I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago and suddenly his wife died of a heart attack. One day, about a week after his wife’s , the teacher said, “Before class is over, I would like to share with all of you a (n) in life that has little to do with this class, but I feel it is very .”
“Each of us is put here on to learn, share, love and appreciate. None of us knows when this fantastic will end. It can be at any moment. Perhaps we must make the most out of every single .” His eyes beginning to , he went on, “So I would like you all to make me a(n) . From now on, on your way, find something beautiful to . It doesn’t have to be something you see — it could be a sweet smell or it could be the sound of the leaves. Please look for these things, and cherish (珍视) them.”
The class was completely quiet. We all our books and got out of the classroom . That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home from than I had that whole term. Every once in a while, I think of that teacher and what he had said, and I try to appreciate all of those things that we all ignore.
Take notice of something special you see on your lunch hour today. on the beach at sunset. Stop off on the way home tonight to an ice cream, for as we get , it is not the things we did that we often feel about, but the things we didn’t do.
A．death B．illness C．news D．birthday
A．plan B．answer C．lesson D．suggestion
A．clear B．sweet C．different D．important
A．foot B．earth C．business D．holiday
A．game B．experience C．story D．party
A．taken away B．worked out C．put off D．held up
A．place B．word C．bill D．day
A．dry B．open C．water D．move
A．exam B．promise C．date D．trip
A．notice B．eat C．learn D．carry
A．rising B．boiling C．growing D．falling
A．turned over B．brought in C．picked up D．passed on
A．carefully B．quietly C．patiently D．happily
A．school B．hospital C．factory D．church
A．hear B．write C．remember D．understand
A．finally B．never C．unusually D．properly
A．Walk B．Live C．Work D．Study
A．spare B．get C．make D．smell
A．closer B．taller C．older D．stronger
A．excited B．concerned C．upset D．sorry
Don’t Wait Until Flowers Fade
Each spring brings a new blossom of wildflowers in the ditches (路沟) along the highway I travel daily to work.
There is one blue flower that has always my eye. I’ve noticed that it blooms only in the morning hours, and the afternoon sun is too warm it. Every day for approximately two weeks, I see those beautiful .
This spring, I started a wildflower garden in our yard. I can look out of the window while doing the dishes and see the flowers. I’ve often thought that those lovely blue flowers from the ditch would look in that bed alongside wildflowers.
Everyday I drove the flowers thinking, “I’ll stop on my way home and dig them.” “Gee, I don’t want to get my good clothes ...” Whatever the reason, I never stopped to dig them. My husband gave me a folding shovel(铁锹) one year to be used for that purpose.
One day on my way home from work, I was to see that the highway department had moved the ditches and the pretty blue flowers were gone. I thought to myself, “Way to go, you too long. You it when you first saw them blooming this spring.”
A week ago we were shocked and saddened to learn that my oldest sister-in-law has a terminal brain tumor(脑瘤晚期). She is 20 years older than my husband and , because of age and distance, we haven’t been as as we all would have liked.
I couldn’t help but see the between the pretty blue flowers and the between my husband’s sister and us. I do believe that God has given us some time left to plant some valuable that will bloom every year for us.
And yes, if I see the blue flowers again, you can bet I'll stop and them to my wildflower garden
A．sweet B．interesting C．different D．particular
A．fascinated B．struck C．caught D．charm
A．for B．to C．with D．on
A．plants B．flowers C．ones D．wilds
A．open B．main hall C．front D．kitchen
A．great B．well C．horrible D．ugly
A．many B．various C．other D．colorful
A．passed B．past C．pass D．pasted
A．damaged B．ready C．dirty D．smelly
A．ever B．once C．never D．even
A．expressed B．temporary C．unfinished D．permanent
A．annoying B．saddened C．interested D．helpless
A．wasted B．ignored C．thought D．waited
A．would have done B．need have done C．should have done D．muse have done
A．unconsciously B．fortunately C．unfortunately D．consciously
A．close B．closely C．closed D．near
A．connection B．difference C．meaning D．significance
A．friendship B．relationship C．support D．relative
A．trees B．memories C．species D．roses
A．dig B．rescue C．transmit D．transplant
For years I wanted a flower garden. I would spend hours thinking of the different things I could that would look nice together.
But then I had five lovely children: Matthew and Marvin, the twins Alisa and Alan, and then Helen. I was too raising them to grow a garden.
Money was tight (紧的) ，as well as time. When my children were little, if they wanted something that too much I’d have to say, “Do you see a money outside? Money doesn’t grow on trees, you know.”
Finally, all five got through high school and college, and started living on their own. And I started thinking again about having a .
One spring morning, on Mother’s Day, I the window and was surprised to see a new tree in my yard. I put my glasses on and I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. There was a money tree in my yard!
I went outside to look. It was true! There was as much as one hundred on that tree. All I could think of was all the garden flowers I could with that money! There was also a(an) attached(附上): “ Love, Marvin.”
My other had bought me tools, ornaments(装饰物) and gardening books.
That was three years ago. My garden is now very , just the way I wanted.
I’m still not sure whether money on trees. But I know love does!
A．sell B．catch C．plant D．feed
A．stressed B．excited C．bored D．busy
A．cost B．took C．spent D．paid
A．pocket B．tree C．box D．market
A．garden B．dream C．present D．yard
A．looked after B．looked for C．looked out of D．looked over
A．dollars B．flowers C．butterflies D．lights
A．see B．solve C．design D．buy
A．Document B．Suggest C．Note D．excuse
A．friends B．children C．volunteers D．members
A．pretty B．old C．usual D．small
A．decorates B．hangs C．grows D．puts
How often do you let other people’s nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, impolite waiter，rude boss，or an insensitive employee your day?
One day I was in a taxi and we headed__ the airport. We were driving in the lane when suddenly a black car drove out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes，slide sideways，and at the very last moment our car stopped and narrowly the other car by just inches！The driver of the other car looked around and started at us.
My taxi driver just and waved at the guy. And I mean he was really . So I asked, “Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital！” This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call “The Law of the Garbage Truck”．
He that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of ，full of frustration，full of anger，and full of disappointment. As their garbage up，they need a place to dump (倒) it and sometimesthey’ll dump it on . Don’t take it personally. Just smile，wave，wish them well，and move on.
Believe me. You’ll be more . Don’t take their garbage and it to other people at work，at home，or on the streets, Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with . The mark of your success is how quickly you can refocus on what’s in your life. Roy Baumeister，a psychology researcher from Florida State University，found in his extensive research that you bad things more often than good things in your life. You store the bad memories rather easily, and you them more frequently.
So...Love the people who treat you right. Ignore the ones who don’t. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you it!
When you follow “The Law of the Garbage Truck”，you take back control of your life. You make room for the good by go of the bad. Have a Garbage Free Day！Have a marvelous，garbage-free day！The seeds you plant today the harvest you reap tomorrow.
A．injure B．ruin C．hurt D．harm
A．through B．from C．in D．for
A．latter B．right C．opposite D．free
A．knocked B．overtook C．missed D．left
A．laughing B．throwing C．glancing D．yelling
A．wondered B．smiled C．ignored D．guessed
A．friendly B．angry C．frightened D．disappointed
A．showed B．suggested C．explained D．hated
A．expectation B．passengers C．garbage D．goods
A．turns B．pushes C．holds D．piles
A．roads B．children C．you D．dustbins
A．healthy B．happy C．pitiful D．wealthy
A．spread B．share C．explain D．contribute
A．surprise B．pleasure C．doubt D．regrets
A．funny B．important C．strange D．embarrassing
A．remember B．forget C．value D．appreciate
A．enjoy B．exchange C．recall D．imagine
A．inspire B．take C．mend D．notice
A．letting B．consisting C．making D．dreaming
A．distinguish B．deserve C．deliver D．determine
One Friday, a businessman decided to ask his boss for a salary raise. Before going to , he told his wife about it. All day long he felt and uneasy. Finally, in the late afternoon, he gathered the courage to approach his employer. To his , the boss agreed to give him a raise.
That evening, the husband arrived home and was surprised to see a beautiful table set with their best china and candles. Smelling the aroma (香味) of the wonderful meal, he that someone from the office had called his wife and tipped her off (透露消息).
Finding her in the kitchen, he eagerly the details of his good news. When they sat down to the meal, next to his plate he found a note that read: ''Congratulations, darling. I knew you'd get the . This dinner is to show you how much I love you. ''
After dinner, on his way to the to help his wife serve dessert, he noticed a second card had slipped out of his wife's pocket. Picking it up, he read: ''Don't worry about not getting the raise. You it anyway. This dinner is to show how much I love you."
A．school B．work C．home D．dinner
A．nervous B．relaxed C．curious D．dangerous
A．anger B．disappointment C．sorrow D．delight
A．careful B．cheerful C．helpful D．wonderful
A．deserted B．burned C．lighted D．used
A．heard B．found C．guessed D．forgot
A．shared B．told C．knew D．talked
A．position B．note C．raise D．news
A．office B．living-room C．kitchen D．study
A．donate B．devote C．demand D．deserve
I never knew how well Mother could keep a trust until I was going through her things after she died．I discovered something I had forgotten, something that happened to me as a child．
One day, as I went to sleep after my sisters and I had said our prayers, I recalled the events of the day and how I had behaved toward Mother．“I must make things right now,”I thought．
Quietly I out of bed and picked up the pencil and paper from the dresser, and then tiptoed into the hall．The from the living room shone dimly． I knew Mother was downstairs still doing some sewing．
I quickly a note asking Mother to excuse me for being so ．I didn’t want my sisters to know my so I added a postscript, “Please don’t let anyone else see this．”
Then I moved into my parents’bedroom and put the letter under Mother’s pillow．
The next morning when I my bed after breakfast, I found a return note under my pillow．Mother wrote that she loved me and me．This became my way of whenever I talked back or disobeyed．Mother always left a return note, but she never our under-the-pillow messages in front of the family．Even when we were , she never mentioned them when we sisters our childhood．
When Mother passed away, I had to go through her personal belongings．In her desk was a bundle of notes tied with a faded ribbon．On top was a message in handwriting which read,“In the event of my death, please these．”
I the package and glanced at the handwriting on the bottom．To my , I recognized my childish writing, “P．S．Please don’t let anyone else see this．Love, Edie．”I gently placed the unopened bundle in the along with other things for the rubbish burner．“Lord,”I prayed,“Make me like ．”
A．never B．hardly C．long D．often
A．well B．badly C．happily D．politely
A．went B．rushed C．slipped D．moved
A．moon B．lamp C．gas D．light
A．wrote B．sent C．found D．took
A．lazy B．late C．careless D．naughty
A．mistakes B．business C．relation D．message
A．quietly B．quickly C．calmly D．hurriedly
A．searched B．left C．made D．folded
A．secretly B．unexpectedly C．happily D．fortunately
A．favored B．understood C．supported D．forgave
A．touching B．connecting C．apologizing D．contenting
A．spoke about B．put on C．gave out D．got round
A．alone B．curious C．grown D．interested
A．reminded B．forgot C．missed D．recalled
A．keep B．destroy C．hide D．announce
A．turned over B．tore open C．looked through D．picked up
A．sadness B．embarrassment C．surprise D．excitement
A．drawer B．wastebasket C．bedroom D．dresser
A．God B．an angel C．a bird D．Mother