Things have been kind of tough lately for Shannon Baker and her little family. They have each other’s parents and young daughter and for that they are . But she and her husband are both currently . And their car is in great need of . And then there is the matter of their second child, who is soon. So things are a little tense for the Baker family these days.
When Shannon and her daughter were walking through a store lot recently, Shannon picked up an envelop from the ground that $4,000 in cash. There were a of different interpretations that could be considered. Was this a kind of good ? Could it be an attempt by the universe to balance everything? Could it be simply a gift from God? Shannon didn’t know. The only thing she knew was that the cash in that envelope to someone else. Oh, and one other thing she knew: Her young daughter was . “My kid was standing right there I found it, ” Shannon told WLS-TV in Chicago. “So basically I wanted to teach my daughter how to be 42 . And for me that was enough.”
Never mind the bills that were , or the car that needed to be fixed, or the baby that would come soon. And forget that when she the money over to the police she was told that there was actually nothing illegal if she it.
The police were able to return the money to the person who it: an old woman. And one can imagine the and relief she felt when the police handed the lost envelop back to her. “She came to my house and she was almost in tears, me,” Shannon said. “She gave me a hug and an envelope with a small in it. But the amount, large or small, wasn’t . What was important was the opportunity to teach my daughter honesty.”
A．restricted B．upset C．sensitive D．grateful
A．unemployed B．appreciated C．disappointed D．removed
A．repair B．protection C．cash D．sale
A．sick B．desperate C．due D．dull
A．gathering B．parking C．cleaning D．begging
A．involved B．contained C．charged D．paid
A．number B．deal C．handful D．flood
A．expense B．prize C．hope D．luck
A．pointed B．reacted C．belonged D．responded
A．urging B．watching C．laughing D．affecting
A．before B．though C．because D．when
A．honest B．loyal C．ripe D．humorous
A．piling up B．giving away C．showing off D．passing by
A．watched B．turned C．got D．collected
A．kept B．made C．checked D．promoted
A．sent B．disliked C．lost D．generated
A．respect B．repentance C．tension D．joy
A．comforting B．congratulating C．offending D．thanking
A．amount B．present C．envelope D．option
A．sufficient B．ethical C．important D．decent
We often talk about ourselves as if we have permanent genetic defects （缺陷） that can never be changed．“I’m impatient．” “I’m always behind．” “I always put things 21 !” You’ve surely heard them．Maybe you’ve used them to describe 22 ．
These comments may come from stories about us that have been 23 for years—often from 24 childhood．These stories may have no 25in fact．But they can set low expectations for us．As a child, my mother said to me, “Marshall, you have no mechanical （操作机械的） skills, and you will never have any mechanical skills for the rest of your life．” How did these expectations 26 my development? I was never 27 to work on cars or be around28 ．When I was 18, I took the US Army’s Mechanical Aptitude Test．My scores were in the bottom for the entire nation!
Six years later, 29 , I was at California University, working on my doctor’s degree．One of my professors, Dr．Bob Tannbaum, asked me to write down things I did well and things I couldn’t do．On the positive side, I 30 down, “research, writing, analysis, and speaking．” On the 31 side, I wrote, “I have no mechanical skills．”
Bob asked me how I knew I had no mechanical skills．I explained my life 32 and told him about my 33 performance on the Army test．Bob then asked, “ 34 is it that you can solve35 mathematical problems, but you can’t solve simple mechanical problems?”
Suddenly I realized that I didn’t 36 from some sort of genetic defect．I was just living out expectations that I had chosen to 37 ．At that point, it wasn’t just my family and friends who had been 38 my belief that I was mechanically hopeless．And it wasn’t just the Army test, either．I was the one who kept telling myself, “You can’t do this!” I realized that as long as I kept saying that, it was going to remain true． 39 , if we don’t treat ourselves as if we have incurable genetic defects, we can do well in almost 40 we choose．
A．away B．off C．up D．down
A．them B．myself C．yourself D．others
A．said B．spoken C．spread D．repeated
A．as long as B．as far back as C．as well as D．as much as
A．basis B．plot C．cause D．meaning
A．lead B．improve C．affect D．change
A．encouraged B．demanded C．hoped D．agreed
A．means B．tools C．facilities D．hammers
A．therefore B．somehow C．instead D．however
A．settled B．turned C．took D．got
A．passive B．active C．negative D．subjective
A．experiences B．trips C．roads D．paths
A．unexpected B．poor C．excellent D．average
A．When B．What C．How D．Why
A．complex B．advanced C．common D．primary
A．arise B．separate C．suffer D．come
A．believe B．suspect C．adopt D．receive
A．weakening B．strengthening C．abandoning D．accepting
A．As a result B．At the same time C．In addition D．On the contrary
A．anything B．something C．nothing D．all
The story of the touchstone(探金石) tells of a man who was told that if he could find the touchstone, its magical powers could give him anything he wanted. It could be found, he was 31 , among the pebbles (卵石) of a beach. All he need to do is 32 a stone.If it feels warm, the magical touchstone is 33 .
The man rushed to the beach without delay. When he 34a pebble that felt cold, he threw it into the sea. He 35 this practice for weeks. Each pebble felt cold, and each pebble was 36 thrown into the sea..
But one morning, he 37 to take hold of a pebble that felt 38 , unlike the other stones. The man, who had 39 noticed the difference, threw it into the sea. He hadn’t 40 to, but he had formed a habit that can be 41 to break.
Any behavior one 42 is strengthened. Repeated often enough, it becomes a(n) 43 . A Spanish proverb says, “Habits are first cobwebs (蜘蛛网), then cables (钢索).” It works well for 44 habits that first trap us like a cobweb. And if we continue the behavior, the 45 grows stronger and can be as difficult to break as a steel cable. 46 some habits can work in our 47 , such as patterns of our lives, positive attitudes and healthy ways of thinking. We form our habits, then our habits form us 48 .
When it 49 habits, practice may not make perfect. But practice will certainly make permanent. So form the habits you want and let them 50 you into the person you want to be.
A．tricked B．informed C．introduced D．traced
A．look on B．cut into C．knock down D．pick up
A．knew B．showed C．grasped D．grabbed
A．decided B．stopped C．required D．continued
A．immediately B．frequently C．greatly D．happily
A．tried B．decided C．hoped D．happened
A．smooth B．rough C．warm D．cold
A．commonly B．necessarily C．hardly D．quickly
A．designed B．determined C．failed D．meant
A．hard B．easy C．likely D．sure
A．forgets B．shows C．adjusts D．repeats
A．addiction B．instruction C．habit D．regret
A．annoying B．old C．influential D．bad
A．line B．web C．spirit D．feeling
A．Then B．Thus C．But D．Because
A．favor B．memory C．honor D．wish
A．in force B．in addition C．in return D．in vain
A．leads to B．comes to C．belongs to D．points to
A．adjust B．form C．transfer D．shape
To this day,I still remember the first day of classes exactly 30 years ago. I _16_ in Dr Charles E. Offutt’s British literature class，listening to him _17_ what his seniors would learn and get them excited about the journey they would __18__ .I’m the principal(校长) of the school now，but for a few minutes I was back in 1975，__19__ what the future held.
I have been learning from Dr Offutt for 30 of the 51 years he has been teaching at DeMatha. he not only taught me to think，he _20_ me，as much by example as _21__，that it was my moral duty to do so and to serve __22_ .
Neither of us could know how our _23_ would develop over the years. When I first came back to DeMatha to teach English，I worked for Dr Offutt，then the department chair. After several years，I was _24__ department chair，and our relationship changed __25__. I thought that it might be __26__chairing the department，since all of my former English teachers were still there，but Dr Offutt _27__ me throughout. he knew when to give me _28__ about curriculum(课程)，texts and personnel，and when to let me design my own course.
In 1997，I needed his advice about leaving DeMatha to become principal at another school. If he had asked me to stay at DeMatha，I might have. _29_，he encouraged me to seize the new __30_ .
Five years ago,I became the__31_ of DeMatha. Once again, Dr Offutt was there for me,Letting me know that I could__32_ on him as I tried to fill such big shoes.I’ve learned that great teachers have a (an)___33__wealth of lessons to teach __34_ his students don’t know it yet.I know how __35_ they are.I’m still one of them.
A．stood B．sat C．taught D．talked
A．explain B．predict C．speak D．teach
A．keep B．achieve C．choose D．take
A．preparing B．discovering C．wondering D．realizing
A．assisted B．reminded C．advised D．convinced
A．words B．action C．explanation D．models
A．the others B．everyone C．others D．anyone
A．relationship B．position C．situation D．condition
A．pointed B．named C．given D．taken
A．already B．yet C．still D．again
A．foolish B．surprising C．uncertain D．challenging
A．promoted B．accepted C．supported D．welcomed
A．advice B．information C．notice D．thought
A．Otherwise B．Therefore C．Furthermore D．Instead
A．choice B．opportunity C．occupation D．possibility
A．teacher B．principal C．officer D．clerk
A．live B．look C．depend D．take
A．rich B．little C．valuable D．endless
A．Once B．Even if C．Unless D．Until
A．fortunate B．curious C．innocent D．satisfied
Recently, a couple in New Zealand were forbidden from naming their baby son 4Real. Even 36 New Zealand has quite free rules about 37 children, names beginning with a 38 are not allowed. They decided to call him Superman 39 .
In many countries around the world, 40 names for children are becoming more popular. In Britain, you can call a child almost 41 you like. The only restrictions(限制) on parents 42 to offensive(冒犯的) words such as swear words.
43 parents choose names which come from 44 culture. For example, there have been six boys named Gandalf 45 the character in the Lord of the Rings(指环王) novels and films. 46 , names related to sport are fairly common – 47 1984, 36 children have been called Arsenal(阿森纳) after the football team. Other parents like to 48 names, or combine names to make their own 49 names, a method demonstrated (证实的) by Jordan, the British model, 50 recently invented the name Tiaamii for her daughter by 51 names Thea and Amy (the two grandmothers).
Some names which were previously 52 as old-fashioned have 53 popular again, but the most popular names are not the strange 54 . The top names are fairly 55 , for example, Jack, Charlie and Thomas for boys and Grace, Ruby and Jessica for girls.
A．when B．in C．though D．for
A．calling B．naming C．raising D．educating
A．letter B．mark C．number D．sign
A．however B．too C．thus D．instead
A．outstanding B．unusual C．common D．famous
A．everything B．something C．anything D．nothing
A．to relate B．relate C．relating D．related
A．Many of B．Much C．A great many of D．Some
A．popular B．mysterious C．current D．present
A．for B．by C．after D．like
A．However B．Whereas C．Indeed D．Equally
A．in B．after C．since D．till
A．make out B．make for C．make use of D．make up
A．well-known B．double C．unique D．fantastic
A．which B．who C．that D．who that
A．changing B．combining C．separating D．dividing
A．thought B．thought about C．thought of D．thought over
A．become B．sounded C．formed D．developed
A．personalities B．ones C．characters D．varieties
A．traditional B．convenient C．classic D．contemporary
Once there was a very brilliant, creative and learned man. He gained much____36_____while traveling throughout the world. Unfortunately he lost his legs and left arm in a traffic accident, leaving only a finger and thumb on his right hand. He became so____37_____ that he was afraid he would spend his life_____38_____ and would no longer be able to use his life in a(n)____39_____way.
One day, he remembered how he had always loved getting____40_____. He realized that he still had partial____41_____ of his right hand and could write with____42_____. Then, he had an idea. “Why not write to other people who need encouragement?”
He___43___ where he could find those who could be encouraged if they read his letters. He thought of people in____44___. Many of them had hope of regaining their____45___ . Others would keep feeling depressed and remain put away for the rest of their lives. He decided that he must try to__46____ them. So he wrote to a prison ministry about sending letters to the prisoners. The prison minister replied that writing to the prisoners would be____47____. However, it would be against prison rules for the prisoners to write back.
____48_____with the intention, the man began sending 49 messages of God’s love, hope, strength, and encouragement. He wrote twice a week, testing his strength and ability to the___50____. He poured his heart and soul into his words,___51_____ his experience, sense of humor, optimism, and faith.
It was difficult to write those letters, especially without hope of any___52___. Frequently, he felt discouraged, wondering if anyone___53____read his letters. However, this was his___54____chance，so he determined to continue.
At last, he received a letter from the prison officer, which said, “Please write on the best paper you can afford. Your letters are passed from cell (牢房) to cell until they almost fall to____55___!”
We all have unique experiences, abilities and talents. We can discover ways to reach others in need of encouragement and strength.
A．wealth B．faith C．experience D．confidence
A．depressed B．embarrassed C．ashamed D．thrilled
A．writing B．suffering C．weeping D．wandering
A．abnormal B．regular C．comfortable D．meaningful
A．presents B．e-mails C．letters D．prizes
A．sense B．strength C．shape D．function
A．affection B．caution C．difficulty D．confidence
A．estimated B．doubted C．assumed D．wondered
A．hospitals B．churches C．prisons D．charities
A．families B．letters C．freedom D．conscience
A．release B．reach C．defend D．know
A．acceptable B．reasonable C．forbidden D．considered
A．Faced B．Filled C．Satisfied D．Impressed
A．holy B．daily C．one-way D．round-way
A．point B．worst C．degree D．limit
A．sharing B．learning C．gaining D．enriching
A．success B．reply C．help D．progress
A．curiously B．patiently C．carefully D．actually
A．only B．better C．extra D．lost
A．ruin B．pieces C．the ground D．the bottom