turned up
A．peacefully B．hesitantly C．delightedly D．naturally
A．choice B．effort C．comment D．mistake
A．believe B．miss C．admire D．remember
A．danger B．anger C．sorrow D．trouble
A．teammate B．adult C．kid D．student
A．so B．and C．but D．or
A．honor B．courage C．name D．belief
A．clearly B．carefully C．patiently D．differently
A．gift B．smile C．wish D．lesson
Some years ago when I was in my first year in college, I heard Salome Bey sing for the first time. The moment was exciting. Salome’s filled the room and brought the theater to life. I was so that I decided to write an article about her.
I ___ Salome Bey, telling her I was from Essence magazine, and that I wanted to meet her to talk about her career. She and told me to come to her studio next Tuesday. When I hung up, I was scared out of my mind. I I was lying. I was not a writer at all and hadn’t even written a grocery list.
I interviewed Salome Bey the next Tuesday. I sat there , taking notes and asking questions that all began with, “Can you tell me…” I soon realized that Salome Bey was one thing, but writing a story for a national magazine was just impossible. The was almost unbearable. I struggled for days draft(草稿) after draft. Finally I put my manuscript (手稿) into a large envelope and dropped it into a mailbox.
It didn’t take long. My manuscript . How stupid of me! I thought. How could I in a world of professional writers? Knowing I couldn’t the rejection letter, I threw the unopened envelope into a drawer.
Five years later, I was moving to California. While my apartment, I came across the unopened envelope. This time I opened it and read the editor’s letter in _ .
Ms Profit,
Your story on Salome Bey is fantastic. Yet we need some materials. Please add those and return the article immediately. We would like to your story soon.
Shocked, it took me a long time to . Fear of rejection cost me greatly. I lost at least five hundred dollars and having my article appear in a major magazine. More importantly, I lost years of writing. Today, I have become a full – time writer. Looking back on this , I learned a very important lesson: You can’t to doubt yourself.
A．joy B．voice C．speech D．smile
A．proud B．active C．satisfied D．moved
A．visited B．emailed C．phoned D．interviewed
A．agreed B．refused C．hesitated D．paused
A．replied B．discovered C．explained D．knew
A．seriously B．patiently C．nervously D．quietly
A．blaming B．fooling C．inviting D．urging
A．hardship B．failure C．comment D．pressure
A．with B．by C．on D．in
A．disappeared B．returned C．spread D．improved
A．compare B．struggle C．live D．compete
A．ignore B．deliver C．face D．receive
A．decorating B．repairing C．cleaning D．leaving
A．disbelief B．anxiety C．horror D．trouble
A．subjective B．relevant C．private D．reliable
A．broadcast B．create C．publish D．assess
A．recover B．prepare C．escape D．concentrate
A．energetic B．endless C．typical D．enjoyable
A．experience B．success C．benefit D．accident
A．attempt B．afford C．expect D．pretend
It was in my high school science class. I was doing a task in front of the classroom with my favorite shirt on. A came, “Nice shirt,” I smiled from ear to ear. Then another voice said, “That shirt belonged to my dad. Greg’s mother works for my family. We were going to that shirt away, but gave it to her .” I was speechless. I wanted to hide.
I the shirt into the back of the closet and told my mum what had happened. She then dialed her , “I will no longer work for your family,” she told him. That night, Mom told my dad that she couldn’t clean anymore; she knew her life’s was something greater.
The next morning she with the personnel manager at the Board of Education. He told her that without a proper education she could not teach. So Mom decided to a university.
After the first year in college, she went back to the personnel manager. He said, “You are , aren’t you? I think I have a for you as a teacher’s assistant. This opportunity deals with children who are mentally challenged with little or no chance of .” Mom accepted the opportunity very .
For almost five years, as a teacher’s assistant, she saw teacher after teacher give up on the children and quit, feeling . Then one day, the personnel manager and the principal in her classroom. The principal said, “We have watched how you the children and how they communicate with you and admire your hard-working over the last five years. We are all in agreement that you be the teacher of this class.”
My mom spent more than 20 years there. her career, she was voted Teacher of the Year. All of this came about because of the comment（评论） made in the classroom that day. Mom showed me how to handle situations and never give up.
A．noise B．voice C．sound D．tune
A．get B．take C．carry D．throw
A．otherwise B．anyhow C．instead D．actually
A．settled B．pushed C．stored D．put
A．teacher B．employer C．director D．adviser
A．purpose B．encouragement C．achievement D．victory
A．went B．met C．worked D．stayed
A．visit B．continue C．attend D．prepare
A．serious B．fortunate C．careful D．responsible
A．career B．duty C．position D．part
A．learning B．judging C．obeying D．imagining
A．patiently B．eagerly C．successfully D．skillfully
A．upset B．frightened C．guilty D．ashamed
A．looked up B．went up C．took up D．showed up
A．believe B．protect C．treat D．receive
A．spirit B．intention C．action D．attempt
A．must B．would C．might D．should
A．At B．During C．On D．With
A．worthless B．thoughtless C．hopeless D．helpless
A．challenging B．different C．dangerous D．strange